posted
I'm currently offloading some furniture on eBay for my mum. It's the first time I've used eBay.
While I'd prefer not to get swept up by this auctioning craze (the design of the website also gives me a headache), I did notice some militaria I was interested in which was going for very low prices. It's quite possible I will yield to the temptation to bid, so I thought I should ask for some tips first.
I know the usual advice on how to look out for fraud, and won't be bidding on anything big (certainly not anything that will require an escrow service).
Some specific questions I have:
- How common is it for militaria (WWI or II) to come with certificates of authenticity? Would it be reasonable to ask for one (say, for a coin or a medal)?
- Are there any books/websites I could use to help determine the value and/or authenticity of coinage/military insignia from that era?
And out of curiosity, how do these people get their hands on service medals? Are they usually surplus ones? I can't imagine soldiers would give away such things...
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Certs of authenticity? I'd say it depends on the seller. If it's an 80 year old war vet, or a teenager who just inherited now deceased 80 year old war vet's stuff, your chances are slim to none.
They probably either got the medals from relatives who earned them, or bought them from someone who earned them and wanted to make a quick dime (or they are in fact selling them and they earned them).
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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My grandpa got three purple hearts and a bronze star in World War two, and brought home a perfectly conditioned German service revolver.
His brother sold the revolver to some guy and kept the money. His kids (my aunts and uncles) played with them and ended up either losing them or their friends took them, but either way they were gone.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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