Hello!
Before you head off for the big Labor Day weekend holiday (in the US, anyway), do mark your calendar - the new AGM catalog will open on THURSDAY September 6. Different day than we usually do, but same time: 3:00 pm US central time.
We will send two emails - this big splashy preview now, and another reminder as the opening day draws closer next week.
SO, for Catalog 108, here is what you need to know: |
- As we have for the past several catalogs, when it opens, the new stuff will under the mysteriously titled category "NEW LISTINGS." Everything else that is currently available will be listed in the regular categories. After the few days, the "New Listings" category will disappear, and everything will be integrated into the regular item categories. This did cause a few instances of panic last time - people were looking for stuff under the old categories, and when they didn't find it, assumed that absolutely everything had sold in the first 30 seconds. THAT would be pretty cool.. but no, it was all in the "NEW LISTINGS" category.
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- Though we no longer offer a printed catalog, the 'print preview' version WILL still be available on Thursday at 9:00 am on the AGM Insider page.
- If you don't collect WWI US collar discs, you probably did not participate in Catalog 107, and thus may not be aware that we found a technical glitch that I did not catch when testing the catalog prior to launch. You could view everything, but the "buy" button was nonfunctional. Fortunately it was sorted out in about 30 minutes, but still.. opening day was a real vocabulary developer. I am now keenly aware the rather obscure little detail which caused the issue, so that should not be a problem again. I dropped the ball on phone system settings as well, now that I am thinking of it. Hey - if I was smart, I would have a 'real job'. Catalog 107 actually did quite well in spite of my best efforts to screw it up, so to all of you who were patient with us while we figured out which way is up - thank you!
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| Catalog 108 contains around 315 new listings. Here are some of the highlights! These by no means reflect the whole catalog, or even necessarily the 'best' items. They were simply images that stood out when I was browsing through Anna's photos. These may run afoul of pop-up blockers, depending on your internet browser settings. If you can't click to the larger versions here, they are also available on our Facebook page. |
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| You may have noted in the preview that there is a fair amount of Third Reich material on this catalog. If you have been doing business with us for a while, you have probably noticed that we are usually more focused on other areas. Why? I am frankly just naturally suspicious of this stuff; so many pieces are bad.. and some of those mistakes can be very costly. However, every once in a while you have the opportunity to buy exceptionally nice material directly from the family of the veteran who brought it home as a souvenir of the defeated enemy. This does not eliminate the need for due diligence, but when the items come to you straight out of the closet that they have been sitting since 1946 - it is frankly a whole lot more interesting to me. |
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Most of the Third Reich material in this catalog was brought home by T/5 Warren Eames and Major (later Colonel) Donald A. Heath. Both were rather prolific souvenir hunters, and both served in the US First Division; Eames in Co. G, 18th Infantry, and Heath in the 7th Field Artillery.
Corporal Eames was seriously wounded in the Hürtgen Forest, but having been a collector even before the war, managed to keep his battle-damaged US M1 helmet, which is also available on this catalog, along with a German M41 tropical field cap with transport waffenfarbe, fallschirmjäger smock, and an intriguing M40 helmet with improvised field camouflage cover that he picked up near Bütgenbach, Belgium in January 1945.
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Donald A. Heath in 1945 |
| Colonel Heath had a very distinguished military career. He was with the First Division throughout the war, serving in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. Among other awards, he earned the first of four Bronze Stars in Algeria, and the first of his two Silver Stars at Omaha Beach on 6 June 1944. His souvenirs on this catalog include the SS assault gun wrap, SS helmet, SS camouflage cover, and 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment camouflage painted helmet, among others. |
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The daggers came to us from the family of Pfc. Francis J. Faxon of HQ Btry 110th AAA Gun Bn. They were kind enough to also give me the box that he had used to ship them back from Germany to Boston. These were discovered still wrapped in tissue in a closet in the family home. One imagines it likely that he 'liberated' them from a retail store there, as they are all three by the same maker (Helbig), and the NSKK and SS daggers still have their paper tags. |
| Another highlight.. or a bunch of highlights, frankly, on Catalog 108 is the collection of WWI trench clubs. These were previously featured in our friend David Machnicki's reference work on the topic: At Arm's Length, for which he has recently published a second volume. If you are interested in the book and don't have David's contact information, just email us here at AGM and we will put you in touch with him. |
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| These are very powerfully representative of the brutal fighting in the trenches during WWI, and can make the difference between a good display or exhibit, and a great one. I have always felt pretty lucky to have just one trench club on a catalog. There are 24 of them on Catalog 108. Twenty-four. |
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Coming up on Thursday: Catalog 108 highlights include:
- 2nd SS Panzer Division Armored Reconaissance NCO's Field Gray 'Wrap' Jacket
- WWI 69th Balloon Company Soldier's 'Double Patch' Uniform & Trench Art
- Normandy Camouflage Fallschirmjäger Helmet: US 1st Division Officer's War Trophy
- Bavarian 8th Chevaulegers Sergeant's Depot Issue Field Gray Waffenrock & Trousers
- Canadian WWI Cap & Collar Badge Collection: 275 Insignias
- Heer Transport M41 Tropical Field Cap
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939: S&L Type A w/ Expertise by Dietrich Maerz
- Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Jump Smock
- SS Camouflage Helmet Cover
- WWI AEF Liaison Service Soldier's Coat
- Spanish-American War 35th Michigan Officer's Campaign Hat
- Luftwaffe Camouflage Painted M35 Helmet
- SS M42 Helmet: US 1st Division Officer's War Trophy
- Hürtgen Forest Battle Damaged M1 Helmet of T/5 Walter Eames Co. G 18th Infantry
- M40 Helmet With Camouflage Cover: 1st Division NCO's Battle of the Bulge Souvenir
- Army Engineer Officer's M41 Tropical Field Cap: Soutache Removed
- German Cross in Gold: Otto Klein
- Brunswick Hussar Regiment 17 Officer's Einheits Schirmmütze
- British WWII MKII helmet With Experimental Shrapnel Visor
- SS Model 1933 Dagger: Boston GI's Mail-Home War Souvenir
- Canadian Officer and Military Medal Recipient's Uniform Group: Two Cuff Rank Coats
- French WWI Nieuport Fighter Rudder Fabric
- WWII 35th Division Infantryman's Silver Star & Purple Heart Medal Group
- Heer Single Decal Transitional Berndorf Helmet
- Gallipoli Campaign Photo Album
- German Spring Handle Trench Mace
- WWI Ambulance Service in Italy Soldier's Uniform Group
- WWI USMC 2nd Division 6th Marines Souvenir Trench Club: Wounded at Belleau Wood
- Early Production M1913 'Patton' Saber With Alloy Grip
- WWI British Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Captain's Cuff Rank Coat & Overcoat
- Canadian 75th Battalion Soldier's Souvenir German Trench Club
- WWI RCAF American Volunteer Pilot's Lined Leather Flying Coat
- Kaiserliche Marine Gaffelflagge
- Mills Web Holster For Revolver
- AEF WWI Trench Art Mess Kit Banjo
- WWI USMC 2nd Division 5th Marines Painted Helmet
- British Boer War Cadbury's Chocolate Gift Tin with Contents
- Trench art. Lots, and lots of trench art
And much.. much.... MUCH more!
Want to browse the print version of the catalog before the website opens? Now you can! Click here for more details.
Since the 'New Listings' category is filled with over 300 items, remember - it might be easier to browse by item list rather than by gallery. Your choice, though, and you can easily toggle back from one to the other.
We look forward to hearing from you on Thursday!
Best regards,
Jeff Shrader
AGM
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