Seeking a bit of help from fellow American collectors

[wizardman]

As a married man of 20 years,there is nothing better than picking up a book and sitting on the toilet for a couple of hours.Its like meditating and learning at the same time,ah the serenity...Nothing replaces a hardcopy,i know younger people need answers straight away,but the journey of sitting down and reading a book in its entirety is very fulfilling..Many things you learn in a book are not the reason you started reading it,you just come across it..where as ebooks you just go straight to what you want..Hardcopies give value to reading and to Authors....And if i were a young collector i would definitely rush out and purchase some of Mr Saris' books, i find them invaluable, and it also helps the Authors of such books to continue their work and increase our knowledge

[Jerry B]

If you think the book is so poor and you see no need to support authors in the future and are happy to rely on the net for your information, then I fail to understand why you asked for help in the first place to be able to scan the book to your computer.

[Erno]

I didn't know anything about the Angolia book (except what I heard from other collectors) until I read it myself, but it seemed highly likely that the information therein wouldn't be worth the price to buy a new one from the publisher. I believe I posted something to that effect in this thread before I even bought the book. When I finally did read it, my suspicions were confirmed. It's alright for a new collector to learn the basics, but if anyone is relying solely on that book, they will make many mistakes collecting buckles.

I scanned it onto my computer in case I might need something for future reference. The only valuable part of the book is the information regarding regulations. The original research is not very good at all, and there are far too many incorrect suppositions.

Publishing a book does not mean the the author is any more reliable than the 'armchair experts' on the forums. Some authors are extremely reliable, of course. I would buy any of the Wilhelm Saris books with confidence, because I know that they rely on genuine facts and regulations and not opinions, which is mostly what you get from the Angolia buckle book.

[Erno]

As a married man of 20 years,there is nothing better than picking up a book and sitting on the toilet for a couple of hours.Its like meditating and learning at the same time,ah the serenity...Nothing replaces a hardcopy,i know younger people need answers straight away,but the journey of sitting down and reading a book in its entirety is very fulfilling..Many things you learn in a book are not the reason you started reading it,you just come across it..where as ebooks you just go straight to what you want..Hardcopies give value to reading and to Authors....And if i were a young collector i would definitely rush out and purchase some of Mr Saris' books, i find them invaluable, and it also helps the Authors of such books to continue their work and increase our knowledge

I prefer to read novels or history books in the manner you mention, but not reference books. To me, the entire point of a reference book is to act as a reference when needed. I don't like staring at the screen for lengths of time.

[weller]

As a newer militaria and mostly buckle collector, I personally find obtaining/collecting the reference books "part of" the collecting hobby. I wish there were many more and better perhaps books on buckles, belts etc, I would surely purchase these books. The buckle examples I see from my fellow collectors on this forum are often much better examples than in the one or two books I have - I would be happy to provide examples of my collection if needed.

Thank you to those that do have the patience and take the time to author these books, it's certainly not something I could do.

Erno, just my opinion...we all collect and accumulate information differently

Regards,
Jeff

[wizardman]

Authors also go to much trouble to source and reference material,where as anyone can just post unreferenced and incorrect information..In a hobby where things are ridiculously expensive, a book to help you is the least expensive thing..I understand people are different and prefer different methods of information,but its the support for the Writers that must sway us to buy...btw i dont just say these things,i own over a thousand books,and when i clean my house ill take some pictures to show you

[KradSpam]

I love my helmet reference books, nothing beats a hard copy. Also the net is littered with mistakes and assumptions that harden into facts over time, you are never sure if what you are reading is accurate.

I just wish they were all published by Bender, and were all the same height. The OCD side of my collector brain would be pleased by the order.

[BOB COLEMAN]

I would agree that if an author is known to salt his books with fakes, then do not spend the money. I do not know how long you have been collecting but I doubt it is anywhere near the time I have spent in this hobby. Without serious research and reference books, our hobby and this forum would be a vast wilderness of unknowns. I have many books in my library by authors other than Jack Angolia. The majority of them are by authors, like Wim saris, who have done serious research from period reference material and photographs. The subject of collectors being too cheap to invest in a reliable library is not a new phenomenon. It has has just become more pronounced in the past 20 years. There is still much to learn in this hobby and who is going to do the research after the present generation of researchers and advanced collectors is dead and gone? Authoring a reference book is not a labor for profit. A good friend of mine spent years putting together a fine reference material and has yet to receive any funds from the publisher. There are no way to get through serious collecting on the cheap. Those who try will always be on a lower tier of knowledge and collecting. Although on the forum we moderators continually see individuals who feel their are entitled to a free education, that is not the way the world really works.

[Jerry B]

I agree that some of the older books have fakes in them and that is why we need to continue to support authors so they can publish books without the fakes in them.

[Wilhelm Saris]

Yes, I like Bender books for the same reason KradSpam.
I often do not need to buy the books of my interest, as various authors do send their book for free.
I like then the dedication or the numbered sample.

Remind friends, I also have my imperfections and gaps. I Always try to do my best, but my "old" mind
does not always give me the "bites" I need for my writings. And by getting older I am not Always in
the mood for writing.

I do not want ever to get paid by royalties (for various and many reasons). I am paid by a number of books.
This satisfies me more than money. I have holes in my hands, so that would not give me any satisfaction!
Some I sell to a group of persons I have listed (for much less than the value), but the most are free samples
for those that supply me with good photographs. If possible they get a numbered copy or a token of
appreciation (as I did with my aiguillette and HJ-handbook, a limited titled cuffband - a book-mark - related to
the book for the happy few of my friends. See the sample for the HJ-handbook).

.