Badger Military Collector Show

Hello folks.

I'm getting ready to hit the road to Wisconsin - going to the Badger Militaria Show in Waukesha. Looks like it is going to be another good event put on by "Bob and Rocco". I'll be dropping off some checks to consignors - and bringing back lots of good stuff as well.

I will try to take some pics - and maybe even video - and post it here over the weekend, time permitting. If nothing else, I will have them up here and on the US Forum next week.

And German collectors, another head's up. Just picked up a really cool WH Standard-Bearer's Gorget, along with a couple of belt buckles and some assorted insignia. They should be up on the site soon!

Head's up for WWII German collectors...

Gentleman, stay tuned to www.manions.com over the next few days...

As a benefit to readers, and subscribers, to Manion's Collecting News, I like to provide an "early warning" when cool stuff is getting ready to go live on the auction.

We recently received two batches of consignment consisting of several hundred WWII German items from the estates of advanced collectors. Helmets, shakos, NUMEROUS edged weapons, and so much more...including an honor goblet with documentation.

Some FANTASTIC stuff coming up very very soon - keep watching the site and then drop a high proxy bid the first day and secure what you want for your collection.

Do you want Manion's Collecting News posts delivered to your e-mail the day they happen? Simply enter your address in the box on the right side of the page and you'll automatically be updated on news as it happens!

(sorry about the fuzzy pic of the honor goblet - but you get the idea!)

And...We're Back Up

Sorry about the inconvenience folks. The site is back up and going; we are taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again - but we are continuing to have some internal system difficulties (computers are supposed to make everything easier, right?).

While we are able to add items to the inventory today, they are not showing up in the "New Today" category - but should as soon as our server is repaired. You may encounter other difficulties in using the site today, and we do apologize.

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Website Down!

On the chance any of you check here for info, our website is indeed down. Gary is on-site now and working hard to get it back up and running. Not sure what the reason is, as it is usually weather related if this happens, but none the less we are experiencing technical difficulties and hope to be back up soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Old Fort MacArthur Days 2008

Hello again Militaria mates!

Thought I’d take a second to tell you all a bit about the Old Ft. MacArthur Days event we recently attended in San Pedro, California. It was the largest reenactor event I have ever attended – actually, reenactor probably doesn’t even do it justice. Definitely more of a living history event – cavemen were probably the only group not represented at this massive show. Vendors were present as well (thanks to Vintage Productions for letting us set up camp in their space) and many different militaria related items were up for sale.

The event was held on the grounds of Fort MacArthur an old Costal Artillery installation in the hills of San Pedro. Most of it was underground and it was quite a facility to tour. The dark and dank subterranean area gave one quite an impression of what it must have been like to serve there during WWII - or another era of operation. They had an excellent exhibit of an Air Raid Warden’s office, an excellent collection of WWII era kitchen equipment, and even an NIKE missile – I’ve attached some pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Being from Missouri, I was surprised to see a small, somewhat tattered tribute to the 203^rd Costal Artillery outfit. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the motto: “Don’t Kick Our Dog.” As most of you know, the 203^rd was originally part of the 35^th Division – our hometown boys. The text on the display mentioned something to the effect of Midwestern rural boys being sent to defend structures in Seattle and California…what an experience that must have been for them…

Of all the reenactors, I must say I was most impressed by a gentleman portraying a Barber-Surgeon of the late 1500s – William Clowes. Apparently fifty percent of his patients survived his procedures of the time (often involving blood letting, leeches, and amputation), which were good odds. He did a fantastic job, and had some very interesting handouts as well.

Anyway, it was a fantastic event and I would encourage anyone interested in history to attend, and if you are in the neighborhood definitely arrange a visit to Old Fort Mac. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Militaria and more!

Hello again militaria enthusiasts - thanks for reading!

Things are humming right along here at Manion's. We've received quite a bit of local press recently regarding our move to a four day workweek. Fox 4 was out here the other day and ran a version of this report several times - click here to check it out.

Then this morning, The Kansas City Star mentioned us in an article about the same subject - click here to read.

So, what's the deal with us going to a four day workweek? Well, we're going to give it a shot for the summer anyway and see if the company and employees notice a difference in monthly expenses. There is always a chance that it will be a giant pain in the butt, too, so we're just going to see how it goes.

I sent out an e-mail to all of our active customers giving a little more information - in case you didn't "get the memo" here it is again:

In an effort to further streamline operations at Manion's International Auction House, Inc. we will be "test driving" a four-day workweek beginning this Wednesday, July 9.

Customer service representatives will remain available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST - and auctions will continue to close at 8:30 p.m. CST.

We are working hard to remain competitive in the current economic environment, and believe this to be a positive move in that direction. Thank you very much for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

So that's about it. We're trying it out for now, who knows how it will play out.

Looks like I am replacing Jody in our trip out to Old Ft. MacArthur Days in San Pedro, Cal. John has been before and says it is quite an event - especially for reenactors. I will bring the cameras with me and try to make a post while I am gone.

After that, we are headed to another part of the state to load up another MASSIVE collection. We have already been out there once, and this house is crammed full of militaria, other collectibles, and firearms. Not sure if I will be able to take pics while we are there or not, but from what I understand (and from pics I have seen) it is absolutely unbelievable - seriously, stuff piled from floor to ceiling all over the house.

This is part of the varied services we provide at Manion's. When someone has collected items like this all of their lives, and then sadly passes away, what is the surviving family member(s) supposed to do with all of their items? It can be overwhelming to say the least. We have really helped a lot of people move on with their lives in the wake of something so devastating.

What a lot of folks don't realize is the extreme amount of work that is involved in the process. Trust, we will be working our tails off out there getting this stuff loaded up and logged in - then when we get back to Manion's phase two begins - and it's not all a walk in the park either.

Many of our members can only speculate on how our operation works here at Manion's International Auction House, and come to their own (sometimes flawed) conclusions. This is why I encourage anyone who is in the Kansas City area, and wants to stop by, to give me a call and we will arrange a tour. There really is no place like this place, you'll see what I mean...

That's all for now. Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to check out the special auctions we currently have running at www.manions.com.