Whether it’s newspaper clippings saved from the day that will “live in infamy” or uniforms worn by the brave sailors stationed at the Hawaiian base, Pearl Harbor collectibles have a significance that is difficult to overstate.

“There’s just nothing that compares to that instance in history,” says WorthPoint Worthologist Chris Hughes.

Japan’s stunning strike on the U.S. Navy’s fleet at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, sank or damaged 21 ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, destroyed 188 aircraft and claimed more than 2,400 lives. The attack—the deadliest ever committed by a foreign power on U.S. soil—also plunged the nation headfirst into World War II. Before the attack, Americans had expressed little support for joining the war, but the devastation on Pearl Harbor quickly changed public opinion.

Because of Pearl Harbor’s historical importance, memorabilia can be difficult to find. Hughes says that war posters—many carrying the rallying cry, “Remember Pearl Harbor”—provide one of the easier points of entry for new collectors. Stressing sacrifice and strength, these colorful works can be had for anywhere from $75 to $250.

Reproductions are common, so Hughes warns beginners to be wary of posters priced for much less.

Clippings from magazines or newspapers chronicling the attack are also more common. WorthPoint’s sister site, GoAntiques, has Newsweek magazine issues from both the day of the attack and the week after, as well as an edition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin printed on the day of the attack. The site, however, cautions that the copy of the newspaper may be a reproduction.

(left) Newsweek’s prescient cover story; (right) Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s Dec. 7 front page

For more seasoned collectors, personal items seem to hold the greatest appeal.

During the 1940s, sailors at Pearl Harbor sported white, “Donald Duck” type hats adorned with ribbons listing the ship to which they were assigned. Collectors, says Hughes, will often collect those ribbons if they list a ship that was sunk at Pearl Harbor.
Purple Hearts awarded posthumously are also sought-after collectibles.

“To find a medal group that’s named to someone killed at Pearl Harbor, that’s a Holy Grail item to a medal collector,” says Hughes. “They’re out there. They exist, but they sell at a premium.”

Photos taken by military personnel and personal correspondence from those who served at Pearl Harbor are also highly valued.

Hughes says collecting Pearl Harbor memorabilia takes patience and perseverance. In addition to GoAntiques, he suggests attending militaria shows and digging around online for items.

“There are discussion groups on the Internet that are very welcoming to new collectors,” shares Hughes.

To find out what your Pearl Harbor items might be worth, check out worthopedia.com or Goantiques’ PriceMiner tool, which is available by subscription.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

http://www.antique-appraise.com/fourfreedoms.jpg

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms series was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943. The Post published the paintings as a series after the United States government declined it. The posters were such a huge success that the United States government changed its mind and the Office of War Information later issued the series as posters as an incentive for War bond purchasers.The original “Four Freedoms” paintings were taken on a Bond raising tour covering sixteen American cities, allowing almost a million and a quarter people were able to see the paintings in person. The more than $130 million dollars worth of bonds sold by the Four Freedoms Tour helped shorten World War II.

Mike Wilcox

Wilcox & Hall Appraisers

Of all WWII US Airborne military collectibles, Original helmets are one of the hardest items to obtain for a collection. There were three main types used in WWII. A fiber (cardboard) liner was used early on. This was soon replaced by high pressure (fiberglass) liners made by Inland and Westinghouse.

Original fiber airborne liners are so rare, they are virtually nonexistent. Inland liners are also quite rare. According to www.toppots.com, of the 1,900,000 Inland liners produced from 1942 to 1943, approximately 75,000 were converted to airborne configuration. It’s safe to assume that many of these left in Europe and other theaters.

Westinghouse manufactured liners appeared later in the war and they are the most common, but finding original airborne Westinghouse liners is not easy because of the high demand for airborne militaria. It is unknown how many airborne configured liners Westinghouse made.

Due to the popularity of WWII airborne collectibles and the scarcity of original helmets, the market is minefield of forgeries. That is why I was elated when my friend agreed to sell me my first Inland para liner. It took several years of coaxing, but we eventually agreed on a price and I am delighted to own it.

The kicker is where my friend found this piece of rare headgear; it was rescued from his relative’s costume rental store! When my friend found the helmet, it had General stars hot glued to the front, which he carefully removed (with no loss of paint). The store had also hot glued a bevo weave store tag inside the crown of the helmet over the Inland stamp. I debated over removing this label, but eventually I carefully removed the tag and kept it with the helmet.

The liner has been repainted, but it looks wartime. Strangely, there are traces of 6th Army Div decals beneath the paint. Creases in the khaki web A-straps indicate they have been folded up inside the liner from use as an infantry helmet. It is very fortunate they were not cut off like many Airborne Inland liners I’ve encountered.

With my Inland sitting proudly in my collection, I will now search to find an original leather chin cup for it, and an original M2 or M1-C shell to mate this liner with. In the meantime, I’ll use a regular fixed-bale M1 shell, which was appropriately used by airborne personnel as well.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

Militaria-Filled WWII Bunker Discovered in Denmark

A German WWII bunker was found on Denmark’s North Sea coast by archeologists. The bunker has been untouched for 63 years, the Danish newspaper, Politiken, reported. According to Jens Andersen, director of the Hansholm Bunker Museum, wind blew away a layer of sand that had been covering the bunker and its booty of collectibles, exposing the military holding for the first time in more than six decades.

Archaeologists who inspected the site found the interior had not been touched since German troops abandoned it. An interior rife with military antiques includes chairs, bunks, cabinets, pieces of uniforms and bottles of ink.

According to Germany’s English-language newspaper The Local, this historic military bunker is one of more than 5,000 Nazi bunkers that line Denmark’s North Sea coast, part of what was known as the Third Reich’s “Atlantic Wall” line of defense.

At Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s, Bacon Brings It Home

In London, Christie’s and Sotheby’s held high-profile contemporary art sales, hoping to capitalize on recent escalating sales by well-known artists. At Christie’s, high estimates coupled with minimum guarantees made for a disappointing combination on July 1, despite exciting results for a Francis Bacon piece.

According to Bloomberg.com, healthy bidding accompanied a set of three self-portraits by Bacon titled, “Three Studies for Self-Portrait,” 1975. The artwork fetched $34.5 million, bought by an anonymous buyer by phone, and was the most expensive lot for the auction. The works of three other artists, considered pre-auction standouts, had mixed results. A Jeff Koons’ sculpture went for $25.6 million after being estimated at almost $24 million. Lucian Freud’s 1980 “Naked Portrait with Reflection” brought in more than $23.4 million after having a top estimate of $30 million. Lucio Fontana’s “La Fine di Dio,” on the other hand, estimated at close to $16million, did not sell.

At Sotheby’s auction the following day The New York Times reported brisk sales of contemporary paintings by Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hirst and Marlene Dumas. Dumas’ 1995 “Visitor” sold for $6.3 million, two times Sotheby’s high estimate. Sotheby’s estimated the Bacon, a portrait of George Dyer, at $15.5 million: it sold for $27.4 million.

Mega Summer Antiques Show in Baltimore

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show will take place August 28-31 and expects 30,000 in attendance and more than 550 international dealers, according to the official Web site promoting the 28th installment of the summer event. Following on the heels of the American Numismatic Association’s event in the same convention center, the antiques show will include an Antiquarian Book Fair, fine art, furniture, porcelain, silver, American folk art, home accoutrements, jewelry, furniture, glass and textiles. Among the highlights is a lecture series from renowned experts in the fields of silver, jewelry and antiquities.

Pictured is a World War II German model 1934 Police helmet. The helmet has double decals on either side. One decal is the German Eagle with swaztica in silver and black and wreath of silver and black surrounded in black with a silver colored border representing the German nation. The second decal is the Nazi party flag with swaztica on a white background surrounded by red with a black border this decal represents the Nazi party. The helmet is made of a medium grade steel not used in the combat helmets of the same type. Police helmets were painted black with a brown leather nine tongued liner and black leather chin strap. These helmets were worn by Police unit throughout Germany and the occuipied countries who were not involved in combat operations. The model 1934 helmet was made as a light weight alternative to the much heavier steel combat helmet. Many helmets are found in Antique Malls, Gun and Militaria shows and on line auctions. Experience is the best teacher to collecting these items but there are a few things to look for when deciding whether to buy and old helmet or not. Is it real or a reproduction? First of all if it is a German World War II helmet with a high price tag proceed with caution. Look carefully at the paint job inside and out, smell the helmet. If you smell paint put it down and walk away. No further descussion is needed. A helmet that is 60 plus years old should not smell like paint. If it has a decal check the edges of the decal with your finger. If you can feel the edge of the decal with your finger it is probably a reproduction decal to make the helmet more valuable. These decals were heated when originally placed on the helmet. Original decals are very thin and adhere to the roughness or smoothness of the helmet. If the decal appears thick and covers the texture of the steel then it is probably a fake. If the decal is painted do the smell check. You can also purchase a small battery powered black light to check the paint. If the paint refects or luminates in the black light the paint probably has a synthetic material in it which indicates it was made after World War II and therefore not original to the helmet. Smell the liner inside, if it smells musty like old leather that is a good thing. If it smells new then that’s what it is and not original to the helmet. Look for pry marks inside the helmet around the liner, mix matched or damaged rivets or screws. This might indicate someone as changed or replaced the liner. Maybe the helmet was brought back by a vet without the liner and the new owner wants to increase the value by adding a liner. You can not collect anything without good reference material. You can start with more inexpensive books and create your own library on whatever are your collecting interests . Books with a military interests in mind can be found on line and at some books store although usually very limited. Check used book stores for great deals on some of these books. On line www.idsabooks.com is a good start along with www.schifferbooks.com among others. After you have made your purchase use a damp soft cloth to wipe the inside and outside of the helmet down. Make sure not to get the helmet liner wet and insure the helmet dries and does not rust. A small amount of light oil can be used but it is best to keep this away from the decal which could damage it. Blackrock or other leather cleaner or preservative will work on the chin strap. If the helmet liner does not need these things do not use them. One of the biggest mistakes collectors make is trying to make the item better or newer looking than it is. Preserve and protect the item do not change it. If it has a little rust or wear and tear leave it alone. If you start changing or “improving” the item, the value starts going down fast. And it’s originality and desirablity as a collectable will suffer sometimes to the extreme. I have seen many expensive items reduced to 0 value by well meaning collectors. The retail value on the pictured German Police helmet is $350.00 to $450.00 When looking at these helmets or other collectables take your time and look over the item carefully. Do not be rushed into a purchase and beware of a person selling the item that knows nothing about it. By the same token beware of the good story that seems to accompany some items that people are selling. You will make mistakes it’s all part of that experience I mentioned earlier, get over them and move on. The rare find makes collecting a piece of our history all the more exciting and rewarding. Like my mother once said, “you could have worse hobbies” Thanks, Mom

I’ve attended the KC Military Show for over a decade and I cannot think of a time where I left the venue empty handed. Admittedly, this time I tried my best not to purchase anything because I just bought a WWII 2nd Bn. Ranger uniform group and I did not want to test my wife’s generosity with more purchases this month. I got sidetracked from my plan when I peeked at Allan Henderson’s table and saw a beautiful Eisenhower D-Day letter with a price I could not pass up. I had to snatch that as well as a few small dollar items. The rest of my time was spent visiting with friends and watching them spend money.

The show had approximately 280 tables (50 less than last year). This should not have been a surprise considering gas prices and the economy in general. Despite the smaller turnout, there was plenty of very nice militaria for sale. My interest is primarily in WWII and Vietnam, so my observations have that bias. I noticed more high-end German headgear this year, as well as some nice US and Japanese headgear (see images). There were a lot of US medals and medal groups, but most were higher than market price in my opinion. I did not see many breathtaking uniform groups for sale, but my friend picked up a very nice 511th PIR group on Friday with Ike jacket, two shirts, two OS (Overseas) caps, and trousers. Later that night we ID’d the Airborne vet in NARA as well as other sources.

The show had other staple attractions including military vehicle displays and static impressions. I noticed an impressive table of German Lugers as well as several WWII USMC and Army uniform and equipment displays. There was also a table of veteran buffalo soldiers to hear stories from.

One unrelated highlight that I need to mention is that on Friday night I had the best barbecue in my life at Hillsdale Bank Barbecue (Street: 201 Frisco Hillsdale, KS 66036 Phone: (913) 783-4333). It’s outside Kansas City, but so worth the drive. I had a half rack of spare ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, and sweet potato fries. Their sauce is award winning KC style and the meat was smoked to perfection.

I am definitely planning on attending the KC Military Show and Hillsdale Barbecue next year!

KC Military Show Hours:
Friday 5pm – 9pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 9am – 3pm

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I came into possession of two pins or badges that I inherited from a relative’s estate. They were acquired in England sometime during World War Two. Any information that anyone may have concerning these would be appreciated.

The first is a cross-shaped badge (about 3″ across) that is gold plated or enameled, has colored gems or glass on the wings of the cross, and has a circular center bearing the busts of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The inscription around the busts reads in latin, “Victoria Regina Magnae Britanniae Albertus Dux Saxoniae.” On the obverse side, there is a depiction of a male and female couple seated in a chariot being pulled by what appear to be two angels. Also, there are two angels above the couple holding circular objects (perhaps wreaths or crowns?). Around this depiction there are words that say, “Felices Quos Jungit Amor” and “Die X.M. February MDCCCXI” Last statement is somewhat faded.

Second item is a brooch or pin that bears a coat of arms featuring a lion on the left and either a horse or salamander (can’t really tell which) on right, a shield in the center that says “Honni Soit Qui Mal Y Pense” (Supposed to be an Order of the Garter motto), a crown atop the shield and some words inscribed below the shield (which are somewhat faded) — “Dieuet Mon Droit” The words are faded in that phrase, so that’s what I can best make out. The coat of arms is mounted on a circular, black background, and from the outer perimeter of the circle there protrudes a number of alternating short and long gold spikes, giving the whole badge the appearance of a sun with rays.

If anyone has any ideas as to what these items may be, I would appreciate your help. Photos of these items are posted on the worthpoint website.

At the start of World War II, equipment issued to troops by the Japanese Army typically was based on European designs. As the war progressed, material shortages became extreme and the Japanese took many measures to minimize the use of metal in any form. Metal features such as buckles on packs, helmets and other equipment were replaced by cloth or rubberized leather.

The Army officer’s frame pack shown here is an early war issue of a German design. It features metal roller buckles and rivets. The interior is lined with canvas and has the previous owner’s name (Hiroshi Zaki) painted inside the flap. The pack’s construction and workmanship is of high quality, in stark contrast to later mass production versions made of thin canvas sewn with cloth tie closures.

The approximate value of this item is $275-$350. Packs and other equipment for officers are of higher quality than equipment for enlisted personnel.

The Italian Army wore the French Adrian helmet during World War I, eventually producing its own version known as the Model 1916. All that changed after Benito Mussolini came to power in 1925.

Mussolini introduced a new combat helmet in 1933 as part of his military modernization program. The new Model 1933 featured a deep, one-piece stamped nickel steel shell with an uncrimped rim, and provided good overall protection. Three rivets, which doubled as air vents, secured the metal liner band to the helmet. The liner was leather with eight full tongues, perforated for ventilation and tightened with a leather or cloth drawstring. The green leather chinstrap was secured with a steel buckle. The design was so successful that it remains in use today.

The Model 1933 helmet pictured here is chrome-plated. It was worn by Mussolini’s palace guard, which also carried chromed rifles and wore black uniforms.

This helmet gives new meaning to the term “chrome dome.”

There’s a mystery to this flag.

Here is what we do know. It is definitely the flag of Great Britain and that it is definitely of World War II vintage. It is truly a big flag measuring 50 x 70 inches or about 4′ to almost 6′. We know that it was made in Belgium and appears to be completely hand made using a standard home-based sewing machine, not a commercial one.

What’s curious, but not a mystery, is that all of the fabric used to make the flag came from the uniforms of German occupying soldiers. The white stripes were made from the lining of the blue tunics, perhaps. The red saltire of St. George and the red cross of St. Andrews were made, well, from some infantry dress uniforms, maybe. The ‘grommets’ that held it to a building were the elastic bands found inside trousers.

Anyway, the Flanders War Museum in Belgium where this flag was originally on display confirms all of the above as true. While it wasn’t recorded as to who made the flag or where the flag was unfurled, that isn’t the real mystery to me, although that would be interesting to know.

Belgium was occupied by Germany for four years from 1940 until its liberation by Canadian and British soldiers in September 1944, a few months after the landing at D-Day in June 1944.

During that time, the civilians living under German-occupied forces were carefully watched and routinely subjected to cruel treatment as prisoners in their own country. So how is it that such a large flag was constructed to welcome the British when they liberated their country not detected by the occupiers?

More importantly, though, what was the reaction of the soldiers whose uniforms were reported missing when it dawned on them that the unfurled British flag looked awfully familiar somehow?

During the NAZI era of 1930-1940 Germany, the World War II era, the government created a state policy where ‘undesirable’ groups within Germany and any of its occupied territories were isolated from the general population. These groups were identified as Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, criminals, political prisoners, and emigrants.

Once identified, they were forced to wear a distinctively designed cloth badge on their clothing to help identify them to the general population as to which persecuted group they belonged. Eventually and systematically, those wearing the cloth badges were moved as groups and imprisoned in outdoor concentration camps.

The Jewish population was one of the largest groups forced into concentration camps. While there, they were routinely decimated through forced labor, starvation, disease, and outright extermination.

The particular symbol chosen to identify the Jewish population as a whole was the Magen David, or Shield of David. This six pointed star-shaped design is actually made by the intertwining of two triangles. It is said that the triangles represent the intertwining of the Jewish people or that one triangle points upward to G-d and the other points down to earth. However, early Jewish text does not specifically identify this symbol as that of the Jewish people. There was some references to its use on synagogues as early as the 17th century, but not how it was chosen to represent the Jewish religion. Still, this symbol was adopted by the late 19th century Zionist movement and eventually incorporated into the national flag of Israel.

This Magen David, the Star of David, was the symbol most used by the Nazi regime to identify its Jewish population. There are many versions of the Magen David used in different regions of Nazi influence. The red star armband above is only one design possibly used in the Eastern Europe concentration camps. However, the newness of the armband suggests that it is a more recent fabrication and not authentic to the period.

Once incarcerated in concentration camps, the triangle seems to have prevailed as a unique symbol for all prisoners, only the color identifying the group the prisoner belonged. The other symbols for the other persecuted groups while in the concentration camps are identified as:

- yellow triangles for Jewish prisoners
- red triangles for political (Communist) prisoners
- purple triangles for Jehovah’s Witness
- pink triangles for homosexuals
- green triangles for criminals
- black triangles for Gypsies
- blue triangles for emigrants

Fake and Forgeries

It is evident and unfortunate that too many of the concentration camp memorabilia offered on online auction sites are not authentic. Many of them are being made from original cloth of the period which can make it hard to know for sure whether it is authentic or not. However, there is one rule of thumb to consider – if it looks too new, it is.

The Black Light Test

The other more sure way to know is to move a black light over the piece and if the thread glows, it is synthetic, a material not available during this period. That’s true of any painted object, too. If it glows under black light, it is of recent origin.

Collecting original concentration camp memorabilia is important as its very existence informs future generations that this shall not happen again.

Curiously enough, this SA dagger came into the shop recently and only after careful examination after the fact revealed that in fact this official looking SA dagger was an imposter.

Here’s how I can now tell:

- the color of the handle and the scabbard should be brown, not black,

- the handle itself could be a reproduction and the scabbard changed to reflect the reproduction,

- the eagle is not flush to the handle and gauge marks are evident on one side, not consistent with German insistence on quality,

- the SA symbol is upside down and shows evidence of having been gouged out as well,

- the blade engraving should be in line with the SA symbol and eagle, but it is on the reverse instead,

- corrosion on the scabbard is not usually evident,

- and the ring is glued.

All in all, a rather poor reproduction job. Still, this is an excellent teaching tool that will be used to judge other daggers as they appear from time to time.

WWII Museum: Pacific Front Exhibit
945 Magazine, New Orleans LA
Adult Admission $14
Student Admission $8
Child $6

Though I have been to the WWII Museum numerous times, I never visited the Pacific Front Exhibit. There is so much to read and hear that it takes hours to get through the first half of the museum. I just never had the time! This visit I made sure to explore this exhibit and was not disappointed. When entering the hall you are humbled by the enlarged photos of soldiers, leading you to a large map. Labeled the Pacific War 1941-1945 a 6-minute overview, the map lights up and takes you through the entire Pacific Front. Visually stunning, the multimedia presentation guides the viewer through this very confusing conflict utilizing news and radio clips. In that six minutes I learned more about the Pacific Front in WWII than I had in all of my past history classes. My grandfather fought in the Coast Guard and my father owns a map marking all the battles he attended in the Pacific. The presentation at the Museum helped me to understand where my grandfather had been and why he fought there. Before they were lines on a map, but now I can see the struggle behind the lines. The exhibit gave me an opportunity to understand my grandfather’s life, even though he just recently passed away.

The Pacific Front is exceptional because it brings a very confusing set of events to life. As in the European Front, there is great collection of oral histories. From an African American female nurse to Japanese Americans, the oral histories express the full experience of the war, home and abroad. I was unaware of the massive segregation in WWII, for even blood was labeled by race. The exhibit also illustrates the fervent racism against the Japanese. One stretch of wall is covered in propaganda posters from both Japan and America. Both sides used stereotypes to transmit the message that the other side were monsters, ready to destroy the values of their society. It is ironic that both sides utilized the same type of propaganda campaign. It is too easy during war to see the enemy as less than human, a lesson still not learned today. Large graphics and charts help the visitor to personalize the events. Each important battle is documented, so you better have a few hours to truly experience and learn from the exhibit. The exhibit ends with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A short film replays the horror of those events. The exhibit treats the bombings with reverence. Instead of quickly over viewing these events, the museum pays its respects to those who suffered and died in America’s march to victory. The Pacific Front is a humbling experience. It serves as a reminder to younger generations that freedom is not free and war is not to be glorified, but understood and respected.

WWII Museum: European Front Exhibit
945 Magazine, New Orleans LA
Adult Admission $14
Student Admission $8
Child $6

Why is the National WWII museum in New Orleans? 92% of vehicles used during WWII came from Higgins Industries in New Orleans. Furthermore, Andrew Higgins designed the Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) in the 1930’s. He added a ramp in 1941, creating the boats that were able to run on shore during D-Day. President Eisenhower said, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us. Without Higgins designed boats that could land over open beaches the whole strategy of the war would have to be rethought.” Considering the influence Higgins had on the strategy of the war, New Orleans is a perfect place for the WWII Museum. Higgins’s influence is also seen in the organization of the exhibit itself, for it is arranged by date or by each strategic move of the Allies. Within these different sections are mixed personnel stories and enlarged pictures of the war and those who fought in it.

The Museum is a place where the images and sounds of WWII meet modern technology to tell the stories of both sides of the conflict. The first display seen has the different flags of the countries involved in WWII in its background, sized for the amount of servicemen and women contributed to the war effort. In front stood small model soldiers, each representing a certain percentage of contributed servicemen and women. This display brings a statistic to life. Using charts, enlarged photographs, recreations utilizing WWII memorabilia, models, short films and multimedia presentations the voices of a generation can be heard and one of the most important events in modern history is explained to all generations. The museum has collected numerous oral histories, news and radio clips to help tell this story. By having individuals explain their experiences different ages can sympathize with and come to a better understanding of life during WWII.

There are many ways in which the European Front exhibit illustrates the events of WWII. A great aspect of the Museum is short multimedia presentations projected on to an oval floor screen. Both presentations visually and orally explain the different military movements during the war and at D-Day. Another great section of the exhibit is on propaganda in Allied nations. There is a diverse group of posters displayed including some vilifying the Germans, a few including Uncle Sam sternly calling Americans to sacrifice, and others complimenting the heroics of Allied soldiers. These posters reflect the serious side and dramatized side of war. The exhibit also includes many enlarged historical photographs; as one looks on the faces of the past, they are reminded of the great sacrifices suffered by both sides during WWII. The purpose of the WWII Museum is to educate by mixing historical objects with technology. The European Front Exhibit at the WWII Museum takes you on a journey through the past in order to understand how we became the nation we are today.

“Pre – SPR” is a term commonly read on web boards, or heard from the mouths of militaria collectors at shows. It signifies a romanticized time period prior to the 1998 release of the movie Saving Private Ryan (or SPR). This Spielberg masterpiece revived so much interest in WWII and military history that overnight, countless new collectors were born. Soon all the affordable WWII militaria dried up to be replaced with skyrocketing prices.

Many assumed that SPR had only spiked the market like other good military movies have in the past. The dust would settle and the hoards of new collectors would eventually move on to new fixations. However, July 24, 2008 marks the 10-year anniversary for the release of SPR and prices haven’t dropped. They continue to rise. A common US M1 fixed-bale helmet with high-pressure liner went from being a $40.00 item in 1998 to a current value of $275.00 or more in today’s market. Rare and elite items have appreciated even more aggressively.

Fake German and Civil War militaria has existed for a long time, but after SPR, fake US WWII militaria began to flood the market at an increasing rate, especially for elite units.

SPR cannot take 100% of the credit. The 2001 HBO series Band of Brothers has been a contributing factor in recruiting masses of new collectors and single handedly making 101st Airborne memorabilia a white collar collectable.

Many speculated that Clint Eastwood’s 2006 releases Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima would create insane demand for USMC and Japanese militaria. Their value has increased, but Eastwood’s films haven’t touched the impact SPR has had on militaria collecting.

I can reminisce about Pre-SPR just like the next guy, but I also see the value in a growing collecting community. With this new breed of collectors came more websites, web boards, discussion groups, and better networking. Worse things can happen to a hobby than increasing prices and fakes. I know of too many other hobbies that are dying off due to lack of young blood or interest. Who will these people sell their collections to over the next several years? This is something militaria collectors won’t have to worry about for a long time.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

There is rampant misuse of the term “crusher cap” in reference to US visor caps in the WWII militaria collecting market. A crusher cap is a type of visor cap that is intended to be soft and pliable. Germans also had a crusher cap designed for field use, but that is another topic. US crusher caps were designed for pilots and air personnel to comfortably wear under their headset.

The distinguishing feature of a crusher cap is that the bill is made from a single layer of leather with a leather bead around it. Other visor caps typically have two layers of leather fused or sewn together, with a machine-stitched brim. A double ply visor stiffens the cap, making it less than ideal for wearing with a headset.

The quintessential US crushers coveted by collectors are Bancroft “Flighter” caps, offered in both tan and dark green wool. Luxembergs and Flight Weights are also desirable.

If you surf the net looking for a crusher, you will find a lot of mislabeled visor caps. True crushers command many times more money than even the nicest regular visors, so when you are buying a crusher cap, make sure you are actually buying a true crusher and not an overpriced visor cap.

Here are pics of a Bancroft Flighter from my collection that is part of an 8th Army Air Corps Bombardier group. Notice the single ply brim and relaxed shape.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I recently acquired my first M42 Reinforced jump jacket. This jacket was even CC-2′d (Chemical impregnation to protect skin from gas), which led me to believe that it was used on the Normandy jump. Based off the canvas used and the rigger sewing construction, I could tell that it was 82nd Airborne.

The jacket was not attributed to a vet when I got it, but there were two matching laundry stamps inside the garment. On enlisted men, the laundry ID is the first letter of the soldier’s last name and the last four digits or his ASN (Army Serial Number). Identifying a vet with a laundry ID number is a like finding a needle in a haystack, but I felt that this jacket merited the research.

I used the power of Wiki and posted my jacket and the laundry ID number on several militaria boards I subscribe to. In little time, I was contacted by an airborne collector who had a database containing the names and ASN’s for 43,000 WWII 82nd Airborne vets. He ran my information and came up with exactly one match. The soldier was T4 Gordon P. Hannan of Regimental HQ&HQ Company, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne.

The 504th PIR fought and made two combat jumps in Italy prior to arriving in England (4-22-1944) with the intent of participating in the Normandy jump. However, their numbers were depleted and they did not have enough men to participate in the jump. Note: A handful of 504th troopers did volunteer as pathfinders and Pathfinder Security Teams (T4 Hannan was not one of them).

The 504th PIR were issued the same reinforced M42 jump suits as all the other regiments that were jumping into Normandy, but since they didn’t jump, they did not have to turn their jump suits in when everyone returned to England. In fact, the 504th were the only regiment to wear reinforced M42s in the Holland jump (Operation Market Garden). So, it is likely that T4 Hannan wore this jacket on the Holland jump.

This is a firsthand example of how the power of the Internet and “collective intelligence” can be a real benefit to collecting and research. I encourage everyone to post and let the world hear your stories and share in your research projects.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

This uniform grouping was worn by PFC James J. Kriha, Service Company 401st GIF, 101st Airborne. Kriha was a post D-Day replacement and fought in Holland (Operation Market Garden), where he was seriously wounded and spent the next year and a half in hospitals recovering.
His uniform has a three-place ribbon bar an with ETO ribbon w/ two campaign stars, Good Conduct ribbon, and Purple Heart ribbon. The ribbon bar pin is broken and the insignia was sewn to the uniform upside down, causing the ribbons to be in reverse order, but that is how the uniform was received from the vet, so it was left as is.

Included with the group are several V-Mail and regular letters he sent home, a 101st Airborne unit history book and booklet, and recent photos of the vet holding the uniform pieces. Kriha’s overseas cap has an interesting para/glider patch variant.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.