Military Collectibles of the Paper Variety!Military collectibles are often of the paper variety. On this page, we'll show you several examples.
For our purposes here, we will not be focusing on historical documents. Most of those famous documents have long been preserved in some of the best museums around the world! And, rightfully so... What we're assuming here, is that you probably have a box of military ephemera somewhere. Perhaps it is yours! Perhaps, it is your father's or grandfather's. Let's pull it out and see what you have... Take a close look at the smaller items...the everyday items. We're talking about the type of items that you can use for scrapbook ideas in your military scrapbook. How about this for starters? Check out this souvenir folder (below) of post cards from WW I. It is postmarked Aug 8, 1918! What do you have? What do you do with it? Is it valuable? But First...Please Have A Quick Look At This Video!Common Military Collectibles
You get the idea? There are many, many possibilities here! Keep in mind one thing. Not all of these examples involve members of the military! Some, in fact, are directly related to their families. And, some examples actually involved everyone in America! Here's one! During WW II, Americans were issued War Ration Books for various basic necessities, such as food, fuel, and tires. Most of these military collectibles may not be of great monetary value to many. Nonetheless, we should not neglect the sentimental value in which they embrace! So the question is obvious, isn't it? What do you do with all of those papers? Scrapbooking Military CollectiblesLet's say that you have discovered a box of military collectibles during your search for attic treasures at your Grandpa's house. Or, perhaps you stumbled across a box full of vintage military papers at a flea market. Now what?The first thing that comes to mind is a scrapbook; especially if your papers belonged to a family member or friend. How about sorting through those papers now and putting them in some kind of order...one that makes sense to you!
Finish with the official discharge paperwork and sprinkle in any awards or special achievements along the way. Plus, you might want to add postcards/letters, photos, maps, newspaper clippings/headlines, and if possible, personal notes/thoughts from the source themselves! Chances are, you will end up with several pages, probably, more than you may have thought in the beginning.
Any Value to Your Military Collectibles?You may have some pretty interesting stuff there...is it worth anything? Well, perhaps yes...perhaps, not so much!
However, there are plenty of people who collect military ephemera. Click onto ebay for a quick look around. Ask at your local antique shop if they have any military paper collectibles. If you have a large collection, talk to an auctioneer and/or get your collection professionally appraised! For example, our collection was quite randomly acquired through auctions, antique shops, flea markets, and a few relatives! There really is no specific focus to it; yet we still have quite a few interesting items to show you! Your collection could be much more specific! Perhaps, your father served in the military during WW II. Perhaps, he sent home letters from all over Europe as his unit moved about.
We don't know who put it together, or who is in any of the pictures. But, this soldier did some traveling! This album has 24 pages and 335 WW II photographs from all over Europe! What we're trying to convey here is...you may be holding a special piece of history in your hands! Suppose that letter was postmarked on special day in history. Or, what if "your soldier" was directly involved in a major battle, of sorts. Perhaps, he later described it in great detail to you (the reader)! These types of letters will naturally take on an added value. Digital Scrapbooking Your CollectionDigital scrapbooking is another way to preserve that collection of yours. It doesn't matter whether it is new or old...works either way!
For example, here is a stack of military papers from a WW II soldier. They include: Veteran's Life Insurance Application forms and Policy, U.S. Bond Purchase program, Discharge Papers(microfilmed), a hand typed "Emergency Furlough" policy from Camp Fannin, Texas(COMPANY "C" EIGHTY SECOND TRAINING BATTALION), and others. These papers could easily be scanned and incorporated into your military digital scrapbook! Then, you could preserve them properly for storage and /or display! There are a multitude of websites out there on scrapbooking, many featuring digital scrapbooking. Some are as specific as focusing on military scrapbooking and supplies. They will offer many services and options such as theme-based borders, and backgrounds, digital images, etc... Today's photo software and easy editing will allow your creativity to shine through. You'll be amazed at what you can do! Check out our page on digital storage for some helpful hints! We are currently reviewing a few of these sites and hope to provide you with additional information soon! Until then, you could start by taking several digital images and scans of your documents. Get the ball rolling... Some Examples of Military Collectibles...
A V Mail is a regular letter reduced to the size of approximately 4" x 5". Censored by the Navy, these letters were sent to friends and family members. This one was sent from a friend to our grandfather on March 23, 1945!
Speaking of the Navy...here's a cute vintage postcard sent by the same person mentioned above!
Going back a few wars, here's a vintage postcard with a scene from the Civil War on it. (The card is not from the Civil War!)
To the left is a booklet on Robert E Lee. It's a short history of his life, presented by the John Hancock Life insurance Company! (1926) The card on the right is a vintage post card showing the U.S. Marines Color Guard, based in San Diego, California!
After the war was over (WWII), many subscribed Veteran's received one or both of these newspapers keeping them up to date with post-war activities. We recently found a stack (over 90!)of these after performing a "clean-sweep" of a basement area at "dad's house"! Our collection runs from November 1946 - Feb. 1950. They were "musty" and badly faded, but still very much readable! The Army Times was published weekly and sold for 5 cents! The Vet-Times sold for 10 cents! Both papers, contained news articles, a few comics, classified ads, and other standard advertising.
Yes, even these Desert Storm Trading Cards could be considered military collectibles. We bought a box at a flea market, out of curiousity. Although, this is not our "proudest" example, it is nonetheless, an example. As such, we felt that it should be included.
Obviously, we have barely scratched the surface here on this page. Our examples are just items that we picked up along the way! NOTE: Neither of us, have ever been in the military. (That is probably obvious to those that are/were!) For those that were part of the military, well, you probably have military items that we could not possibly have. In either case, we hope that everyone understands our intent in writing this page. Quite simply, there is a large market for military collectibles...of all varieties! Preserve what you possess!
Random Notes...We understand, that for some of you, your military experience can be, and often is, a personal and private thing! We must respect that!
But for those of you who wish to share your military experiences, preserving and displaying your memories can be a pretty cool thing to do!
Our Advice? Set aside some time for this! Set aside some room for this! Spread out your paper collectibles and organize them, based on your needs.
Or, perhaps you have decided to put together a digital scrapbook? Great! You have all of your collection right in front of you! Now's the time! Make something special; whether it is a gift to someone special, or a keepsake for yourself! It will become a lifetime treasure!
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