Medal Group Dilemma

[Luftm40]

Hi, some may remember a DKiG grouping to a Heer man that I posted a few weeks ago. He signed photos and a letter of authenticity for me on these items before he unfortunately passed away last winter. His daughter found some additional pieces among his effects. Also a pile of personal wartime photos that he didn't want to part with when he sold the group. I am in the process of acquiring this stuff. Here is the issue. The man had, among other things, a total of three IABs. Two in very nice condition, one in very worn condition. Should I keep all three, or pass some on to other collectors? An IAB collector, for example, would probably like to have one from a DKiG winner. I have other groups like this as well. One is a Luft group with duplicates of some very high value items...the guy just owned more than one. I ALWAYS like to keep groups together, but can a group be too complete?

[George Stimson]

My opinion

Never ever ever break up a group.

George

[Bill D.]

Hi Andy...
I gave thought to this recently when the son of a man whose items I had gave me additional pieces. These included duplicates of certain medals, since he obviously had a couple of uniforms and did not want to always switch one set from uniform to uniform.
I concluded that they should remain together. Just my thoughts on the subject.

[Stijn David]

keep it togheter

Hello,


Sorry to hear anotehr vet. has passed away .

It is just my humble opinion that you should keep the Infantery assault badges + eventual other duplicates togheter with the rest of the grouping => im in the camp for keeping a grouping togheter so i say , keep em .

Friendly greetings,

[Rick Research]

I'd keep them together too, but then I am ridiculously sentimental about groups.

Which one--or two--COULD you part with? The worn, dingy one was presumably the one he wore in the field the most: that, to me, has the most "value." Value which has nothing to do with money! The minty ones probably never left his socks drawer back home, but who knows?

Many years ago, a large and incomplete three generation group was sold on Manion's. Grandpa was an 1870 veteran, dad served in WW1 and WW2, and grandson went down on the Scharnhorst in 1943.

There were about half a dozen of the son's ribbon bars, one of which came to me (and will be in the Ribbon Bar Article soon to join the others on this website).

The purchaser kept and still has grandpa. Intended to keep, but then found a good home for, son's (medal bar etc and all the other multiple ribbon bars). I ended up with grandson's posthumous High Seas Fleet Badge, a Destroyer Badge, and DRL with Swastika sports badge. Don Frailey ended up with the posthumous Scharnhorst HSF document, which has been published in one of those Kriegsmarine books, from Bender, I think.

Years later, when clearing out my Third Reich stuff, grandson's "anonymous" three badges went to what I thought would be a good home. I wrote up the True Story, providing family details etc....

You guessed it-- the three badges were simply sold individually as yet more millions of anonymous who-cares bits of metal.

Now, I'm not saying one CENT of "value" was added to them, but they DID come with a documented provenance. Anybody, like me, who actually appreciates that these were worn (or given to NOK in the case of the HSF badge) by real people and not simply churned out as unissued mint "collector editions" WOULD have liked knowing the owner's background.



In fact, this has inspired a Ricky Moment--over in Collector Community under "What is a "story" worth?"...

[Mark S.]

Rick makes a good point, in that the story ends with you. The next guy will just be going.."Yea, yea...how much without the story?"

I say keep a nice IAB and the worn one with the docs, and sell the other one. After the group leaves your hands, it will be pure speculation that those awards came with it anyway.

Hate to be so pessimistic, but such is the way things often are.

[Dez H]

I would definitely say keep the group together and complete. Maybe one of the nice IAB’s is the one he was awarded in the field and he preferred to keep this one nice for sentimental reasons while purchasing another copy to wear. You just don’t know do you?


Dez

[Luftm40]

Yep, they all stay together. I would have a hard time breaking up any group I guess

[John G]

I agree

Andy,
I don't think you are "terribly sentimental" about groupings. Most of us here share your viewpoint. These pieces deserve to be together.
I recently sold a grouping on the e-stand. I had a few inquiries about letting some pieces go seperately, but I waited for someone to buy the set...and at a reduced price (as the buyer was the only one who wanted to buy the set intact... he "negotiated" with me.)
In the end, I'm happy the pieces are staying together and with a fellow collector who appreciates them for what they are.

John

[Angel Farré]

I never split a group, if he has ten Black wound badges I retain the ten, as collectors one of our obligations is to keep groups as complete as we can, if you can no split the group, diferent is when you were offered a group separated in individual pìeces and you haven't enough money to keep it togheter, but everytime you can mantain it as complete as can be. Just my opinion.

Cheers

Angel