Military Surplus/Militaria Anyone?

[Reid]

I'm thinking about collecting various military surplus, so I wondered if there was anyone here that was into that. A good friend of mine's dad is a SWAT team member, and he had a whole crate of surplus US Military gas masks that he was going to throw out, so he let me keep a couple. I know there are a few military buffs on here, and wondered if they were into this stuff.

[Matt_Fury]

The only stuff I collect are the things I was issued.  So I have a few nice sets of Desert BDU's and flight suits.

One thing that goes more towards a collection are the patches.  I have a bunch, most of them are units I've been in, some I've traded for.

[Chris M]

Like Matt, I've got mainly stuff I was issued and a Blackhawk Industries tac vest because I didn't like the issued one.  Pretty much for me also, BDU's and a few pairs of boots. 

I've also got a handful of challenge coins, but I can't be sure of where all of them are.

[Matt_Fury]

I forgot about the coins....and most are right here on my desk!  I keep two in my wallet to be prepared for such challenges.

[Chris M]

I forgot about the coins....and most are right here on my desk!  I keep two in my wallet to be prepared for such challenges.

Being that I'm only IRR now, I don't even bother carrying them with me.  I'm thinking about getting into collecting them and putting them into a display case, much like the POTF coins are.  I was thinking about picking up as many AFSF coins as I could, being that is all I've got on me now.

[Vator]

I've been collecting various pieces of militaria for a couple of years now, with my primary focus being on the two main players of the Cold War, The United States and Soviet Union. I've also got a decent amount of pre- and post-Cold War US surplus and issued stuff, however. Just this weekend, whilst searching through thrift, I discovered an original US Army Air Corps flight jacket... and scored it for a mere $8!  Needless to say, I was thrilled.

It really depends on where your area of interest is. If you're into dress and parade uniforms primarily, then the hobby can be rather expensive. Equipment, too, can be rather expensive. However, regular jackets and awards are pretty common and cheap (unless they're foreign... as a forewarning, shipping from Central Asia and Russia is KILLER).

You should absolutely get involved in this hobby however. Owning and perserving bits of history, especially bits in which you've a vested intellectual interests, is damn near religious and never disappoints.

[Reid]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm thinking collecting more current US gear (Like the aforementioned gas mask I nabbed for zilch $), with some older stuff here and there. There are a couple good surplus shops here in NoVA, so I might check those out.

[Paul]

Todays Military Surplus is Tomorrow's Militaria...

Mil Suplus is CHEAP, Militaria gets expensive.

I've collected Militaria for a long time.  WWII, German, British and American.

The stuff I got as a kid in the 80's or earlier on the cheap is now Crazy expensive.  My Grandfather used to tell me that he could go down to Montgomery Wards (the old department store) and buy Britsh Enfields and German Mausers out of a barrel for $15 a piece for the good ones and $10 for the less pristine ones.

So, Get what you like now and later down the road it will be worth something.  Some things get more expensive others don't.  My German Helmets all got more expensive, belt buckles seem to have hit a ceiling and aren't worth that much...and Daggers are off the chart, as well as Samurai (WWII NCO style) have been really hot.

If you want WWII stuff, more and more personal collections are coming available as that generation passes on.  It is a sad reality.  Unless there was someone in the family who was interested in the stuff, it ends up in Garage Sales etc...even in the Ebay world we live in, there is still a generation or two who will "Garage Sale" it....


The Vietnam Stuff I got as kid for pennies...is now picking up.  I didn't buy the stuff as an "investment", more just something cheap to play "Army" in as a kid. 

Oh and I wouldn't actually breath in that gas mask if it (or the filter) is too old....learn from the mistakes of others!!!!

[Greg]

   I have several small military related items, but they do mean a lot to me. My Grandfather served in World War 2, and several years ago, when I was 9 or 10, he gave me his five war medals. They are not major medals/awards or anything like that (Or at least I don't think they are) but they are important to me because he gave them to me out of everyone in my family. (I was, and still am, the third youngest member)   
   I'm not sure this is what you guys are talking about, but I just thought I'd add this to the conversation.

[Angry Ewok]

I'm going to go ahead and agree with the previous statement about it being a bad idea to use old gas masks. I thought it'd be cool to get ****** up and wear the mask around for a while...



...but I chose poorly.

[Chris M]

One thing I picked up years ago and haven't done anything with to this point is my Grandfathers' WWII uniforms.  I'm planning to eventually get his ribbons and stick them on.  He commanded a tank destroyer and his uniform as the patches still.  However, the one on the uniform blouse has the tiger with the tank treads in it's mouth, but the treads only have four wheels, an indicator it was not a mainline TD unit, but more of an elite force...however, I've yet to find more information on that and unfortunately he passed away a few years ago.

He never told me much about his expiriences until I came home from overseas when I was about 25, sadly it will be very difficult to find out more about him.  Sorry to head off on a tangent here.

[Matt_Fury]

He never told me much about his expiriences until I came home from overseas when I was about 25, sadly it will be very difficult to find out more about him.  Sorry to head off on a tangent here.

My grandfather did the same thing with me when I got back from Kuwait! 

[Chris M]

My grandfather did the same thing with me when I got back from Kuwait! 

When my grandfather heard I was thinking about going back in, shortly after I got out, he told me not to go back.  It's been hard, but part of me is still leaning that way.  I've actually contacted my old reserve unit to see if they had any roster spots available.  Right now, they only have overage slots which is kind of aggrivating because those are non-deployable positions.

[Reid]

Down in the basement I think, my family has stored away a couple WWII German rifles, and if memory serves me right, a Nazi swastika flag down somewhere in the basement too. I believe one of my relatives that fought in WWII (I had about six) looted those off some captured Nazis. One of my great-uncles served in the pacific theatre and was KIA at Guadalcanal, and was awarded the Navy Cross, which I have stored away somewhere too.

On the topic of the gas mask, it's fairly new I believe (M17A2), so I don't worry about that.

[Deanna Rash]

My uncle is the military buff-He's got alot of stuff from WWII.From my Grandfather,Who was a Marine in the islands around Japan.I know he brought back an officers sword samaurai it was the shape of a white dragon with red ruby in its mouth.I haven't seen it for years.He's got some German stuff.Dad gave him his stuff when he came back from Nam'.He restored one these troop tranport army trucks from head to toe.That's cool ,but it's sure not made for comfort.