WWII Gear

[Rustpot]

Nightcrawler's thread in the gallery got me thinking about the era stuff I had sitting around from older relatives- and I came across a bag from WWII.

It was my grandmothers, she served in the US Army as a surgeon's assistant and later a surgeon. She was a Lt. before being discharged too.

Anyway, I found a mussette bag that seemed a bit too heavy to be just a canvas sack, so I looked inside. I found a cantten cover, with the steel liner, a pistol belt with a small pouch attached to it, a set of double-H suspenders, and a working compass with the "water-proof" treated pouch.

Everything is in pretty damn good condition, since she didn't see too much action that would wear on the gear. You can still read all of the manufacturing names and dates, which are all 1942 or 1941, and her serial number (which changes on some of the gear since she was married during the war) is visible (both printed or inked) on all articles.

There are even candy bar wrappers and such from france and ration packs stuffed into one of the mussette bag pockets.

So, to my point. Does anyone know how much this sort of thing is worth? I looked on a few sites and got varying price ranges from $15 to $150, but I'm not sure what's reproduction stuff, what's N.O.S. and I couldn't find anything for the compass.

Anyone been doing any WWII gear searching that could clarify all of this?

And for the record, I'm not looking to sell, just for an appraisal.

Thanks in advance.


edit: Forgot to say, all hardware is fully intact, no rust on any metal, all puches have intact mounting gear, the only apparent wear is on the compass pouch where the metal hanging hinge would rub.

[Motown]

My appriasial comes from collecting/purchasing (around 10 years now) WWII equipment for what it's worth.

Musette bag is worth around 15-20 bucks

Canteen cover and cup (assuming there's no canteen): 25-35 bucks

Pistol Belt with what I assume would be a carslile bandage pouch: 20-30 bucks

M36 Suspenders: 40-60 bucks (more depending on color/condition/type. Paratrooper modified suspenders are worth beaucoup bucks these days)

Compass and cover: 25 bucks (depending on the type, something I'd have to see pictures of, but rarer is of course worth more)

It's all really depending on condition/color/how much somebody wants to pay and difficult to assess until you would try and sell it (which it seems that you won't). Most of the stuff you have is still high in availability (with the exception for the suspenders) and the prices correspond. The above prices arn't value as what you may see at gun shows or collectors magazines (outrageous and for the idiot/novice collector), but how much on average somebody would be willing to pay (the latter being a lower value of course) and how much they're going for on the market.

[Rustpot]

Thanks a lot for that Motown. I took pics of everything, just for you to clear up any assumptions you made.

I would have had a 1911 and holster, but I think my uncle might have taken that.

edit: pics

[camophreak]

nice....

-CP

[Nightcrawler]

You certainly have a nice find there but isn't there too much sentimental value to negate any use for value in currency? I'd say it's something you should hold onto, maybe even consider playing in but I wouldn't dream of selling it.

Thanks for the commendation for your inspiration

[iaco]

That is some teat toys you have there I have a couple things i can post pics of... i dont think any would be useful in airsoft though. will post later

[Jumprefusal]

That stuff is in great shape. I know in Normandy around the June time frame, there is a lot of trading going on. All the gear didn't go for that much, but things like that compass were fetching a pretty good penny. Considering mechanical things tend to not last 60 years. Original cricketts were going for 50 bucks, I'm sure that compass would fetch a few hundred. That of course was in Normandy.