Please give me your opinions/advice!

[bigmacglenn]

At this point in my collecting, I find myself creating small groupings of the various branches & organizations; WH, Luftwaffe, Homefront, Propaganda Items, Hitler Youth, Volkssturm items, Freikorps, etc...as well as a separate area for WWI Imperial German items, awards, photos etc...The possibilities are truly endless, but for me personally, the Research involved and the broader knowledge acquired here on WRF have been the most rewarding aspects over the years..."Knowledge saves Money" -- the more you know, the less you'll spend- I guarantee it. I also suggest that you join us here on WRF as a Contributing-Member, best investment you'll make...
cheers, Glenn

[Gimmie]

At this point in my collecting, I find myself creating small groupings of the various branches & organizations; WH, Luftwaffe, Homefront, Propaganda Items, Hitler Youth, Volkssturm items, Freikorps, etc...as well as a separate area for WWI Imperial German items, awards, photos etc...The possibilities are truly endless, but for me personally, the Research involved and the broader knowledge acquired here on WRF have been the most rewarding aspects over the years..."Knowledge saves Money" -- the more you know, the less you'll spend- I guarantee it. I also suggest that you join us here on WRF as a Contributing-Member, best investment you'll make...
cheers, Glenn

The group thing wasnt really working out for me. Every way I set the things up in my collection it just wouldn't look that right, regrettably. So thats initially when I started thinking of instead of that bugging question of what fits with what item in a display I thought ''Why not just focus on a single branch instead of the entire package?''. I haven't found myself doing a lot of research at all other than identifying items and I think that if I'd concentrate on one branch doing research might be a lot easier for me. Honestly I've been collecting for about 4 years now I think and I can't even set apart what's original and what isn't. Although aside from that, I've been considering membership to support the forum but that'd be after I get a new job.

Anyway, thank you for your input, Glenn

-Bas

[Sarge]

Weelll---
Collecting, Anything, is a never ending, bottomless pit!
IF you can limit your collecting to the single field of SA, 3 cheers and Rotsa Ruk Chuck! You're doing a lot better than most of us!

I started to collect WW 2 German firearms at about 16, all because I bought a K98k - from the uncle who brought it back - to use for a deer rifle. That got me curious/interested in the German gunz and I started looking around and asking relatives/veterans if they had anything to sell. I also put adds in the county paper and on grocery store bulletin boards.
By 18 I had 2 or 3 K98ks, a G 43, a couple of P.38s and an MP 40. I also had an M1 Carbine bought thru the NRA. I had also began to pick up medals, cloth insignia, usv.
It has all been a steep down hill trip from there. I now have a WW 2 European Theater military museum in my house. I have one bedroom that is my "gun room" and I have as much displayed there as I have room for. Unfortunately a lot of it is in boxes & gun safes in the garage because I don't have any place to put it so it can be seen.

Oh and I not only collect WW 2 European - I've expanded into some Brit u. ruskie - but I began to collect Viet Nam War stuff while I was in RVN. I have a very good collection of that from weapons & uniforms to about everything else related to it.
But I do still have a good bit of resistance to expanding what I collect - I Refuse to collect Anything relating to WW 2 in the Pacific!

As I said in the first sentence above --!!!
Sarge

[Spitace41]

The bottom line has to be collect what you really like. Collecting only one country, branch of service or one type of item can be fulfilling and from what I have seen of other collections on this forum and in the collections of friends, some can do it very, very well. This style of collecting may not be for you however, and the key is not to try and force yourself into collecting one thing just because you feel you have to as this might blinker you to other things that you may also enjoy. I say when it comes to collecting just roll with the punches and be true to what you enjoy. Try not to sell things that you don't really want to or don't really have to as you may well end up regretting it down the road.

[reneblacky]

If you can trade not sell it's nice to have lots of different bits to play with

[Trelawney]

I started with a small box of British Army badges and buttons that my dad had collected when he was a child, I added to it buying cartridge cases and other small bits and pieces of ordinance and kit.I left it when I got older and got distracted by other things. I returned to collecting a few years ago by adding cammo and bits of field gear. I now buy anything that I find that interests me, that I can afford and can be found locally to me. I'm constantly amazed at what turns up in the most bizarre and unexpected places. Both my parents and aunts and uncles were born before the war and when I was growing up I was often told stories about life in the war, my interest started there. Go with with what you like, whether it's all one thing from one nation
or bits and pieces from all over as long as you enjoy it that's the main thing. I have learnt so much and met so many cool and interesting people through collecting.