A Productive Saturday

[Aragorn243]

Broke a ton of Yard Sale rules today. Was lazy, didn't leave the house until 9:30. Just drove around without any newpaper, etc. Went back to yesterdays community sales to see if any new people set up for Saturday and found that hardly anyone from yesterday set up. Went to a Church rummage sale which are generally complete busts, this one was and then just took off in a random direction. Spotted a tiny sign that said yard sale but at 20 mph that's all it said. Came on a second, figured I must be going the right direction, then a third but still can't read any of them. After a mile, I decided to turn around and head to an antique mall instead but something said keep going so I turned back onto the path. 3 miles no signs, then spotted another one, stopped and read this one to find out the address and the road was only a quarter mile further. Took off down this road for a mile and found the sale. Nothing but crap. Younger woman with her young daughter playing cards. Just before I left, I had actually turned and went toward my truck I turned around and ask if she had any military items. She said yes, she just got something yesterday and put is somewhere. Had to search to find it. I see a plastic bag with what looked like ARMY showing through and I figure it's a sweatshirt. She pulls out a WWII era Welcome Home banner that's 3'x3'. She said she didn't know anything about it and I didn't either, I asked her how much and she said how about $5. Now I really don't know anything about these but figured that was a good price. No holes or tears, pad printing is a little faded but all in all very nice. It's all wrinkled up so I need to figure out how to flatten it without messing it up. So that's my story, added an old US ARMY armored car, Tootsietoy I think and a metal WWI toy soldier that I paid 25 cents and $1 for respectively. So kind of a weird haul this weekend.

[Aragorn243]

Another productive Saturday with a bit of disappointment mixed in. Started off with the purchase of the year that has nothing to do with military stuff. Bought a box of older, probably 50's with a few pre war mixed in Lionel train cars for $4.00. Two engines and 17 cars. Right after that was what I thought was a cool purchase. Asked a fellow if he had any military stuff and he showed me this small flag. Said it was his fathers from WWII and came off of a US Navy motor launch. It is a small flag with a small pole that would fit into a mount. Trouble is, research is telling me this is a Yacht flag, not a US Navy flag. It has the normal stripes and then a circle of stars with an anchor in the center. It's still neat, I just don't think it's military. After that I picked up a pre WWI US heavy machete, Collins type I believe, with a partial scabbard. In the evening, I really got a good deal on two Civil War Don Troiani prints, one at $55, the other at $90 at a benefit auction. The first depicts the 8th PA cavalry charging at Manassas, the second is at Gettysburg and it "Decision at Dawn" with Robert E Lee and his staff. I'll try to get some photos up of this weeks and last weeks treasures soon.

[browningautorifle]

Bought a box of older, probably 50's with a few pre war mixed in Lionel train cars for $4.00. Two engines and 17 cars.

What a super deal...

I picked up a pre WWI US heavy machete, Collins type I believe, with a partial scabbard.

That's going to be interesting.

[Aragorn243]

Yeah, I felt like a thief walking out of there with that box of trains. They need some work. Looks like poor storage. Some rust on some of them and plenty of dirt on them. Heading off now to the antique markets, see if I can add to the weekend.

[Aragorn243]

Found a second Collins macheti/knife today and got this one on the cheap for $20. I've never noticed these before except in a few dealers cases and now have two in two days. This one is slightly different from the first. The first has a metal cap between the handle and the blade and is unmarked. This second one is marked on the blade although somewhat hard to read except the model number which is 1005. It does not have the metal cap. It is in a little worse condition than the first and has an edge piece of the handle missing. These things are on the scary side, 15 inch curved blade that is over a quarter inch thick tapering down to a sharp edge. I'll get photos in the edged weapons section soon.

[browningautorifle]

I'll get photos in the edged weapons section soon.

I'll be looking for this...I'd better get mine out too then. I can show Bear the one I lifted from an Arctic Toboggan when we exercised together.

[Aragorn243]

Combined most of the items from the past two weekends. Not sure where I put the metal soldier, seem to have lost it already. It will turn up eventually. The small flag is what I was told was a US Navy motor launch flag. These were officially recognized by the US Navy in 1939 but I believe it to be civilian, a Yacht official flag. The knives will be detailed better in the blade section. The shovel had a bubba rope attached to the handle but for $2, I'm not going to complain.

[Aragorn243]

Here are the two prints I won at the benefit auction:

http://www.prints.com/imgage.php?f=d...432&ln=Troiani

Don Troiani - Charge of the 8th Pennsylvania - Signed & Numbered Print

[browningautorifle]

The shovel had a bubba rope attached

Looks like it was to hang it up...I have a shoelace through my entrenching shovel handle for the same thing. But they had a hole for that.

[Aragorn243]

The weekend is off to a good start. Picked up a 5" short (clearing round) casing dated 11-1944 and a True Temper US machete dated 1945 with scabbard this evening. Both at an extravaganza event at one of the local antique malls. I first was a bit disappointed in the shell casing as I was investigating it and reading it's supposed to be 27 inches long and this one is a little over 16 so I figured it was cut. But further research led me to what is called a clearing round which was used in an emergency and a couple of them were permanently kept with the gun when the gun was fired. If a full charge failed to go off, these needed to be rammed in quickly and fired to clear the round that was in the barrel before it got too hot and cooked off it's high explosive. I must say I would not want to have to use one of these. The base of the shell had some corrosion that left it a bit pitted but most of the markings are clear. Says "SHORT" right on it so that should have been my first clue. Machete has the light olive green handle rather than the black. This is a typical machete, not one of the massive heavy blade beasts I got last weekend. This is extravaganza weekend at all the antique malls and flea markets so I have hopes of getting more. Photos at the end of the weekend as usual.