Page 40 - Nov 2020 JOA

A painting by Louis-Nicolas Van Blarenberghe, court painter of battles to France’s King Louis XVI,
depicts the 1781 formal surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia

ince I was very young, I have enjoyed collecting historic arms,
militaria, and related material culture. I grew up in the historic “Reading about the Battle of
Stown of Concord, Massachusetts, and was infatuated with the
start of the American Revolution, spending many hours out on the Bunker Hill or Gettysburg and
battlefield. One of my other favorite haunts was the Concord Museum.
We went there on school field trips and I couldn’t get enough, so on holding an object from those
weekends I would ride my bike down to stare at the Revolutionary War
objects in wonder and forty-five years later they still cannot get rid events has always been such a
of me!
Hitting local antique shops, garage sales, flea markets, as well as thrill and evokes strong and
auctions all over New England with my parents, I was always digging for
interesting military items from the Revolution through World War II. personal emotions.”
Auctions used to scare me as I was told that if I even blinked or
flinched, I might own an item that I could not afford. It must have
looked awkward to the others at the auction galleries to see me sitting
on my hands so I didn’t bid by mistake, but I always went back – helmet, or medal. I remember the look on my mother’s face as I would
intrigued by what cool thing that might have been found in the next return after a long day with my booty, only to be up and out at
house or barn would come fresh to the market. The old-style tent in the the crack of dawn again the next day to scour the place for more
backyard auction was wonderful also, most of the time run by an historical goodies.
amusing auctioneer and runners holding up the lots for antique-hungry
bidders to purchase. The Roller Coaster Ride of Change
Brimfield Antique Shows was always a highlight during the year, The thrill of the chase was very strong for me back then and still is
and we looked forward to them even more than Christmas, spending today, even in this internet charged and changed collecting world.
days out in the fields searching for treasured items, be it a musket ball, Since those long-gone days of my youth (when getting things still
relatively cheap – for the most part!), the militaria market has changed
quite a bit. I watched as basic Civil War swords and accouterments
soared in value, only to drop back down fifteen or so years later. While
some of the higher-end materials are still going strong, some of the
basics have not returned to the probably over-inflated values of the early
to mid-90s.
Early Revolutionary War material seemed to not be as strong or
popular back in the day, but today it has been bringing some record
numbers that were unheard of in the past. Values have fluctuated up
and down over the years just like most collecting genres, but I believe
the militaria market is still strong and viable today with younger folks
seemingly getting into the field. The survival of any market lies with
getting younger folks involved and interested just like I did as a crazy
young collector.

Added Value
There are numerous factors that can add to the value of an item.
The reconstructed North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park, Obviously, condition means a lot, but markings to an individual soldier
Concord, Massachusetts, July 2005 or unit that participated in those momentous events in our history can

38 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles