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Yes, Henry,
Your view that we are mere custodians gets, I think, to the absolute core of what we are about -- or ought to be about. We are not mere collectors, storing away our "one-of-each" in our collection, and we are not mere investors who trade medals to make a profit the way some rich folk trade stocks. We are the keepers of tangible representations of people, of their lives, of their careers, of their heroism, and, often, of their deaths. All that we can do is try, as best we can, to flesh out these pieces of metal, to make the medals tell their stories.
Those who don't understand this won't ever get it, but I do wish they'd go collect bottle caps or baseball cards or something else.
Ed Haynes
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thats what i love about soviet medals they can actuly talk to you! even the more common ones can! not like the 3rd reich ones where even the the nights crosses are all the same,and yes we are just holding on to these till the next person after use comes along!
great thread!
"Right ok so apart from the roads,education,sanition, medicine,the wine,the aquaducts, irragation, the public baths,a fresh water system and public order, what have the romans ever done for us?"........
reg from life of brian.
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Under the banner of Marxism-Leninism, under the leadership of the Communist Party--forward to new victories in the construction of communism!
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I'd like to shoot the author of that article. It says that Henry bought it. It does not give him proper credit by saying that he voluntarily returned this rare and expensive item. It implicitly gives the general all the credit that Henry is due.
Shawn
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I was watching the news channel on Russian TV the other day and it showed a collector who had been murdered for his badges and medals.
As per usual and not just common to Russia they showed him and his family murdered in all it’s gory detail for what I would imagine would be his modest collection…who knows he may have had some great pieces.
The police said that he had shown his items at a collectors fair and this is probably how the crooks got on to him and followed him home.
His home was the typical modest flat.
So sad to see a family butchered.
I think that is why I am very happy to post here, a sort of release to share, as I keep my passion very private.
I know that if the wrong people new what I had they would come prepared and they would come.
It has made me realise that nobody except those on the forum have seen any of my collection (real or fake) as I have deliberately kept it a very private affair.
So sad that these things have to be hidden, I also make sure that people I deal with here are kept at arms length…paranoia or what!
The Forum has at least made up for this.
Thanks Art
Regards Chris
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Chris,
Very sad story, another misfortune that hunts great collecting hobby.
The crooks in Russia go after anything that's worth decent amount of money.
I've read stories of people being murdered for as few as $10-20, not surprisingly the thieves go after collections that could be worth thousands.
I also hope that items from my collection are "clean" too...
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Chris,
I agree with keeping such a unique hobby private, just because of such incidents.... I can tell you that even being a U.S. citizen and residing in the U.S. - based on 2 suspicious incidents, I would not say it is a safe hobby for one to widely advertise...in any country. "Globalization" my friend... D
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Salyan
Yep...to true mate. At the end of the day it is an expensive hobbie and any crook will look towards an easy gain.
Funny I never used to look at my collection in $$$ terms but it is just like a VCR to the small minded crooks.
However out here you get taken out along with the goods stolen....staying stum is the answer.
Chris
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I seem to worry more about being scamed out of money by buying great fake...
Rusty.
"Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none." Benjamin Franklin
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Member #193
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Actually I am not worried about it but the article on TV did provoke to think.
It is another aspect of life, and one which has to be considered, like I said, why I stay stum.
If you get burgled out here they just dont slap you around, they come to kill you, your family and your dog.
Where I work a Capt, his girlfreind along with her father were killed execution style in a botched robbery.
The crime they committed was to be in the wrong grid reference at the wrong time. I digress slightly.
Fakers are another end of the spectrum and I would imagine a dangerous one for all concerned.
Chris
