Instant Information, The Internet As Your Tool

I believe that one of the biggest issues regarding collecting, is having accurate knowledge. This allows collecting to be a satisfying and rewarding enterprise.

Before the internet existed, accurate specialized knowledge of German collectible items, was a very difficult thing to acquire.

In decades past, your data access, was limited to what you could manage to gather on any subject through the means available at that time. Searching library shelves for reference books, could not only be slow, but finding the exact photo, fact, or map might be nearly impossible.

Book stores had small amounts of general references on the subject of History and WW2. Used book stores had primarily softcover or "pocket editions" and the majority of information was text. What photos were found, were likely grainy black and white, and not very useful at all.

Films were often inaccurate (Hollywood!), or if original, were quick glimpses and flashes.

The massive number of lavishly illustrated specialized reference volumes, now coming to market almost daily, simply did not exist. Getting access to original materials in museums, archives, and libraries was always a costly and time consuming enterprise.

Locating and examining the actual objects, has always been a time consuming effort as well. Networking with other enthusiasts, supplied accumulated knowledge, however it also perpetrated many inaccuracies that survive to this very day! A base of accurate knowledge was hard to build up!

With the development of the new information technology however, information can be retrieved in an instant with a simple keyword query on search engines like Google or Yahoo. Multiple sources of very specific information, can quickly be compared in minutes. This gives a very good basis for reaching conclusions.

It can help a buyer discover the details about an item he finds interesting and intriguing. If he has little real knowledge, he can import a quick education, and insure he is not making a costly mistake. All it takes is doing those specialized searches, and reading through the resulting data. Of course one must still filter out the BS, but that is part of any work like this.

For a seller, it is a powerful tool. It helps him represent his item in the most accurate way. Text previously written expounding on the details of an object can be copied and edited to create a presentation that both informs and excites the buyer's interest. Even more importantly it gives both buyer and seller confidence the transaction is going to be a good experience.

I recently saw an ad for a WW2 M-1911 .45 Auto, Remington Rand Pistol, for sale. After examining the pictures and reading the text, I asked some specific questions. The answers I received by email, gave me no additional accurate information to aid in the decision making process. I felt from my own experience, the item was inaccurately described and priced. My impression was that the seller seemed to lack the inspiration, or perhaps a method to acquire and supply accurate data. This would not instill confidence for me, and would likely not in most thinking potential buyers.

Whether it is simple ignorance, assumption, or a determined attempt at deception, is NOT what I address here. I am definately not calling the motives of the seller into question.

My focus is on how simple it is to acquire accurate reference in a few moments. It is advice on how to create confidence, instead of doubt and possible mistrust. People often make assumptions about motives when money is involved, but not everybody has a level of expertise. It would make things more transparent, if all buyers and sellers make the effort to be more informed. I have handled and examined hundreds of these WW2 sidearms in the past 40 years. I decided to see what one single keyword image search on google would give me if I were a total novice. I typed this, "m-1911 remington .45 ww2" in the Data Box of Google, and then clicked for an image search. I find the old saying is true. A picture IS worth a thousand words. On the first page of Google search results, were these pictures of Government issued WW2 era manufactured .45 pistols.

So what did this 5 second effort accomplish? It gives an instant lesson.

Many other facts can readily be found in the search results, however a careful buyer would quickly note:

a. The WW2 issue .45 was finished in a matte Parkerized finish, not in a glossy bluing.

b. The WW2 grips are an injection molded resin compound with a distinctive pattern and color.

c. The edges and surfaces are sharply defined and very clean looking. This is clearly apparent even on the very worn example pictured.

The seller's pictures illustrated a pistol differing in many respects, from these very standard examples. Comparing these images, to the seller's photos would likely be enough to cause concern to potential buyer. This would hopefully motivate the buyer to expand his knowledge, by doing more research.

If the seller had made the same effort to acquire accurate data, relating to his $1500 item, he might have presented it differently. Information acquired by doing a search, would have allowed the seller to give more accurate and helpful service, when questions are asked by potential buyers.

You may wonder why I do not include photos of the pistol I refer to. The point of the article is not to indict some item or its owner. It is not to cause suspicion or drama. My mission here, is to add tools and creative thinking processes, to the skillset of all the involved buyers and sellers. If everyone operates more competently we all benefit from it.

Charles Warriner,"Instant Information, The Internet As Your Tool", germanmilitariacollectibles.com, militaria blog, 2008