Bill Shea's WWII Memorabilia Blog RSS

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  I'm sure we often wonder why "NAZI" items are worth as much as they are in today's market. After all, the Third Reich planned on being around for a long time and even called themselves the "Thousand Year Reich" (Tausendjähriges Reich).         They certainly had a full fledged industrial colossus in multiple occupied countries cranking out everything from pins, medals, flags, banners, statuary, posters etc...the list goes on ad infinitum.     Just take a look at this video, supplied by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ©, and it will provide you with some additional perspective on this...

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The M-16 German Helmet from Right Next Door   I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that veterans took the time to send home so much stuff.  I guess it proves the old cliche that “to the victor, goes the spoils.”  The post office made it easy enough for doughboys and GIs to send their souvenirs home by allowing free postage during the war and setting up local post offices right on military bases.  I’ve encountered many helmets and other relics where the soldier simply wrote the address he wanted it sent right on the item itself.        One...

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      Sure, we may be tooting our own horn but here are the facts:   ORDERING --How many times have you been frustrated when you order an item from a militaria website, wait for feedback and then find out it has already been sold? We understand how frustrating this can be. At The Ruptured Duck we work very hard to update our website immediately once an item is sold to avoid this from happening. 99.9% of the items you see including the edged blades are, in fact, available so you can order with confidence.   Packing --We ship multiple orders every business...

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              Have you ever wondered what that person you were talking to on the phone or you were emailing actually looked like? Sure, we have all done that. We have had the pleasure of meeting many of you at shows in the past. Some of you have also made the “billgrimage” out to the rural setting where we live in Hubbardston, Massachusetts, and discovered that we actually have indoor plumbing!     However, with the advent of the internet, we’ve interacted with thousands of collectors from all over the globe whom we have never...

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