Terms and Conditions

Buying

I am always interested in buying good quality material and can pay competitive prices for individual pieces, groups of material, family heirlooms, or collections. I prefer that you know what you want for something when you contact me, or at least have a general idea of what will make you happy. I will make offers if necessary, but do not consider any offer by me, or anyone else, an appraisal. I will usually pay 60-70% of the price for which I think I can reasonably sell an item or group. This compares favorably even with the largest big-city auction houses, who charge a combination of fees to consignors and to bidders that add up to 30% or more, require weeks or months of cataloguing, and take thirty to ninety days to pay when and if an item sells. If the case merits it, I will supply references.

I am particularly interested in the following:

  • Weapons: rifles, muskets, pistols, swords, sabers, bowie knives, dirks, cutlasses, bayonets.
  • Uniforms: complete or partial: hats, caps, coats, jackets, trousers, sashes, etc.
  • Insignia and medals: shoulder straps, epaulets, chevrons, corps badges, identification badges and disks.
  • Equipment: belts, buckles, cartridge boxes, cap pouches, knapsacks, canteens, blankets, ponchos, tents, saddles, etc.
  • Flags: early US and Confederate national flags, military flags, and guidons
  • Civil War photographs: tintypes, ambrotypes, or albumen paper photos, of soldiers, camps, flags, etc.
  • Soldiers' personal items: letters, diaries, journals, manuals, bibles, etc.
  • Musical instruments: drums, bugles and trumpets, keyed bugles, and over-the-shoulder horns.
  • Daguerreotypes of interesting subjects.

In short, just about anything issued to a Civil War soldier, carried by him, or brought back as a souvenir from the war. The same is true for military material from other periods, of course.

Terms and Conditions

All pieces are sold as collector items only. No warranty, expressed or implied, exists if any attempt is made to use or fire them. Remarks about apparent mechanical condition of fireams do not mean that any would safe to shoot.

Guarantees

I wish customers to be happy and strive to build and maintain longterm business relationships. Any item can be returned within a five-day period for a refund of purchase price less shipping and insurance. It must be returned in the same condition in which it was sent, no alterations, damage, or improvements. After that I consider the item sold, but stand behind it as original forever.

Payment

For the time being, only personal checks and bank or postal money orders are accepted. Items will be held for payments to clear the bank. NY and OH residents must add the appropriate state and local sales tax to the item purchase price. The only way to avoid this is to supply me with a signed copy of your state resale certificate. Payment will also include appropriate shipping and insurance charges. Overseas buyers are welcome.

Shipping

Buyer pays all shipping and insurance charges. I usually ship smaller items by USPS and larger or more expensive items by UPS or Fed Ex. Costs generally run between $10 and $35 depending on size, weight, value, etc.

Layaways and Consignments

Normally I do not do layaways or consignments. Naturally, if a few extra days are necessary to raise funds for an expensive item, we can probably work it out, but extended partial payments both remove items from inventory and deprive me of necessary cash flow. Similarly, I prefer buying material outright, but will discuss terms of consignment for large collections, expensive, or esoteric items.