Major thinning out

[tom]

I'm thinning down my collection and getting shut of all the kit not used by UK infantrymen 1947-1975 and Australian/NZ Infantry 1950-1975. I've steadily allowed mission creep to take over and it needs sorting before I finalise how the collection will be displayed.

I also intend to finish a single uniform/set of field equipment portraying a UK infantryman serving in Italy in the winter of 1943/45.

In short I will be getting rid of all my other WWII and earlier kit, all my officers kit and anything brought in after 1975 or which I have multiples of.

I will be keeping the following small arms and the accessories relating to them:
L1A1, L4A4, L2A3 SMG, No 4 Mk II rifle, No.1 Mk III* rifle, 2" OML, 3.5" M20, M1919A4, Mk 3 Bren, Besa Mk II*, Mk III* and Mk 3/3

I will be disposing to other collectors (I am not so desperate as to need to dump on a dealer) the following
Vickers-Berthier Model 1925-1926
Vickers-Berthier Model 1928-1929
Vickers-Berthier Mk II bitsa
Vickers-Berthier Mk 3 Hotchkiss Portative Mk I*
No.5 rifle
L2A1 LMG (never liked it)
1940 Mk1 Bren DD
MkII Daimler Bren
Mk1/m Bren (Mk II Upgraded)
L4A3 Interarms restored
Old spec Enfield Mk 2 No,1 Revolver

and a vast amount of accessories relating to them, several kit bags of mint WWII and later webbing, lots of uniforms, helmets and other sundry kit. There's also quite a few manuals that I will now let go, having scanned them for posterity.

This message is mainly to let people know to stop searching for bits relating to the guns I am getting rid of and to extend my thanks for all their efforts.

It will take a little while before I am ready to dispose of kit, mainly as I will be pricing up and selling everything individually as in the past when I have got rid of job lots I have lost out. I'm not going to be splitting up any tool rolls or owt silly I hasten to add. Since I have been pretty careful in what I have acquired (the vast majority is minty) I should get enough to finish decorating the house, get the furniture sorted and getting the display cases done. Hopefully there will be enough to give me a decent grubstake for Beltring next year and at least the house will be fit to receive visitors! I've been considering this option for over a year now so I'm sure it is the best way forward.

I hope I'll be able to pick folks brains as to the sort of reasonable current prices this stuff fetches in the UK.

All the best

Tom

[tom]

Jeeze! this is harder than being at work! I'm about 23rds of the way through thinning out the collection, well the selecting whats going part and theres a fair bit of Bren stuff thats going.

I even found a minty replacement Mk I butt (just the wood) I didn't know I have. 4 absoloutely varriations of complete/correct ,less actual barrels, barrel bags, 3 types of early pack/AA gun cover, a pair of Mk I tripod AA legs, minty slings including a 1939 dated one and two two of the extremely rare three piece slings. There even a mag mandrel I'd forgotten all about!

Including the uniforms and webbing there a waist high heap already!

Anyroad it will take me a week or so to photograph and document it all and then I'll have to thrash out some prices. I'm afraid it won't be bargain basement type stuff but it will be less than anywhere else for similar stuff I can promise you that.

ATB

Tom

[Kev]

Good luck Tom,I don't envy your task in sorting it all out !
Will keep my eyes peeled for when you are listing the 3 piece sling.

ATB Kevin

[tom]

Cheers Kev
I've got it all on one heap now, less the de-ac's and its a pile 7 paces long by two paces wide by about 18 inches to two foot high!

It's mildly obscene how meny bren wallets there are!

ATB

Tom

[missingsomething]

Well, I know Tom and I am waiting on the edge of my seat.... as Kev probably is as well
because this will be good stuff......

Will keep my eyes peeled for when you are listing the 3 piece sling.

ME TOO... ;D

[tom]

Theres some odd bits and bobs like the Chinese wallet and barrel bag, a single Thompson Machine Carbine pouch and a whole storage crate of 1939 Pattern leather Equipment. A minty pair of 1943 Home guard basic / Bren Pouches (why did I buy those?) A MK 1 Lewis rod with Brush and mop, a minty hard back Vickers-Armstrong Handbook for the Vickers F airgunners job I'm told is really rare, all sorts Two minty wartime 1937 pat belts (one EL sized, cant be sure if its 43 of 45 dated, need to look at it in daylight0) which are pretty hard to find now. I'm keeping the third 1941 dated minter to go on a rig.

Most of the Uniforms are post 1975 DPM stuff but its all minty and usually a large size. I was a sucker for bargain. I even found I had a absolutely minty 1944 dated British Warm in a good large size (it very nearly go's around the wife!) I'd picked up from a bale at Belters about 10 years ago and had forgotten all about!

Now the hard slog of cataloguing it!

ATB

Tom

[Kev]

Nov 30, 2008 7:35:01 GMT 1 tom said:

a good large size (it very nearly go's around the wife!)

......tired of living Tom ? ;D

[missingsomething]

Nov 30, 2008 11:03:10 GMT 1 Kev said:

Nov 30, 2008 7:35:01 GMT 1 tom said:

a good large size (it very nearly go's around the wife!)

......tired of living Tom ? ;D

hehehehe

Any Thompson stuff you have I would be interested in. I have a nice 1928a1 that has all the commonwealth conversions to the stock done. I need some mag pouches though...

[tom]

I'm affraid I got shut of the Thompson stuff when I sold the wifes old spec M1A1 to buy the L4A4 (don't ask), I'd also got a set of woodwork with the Commonwealth conversions but had never swapped them over. Come to think of it theres is a minty TMC pouch (the sort for 20rd mags which baffles me how it was used) and a Australian steel tube oil bottle that turned up.

Tom

[tom]

Ok folks,
due to the lack of available info I've more or less made up some prices for the de-acs I am getting shut of.

They ain't fixed and in some cases I may auction if the interest shown is great. If you think the VB prices are a bit high they are approximately half of what I've seen others available for in the last year. I'll take new pics of them if anyone asks for them.

Hotchkiss Portative Mk I* with AFV butt £1250
Vickers Berthier Mk II bitsa £650
Vickers Berthier Mk IIIB (Indian) £750
Vickers Berthier Model 1928-1929 £750
Vickers Berthier Model 1925-1926 £800
old Spec Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver £200
No. 5 Rifle (either a Malaya rebuild or the best fake ever) £200
3rd Stage Enfield double dovetail Mk I Bren £400
Daimler Mk II Bren, currently in pieces with brand new wood waiting to go on £200
Mk I/m Inglis / MK II Upgraded at Lithgow Bren £250
L2A1 LMG long barreled not PNG model £700
L4A3 Interarms FTR, minty! £750

e-mail is really playing up so there may be delays in replying.

[e-mail]

ATB


Tom

[tom]

Dear all
Hotchkiss Portative and V-B 1925-1926 gone pending payment collection (boy that was quick!)

Interest being shown on others I'm happy to say!

ATB

Tom

[tom]

Dear All
No. 2 Mk I, Mk I double dovetail Bren and No. 5 rifle gone all pending payment and collection, will confirm tomorrow)

ATB

Tom

[missingsomething]

Boy, I wish I could have some of that

I will just have to wait and be happy with the bits.....

[Kev]

Craig,you've probably got too many guns anyway ! ;D

[tom]

E series DD MK I , No. 2 Mk I revolver and No. 5 rifle all anow going to new homes.

Just the Minty Mk I/m, equally minty Interarms L4A3 (just noticed the 7.62mm rear sight is also INT marked) and the Mk II Daimler Brens to go and the 3 Later VBs. Think I'm going to keep the L2A1 unless someone realy wants it...

Anyway, will start on the other piles at weekend, lots of minty spares kits and webbing to sort.

ATB

Tom