USMC Robert Reath KIA Belleau Wood - Navy Cross & DSC - 213 Photos

[moparman14]

Hello I'm hoping to find someone that would appreciate these 213 original photos from the estate of Sgt Robert R Reath KIA at Belleau Wood and winner of the Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross

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[crazy horse]

Hello I'm hoping to find someone that would appreciate these 213 original photos from the estate of Sgt Robert R Reath KIA at Belleau Wood and winner of the Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross

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salute to a great warrior & a brave marine

[Masonk]

Moparman,
The photos are superb however what a shame to piece it out like this! I looked at the images of the photo album you posted in the auction and it really tells the story of this soldier and where he was. I think you would have had better luck selling the album complete as most collectors would appreciate it more than individual photos, plus you would be preserving a piece of history.

I know for me I would have preferred to have the chance to purchase the entire book rather than an individual photo. Now I wouldn't even give it a second look. Again, what a shame for it to be dismantled.....

[moparman14]

Hi yes I hate to break this up but after selling photos for over 20years I have learned the hard way no one wants to pay what it is worth as a whole. Check back after all the photos end in a week and you will see what I mean. The most I would have gotten as a whole would be $500 if I was lucky. On most albums I can make $500 on ...broken up I make $1000-3000 everytime. Seeing this is how I feed my family its just a no brainer. Some of the photos are at 29.00 each now.

Sometimes I will not break up a collection even if I lose my ass on it like an album I sold 2 weeks ago if you look in my past auctions. Its was a album of a Chinese-American GI KIA on the very first day of battle for the 3rd Armour. This man was in 75% of the photos and I could have pieced it out for over 3k easily but it sold as a whole for 476$ but I felt it needed to stay together.

This album here Robert Reath was in just a handful of the photos....not to mention I have a house payment to make. I really wish collectors cared enough to pay the value of the whole collection but sadely they don't.

I have an amazing collection that belonged to Benjiman Perry USMC 6th Machine Gun KIA Belleau Wood - Silver Start winner that if I sell I will keep together however.

[Croix de Guerre]

I'll humbly disagree with you on this one. Correctly researched and marketed, an untouched photo albumn to an ID'd Marine who recieved the DCS and the Navy Cross AND was KIA at Belleau Wood would've brought a heck of a lot more money than $500.00. Properly auctioned I would have put the reserve at $1000.00 easy. I know of some heavy hitting Marine collectors that live for this sort of thing. After busting it up, you'll sell the "good" photos and be left with a bunch of ho-hum images that you'll have trouble giving away. I understand that this is how you make your living, but to try to justify on a forum like this that destroying what might possibly be the only surviving evidence of this man's service, a record that has survived intact for almost 100 years years, just simply rings shallow.

[Croix de Guerre]

I have learned that the Marine in your photos is not Sgt. Reath and that it is most likely his brother Ted. Apparently Robert Reath's medals and HIS photo album are in a private collection. I also think you already know this.