TOPIC:

Looking through the SAFF casualty book last night printed in 1972
I read the introduction which stated a rise in interest for the QSA medal that in previous years had not been very well collected.
It stated that in the earlier days that QSA's tied up with string could be bought for the silver value, this reminded of a post Mike mentioned.
I have only been a medal collector for about 4 years, I have seen a rise in the purchase price but not to noticed greatly.
My question to the forum is do the collectors who purchased in the early days and paid nominal prices for the QSA feel:-
1. They are happy that the value of these purchases have now increased so that they are in profit or
2. Feel that today's valuations deter a new purchase because of the cost years ago.
I realise these are personal views and of course it is rare costs of this type of item go down.
Any thoughts?

Regards
Paul

Hello Paul,
All campaign medals these days are very expensive indeed, in fact, I feel they are too expensive, but, the market place has changed over recent years and the prices are forced upwards by the awful hedge fund managers and speculators, this has had a knock on effect that has made its way down to the lower end of the market and effects both the Anglo Boer War and Great War.
It is very sad and whilst I'm not unhappy to think that I bought something for £100 and that same item is now £500, it is still a very unhelpful state of affairs which does not go anyway to encouraging new collectors at the younger end, a great shame.
Regards Frank

Hello Frank,

And thank you for your comments and feedback, I believe this to be a pertinent point you make "encouraging new collectors at the younger end, a great shame."

Regards
Paul

Paul,
Make no mistake, that is a key issue, when I started collecting, as an adult, in a serious way, I could just about afford £450 or so, needed, to buy the odd Waterloo medal, a couple a year and so on, but, the reality is that some of those medals have increased in value some ten fold, so the net result, is, that these days, anyone who has a similar approach and expectations cannot do what people could once do and what so very many really enjoyed doing.
Just look at the price of QSA's today and then take it back, even just twenty years, then do the maths, or better still think about taking your discharge from the Army when King Edward was the sovereign, can you begin to imagine what you could have done if your medal had the value they have today!
Kind regards Frank

Frank,

Would you think that because of "the awful hedge fund managers and speculators" buying for purely financial reasons causes prices to increase.
Purely for the fact that they hold onto them so becoming a rarity when sold or as the years go by "honest" collectors hold onto their own collections.

Regards

Paul

Frank Kelley wrote: Hello Paul,
All campaign medals these days are very expensive indeed, in fact, I feel they are too expensive, but, the market place has changed over recent years and the prices are forced upwards by the awful hedge fund managers and speculators, this has had a knock on effect that has made its way down to the lower end of the market and effects both the Anglo Boer War and Great War.
It is very sad and whilst I'm not unhappy to think that I bought something for £100 and that same item is now £500, it is still a very unhelpful state of affairs which does not go anyway to encouraging new collectors at the younger end, a great shame.
Regards Frank

Good Morning Everyone…..

These are very good questions and since I have not had first morning coffee yet I will try to give you coherent answers…….

I am of course pleased that the items I purchased in the 60’s. 70’s and 80’s before the Bunker Hunt incident and am also pleased that I did not sell at that time….. But then again do I or do you collect to make a profit…..

Seeing the value go up is a two edged sword though, depending on your collecting field, and where do you specialize in a specific regiment, battle, etc…… It stops you from purchasing some items and then again makes you wonder if you should……

In the beginning there were inexpensive medals, i.e. Imperial Yeomanry, Royal Engineers, and other how shall we say common units (if there is really such a thing)….. And common bars the state and the date bars…..

Back in the days where my children say I used stone tablets and chisels to communicate, the way that we had to obtain new items was by snail mail from catalogues, and lists that you had to purchase then either phone or sent a letter back to the dealer hoping that you would get the item…… Now remember I am talking from the Colonies, in the Motherland you had lots of stores, pawn shops and antique fairs….. We had one fair a year, one militaria shop and a few antique and pawn shops but they did not like to deal in medals…… I was a member of OMRS for 20 years before I was able to attend a convention, talk about a kid in a candy shop…..

Back then medals were cheaper yes but you also have to take into account how much a person received in his wage packet as well….. The first Dated QSA that I purchased was in agreement with a very good friend who happened to be a dealer who let me give him 6 months’ worth of post-dated cheques…..

But I digress….. You have picked a theme and over the years you have slowly added to that theme….. Your wages have gone up but then so have the cost of medals but it is not too bad…… In every theme there are, how shall I say, inexpensive items and these you will find and pick up quite readily but as the collection grows the items that you need become rarer and up goes the cost….. Which is also to be expected…..

Then there was an explosion in the world…… The Internet Arrived…… And I am not going to say anything about ebay and on line auctions……

Many years ago I knew of maybe 50 or 60 collectors of the QSA and the BW in general and corresponded with them…… Now you can see just in our own forum we have over 5000 members…..

This is one of the main reasons that I think that the value has gone up extremely high and rapidly the ability to communicate in an instant……

Yes it is harder for a younger collector to get into the hobby and I feel sorry about that but I am sure that the hobby will not die…….

Now I have been seriously collecting since 1965, not just QSA’s but I was a pack rat until I decided to pick a theme in the early 1970’s when I met a fantastic mentor….. And then I also learned about the story behind the medal, The Man, and that is what became the most important…..

Yes some prices deter my purchase but then again ……..

Coffee finished please excuse my rambling…….

Mike