Good News and Bad News

[Lyndon]

When I was young, I was told that my uncle had been shot down over France during the war, and that was all I knew about him. So I've done a fair bit of research, to fill in the gaps. I was recently researching other members of the aircrew that were killed in the same incident.

Bad News: I came across the medals of of one of them, being auctioned. I thought that was very sad. 'We will remember them; until we need the money'. No, I know that's not fair, but that was how it felt at the time.

Good News: Then I came across a book. The mother of one of the other crew members had kept all his letters, the telegrams, and other official communications. When the mother died, another son published all the documents in a book, a copy of which I now have.

Lots of ups and downs in this hobby aren't there?

Lyndon

[MarieC]

Yes indeed, Lyndon!!

I can't understand how families can auction the war memorabilia of their ancestors.  I certainly would never do that!

But I'm delighted for you that you now have a copy of that book.

MarieC

[Jean McGurn]

Watching some of those antique programmes such as Flog It! and Dickinson's Real Deal there are also people who say they are selling their  family memorabilia because their children aren't interested or there is no-one to pass them on to.

Common expression is that "they should go to someone who would appreciate rather than getting thrown out."

Jean

[Gaille]

Watching some of those antique programmes such as Flog It! and Dickinson's Real Deal there are also people who say they are selling their  family memorabilia because their children aren't interested or there is no-one to pass them on to.

Common expression is that "they should go to someone who would appreciate rather than getting thrown out."

Jean

I've been off work sick for a few months and have watched some of the TV programmes (lol ok too many of them!) and I am amazed at the reasons people give for selling family memorabilia.

I think the one that I concidered the worst recently was the mother & daughter selling medals that had belonged to the mothers father and I think uncle or grandfather, the buyer was quite amazed they wanted to sell one as it was quite rare and he told them the story of by this particular medal was given and I think the mother was wavering, but the daughter was pushing for a price all the time.

the reasoning was the same "no one in the family is interested" .................. ok the daughter may not be, but what about her children, or any other grandchildren in the future? THEY may upset that gt-grandads medals were sold off to pay for a holiday!

To me you cant put a price on medals or family heirlooms, I have my grandads medals & I wont part with them for anything, the price HE paid for them isnt measurable in Money.

Gaille

[LizzieW]

Rather than trying to sell my father's medals, my sons have been fighting over who should have them and they are just the ones given out for being in WWII, in Burma etc. so not even rare.  At the moment they are in USA with my eldest son as my mother gave them to him.  One of our other sons who lived with his grandparents for a year whilst doing his 'O' levels (we'd had to move due to my OH's work) feels he's entitled to them as he was closer to his grandad than the others. 

Lizzie

[Deb D]

The medal sale that sickened me most was one not long ago ... the medals were sold to pay for a chocolate fountain for the daughter's wedding reception!

[Gaille]

The medal sale that sickened me most was one not long ago ... the medals were sold to pay for a chocolate fountain for the daughter's wedding reception!

Yeah i saw that one as well, I was so disgusted I turned the programme off, I somehow DONT think the relative who was awarded the medals would have been proud of their descendants !

Same of the one where the family sold the medals and when they were asked "What will you spend the money on?" the reply was "Well, we might have a slap up meal on the way home"

[c-side]

Not medals but similar idea.  I once saw a programmme where these people had two oil on board portraits of gt. grandparents which they decided to sell  even though they were told that whoever bought them would likely throw away the pictures and reuse the frames.

They did, however, decide to keep an apparently rare white £5 note because it had sentimental value 

C

[sharonf73]

Unfortunately I wasn't given the choice of being offered my grandad's medals as he gave them away to the insurance man!  OK, he collected medals so hopefully he will look after them and not sell them, but I would have like them myself to go along with my other gandad's.