Manion's Collecting News

Head's up for WWII German collectors...

2008-07-23T15:17:00.004-06:00

Gentleman, stay tuned to www.manions.com over the next few days...

As a benefit to readers, and subscribers, to Manion's Collecting News, I like to provide an "early warning" when cool stuff is getting ready to go live on the auction.

We recently received two batches of consignment consisting of several hundred WWII German items from the estates of advanced collectors. Helmets, shakos, NUMEROUS edged weapons, and so much more...including an honor goblet with documentation.

Some FANTASTIC stuff coming up very very soon - keep watching the site and then drop a high proxy bid the first day and secure what you want for your collection.

Do you want Manion's Collecting News posts delivered to your e-mail the day they happen? Simply enter your address in the box on the right side of the page and you'll automatically be updated on news as it happens!

(sorry about the fuzzy pic of the honor goblet - but you get the idea!)

And...We're Back Up

2008-07-22T06:03:00.005-06:00

Sorry about the inconvenience folks. The site is back up and going; we are taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again - but we are continuing to have some internal system difficulties (computers are supposed to make everything easier, right?).

While we are able to add items to the inventory today, they are not showing up in the "New Today" category - but should as soon as our server is repaired. You may encounter other difficulties in using the site today, and we do apologize.

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Website Down!

2008-07-21T20:33:00.003-06:00

On the chance any of you check here for info, our website is indeed down. Gary is on-site now and working hard to get it back up and running. Not sure what the reason is, as it is usually weather related if this happens, but none the less we are experiencing technical difficulties and hope to be back up soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Old Fort MacArthur Days 2008

2008-07-21T14:52:00.006-06:00

Hello again Militaria mates!

Thought I’d take a second to tell you all a bit about the Old Ft. MacArthur Days event we recently attended in San Pedro, California. It was the largest reenactor event I have ever attended – actually, reenactor probably doesn’t even do it justice. Definitely more of a living history event – cavemen were probably the only group not represented at this massive show. Vendors were present as well (thanks to Vintage Productions for letting us set up camp in their space) and many different militaria related items were up for sale.

The event was held on the grounds of Fort MacArthur an old Costal Artillery installation in the hills of San Pedro. Most of it was underground and it was quite a facility to tour. The dark and dank subterranean area gave one quite an impression of what it must have been like to serve there during WWII - or another era of operation. They had an excellent exhibit of an Air Raid Warden’s office, an excellent collection of WWII era kitchen equipment, and even an NIKE missile – I’ve attached some pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Being from Missouri, I was surprised to see a small, somewhat tattered tribute to the 203^rd Costal Artillery outfit. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the motto: “Don’t Kick Our Dog.” As most of you know, the 203^rd was originally part of the 35^th Division – our hometown boys. The text on the display mentioned something to the effect of Midwestern rural boys being sent to defend structures in Seattle and California…what an experience that must have been for them…

Of all the reenactors, I must say I was most impressed by a gentleman portraying a Barber-Surgeon of the late 1500s – William Clowes. Apparently fifty percent of his patients survived his procedures of the time (often involving blood letting, leeches, and amputation), which were good odds. He did a fantastic job, and had some very interesting handouts as well.

Anyway, it was a fantastic event and I would encourage anyone interested in history to attend, and if you are in the neighborhood definitely arrange a visit to Old Fort Mac. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Militaria and more!

2008-07-09T07:31:00.003-06:00

Hello again militaria enthusiasts - thanks for reading!

Things are humming right along here at Manion's. We've received quite a bit of local press recently regarding our move to a four day workweek. Fox 4 was out here the other day and ran a version of this report several times - click here to check it out.

Then this morning, The Kansas City Star mentioned us in an article about the same subject - click here to read.

So, what's the deal with us going to a four day workweek? Well, we're going to give it a shot for the summer anyway and see if the company and employees notice a difference in monthly expenses. There is always a chance that it will be a giant pain in the butt, too, so we're just going to see how it goes.

I sent out an e-mail to all of our active customers giving a little more information - in case you didn't "get the memo" here it is again:

In an effort to further streamline operations at Manion's International Auction House, Inc. we will be "test driving" a four-day workweek beginning this Wednesday, July 9.

Customer service representatives will remain available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST - and auctions will continue to close at 8:30 p.m. CST.

We are working hard to remain competitive in the current economic environment, and believe this to be a positive move in that direction. Thank you very much for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

So that's about it. We're trying it out for now, who knows how it will play out.

Looks like I am replacing Jody in our trip out to Old Ft. MacArthur Days in San Pedro, Cal. John has been before and says it is quite an event - especially for reenactors. I will bring the cameras with me and try to make a post while I am gone.

After that, we are headed to another part of the state to load up another MASSIVE collection. We have already been out there once, and this house is crammed full of militaria, other collectibles, and firearms. Not sure if I will be able to take pics while we are there or not, but from what I understand (and from pics I have seen) it is absolutely unbelievable - seriously, stuff piled from floor to ceiling all over the house.

This is part of the varied services we provide at Manion's. When someone has collected items like this all of their lives, and then sadly passes away, what is the surviving family member(s) supposed to do with all of their items? It can be overwhelming to say the least. We have really helped a lot of people move on with their lives in the wake of something so devastating.

What a lot of folks don't realize is the extreme amount of work that is involved in the process. Trust, we will be working our tails off out there getting this stuff loaded up and logged in - then when we get back to Manion's phase two begins - and it's not all a walk in the park either.

Many of our members can only speculate on how our operation works here at Manion's International Auction House, and come to their own (sometimes flawed) conclusions. This is why I encourage anyone who is in the Kansas City area, and wants to stop by, to give me a call and we will arrange a tour. There really is no place like this place, you'll see what I mean...

That's all for now. Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to check out the special auctions we currently have running at www.manions.com.

2008-06-25T09:42:00.004-06:00

Greetings readers!

We wanted to take a second to say hello and keep you in the loop on what's new with Manion's International Auction House.

Upcoming Travel and Consignment Pick-up

Looks like our next "on the road" event will be Old Fort MacArthur Days, July 12th and 13th at the Fort MacArthur Museum located in Angels Gate Park in San Pedro, California. This is an amazing event, and has been the largest continually running re-enactment and living history timeline event in the West for over 20 years. We're partnering with Vintage Productions and will be accepting consignment - if you live in the area and have items to consign, get them packed up and bring them to the event. Give us a call in advance and we'll be expecting you! Can't make it out? Let us know and we will try to arrange a pick-up.

Expanding to Meet Your Needs

Now is a great time to consign with Manion's. We have been receiving more items to sell than ever before, and we've added additional staff to keep the process flowing smooth. In addition, we've stepped up our advertising endeavors to include collectors in the UK and mainland Europe. We have new bidders signing up each and every day - almost every hour!

Historic Aviation Collection

As many of you may have noticed, we are currently promoting the historic aviation collection of Harry C. Block, Jr. Mr. Block collected aviation related material from a young age. He made personal contact with aviation pioneers spanning from the Wright Brothers to modern day, the collection includes items from: Lafayette Escadrille, Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart, Hap Arnold, President Eisenhower, Jimmy Doolittle, and so many more. Nearly 400 legendary generals, fighter aces, and other aviation pioneers are included in this astounding collection. The auction closes on July 20 - so there is still plenty of time to bid. To learn more about the collection, and view all items available, simply visit the home page and click the "Wright Brothers to Right Now" banner in the center of the page.

Collectibles Insurance Services

We'd like to welcome our friends from Collectibles Insurance Services, LLC. They provide an excellent service to the collecting community that is often overlooked. As a company founded by fellow collectors, they understand a collection is worth so much more than just money. And as experts in collectibles insurance, they know standard homeowner's insurance isn't enough to replace your treasures.

List it Yourself Auction

We're proud to say our List it Yourself auction service just exceeded 1000 registered members! It is growing bit by bit every day, and is on the way to being a premier place to turn to sell militaria and collectibles - especially those unfairly restricted by other Internet auctions.

MySpace

Well folks, we jumped on the MySpace bandwagon - check out our page and be our friend!
Manion's MySpace

That's it for now, and as always; please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance in any way. Until next time - happy collecting!

Jack Lucas - February 14, 1928 – June 5, 2008

2008-06-16T12:02:00.003-06:00

I suppose most have heard by now that Medal of Honor Recipient Jack Lucas has passed away following a long battle with cancer. Virtually everyone involved with WWII history - collector, reenactor, et. al. - has probably seen Mr. Lucas at an event of some sort, or at least familiar with him through his many appearances on television.

Not exactly sure what else to say here other than we all wish his family the best.

Jack Lucas

2008-06-04T11:06:00.002-06:00

Hello again.

I do apologize for not making more frequent posts, but the current state of things has moved updating this site pretty far down on the list.

The reason for this post is a brand new news story stating WWII USMC hero Jack Lucas is gravely ill. Many of you have met Mr. Lucas at collector events around the country - he was just at the Show of Shows last February. Those of you who have met him, or heard him at a speaking engagement, know what a true badass he is.

He lied his way into the Corps at the age of 14 and earned the Medal of Honor before he was even 18 years old. He is a true American hero, and, sadly, I don't think they make them like that anymore...but I sure hope they do.

If anyone can pull out of this, it's Lucas, but I ask you keep he and his family in your thoughts at this time.

Read the news story here.

Joined by Jumpwings

2008-05-28T12:19:00.004-06:00

Greetings readers - thanks for stopping by.

I have been doing a lot of descriptions lately, we have so many items in here right now descriptions and photos have been assimilated into my daily duties - as well as many other folks here.

Today I have been working on trying to identify different jump wings from around the world. As each small packet comes across my desk, usually containing four or five different sets, I know a challenge is ahead, as the wings themselves are as diverse as the countries' soldiers who wore them. There is a great reference book (Parachute Wings by Bragg and Turner), but even it does not contain them all - and, as most of you know, flipping through pages of a reference book trying to find common traits between an item you are holding in your and a picture in a reference book is not exactly a walk in the park.

The Internet, of course, has proven useful in identifying many of these items. But on a recent search (I think I Googled "Jumpwing identification") I came across a very interesting article and I thought some of you may appreciate me sharing the discovery.

The article was absolutely no help in identifying the specimen in front of me, but was an interesting look into a short-lived bond between a man working in a hospital and an older man getting x-rays...and the thing they had in common. It's not very long and is a good read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did - click Silver Wings and a Golden Ager to read.

Keeping busy at Manion's

2008-05-20T12:07:00.009-06:00

Hello again readers and subscribers of Manion's Collecting News.

It has been a while since I have made a post, but things have been pretty hectic...as usual. We're processing tons (literally) of consignment, and are selling thousands of items every month. In addition, I have been trying to organize our data of items sold over the past year into somewhat of a standard format in an attempt to publish our first realized price guide in several years.

This first edition will cover WWII German items from the first half of our catalog; essentially edged weapons to gorgets. It was a heck of a job organizing all of those items, but I think we've about got it licked. We're working with our friends at MAR historical on the project, and it is slated to drop at the MAX show in October.

We just did the Kansas City show last weekend, the turnout was a little low - but again, it is always great to see our friends in the collecting community. Chuck Samuel does a great job of putting on a show, he's an ol' pro, and a good guy to boot.

When we were in Pomona a few weeks ago for the West Coast show, I had the honor of visiting Bob Chatt's Vintage Productions facility in Huntington Beach. If I could sum the place up in three words, it would be: "God sleeps here" (actually I have to give the credit to Conway for coming up with that one).

The place is amazing, absolutely amazing. Words can't describe, I took some pics - check them out and see for yourself. If you are in the area, give them a call - but if he doesn't know you, chances are you ain't gettin in. Thanks, Bob - it was too cool.

Pics from the show

2008-05-03T20:08:00.005-06:00

Well, the Vintage Productions show is officially over - and what an event it was! Sure was great to see all of our old friends here - and nice to make some new ones as well. For some reason we had several swords consigned to us this event - US, German, and Japanese. We hoe to have them live on the site and up for bid very soon.

Among the other items we're bringing back is an AMAZING collection of official original pictures and documents from the Nuremberg Trials - a true piece of history. It was definitely quite an experience to be able to look at something like that up close.

Anyway, I'm headed back tomorrow eve, and John is staying for a couple more days to meet with some costume houses and other consignors. Turning out to be quite a productive weekend for Manion's.

Here are some pics from the event, enjoy!

California Uber Alles!

2008-05-03T08:53:00.003-06:00

We're here at the West Coast Historical Militaria Collectors Show in Pomona, California. It is a fantastic event, very well organized and smoothly run by world renown Vintage Productions - visit their site and check out their inventory of quality militaria and historic collectibles.

If you are a militaria dealer, who regularly sets up at shows, you definitely want to add this one to your list. If you are a collector, you will be very hard pressed to find a better opportunity to find items to add to your collection.

We've already taken in quite a bit of consignment, and have commitments from several dealers who are dropping off boxes after the show. So, if you couldn't make the event - check back with www.manions.com to bid on items consigned during the show.

Multi-tasking at Manion's

2008-04-08T12:01:00.006-06:00

As usual, there is quite a bit going on here at Manion's International Auction House. We're still processing the "Million Dollar Collection" recently consigned to us. Right now, every single person who works at Manion's is often doing at least two or three different jobs - some more than others. Describers taking photos and assessing consignment before it comes in; the girls from shipping are now tagging items in half the weekand Conway is constantly setting reserve bid prices (you thought he was hard to get a hold of before...).

Gary is not only making sure the items get up on the Manion's site, but is: answering List it Yourself questions, posting items on eBay, setting up ProxiBid auctions, taking photos, designing ads - and pretty much whatever he can do to make things run smoothly around here.

Sue and Carol are not only dealing with customer service issues - they are now cropping and tweaking photos as well. Guy is constantly tagging items in as well, in addition to doing descriptions and following up with consignors. And on the weekends - you should see what this guy pulls out of garage sales and thrift stores...he's like a bloodhound for the stuff!

Long story short, everyone here is working their hardest to keep our forward momentum rolling strong. Things are going better than ever and we certainly appreciate the support of all our fantastic customers.

Looks like our next road trip will take us to the Military Relics and Weapons show in St. Paul, Minnesota at the state fairgrounds. This is a great little show that is getting better and better all the time. I saw a few of our European customers were in attendance last time, indicating that word has gotten out across the pond. Of course we will be accepting consignment at the event - so get those boxes packed up and bring them down to the show!

Also, we have an amazing historic aviation collection that will be going live very soon. Some of the items in this group will make you drool - especially if you are an aviation enthusiast, military and commercial. Personal items and autographs related to notable figures such as: Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Doolittle, Wright Brothers, Admiral Byrd, Lafayette Ecadrille pilots, astronauts, Flying Tigers - and on and and on. Simply amazing. We're taking care of some final details and hope to have the date set soon - stay tuned to Manion's Collecting News for more details!
Here are some pictures - as you can see, we've got a TON OF STUFF! But don't let that stop you from consigning; we're rotating new items in with the old and getting them online as fast!

More consignment than ever

2008-03-19T11:36:00.011-06:00

It is official. We have more consignment at Manion's than ever have before!

Many of you have viewed, and bid, on the sweetheart and other items consigned by the family of William R. Forsen - there are well over 1000 different groupings in that lot. I thought that was big. John and Joe just returned from picking up the biggest single group of consignment Manion's has ever received, according to John (and he should know). It is mainly US related, sorry German enthusiasts, and there are some absolutely fantastic aviation related pieces in addition to the largest collection of unit histories in private hands, and insignia spanning from the Civil War to modern day.

As if that wasn't enough, the day after that collection came in, Jody and Guy returned with another Penske truck loaded with another highly significant collection of aviation items. Apparently the collection was sought after by the Smithsonian, but the family decided to auction the items through Manion's. Good news for the collecting community, as many times when items are donated to a museum, especially on the scale of the Smithsonian, they are never to be seen by the public again. In addition, most people do not realize that once you give an item to a museum, they are free to do with it what they wish. Many times, these items are rapidly sold to cover overhead, much to the chagrin of those who thought they were doing the right thing with their cherished items.

We're rotating other consignment received to be processed at the same time as these collections - so by all means don't stop sending it in. These collections are going to attract a lot of attention to the site - we already have around 10-20 new people signing up each day (which is another first for Manion's).

I've attached some pictures of the collections in the process of being cataloged...I predict some weekends of work in the near future! Those of you who are familiar with our facility, check out the massive amount of boxes yet to unpacked down in the break room area - that's right, we had to utilize every bit of space.

Things are looking good at Manion's...stay tuned to Manion's Collecting News for updates!

Militaria in the news

2008-03-07T14:15:00.004-06:00

Hello again, greetings from Manion's Collecting News.

We have been bustling along here at the auction. We're getting all of the consignment we brought back from The Show of Shows military collecting event in Louisville, Kentucky. It looks like the first of the SOS special auctions will begin this Monday, March 10 and end on March 24th. We're running between 100-150 items in this first auction, which is a very small portion of what we brought back, but we wanted to be able to coordinate it with our Military Trader ad so we expedited the process so we could get the ball rolling. The second auction will have more items available and should go live soon after the first special Show of Shows auction ends.

There have been a couple of interesting articles related to militaria as of late, the first questions the ethics of selling WWII German militaria at auction in New Zealand, and the second is a very interesting Newsweek article "Badges of Secrecy". The link is to an interactive website where Trevor Pagelen, author of the new book "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me", a new book about secret operations. There is sound and video, as Pagelen himself explains the symbolism behind the badges - highly interesting stuff here...

Nazi relics auction "distasteful"

Badges of Secrecy

Oh yes, in case you missed it, and you certainly would if you do not live in the Kansas City area, our own Jody Tucker was featured in the business section of The Kansas City Star on Tuesday. The article was about Internet businesses in the metro area - how can you do a story about that and not mention Manion's? The Star felt the same - and even included a picture of our fearless leader in one of the isles of our storage area. It was pretty cool - thank you Suzanne King! I'll try to get a pdf of the article up soon...

In addition, we are in the process of bringing in some high-profile collections from world renown collectors. John and Guy are headed out on Monday to pick up a massive collection of mainly US items, and next month Jody and Guy leave to collect an very advanced aviation collection with some absolutely amazing pieces of aviation history (the word is that the Smithsonian tried to get a hold of it, thank goodness the family did not agree to their terms or it would be sucked into the black hole never to be seen again!). Also, yours truly is working with the family of a local collector this weekend to catalog several hundred items, also mainly US, which will soon be featured on the auction.

Things are looking great at Manion's - check back soon for more information!

Stolen Valor Act update

2008-02-28T12:32:00.004-06:00

Greetings militaria collectors!

I just read this story in the Oroville Mercury-Register online, and thought it would be a good time to revisit the Stolen Valor Act. Looks like they've got another one - Michael Alan Fraser is accused of violating 18 U.S.C. Section 704 (b) - False Claims about Receipt of Military Decorations or Medals.

Most of you will remember when the Stolen Valor Act was originally signed, there was widespread fear that militaria collectors would get the short end of the stick on this deal. Even after it was determined by officials and concerned parties that the legislation was worded to only affect those who possessed military medals for fraudulent intent, a "wait and see" outlook was held by many collectors.

Well over a year later, it appears the collecting community is out of danger. While many phonies have been prosecuted under the national law, and many states have instituted their own Stolen Valor legislation, there has been no backlash on collectors of military medals to date.

In our endeavor to monitor the news for Stolen Valor Act updates, I have compiled quite a collection of links to related news stories. In fact, I have provided a "Stolen Valor Act" link on the right side of the page where I frequently post articles from across the nation. If anyone has any more information they would like to provide - please do not hesitate to contact me.

Also, I thought I would provide a link to the P.O.W. Network Phonies Index this site has nationwide information about suspected military phonies and appears to be updated regularly. If you suspect someone's story doesn't quite add up, check their list...you may be surprised and find a name you recognize.

Nazi Gold

2008-02-26T12:45:00.002-06:00

Hello all.

We're busy here at the auction organizing all of the consignment we brought back from SOS. Looks like we're going to run one or two special special auctions exclusively featuring items we brought back from the Show of Shows. We just tagged the first lot in and it's on the way to photography as I type.

Also, for those of you who know her, it's Gail's 50th birthday today. If you talk to her on the phone anytime soon, be sure to wish her a happy one (or give her your condolences).

Some of you are no doubt already aware, but treasure hunters have begun excavation of man-made caves thought to hold massive amounts of Nazi treasure - here's a link to the article.

Hope this finds you all well, and check the site soon for items consigned during the greatest militaria collecting event on the planet - The Show of Shows in Louisville, Kentucky.

Back in the 913

2008-02-25T12:54:00.015-06:00

Hello again militaria enthusiasts!

Well, the great Show of Shows live blogging event was not quite the flurry of activity that I had hoped, but I was able to take some pictures and make some posts. As it turns out, the Verizon broadband card I employed for the task was having a bit of trouble in the expo center - sometimes it would work great, and other times it would chug along horribly slow. In addition, the battery on said laptop was under performing as well. I would have to go out into the foyer of the building to really get it to work in an acceptable fashion, and that meant leaving my colleagues to fend for themselves at our tables, which were constantly being visited by Manion's customers old and new.

At any rate, the Show of Shows military collector extravaganza was once again absolutely mind-blowing. I barely got any time to shop for myself. Of course I was there to work, but usually there is a bit of down-time where I can go out and look for items for my collection - this did not really happen this time around. We were BUSY. In addition to collecting a ton (literally) of consignment, we brought some interesting items (currently on the auction) for display and they really attracted a lot of attention. Especially the Luftwaffe M40 single decal helmet that had the original stamps and mailing address fixed to the front (see above pic). Apparently the WWII GI who scored the item just slapped the needed material on the front and dropped it off to be mailed out - imagine doing that today!

The Show of Shows is such a huge event you can walk down an isle twenty times and see something new on each trip. We were located right near the front, and at one point a gentleman came up to me and said that his nephew had a table there, and was wondering how he would find it. I tried to tell him that he needed to go get a program, look up his nephew's name or organization, then locate it on the floor plan. He wasn't interested in doing that and said he'd just wander around and would find him eventually. I wonder how that worked out for him?

I did come away with a couple of items: A copy of On the Ground: the Secret War in Vietnam, which I was fortunate enough to have signed by co-author John Peters, and a very cool french made, 1920s era, lithograph of a Doughboy sneaking across a WWI battlefield with a grenade in one hand and a Colt M1911 in the other. The lithograph was really the only thing that grabbed my attention throughout the entire event. I was walking down an isle, and caught it out of the corner of my eye, and walked right back to it. The vendor was very fond of it, too, and was enthusiastic that I shared the opinion. He made me a great deal and it is currently my favorite possession. I'll try to get a picture of it and post it at a later date.

In addition, I did get my well worn copy of Band of Brothers signed by three more WWII 506th PIR vets: Shifty Powers, Buck Compton, and Don Malarky. These guys are freaking rock stars at these events. Obviously they had no idea they would be so famous; they all seem to take it pretty graciously. They are always hosted by a top notch outfit called Valor Studios. For someone who loves militaria, Manion's is a perfect place to work, but I must say I am jealous of those folks. Check out their website, and make an investment in a historically important work of art.

Unfortunately, the 506th Vets didn't stay at the Executive Inn this year. Nothing quite like sharing a cold one with Earl McClung in the hotel bar. But being so spread out, the hotel doesn't exactly lend itself to a man in his 80s getting around expeditiously and they chose another accommodation.

Speaking of, the word was that this is the last year the hotel will be around. Apparently they are going to bulldoze it for much needed expo center parking. Personally I have mixed feelings. The place is rundown, I don't think anyone can argue with that, but there is something about that "Shining-esque" decor that you just don't find anymore. The hotel bar is quite a place, too. Imagine all of the deals that have been put together there over the years, if those walls could talk...anyway, my buddy Ben and I gave her an excessively appropriate send off Saturday night. So if you feel like you should have as well but didn't get the chance, rest assured we took care of it for you.

Here are some more pics from the show. So nice to see all of our old friends there, and a special thank you to all of our new consignors. We unloaded the truck this morning and have mountains of militaria to sort through. We are already underway processing them, and hope to get them up soon.

For those who couldn't make the event, we are going to do a special Show of Shows auction featuring all the consignment we collected at the event. Granted, it's a tiny fraction of all that was available, but we brought back some GREAT stuff and are happy to bring it to you. Stay tuned for more information!

Show of Shows - second day...

2008-02-22T14:07:00.006-06:00

This show is amazing. If you collect militaria, and have never been then you are doing yourself a disservice. Mere words cannot suffice.

We're honored to share our tables with the Liberty Memorial National WWI Museum and the curator Doran Cart. He's picked up some great items for the museum, including a shovel and pick for the museum's newly acquired tank. He's like a kid in a candy store. See the picture and remember you saw it here first!

I apologize for not posting more pictures last night, we went out to eat with postcard procurer Matthew Roth, of MAR historical, and I followed it up with a public relations push (aka drinking beer with friends) at the Executive Inn lounge. Plan to post more tonight.

We've had a lot of customers stop by to say hello - and just as many stopping by to drop off consignment. We're bringing back a bus load - so check the site for new stuff soon.

Show of Shows militaria event - day one

2008-02-21T12:18:00.001-06:00

Well, we made it to Louisville safe and sound. Turns out our buddy Alan H. made the ride down with us - thanks for all the help, Alan.

Anyway, the show just started and the line to get in was a mile long. People are still coming in the door despite the horrible weather here.

Folks have been stopping by the table to say hello left and right - we've even already taken in consignment and have the promise of several more dealers to drop off after the show. We're off to a great start. We are having a special lower commission rate for those who drop off during the event, and we're going to have a special auction featuring it all very soon.

I need to get back in there, so check back for more updates later! I'm going to try to upload some pics now, but this connection is painfully slow - so we'll see how it goes...

Yeah, pic upload is not cooperating - will give it a shot from the hotel tonight!

Reproduction Iron Crosses

2008-02-18T12:54:00.006-06:00

Hello folks.

This article appeared in Manion's Trendline newsletter in 1995, and Vonn thought it would be of interest to collectors who may have not had the opportunity to read it. Apparently, at the time, there were near perfect Iron Crosses being sold in Europe, as reproductions, but as always happens with fraudulent WWII German collectors - they were soon being passed off as genuine.

We just had one come through the auction, along with a couple of Iron Cross Eagle spanges he believes to be of the same manufacturer. I've attached some photos, as well as retyped the original article below.

Hope you find it of use!

Reproduction Iron Crosses Have Collectors on the Lookout for Fraud

If you area a collector if Iron Crosses from the Third Reich, be warned! Recently, Iron Cross 1st Class reproduction have turned up in attempts to be passed off as originals. These reproductions are screw back marked "L/21" and are not dated on the back so as to indicate a reproduction.

These new Iron Crosses are being manufactured in Austria and sold by the manufacturers as reproductions. However, these Iron Crosses are near-perfect replicas of the originals, and are chemically aged to give the appearance of the real thing. Because they are not dated to be recognized as reproductions, many are being bought from the manufacturers as copies, only to be sold fraudulently as originals. These fraudulent sales are being conducted particularly in the United States.

How do you recognize these copies? their appearance may fool you. Some of the ways you can tell an original from a copy include:

The originals have a finely made dentate edge without any warping or irregularities. The Austrian copies have and area, particularly around the right side of the frame, where under 10 times magnification it is possible to see irregular indentation or riding.
The reproductions have a gloss 'spun' appearance to the metallic frame, a smooth, even and toned polish that is not consistent with originals.
the L/21 hallmarks shows evidence of casting, not dye strike, as the lettering is not sharp and uniform.

Manion's is proud to offer Iron Crosses in out auctions. We ensure that our merchandise is very carefully inspected, and so we are able to guarantee that all our Iron Crosses are originals.

SOS - six days and counting

2008-02-15T13:27:00.002-06:00

It's getting closer and closer. The best militaria show on the planet is merely six short days away. John and I are headed out for Louisville at the crack of early on Wednesday morning, and plan to beat the bushes at antique malls along the way. Hopefully it doesn't end up taking us all day to get down there.

We will be bringing a couple of cases of things to display, and maybe a uniform or two. We will also have some things to sell, including: Coast Guard patches, British visor caps, and old Manion's Market reports. We're also bringing a few Luftwaffe and Army dagger grips, for edged weapon restoration enthusiasts ($50 each) and some police sword scabbards ($150, I think).

Of course, we're also taking consignment while we are there. We've had several people call and say they are dropping stuff off during or after the event. Again, we'll be located in the front of the room, to the left of the main entrance. We'll have a couple of banners up, so we'll be pretty easy to find. Like I mentioned before, please feel free to use our location as a rendezvous point for meeting up with folks - we're in a GREAT spot and fairly easy to find.

I'll also have sign in sheets for member of the US Militaria Forum and Wehrmacht Awards Forum to let each other know they are at the event. In addition, I'm planning on doing some live blogging, and posting pics and video, all weekend long - so if you can't make the event you can tune in to Manion's Collecting News for updates.

By the way, if any of you have militaria or history related blogs, I'd love to link to you here. Send me the address and I'll check it out! And if you haven't yet, be sure to visit the blogs I already have included on the right. I recently added Mauser Girl - she does a great job with her blog, very entertaining and consistently updated, providing insight into reenacting, firearms, active duty army life, and just life in general...I encourage all of my readers to check it out.

Hope this finds you all well, and remember - your comments are always welcome.

Some words about Wehrmacht Awards Forum

2008-02-14T12:42:00.015-06:00

I have to bring something up...

Many of you visit the Wehrmacht Awards forums (I actually have a link to it on the right side of the page), and utilize it as a great source of information for militaria collecting - and it certainly is.

But yesterday I made some posts about a couple of late war badges that we have on the auction. As Vonn Krueger, one of our German describers, noted, they were interesting because it used to be that no one ever wanted late war badges because they were so crude and presumed to be easily faked. Today, it's the intricate badges that are commonly reproduced and these late badges have been becoming more and more popular and accepted as genuine. I put a couple of images up and links to them on the site. Well, I had to get out my umbrella over here because "it" started raining down.

First people accused me of "advertising" for Manion's. The reason I posted these items in the first place was in response to other forum members requesting I post interesting items for comment and evaluation. I had hoped to get a discussion going about these late war items, and thought someone would mention what Vonn and I had talked about. These badges already have plenty of bids on them, it was in no way an attempt to persuade WA members into bidding on them. This seemed obvious to me.

So, one post was removed and the other closed. Before the first one was removed some dude was posting, like it was his last day on earth, about how unfair it was for me to "advertise" on the forum and even got all paranoid about how I had changed my e-mail address that afternoon as well (will get to that in a minute). Ok - worst case those posts may have been public relations, but advertising is something you pay for...but I digress, and am not here to give a Communications 101 course. Seriously, I was just trying to use our absolutely unbelievable access to WWII German militaria to contribute to the forum.

It is funny to me that people can speak negatively about Manion's till they're blue in the face on the forum, but I make one post about an interesting aspect of the hobby, which happened to involve items we have on the auction, and people are so upset about it - had I waited until the auction ended would it have been different? I suppose it is basically impossible for me to make a post mentioning the auction and not have it construed as "advertising". We are surrounded by WWII German items here - literally, if you have never been here then you have no idea about the massive amount of stuff we have. Thousands and thousands and thousands of items - like nowhere in the world, I guarantee. Sorry I made the unspeakable error of mentioning some of it on WA, sheesh.

Anyway, what prompted this rant in the first place is I am now locked out of the forum and was not even able to defend myself! I had to take it here. I suspect ( I hope) it only had to do with me updating my e-mail address. It now says I do not have access to that page when I try to respond to a thread. For Pete's sake, I just noticed I had an e-mail address up there that I don't use very much anymore and updated it - why would that restrict my access? Also, my paid Association Member status has been removed - what is up with that? I have e-mailed them several times, but have only gotten one response from a moderator who said they would look into it. Anyway, the guy I mentioned earlier points out that it is highly suspicious that I have changed my e-mail address - give me a break, I was just updating my info.

Then a guy jumps on saying how we owe him money (which had nothing to do with the thread). So I check into it, and if it is the guy I think it is, we sent out a check over a year ago that has never been cashed. I try to call and e-mail him to get it straightened out, but with no response thus far. We're not just sending a check out until we verify your address (you know who you are - call me directly and we will get it taken care of).

Well, while I am at it I might as well address another aspect. We are always amazed that people will post about "how we owe them money" but have never once called us to get it taken care of. Then come to find out they had consigned using another customer's number and that person had not paid them, had used money from their sales to buy from the auction, had been paid and their wife took the check, or one of a number of other things.

Sure, mistakes happen and I'm not saying that we haven't had some problems in the past, but guys - if there is a problem call us and we will get it taken care of - hell, call me directly and I will see to it. We are not here to try to "get over on you", we are here to rebuild a very unique business that serves the collecting community.

Now I'm not bagging on the forum or the members - heck, I link to it here - I just feel like we take more flak than we should out there.

I will now step down from my soapbox.

Ideas, comments, problems, suggestions, complaints? Call me - 866.626.4661 - ext. 1018.

Andrew

SOS update

2008-02-13T15:21:00.003-06:00

Hello again militaria collectors!

Thought I'd take a second and let you know about some of the famous military veterans who will be attending the Show of Shows militaria event:

Jack H. Lucas: Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, USMC WWII - Iwo Jima Veteran and author of Indestructible. I met Mr. Lucas, and heard him speak, at the dedication of the Dole Center at KU in Lawrence. He is a hoot - and a hell of an American Hero.

Colonel Charles McGee: WWII P-51 Pilot of the Tuskegee Airmen

R. Lee Ermey: USMC retired and host of Mail Call on The History Channel. We've had tables next to the Gunny in the past, and been at several he's attended - a heck of a nice guy, get your bobblehead while you still can!

Robert L. Williams: 101st Airborne Division WWII D-Day Veteran and author of Return to Normandy

Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk: Navigator of the Enola Gay. Again we've attended many of the same events as him, and he's a heck of a nice guy. Somewhere on this blog is a pic of your's truly with the living legend.

Darrel "Shifty" Powers, Don Malarkey, Earl "One-Lung" McClung, and Buck Compton: 101st Airborne 506th PIR D-Day veterans immortalized in the book and HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. Looks like my worn copy of the book with get another couple of signatures at this event - gonna be great to finally meet Powers and Compton.

Robert "Red" Wells: 474 Infantry Regiment (Seperate) Battle of the Bulge

Ed Wentzlaff: Survivor of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor

Colonel Joe Peterbus: WWII P-51 pilot

Walter Schuck: WWII Me 262 pilot

Quite an all-star cast - we're officially one week away from leaving and I can't wait!