Dickinson's Real Deals

It's not often that I leave a TV program halfway through, but, this afternoon, this is exactly what I did.

I must be a masochist for watching this program ( I was once told the distinction between a sadist and a masochist is that the sadist says "I'm gonna hurt you !" and the masochist says "Yes please !") but simply because I always get thoroughly p...........d off whenever I see family medals being sold.

I want you to know that I have no objection whatsoever to people selling their property because they need the cash, why should I feel anything other than pity for those who have to make such a choice ?

My dismay is reserved only for the reasons that they offer, such as the gem given today which caused me to switch off.

The lady in question, on being asked why she was selling her grandfathers, uncles and father's racks of medals covering WW1 & WW2 said " They will never be used !"

And, just in case you're interested, the three racks of medals were sold to a dealer for £170

 

It is akin to selling your soul.

 

I'm started to be converted, whilst I wouldn't through my Grandads WW1 medals on a table and say 'How much for this tat, I need some beer money'.

I do however think if I was lucky enough to have some Gallantry medals in the family I think I'd sell them to the right person. For Eg if I had a VC I'd sell it to Lord Ashcroft to go in the IWM on display for the public to see.

 

Anyone watching now? Someone has just turned up with a 8th Hussars Officers War Diary from the Crimea !

I'm shaking and I'm just watching it on TV

 

Rubbish, they estimated it may have gone for more than £5,000 and they got £1,330. I would have given them that for it.

They even reckon he would have seen and recorded the Charge of the Light Brigade in it. I suspect someone somewhere has a rather large smile and thats not the seller.

 

I saw the same program today and,whilst being terribly impressed with the document in question had one other thought.

The couple selling the item say they bought a house and then "found" the book in the loft.

Without going into the legal situation, my first thought was, did they even consider contacting the orevious house owner and saying "did you leave something behind in the loft"

Or am I being a tad naive ?

Ron

 

Hi Ron,

What are you doing watching Dickinson's Real Deal on your Birthday?

I suspect there is something written somewhere that when you buy a house you get everything thats left. I know when I rang the previous owners of the house I bought in Sheffield they didn't want the fleas they left behind.

 

Andy

What are you doing watching Dickinson's Real Deal on your Birthday?



A fair question but we'd just been out to lunch at one of the many restaurants in Cockfosters and, on retuning home, had caught the last ten minutes which contained that particular item.

Jusr remembered that when we bought our house here some thirty five years ago the vendor had removed some bedside lamps and had neatly cut the wires !

I was just too tired to sue

Ron

 

My vendors didnt even flush the toilet and they were teachers!!!!!


Dickinsons real deal or dickinsons havent a clue but heres 5 bob, programme gets me mad.

 

It is sad that some people have to sell their medals - particularly if it is the recipient that's seling them. Somewhere I have an old article about one of the 'Cockleshell heroes' who had to sell his VC (I think it was a VC anyway - certainly it was a high grade award) to make ends meet, back in the 1970's. That really is a terrible terrible shame.

Someone on here will know about this and can fill in the details perhaps?


ATB

Stan.

 

It is sad that some people have to sell their medals - particularly if it is the recipient that's seling them. Somewhere I have an old article about one of the 'Cockleshell heroes' who had to sell his VC (I think it was a VC anyway - certainly it was a high grade award) to make ends meet, back in the 1970's. That really is a terrible terrible shame.

Someone on here will know about this and can fill in the details perhaps?


ATB

Stan.
It was Bill Sparks. "On reaching the age 65, he received a cut in his invalidity pension, and he felt that, if he were to keep his home in Sussex, there was no alternative but to sell his DSM. The auction at Sotheby's in 1988 raised £31,000 from an anonymous bidder. In 1992, with Michael Munn, he wrote a memoir, The Last of the Cockleshell Heroes".Bill Sparks - Obituaries, News - The Independent

 

Well done that man. I knew someone on here would remember.

I think that one stuck in my mind because we have a musum in Maldon - not that far from Colchester - and they have got one of the original canoes that should have been on the raid on display there. On seeing it I remembered the article I'd kept and sent it into them which they appreciated. The canoe they have was recovered fromt he Isle of Wight if memory serves me, where it had gone to to have a repair done to it. It wasn't ready by the time the raid was going ahead and was left there for many years until someone rediscoverd it after the war.

But going back to that article. It was really sad that Bill Sparks had to sell his medal.

 

Yes, I know that if it annoys me I shouldn't be watching it, but just like the scab that you know shouldn't scratch this bloody program fascinates me for the endless list of characters that are daily selling their father's/grandfather's medals.

Today's crop included a couple selling a pair of "family" medals, one of which dated back to 1882.

When asked by one of the dealers why they were selling them he was told "we are thinking of taking the grandkids to Alton Towers"

They were finally sold to the dealer for £220.

I hope the kids enjoyed their day out.

Ron

 

How Hitler and Stalin would revel in the control and information now available about populations. The purges could be so much easier to carry out. Delete your name from the database and you will have never existed.

I have my fathers Defence Medal and Victory Medal. Gallantry is not a strong trait in my family but the two medals do not express what he saw and did during his war service. Not for him the storming of beaches, frantic tank battles or the deadly hard slog of a campaign. Most of his war service was as a trainer in the Royal Engineers.
He was in London on rescure work during the V weapon blitz and was at the clean up of Slapton Sands. Not being a military man at heart he never joined the British Legion, attended Armistice parades and refused to sign my acceptance papers for the Army. But then I suppose quite a number of ex soldiers would not be happy finding out thier offspring wanted to join the Red Caps.
So those two medals " that came with the rations" so to speak will have an uncertain future as I am the last of a not very distinguished line.

 

Ron
When asked by one of the dealers why they were selling them he was told "we are thinking of taking the grandkids to Alton Towers"

A day to Alton Towers comes and is gone , what price any memory of the departed grandparent ?
It does sum it up very well , I hope the day was worth it , easy money.

 

Didn't see do well today. Dealer offered £3000 and she got £5575 in auction for some old china chintz stuff.

 

Anyone see the 'expert' demonstrating how to use a old dial telephone to the young girl today - It struck me as rather odd that folk would not know how to use a 'old' style house phone - I must be getting old.

 

Duplicate posting that was posted on another thread but rightfully belongs here:

This afternoon I watched DRD as usual and up popped this item in which a young lady was selling her Great Uncle Harold's medals who had served in two wars. Her father had been left them when her great uncle died and now that he had passed away, in her words, "she had no further use for them"

One of the resident dealers eventually bought them for £230.

The set consisted of 2 Great War medals and at least 5 WW2 including one for gallantry, The young lady had brought along a letter that explained how the recipient had to go to the Palace to receive the award, she also revealed that her Great Uncle was in the Navy and held the rank of Quartermaster.

Have a look at the set and perhaps you can identify the medal for valour.

Ron

 

Duplicate posting that was posted on another thread but rightfully belongs here:

This afternoon I watched DRD as usual and up popped this item in which a young lady was selling her Great Uncle Harold's medals who had served in two wars. Her father had been left them when her great uncle died and now that he had passed away, in her words, "she had no further use for them"

One of the resident dealers eventually bought them for £230.

The set consisted of 2 Great War medals and at least 5 WW2 including one for gallantry, The young lady had brought along a letter that explained how the recipient had to go to the Palace to receive the award, she also revealed that her Great Uncle was in the Navy and held the rank of Quartermaster.

Have a look at the set and perhaps you can identify the medal for valour.

Ron

Hello Ron,
Saw this one myself the Gallantry award is a BEM (British Empire Medal)I believe

Best
Clifford