How can you find the value of a trunk full of World War 2 items for insurance purposes?

Answer 1

That is difficult to answer without knowning what kind of items you have. Is it letters and documents? Is it all khaki uniforms? Or could it be field equipment and even guns??

During our last Military Collectors Club, we had a Show & Tell and a guy said a wife of a Veteran still had her husbands Model 1903 Springfield rifle. IT was in perfect condition and he estimated it was worth $250----which surprised me.

Documents and letters are also of great value. If they letters are from a veteran while he was overseas, then there are people who collect such documents. I collect maps and there are some that are just hard to find. These can range in value from $5 to $50 depending on type and place.

I would recommend you browse eBay and see what they have for sale. If no one bids on the item, then it means the Seller has greatly over-priced the item. Most of the time the prices are inflated but that can be due to the fact that you just don't see these items in the average store. For example, if I'm searching for one specific patch to finish out my collection that is worth $5, I may just go right to eBay and be willing to pay $8 for it instead of waiting for one to cross my path in the next 2 or 3 years.

One important thing to remember if you plan to sale these is to keep items together if they are related in some way. An Army jacket will increase in value if you have a photo of the veteran wearing the jacket or some letters from him or his dogtag. If you separate the items, the value of the whole will be less.