From: DDoyle9570@aol.com
Date: Tue Mar 26 2002 - 15:12:42 PST
My concern with this is as follows.....
I am relatively new to the HMV collecting hobby. My previous hobby was
collecting Lionel electric trains.
In the 1960's and early 70's the only Lionel's considered collectable were
those made prior to WWII, and the typical collector was aged 10 years or so
more than the trains.
In the mid to late 80's, the trains made in the 50's and 60's became
collectable, and the collectors were still about 10 years older than the
trains. The value of the prewar trains began diminishing as number of
collectors of that era began to decrease.
Today, prewar trains can be bought for less money than they were 20 years
ago. The value of the trains of the 50's and 60's is beginning to drop, and
the trains made in the late 80s and early 90's begin to increase, and the
numbers of earlier collectors decrease.
What does all this have to do with military vehicles....well just replace the
word "trains" with HMV, and change the age difference from 10 to 20 years,
and this all still works. And the value of trains or HMV's is not the point
of this, rather just a gauge by which to measure interest (supply and demand).
My contention is that as a rule folks collect their memories....guys that
grew up watching the newsreels of US forces rolling victoriously across
Europe and the Pacific want MB's and CCKW's.
Those that watched Vietnam unfolding on the nightly news want M151's and
M-35's.
Those that watched operation Desert Storm lean toward HUMVEE's and CUCV's.
That is all fine, but it is important that ALL these vehicles of all these
era's be preserved and displayed. If today's youth is not educated and GIVEN
FIRST HAND EXPOSURE so that THEY have their own memories of CCKW's or M-37's,
then our treasured toys will over time have a smaller and smaller following
as we die off, eventually being appreciated by only a few, and neglected by
the masses.
How many folks do you know personally that collect, restore, and operate
Spanish-American War wagons?
My .02,
David Doyle
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