Would you sell or not?

[jschw90]

Re: Would you sell or not?

I sold off two items last year because I thought I wasn't going to get back into the hobby. The items were a TMD Fed Haversack and an LD Haning 2-rivet scabbard. I still kick my self everyday for selling those. I waited quite a while for them also. I guess I will just have to wait for another opportunity.

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Would you sell or not?

The boys I pal around with an I have gotten into the habit of lending and borrowing gear within our loop. If one person gets burned out, they loan, or if someone needs something specific,etc. Keeps things fresh and typically keeps people excited about going and doing something new.
D.a. Gruber

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Hallo!

IMHO, Curt-Heinrich's Top 15 List...

Some folks sell because, for some:

1. Life has a way of intruding into Hobbies and Disposable Income, and Unplanned Expenses, Breakdowns, and Emergencies have a way of popping up.

2. (One study showed) folks hold hobby interests for 3-4 years, and the Shine on the Penny wears dull and tarnished

3. "It" is not always what New Recruits or Newbies or Newcomers were led to believe or expected things to "be"

4. The Grass Is Greener Over the Septic Tank somewhere else, and they sell off to buy what they need for some other Interest du Jour such as 18th century or WWI or WWII.

4. Folks get tired of the Samo-Samo of politics, personalities, boards and fora, and events that no longer return enough bang for the investment of time and money

5. Folks listen to the Siren Song of Authenticity and sell off their wrong and unwanted kit to buy the "authentic stuff"

7. Folks sell off the 10-12 sets of U.S. and/or C.S. kit puchased for "event specific impressions" that got used once such as for the 123rd Mexican Menopausal Militia's well known stand at Buenos Noches Pass or the 459th NY
Flower Zouaves' retreat at Port of Johns' Crossing

8. Folks REALLY don't "need" three Ohio State jackets or five Columbus Depot jackets, etc.

9. Folks sell off yesterday's Designer Label name items because there is a new Designer Label today

10. Folks sell off yesterday's or today's Designer Label items because when they think they need a Widget for the 200th Anniversay of -------, there will better and more authentic Widgets in the future

11. Following the example of some CW soldiers, why have to carry around something now that you do not need until then, and just worry about getting it then.

12. Man: Doctor, Doctor! My brother thinks he's a chicken!
Doctor: Why don't you bring him in for help?
Man: We need the eggs.

Clothing and gear can be like eggs.

13. Sometimes it seems like the Thing to Do at the moment. For example, I regret selling all of the custom-built guns I made, and the room full of CW guns I "gave" to the State university for my daughter's $150,000 college education

14. For Keyboard Kampaigning, wearing wool at the keyboard is hot and uncomfortable compared to t-shirts and shorts (or undies or nothing). As no one sees anyways.

15. Etc., etc.,

:)

Curt

[Justin Morris]

Re: Would you sell or not?

I personally sold everything, and I mean everything about 2 1/2 years ago. I was burned out and tired. I swore I would never shoulder a musket or strap on a sword. I won't ever need any of this damn gear again, so I'm selling it all ( I told myself). Well my wife just shook her head and told me not to sell it all. So I didn't, I kept a rifle and accoutrements. The rest went. I bought an AR15, 2 Glocks, and Sheriff equipment for a new hobby as a Reserve Sheriff Deputy. Well, like the song says "Here I Go Again . . ." I'm buying and making new clothing and gear. I regret selling several items. Most can be replaced, however, the T. Otis Baker Frock, trousers, Militia jacket and several other items I had custom made from the Baker collection will be sorely missed. I don't plan on selling it all again, but life forces us/leads us down many roads.

Curt, were you watching me when I was surfing the AC last night in my issue drawers?:tounge_sm

[BorderRuffian]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Well fellows,

At age 48 I don't know how many more years I can keep up with this side of the hobby.But at this time I plan to hold on to my gear and kits for as long as I can.I have been the fortunate recipient of several great pieces of gear since discovering the AC.
One thing I have done within my mess is to purchase items from pards be it clothing or firearms to help them out during hardtimes.Before I would sell these items I would give the original owner a chance to buy it back for same price I paid for it.Just seems like the right thing to do.
I also keep tally of what I paid by saving receipts and such for all my kit and kaboodle.That way if something happens to me, the wife knows what a fair price for all this "Stuff" I have accumulated is and won't put it in the Goodwill bin :)
If ya'll feel like you must get rid of all your stuff,then I reckon me and other like minded fellows will always be around to take it off your hands.But I would do like others have advised and save at least one impression,lest you have a change of heart.

[Indianabugles]

Re: Would you sell or not?

The distance traveled to events and the ever increasing cost of go go juice has and will for the immediate able future be downer on re-enacting and cause people to think that it another cost they cannot meet. This was cited by all Re-enacting groups in the UK.
We have combated this by car share, less kit, trailers and more central events. Now I realize this isn't possible, central events, all the time but perhaps a little lateral thinking might mean the difference between selling up and continuation, for the economically motivated anyhow.
$4.17 Just over a dollar a liter is about 50p in UK money and we are paying, and have been for some time over a pound, one seventeen I last looked, more than twice that.
As for the economic downturn, we are all gonna get it and the fact is if we all fold in and sell up till its over, in the UK at least then we will have to fight to rebuild the venues we have now. Bear in mind that unlike English Civil War and the war of the Roses we have no historical home sites in the UK, save for gravestones. So regardless, I wouldn't part with gear and even if it comes down to a trickle of events and stupidly spiraling prices I would rather keep our hobby limping on through it.
Baby on the way is something else, that one will eat up any spare time, sleep, spare cash, sanity, did I mention sleep and several items of breakable houseware. I have two kids and three and six and they both love re-enacting outings. But if the money is for baby things now then that is a different story and it is us a hobby and family must come first.

Christian Sprakes
19th Indiana Taxi service.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Pards and comrades ,

We need Sorchy to pipe in on this one. He buys and sells a full company of uniforms every six months.:D That might be a slight exaggerations. I ave had valleys in the the 23 or so years I have been at this hobby. I can take breaks but I always come back and I am glad I did not dump my gear in the process

RM

[fedcampaigner]

Re: Would you sell or not?

My pards and I used to attend several events a year. Now that "real life"(marriage, new jobs, graduating college, etc.) is kicking in we only attend two events a year. We have all thought about throwing in the towel and selling our kits but something keeps us holding on. There is something about cooking rations over a fire, drill, etc. that keeps us coming back. Even though our reenacting has been cut back I don't think we'll loose the "itch".

[Fern]

I have been a WWII reenactor for about 10 years and a collector for about 20 years, so I have LOTS of WWII uniforms and weapons by now, both original and repro. Recently I have become fed up with the problems that leading a group originates, so two months ago I resigned as president of my reenactment association and resigned my "officer" commision. I am still a member, but don't go to events, trainings etc. Right now I am trying to get the kit and uniforms for a federal and CS private impression and I plan to go abroad when I have my kit complete.

However I have NOT sold my personal WWII kit and I don't expect to sell it in the future. I have sold several repro items and a Finnish bicycle which had been converted to a German one, including some original German parts, but I will keep all my original weapons, my more expensive officer and private repro uniforms (the ones made by Janke, WWII German reenactors know they are perhaps the best German repro uniforms on the market and really expensive) and ALL original items.

If I need money for buying more ACW items, I expect to sell some WWII repro items which I never use, but I will hold the bulk of my collection and reenactment kits. That means 90% of them

After 20 years buying things, I already know that items that were easy and cheap to get in the past, can be unobtainable at present or will be in the future. I have regretted so many times that I did not buy items in the past, when I could get them at an affordable price, that at present I buy everything I can (if I have the money, that is) and try to hold everything I have bought in the past.

The only exceptions are items I can not carry or wear myself. About two years ago I sold a museum grade MINT ORIGINAL artillery officer's Schirmmütze (visor cap) made by Erel because it was ridiculously large for me (3 or 4 sizes large, I am 7 - 7 1/8), but I kept an original used infantry officer visor cap, made by Erel as well, because it fits me fine.

Fernando J. Carrera Buil
www.accuh.com
Barcelona, Spain

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Hallo!

Of course there is the opposite problem...

Buying two of every known clean and unclean item or article. I call it "Noah's Ark Syndrome."

;) :)

Curt

[Lee Ragan]

Re: Would you sell or not?

As my participation in the hobby slowly tapers off, I still hang on to all my gear. I figure that as long as it doesn't eat, and I have room for it, I'll just keep it. Maybe someday when I'm too old a decrepit, some of will will get sold off or even given away but most of it will probably be passed on to my grandson.
To each his own!

[Shantyman]

Re: Would you sell or not?

At present I could never see myself leaving the hobby, out of the game for a while beceause of work-quite possible. If down the road a ways health fails me and I can no longer take the field my unifourms would still be hanging in my closet if for nothing more than a reminder of fond memories.

[MD_Independent]

Re: Would you sell or not?

My plans are pretty simple in regards to selling gear. I'm twenty six now. Figure I'll keep struggling along as an infantry private in the ranks up to the age of thirty five. At that point, my impression(s) will probably change full-time.

Right now, I'm working on breaking a three year old thoroughbred/arabian mare, and, beginning in October or November, getting familiar with mules and plows. Once I can call myself a horseman, I intend to have horses and mules form a major part of my new impression(s), be it civilian, teamster, or horse-drawn artillery. My ultimate objective in my reenacting experience is to serve with a mounted arty unit. I have a feeling that, once I get into that part of the hobby, most of my 'infantry exclusive' gear will go. I wouldn't sell out under normal circumstances, but, if I'm not using it, I'll sell it. Depending on how well our mill works out in KY, I'll either use the procedes to change the impression(s) or, ideally, donate it to a good cause.

I've sold gear in the past: to pay for school, some hospital bills, and to eat/pay rent. I've never really regretted it. My girlfriend says I have a woman's mentallity when it comes to my reenacting clothing/gear. Half the fun in having something is the fun in shopping for it, receiving it, starring at one's self, with the new purchase, in the mirror for fifteen minutes or so, and putting it away for the first time. Selling is great if it thins out the herd, making room for something better and/or more desirable.

Bill Birney

[Guy Gane III]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Gentlemen,

Over the past 2 months, I have been contemplating and entertaining the thought of selling all of my stuff and getting out of the hobby.

There are several factors as to why this came about, mainly because of a broken heart. I lost the passion for this hobby when my recent ex broke up with me. I just don't really care anymore.

There is also another side of this feeling. I hate the politics and the inefficiency of this hobby. I have been vocal with things that I think should be said and I have no regrets. The local area around me (Buffalo/Niagara Falls) harbors too many good reenactors trapped in untrained units. Few want to work together. It seems that a lot of people don't take it seriously. If they do, they are too wrapped in reenactor-ism's and can't break loose from the farbism; scared of being called 'hardcore' or 'stitch-nazi' for doing something right. There are too many officers/NCO's that hold rank and don't even know what they are doing or have nothing to command... etc. (No sense in beating a dead buffalo.)

I became a progressive reenactor when I saw the boys of the 151st NY wearing sacks and hats/caps that looked much different than mine. Over the course of the past 8 years, I have restructured my entire kit. My big jump into dual-impressionism was in 2005 when I had been working on the Fields of Freedom movie and had plenty of money to spend. After spending almost a month filming the movie and getting to do things that the real boys did (bathe in a nearby stream, live outside everyday, etc) and hearing all the educated chatter around me, made me view the Mainstream as dishonorable to the memory - after all, most of the uniforms from the 'Row are just costumes.

What drives me? I don't know. I have been obsessed with the CW since I was 4yrs old.

I just think it may be time for me to hang up my hat.

[PanzerJager]

Re: Would you sell or not?

Gentlemen,

Over the past 2 months, I have been contemplating and entertaining the thought of selling all of my stuff and getting out of the hobby.

There are several factors as to why this came about, mainly because of a broken heart. I lost the passion for this hobby when my recent ex broke up with me. I just don't really care anymore.

There is also another side of this feeling. I hate the politics and the inefficiency of this hobby. I have been vocal with things that I think should be said and I have no regrets. The local area around me (Buffalo/Niagara Falls) harbors too many good reenactors trapped in untrained units. Few want to work together. It seems that a lot of people don't take it seriously. If they do, they are too wrapped in reenactor-ism's and can't break loose from the farbism; scared of being called 'hardcore' or 'stitch-nazi' for doing something right. There are too many officers/NCO's that hold rank and don't even know what they are doing or have nothing to command... etc. (No sense in beating a dead buffalo.)

I became a progressive reenactor when I saw the boys of the 151st NY wearing sacks and hats/caps that looked much different than mine. Over the course of the past 8 years, I have restructured my entire kit. My big jump into dual-impressionism was in 2005 when I had been working on the Fields of Freedom movie and had plenty of money to spend. After spending almost a month filming the movie and getting to do things that the real boys did (bathe in a nearby stream, live outside everyday, etc) and hearing all the educated chatter around me, made me view the Mainstream as dishonorable to the memory - after all, most of the uniforms from the 'Row are just costumes.

What drives me? I don't know. I have been obsessed with the CW since I was 4yrs old.

I just think it may be time for me to hang up my hat.

I would suggest keeping at least one basic kit as mentioned in the previous posts. I went through a similar stage a few years ago where I was burned out, fed up and called it quits for CW and went on to WWII, I was ready to sell off all my CW stuff but I thought "well what if . . " and never ended up doing so. Low and behold I got the afore mentioned itch about three or four years later to give it a go again and was glad I didn't part ways with any of the stuff that took so long to acquire, some of which you can;t get any more since the makers are no longer around. If you have been obsessed with the civil war since you where four, I was the same way, all I wanted when I was four was a kepi to be like Johnny Shiloh, there will come a day you will want it. It may be a year, it may be five years but it'll happen that you will wish you could just throw on your stuff and be out there, it happens to us all

Regards,