“Great Grandpa Klem was a ‘48er,” Dad explained as we kicked up a swirl of dust driving down a gravel road called, ‘Cork Hollow.’ “He is buried here with some of his sons.” With my feet not even touching the … More
JAG File
Before helping to sell a collection, consider this.
“I’ve been asked by a good friend to sell some family papers for her,” a recent email began. “They are personal papers of a Major General and comprise material from his time at West Point to his death in 1944. … More
“Fake News?” Not in our hobby…Until Now.
Believe me, I know how difficult it is to write a regular editorial, especially around the holidays. The stress of buying presents, visiting relatives, and decorating the house just seems to block the neurons of free thought. I will admit, … More
2017—The Year of the “Deuce”
“We never called them a ‘deuce,’ damnit!” my boss, Chet Krause, once bellowed at me. “They were just ‘trucks’ or ‘jimmies.’” I had made a neophyte error by referring to one of his restored, WWII two-and-a-half ton trucks as a … More
A Veterans Day Memory
A former cavalry trooper who admitted he didn’t know a “magneto from a carburetor,” Newell Phipps Weed would later receive the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism for leading 6-ton tanks into combat. And while we honor all veterans on November … More
Threat to Collecting Purple Hearts and Other Medals
Well, here we go again! Just when medal collectors thought it was safe to buy and sell medals after the Stolen Valor Act was amended to exclude these sort of activities from the reach of the law, there is new … More
5 Tips for making the Hobby STRONG
“Went to a show. Talked to vendors. ‘Gotta get the young involved’ was the most common statement I heard. Though this was my show synopsis for an event I recently attended, it could have described any show I have I … More
Is Olive Drab the New Black?
Last May, a lot of media outlets were carrying a story that was titled something like, “Are Classic Military Vehicles a Collector’s Bargain?” Written by an insurance company, the story was picked up and repeated in various outlets. As recent … More
Old Equipment Requires New Respect
It isn’t reasonable to expect a 75-year-old vehicle to operate as safely as the day it was made or a 150-year old rifle to withstand the explosive pressures of modern loads. Nor is it reasonable to expect 50-year-old uniforms to … More
Five Tips for Successful Vendors
This is the age of “customer service.” Don’t like your hamburger? Post a bad review on Facebook. Didn’t like the look of your new Nikes when you put them on? Take them back, no questions asked! Businesses and corporations are … More