Memories of World War II, Still Fresh in Collectibles
New York Times
By DAVID KOEPPEL
Published: November 18, 2007
“It’s such a popular hobby that prices have skyrocketed through the years,” says Mr. Crews, who lives in Marshall, Ill., and is director for publicity at the college of arts and humanities of Eastern Illinois University. “To me, it’s more than just war memorabilia; it’s collecting a piece of history.”
For collectors of World War II memorabilia like Mr. Crews – who specializes in collectibles from British, American or German soldiers who served during the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge – the war has never really ended. The collectors scour the Internet, auctions, flea markets and estate sales to find posters, documents, photographs, badges, uniforms and steel helmets that range in price from a few dollars to the thousands. A Luftwaffe general’s dagger, for $9,995, can be found at therupturedduck.com, a World War II memorabilia site that sells mostly German and Japanese collectibles.
…many original World War II radios can sell for $5,000 to $6,000. Exotic radios — he cites a James Bond-type device for spying that is camouflaged to look like a suitcase — can sell for $10,000 to $20,000.”
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