Part 2...
Back in the Fall of 2014, Bill was interviewed by Military Trader Magazine, and asked several questions pertaining to the health of the Third Reich Market. We plan to post many of these interview questions as Bill provides some great pointers, as well as some amazing stories. The following is what was included in this interview.
Although Bill offers a wide range of military relics, he is best-known for his expertise on WWII militaria. With more than 50 years’ experience (now 60 years) in buying, selling, trading and collecting, he has a very good sense of the ebbs and flows of the hobby. We are pleased to offer his response to our:
“10 Questions on the Health of the Third Reich Market.”
Military Trader: How would you characterize a “typical” Third Reich collector today? How has that person’s collecting habits changed in the last thirty years?
Bill Shea: LOL… My customer base runs the total gamut. Occupations I deal with include blue collar workers to state supreme court judges. Collectors include Baptist ministers to Jewish lawyers. They all have one thing in common running through their veins. It’s a love of history and a keen eye for the military regalia of years gone by.
Collecting habits over the past three decades have been greatly influenced by the explosion of the world wide web. In the old days, gun/militaria shows along with dealer catalogues and newsletters such as “Shotgun News” were the primary public sources for militaria. Telephone calls and letters have been replaced by email and texts.
It’s fantastic that we can now interact with collectors throughout the world with a few strokes on the keyboard. This provides a great opportunity to gather information and check out items with collector friends in minutes rather than weeks.
The interview Q&A with Military Trader will continue next week.....stay tuned!!