What is the origin of "The Ruptured Duck" insignia?
Last Updated: 01/21/2016 7:51 AM
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Latest Tidbits Layaway Information Show Information Site Update Schedule
Welcome to "The Ruptured Duck's" Tidbits section. This is where you'll find me rambling on regarding what is happening and where in our hobby. I'll try to do my best to keep this page as updated as we do the site itself. We certainly appreciate all your positive feedback regarding the set up and content of the site.
A word of caution and qualification. I have linked with dealers and organizations that I have reviewed and evaluated before I selected them for linkage. However, this doesn't serve as a "carte blanche" endorsement of their items. I cannot conduct an ongoing day to day check of these sites. I would like to know if you ever have a problem with one of the dealers on my link page. If I am made aware of something like this it could influence me in keeping or dropping a link.
Buying tip--Purchase from dealers and individuals you trust. Ask around before you buy from a dealer or individual. Reputations are earned and stay with a person for a long time. Collectors have long memories when it comes to this type of stealing. So don't hesitate to seek advice. Also don't hesitate to ask for a guarantee in writing. I'm not talking about a $15.00 War Merit Cross but when it comes to a bigger item, someone who is selling you something for a tidy sum should be prepared to back it up with more than just a verbal OK. If they hedge...then maybe so should you.
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I do receive a lot of requests for and
questions about layaways. I am more than happy to work out a payment plan on
larger items, knowing that the money we use for our collectibles falls under the
category of "mad money". It should not come from "house
money". I have always
subscribed to the philosophy that "Sears and Roebuck was not built on cash
and carry" and fully understand that we all have a
limited budget with which to work. With
that in mind, here are the guidelines for the LAYAWAY
program at The Ruptured Duck.
1)
In order for an item to fall into the category of a layaway, the purchase
price must be at least $300.00.
2) The
length of the layaway depends on the price of the item(s).
This will serve as a basic guideline for the duration of
a layaway:
a)
if the price of the item(s) is $300.00 to $500.00, the layaway time is up
to 60 days;
b)
from $500.00 to $1,000.00, the layaway time is up to 90 days;
c)
from $1,000.00 to $2,500.00, the layaway time is up to 180 days;
d)
from $2,500.00 to $4,000.00, the layaway time is up to 270 days;
e)
item(s) for more than $4,000.00, the layaway time is up to a year.
3) No
interest can or will be charged on layaways.
4) If
the purchase includes multiple items, individual items will not be sent until
the entire layaway has been paid for.
5) The
down payment for a layaway will represent 25% of the purchase price.
This down payment is non-refundable if the buyer does not live up to his
or her end of the agreement.
6) The
remainder of the balance of the layaway will be divided into monthly
installments. We will do the math
for you and we can facilitate these payments if you are using a credit card. We
will make up all the credit cards beforehand and process them on or after the
day of the month agreed upon. In
this case you will not receive a receipt. You will know that the card has been processed when you
receive your statement from the credit card company.
7) Return
policy....Your satisfaction is very important to me and originality is always
guaranteed for lifetime. However,
if you elect to return an item that you have placed on layaway, I shall retain
the down payment as a processing and administrative payment, because I will need
to market the item over again.
8) all
layaways are subject to approval.
I am always in the market for buying
German or Japanese items or doing trades for items I have in stock.
Simply stated, I have straightforward criteria:
1) The
item must be real and authentic and produced in
the period before May of 1945. Please do not waste my time or yours;
2) I
need to purchase the item for resale and
therefore must pay a wholesale price;
Keeping these in mind, I am open to any and all items you might have for sale.
I am willing to travel to buy large numbers of items or entire
collections. Contact me via email at BillShea@tiac.net
2015 Show of Shows After Battle Report
Well, another SOS is “in the books” so to speak but what an experience it was for all of us involved.
There are always factors involved in determining the difference between a good show and a great show. So what made this a great show for us?
Of course, there are always the buying and selling aspects of the show which I’ll get to in a bit. There was a lot going on this year. Once again the weather played a big part in the turnout. In fact it was one of the big topics of conversation. Everybody, whether they came in from North, South, East or West had a story to tell. Frigid temperatures, icy roads, blizzards and lost luggage give you an idea of what I’m getting at.
So, overall, in my opinion, attendance was off and weather would certainly contribute to this. The second factor was the exchange rate. Many attendees come from all over the world to attend this show. In fact, many tell me if they are only going to select one show to attend per year, the SOS is their first choice. It would be conservative to say that the Euro, the British Pound, the Aussie Dollar and every other form of foreign currency had dropped 20% since the 2014 SOS. Naturally, this plays a major factor in the buying power, and this was evident by the fewer foreign visitors at the show.
Coming to the show knowing these factors upfront, I had lowered my expectations but the end result was much better than I projected. This, combined with the general overall attitude of not only the attendees but also those who run the show, makes this significant investment of time and effort on our part well worth it. From the time I walked in the door and was warmly greeted by Ohio Valley Military Society officials until five minutes before I left the show and was thanked for my support by Bill Combs, the President of the OVMS, I felt there was a positive and uplifting atmosphere.
Virtually everybody I spoke with said they had a good show whether they were just attending or setting up. I talked to a number of collectors who said they were able to find items from their most wanted list because the selection at the show is so varied. My sales were brisk throughout the shows and I actually had the opportunity to meet, interact and sell to a few people I had never dealt with before. These individuals are now customers and friends! Where else could this happen except at the SOS?
Purchases were actually plentiful and mind you I hardly left my tables. Imagine if you had more than two full days to roam the entire halls? Next year the show will be held in a different hall with room for a few extra tables. It will take place one week earlier so we'll be rolling the "weather dice" again.
The icing on the cake for us was the privilege to sponsor a veteran again this year. Larry Eads of the OVMS does a great job coordinating this and we are proud to be a part of this effort to show our gratitude to these great Americans. This year we sponsored George Klein who was with 2nd Ranger battalion that climbed Pointe du Hoc on D-Day. This great man is going to be 94 years old shortly and he practically wore us out when we took him to dinner after a long day at the show. He regaled us with life's stories and my team was absolutely in awe of being in this man's presence. He is truly a fine representative of what we know is "The Greatest Generation"
There is a distinct advantage to being a member of the OVMS as your paid dues gets you early and free access to all their shows. Now that they own the MAX this will include that show also. I strongly encourage you to join this vibrant organization, as the future is very bright with people like them running the shows!
For more details on the show, please go to the Show of Shows website (click here) or their very active Facebook page (click here).
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As many of you have already heard, we lost a fine American and Patriot in early January 2011.
Click here to read about The Major Dick Winters Exhibit, appearing at the Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society! |
The Ruptured Duck helps out with Disney's film entitled "The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". When you watch this movie, be sure to check out the equipment on the flight crew in the German Bomber (first scene!). Most of it came from us! I've copied the follow-up letter from the props manager, read it for yourself by clicking here...
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Site Update Schedule
We are constantly striving to
provide you with the best militaria available on the Internet. As many of
you know, each category of the web site is updated almost daily, however, this
is to remove 'sold' items or place items "on hold". This way
you are assured that 99% of the items you see on the website are still available
to you. I certainly understand the frustration of ordering an item only to
be told it's sold! We try our best to avoid that with our daily site
revision. From
now on, 'new' additions to categories will occur according to the
following schedule:
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Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
We shall strive to have a
comprehensive update at least once a month, if not more often.
If you would like to receive a
quick e-mail from us telling you that the section(s) containing items you are
interested in is due to be updated (we'll notify you the day before), just send
us an e-mail or complete the bottom of the secure
ordering page. Choose the categories you are interested in and we'll
take care of the rest! To ensure delivery of this notification, add my
e-mail address ( BillShea@tiac.net ) to
your address book so it does not go to your 'spam' folder! Looking forward
to hearing from you!
Watchdog
Service
I wanted to let the many
fine customers who have e-mailed me when they noticed a "misteak",
either in our spelling, photos or descriptions, that I sincerely appreciate your
effort. I would much rather this happen then to let the mistake continue
to be viewed by the 500 or so daily visitors to the site. Do not
hesitate to let us know when you see something amiss. We will do our very
best to clean up our act and right the wrong. Keep up the good work!
What does **ON HOLD** mean?
Many customers have asked what **ON HOLD** means. That's a very legitimate question! This represents one of the following possibilities:
SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE
Remember in spite of all the fanfare related to the Internet, eBay, web sites, auction houses, etc, the Militaria and Gun shows still provide a vital part of this hobby. The shows provide collectors with an opportunity to rendezvous with other collectors and dealers. There are still many hobbyists out there that still have the "touchy-feely" needs. I certainly enjoy the show circuit and find it is an excellent opportunity to interact face to face with many of you. The shows still provide me, as a dealer/collector, with a vital source of merchandise. Bottom line is SUPPORT THE SHOWS! Here's a partial listing of the Militaria-type shows that I am familiar with. The listing of the shows does not necessarily mean that I will attend/exhibit. It is provided as a source of information to the collector community.
Dear Customers and Friends;
I have been asked many times why I do not attend all the shows that I list
in this section. The primary reason is the time factor. The
125 emails per day I receive, in addition to faxes and snail mail, require
a great amount of my time. This, combined with the many hours it takes to
write up descriptions, shoot the pictures and maintain the website, makes for
very long hours. I'm not complaining, just laying out the
facts! The shows require a large commitment of time also. This
includes preparation, the driving time to get there and return and the actual
show itself (which can run up to four days). When I return I am beset
by paperwork, unpacking, reorganizing and catching up on the mail that's piled
up since I was gone.
You folks are used to receiving the best service in the hobby with regards to response times, combined with receiving items you have purchased. You also have grown accustomed to professional packaging and quality answers to your technical questions. In order for me to try to maintain this level of service, I have found it necessary to cut back on some of the shows.
The show that I have eliminated from my show circuit is Allentown, PA (which I had attended faithfully since 1976). I strongly urge you to continue to attend this fine show. You can see my items 24/7, but the shows give you the opportunity to see and physically examine items and interact with the collecting community. I sincerely hope you understand my position. I will still be going to Union, NJ shows, the Show of Shows in February/March, and of course The MAX in September/October.
2016 SHOW SCHEDULE
DATE
LOCATION
SPONSOR
Jan16th..............Union, New Jersey..........Meadowlands Militaria, American Society of Military Insignia Collectors *
Feb 13 & 14th Easton, PA Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society, Inc.
Feb 19 & 20th Louisville, KY Ohio Valley Military Society "THE SOS"
March 26th........Union, New Jersey..........Meadowlands Militaria, American Society of Military Insignia Collectors *
May 14 & 15th Easton, PA Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society, Inc.
June 18th...........Union, New Jersey..........Meadowlands Militaria, American Society of Military Insignia Collectors *
July 9 & 10th Easton, PA Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society, Inc
Sept 10th...........Union, New Jersey..........Meadowlands Militaria, American Society of Military Insignia Collectors *
Oct 6-8th Monroeville, PA Ohio Valley Military Society "THE MAX"
Nov 5th..............Union, New Jersey..........Meadowlands Militaria, American Society of Military Insignia Collectors *
Oct 15 & 16th Easton, PA Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society, Inc.
Dec 3 & 4th Easton, PA Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society, Inc
A note on pricing:
Many of you have asked, with good reason, about whether I negotiate on items
that are listed on the website. In fact you have mentioned that some items
say 5-10% off or Reduced Price. I wanted to provide you with some insight
(or should I say "in-site") on my philosophy of pricing.
I try my best to price the items at "Fair Market Value". As you are certainly aware these things don't "grow on trees" so I have costs associated with purchasing these items. I work long and hard to buy items you'd be proud to have on display in your collection. This has taken years of developing a fine network of pickers who are out there beating the bush to find me authentic pieces.
Of course, we have all the other costs associated with running a competitive business in this day and age. So that you are aware of my feelings, I want to let you know that I need to get the price listed on the site. If an item sticks around for 60 days or more, I might decide to reduce the price by listing the percent reduction/reduced price, but until I decide to do that I won't negotiate a price.
However, what do you get in addition to the item?
1) Prompt and courteous service;
2) No hassle three day return privilege;
3) Lifetime guarantee regarding authenticity
of items sold by me;
4) Technical assistance on collecting related questions;
5) THE REAL THING!
I'm sure you appreciate where I'm coming from as the response to the site and the items listed thereon has been overwhelming. I am very grateful for your continued support.
All the best,
Bill
Questions? E-mail us at billshea@tiac.net
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