Where to start collecting WWII Memorabilia and Militaria
Starting a WWII military memorabilia collection may seem like a daunting effort. Where do you begin? Who can you trust? What's even out there to begin with? These are all questions every collector has asked himself at one point. Here are a couple tips that every new WWII collector should know before starting a collection:
- The actual collecting of original WWII military items is not that hard to do. Once you have located one or two reliable sources, there is no need to search endlessly through dozens of websites, Craigslist listings, misleading Ebay auctions etc… You’ll use your valuable time more efficiently and avoid the usual pitfalls that beginning collectors encounter.
- You do not have to spend a lot of money to build a representative collection of memorabilia. Within the area of collecting US, German or Japanese items, there are 100’s of authentic examples of cloth insignia, belt buckles, medals, etc… that are priced under $100.
- Collecting original WWII souvenirs can be exciting, educational, and enjoyable as you learn more about this critical part of our history and our involvement in these events that have shaped our world since 1945.
- The internet has provided us with a tremendous amount of information and is the highway to virtually every detail, movement, battle, campaign, personality and daily event during this period. Seek out this information and see what areas peak your interest. Once you select what areas you are really interested in, you might decide you’d like to collect actual items related to that.
- Collect what you like! Most beginning collectors are all over the place and pick up a number of different items like German flags, bayonets, medals, armbands etc... Essentially, they grab anything with a swastika. Guess what, that’s OK. We all start out that way. After you have been collecting for a while, one particular area might really begin to grab your attention and you will begin to specialize. But until that time, have fun and don’t worry. The important thing is that you are buying from a source you trust who provides you with professional smooth transactions, answers to your questions, and most importantly a guarantee regarding originality. This way you know you have a more solid investment.