It’s that time of year when loved spouses, family members or close friends ask, “Whattya want for Christmas?” They have good intentions—so why not give them some ideas that you really want instead of just waiting to open another pair … More »

What will be the hot military items in 2014? Trends in the military hobby are not always difficult to predict: Items that soldiers were eager to find as souvenirs have become the hot collectibles today. For example, German Luger pistols … More »

During the past few years, I have cataloged a number of large collections for a few dealers and auctions companies. Though I have had the pleasure of examining a lot of great military relics, one in particular stands out—not for … More »

When I lived in Germany years ago, I spent a lot of time looking for military relics. I repeated the phrase, “Hast Du Kriegsache” (Do you have any war relics?) as I explored  book stores, second hand shops and antique … More »

“Ready on the left? Ready on the right? Ready on the firing line!” With that, I took a deep breath, exhaled half and held the remainder. I checked my feet and the grip on my M1 Garand. With clean, Wisconsin … More »

  Gasoline fumes fill my nostrils as I pull my four-point harness tight. Pinned to the back of my seat, I can’t reach the shift lever, but it doesn’t matter—my crew chief is ready to pop it into gear while … More »

At the recent Iola Military Vehicle Show, I noticed a huge shift occurring in the hobby. Whereas the vehicle display at the shows of the past decade had been dominated by WWII vehicles, the 2013 event was clearly lacking in … More »

I have the good fortune to handle a lot of militaria through the course of a week.  Some of it is from very old collections, so I am able to see the effects of what some people may have considered … More »

Ever since I was a boy, traveling during the summer months has always meant keeping my eyes open for convoys of military vehicles. Regardless of world deployments, it seems the highways are always streaming with olive drab or desert sand … More »

Nothing caused me to grind my teeth more when I was a teenager than the almost nightly admonition at the supper table, “Remember, you are a Graf.” The explanation of that had long been discarded—my brothers, sister and I knew … More »