Another "who'd a'thunk it?" estate sale score!

[Thumper]

I think I posted pics of this a few months back when I bought it at an estate sale for $0.50 after finding it stored in an old Sucrets tin. Well, it sat on my desk for quite a while and I finally decided to list it on eBay last week. I had no clue what it was worth, so I simply listed it as a 7-day auction to let the bidders decide what it's worth. Dang! If I'd had any idea how crazy it would have been, I'd have listed it on the weekend (or at least at night) instead of a Monday afternoon. (more people are at home with time to play the "bidding game" on the weekends ... many are at work and busy or with no computer access during the week) Oh well, live and learn. I know WWII stuff is hot ... but sheeesh, I had no clue. Anyway, the auction just closed on this a few minutes ago with 21 bids for $120.37! (not a bad profit!) It IS a cool piece ... I just had no clue it would go this high. BTW ... it's a bomb detonator safety pin ... many crew members would keep them as souvenirs. I think what made it so desirable was the crewman recorded the date and mission on the back of the tag. It IS a neat piece of history and I'm glad someone will be preserving it. It looks like this one was dropped just 10 days after the B-29 raids on Tokyo started.

Here's a blurb I found on the net (Wiki) which corresponds with the B-29 bombing date listed on the tag:

Strategic bombing and urban area bombing began in 1944 after the long-range B-29 Superfortress bomber entered service, first deployed from China and thereafter the Mariana Islands. B-29 raids from those islands began on 17 November 1944 and lasted until 15 August 1945, the day Japan capitulated.

bombsafetypin0616 003.JPG bombsafetypin0616 004.JPG bombsafetypin0616 005.JPG bombsafetypin0616 007.JPG

[Thumper]

Well that's neat. I got this e-mail from the guy who bought the tag. It kinda sounds like he'd have paid ANY price the auction would have commanded! Sounds like a real enthusiast.

Jim, I'll leave you positive feedback when the tag arrives so you know everything is OK. As you can tell by the bid I was very interested in the bomb tag. The 73rd Bomb Wing was the only Wing to bomb Toyko on the 24th and 27th of November, so I am quite sure this tag came from Bomb group 497, 498, 499 or 500. I own another piece also. The 500th bomb group bombed Tokyo on Nov 24 and a co-pilot kept the control wheel horn button (BOEING EMBLEM CENTER CAP) from the B-29 and wrote all the important details on the back. Your bomb tag will be a nice addition, and interesting piece of history. My job now is to research and see if I can find Carl L's last name, which could lead to the Bomb Squadron he belonged to and even the name of the B-29. Thank you for listing the tag. There's a good chance he was the Bombardier as they were officers. I will keep your address when the tag arrives and let you know if I find any more information on Carl L.

[Bwana]

Very cool indeed.

[Captain]

I always thought that was one if the coolest finds you have had. And had I found it, it would have never been sold!
I'd would have put it up among all the other piles of "stuff" I have collected over the years.
I need to stay on the bush hog. If I start going to those sales I'd be broke in short order.

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[Thumper]

Trust me Cappy ... I used to be the same way. I had everything from rock collections to rare coins. I never really got into the high dollar stuff ... just whatever caught my eye. Problem is, I'd find something I thought was cool ... then I had to have every single model/configuration ever made and the collection was rolling until I discovered something else. The problem is, once eBay got popular ... it was too easy to "collect" on-line. If I had a collection and was missing a piece or two, it was as simple as logging on to find what I needed to fill in the blanks. It was super fun on one hand, because I could complete a collection ... but on the other hand, it took away the thrill of the hunt. Then I discovered I could make some decent money by filling in OTHER people's collections and I began collecting DOLLARS instead.

One thing eBay did, it changed the whole dynamics of collecting. Some things that were once thought to be super rare, turned out to be fairly plentiful and the prices dropped like a rock. On the flip side, on stuff that really was super rare and one may have never found a certain piece to fill a collection, it was an avenue to find that piece. It all depends of the item and the market. Now I enjoy helping OTHERS fill out their collections instead of collecting myself (other than the dollars I mentioned!).

[Captain]

Yes but so many of them dollars go to keeping up them damned ol' cats.
Get rid of them and you will be ahead of the game!

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[Thumper]

Awww, it all gets returned 10-fold in love and affection! I'm sure you'd like my buddy Tiger!

tiger.jpg

[Captain]

Awww, it all gets returned 10-fold in love and affection! I'm sure you'd like my buddy Tiger!

Now you gots me wonderin'. That's the gayest answer I've ever seed posted here.

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[LJ3]

Hehehehehe


Dyin' laughing over here

[Thumper]

Hehehehehe, Dyin' laughing over here

So much for back-up support from a fellow cat dude.