Showing/Selling at Militaria Shows

[ColinG]

Every once-in-awhile I set up a table or two at local militaria shows. The last three times I brought along about 8 or 9 M9s to display and sell. I find that most people don't have a clue as to different makers, models, styles, etc. and I find myself giving a mini-course in the development of the M9. Also the price I ask on some of the earlier military PHORBIS or commericial PHROBIS/BUCK M9s really seems to surprise (astound) people as they believe because the M9 is still being issued they can't be worth more $50 or so. Anyway, I have yet to sell a single M9 bayonet which, I believe, may be due to the poor economy as well as to the rather new field of M9 collecting. I really don't care though as I have as much fun talking/lecturing about them as I would from any sales.

[Carlo]

Hello!
Why don't you post an ad in the forum classified section?
At least you'll know that the readers know exactly what you're selling....

[ColinG]

Carlo,
The reason I don't sell on line is because I really don't care if I sell any of my M9s or not. I bring the M9s along so if I sell a bunch of stuff and have space to fill on my table I fill it with a M9 display. The varying styles and impressive looks of the M9 seems to draw a lot of people even if no one buys. Also I do this as a hobby so I am not dependent upon selling anything.

[pwcosol]

Colin: I agree that lack of enthusiasm by show attendees given the M9 MPBS is partially due to the reasons you listed. I have collected the S84/98 T-III (Mauser "K98k" bayonet 1934-45) for close to thirty years. What began as a plan to buy one nice bayonet of commensurate condition & date of manufacture, for every German rifle I might purchase, became a collection unto it's own. I began to discover there were many variations due to period of production, acceptance markings, etc. I also carried this over into the frogs used to hold the bayonet as well. Few people knew or cared much about these "Mauser" bayonets then, but now many are desirable & sought after collectables, costing much more than the $20.00 or so back in late 1970. In fact, the online BCN (Bayonet Collector's Network), which has been active for ten years, was initially formed to draw collectors of this very bayonet.

The M9 has been in service for over 20 years now, and nearing the end of it's run. It has become a familiar icon to many of America's involvement in Iraq, Afganistan, & elsewhere. The Army has expressed interest in a newer bayonet. In all probability this will go nowhere with the new Administration and difficult economic times facing the U.S. The result is the M9 will remain in service much longer than anticipated. Would a flood of cheap M9s on the surplus market be boon or bust to we collectors? In any event, official military contract bayonets aside, many of the other variants produced by Phrobis, Buck, Lancay, & Ontario were only made in very limited numbers, and provide a collector much to search for.

Probably the one thing which will do more than anything else to raise potential collector interest, will be a collector-grade book on the M9 MPBS. We all know whom the author will be & trust the result proves highly informative with a wealth of excellent photographs...the definitive work on the subject...

[lee cousens]

I agree there is a real need for a book on m9s and other more modern bayonets.
Come on Bill with all your knoweldge your the man for the job

[Mister Moon]

... I think too

[Carlo]

I also have to admit that I had been waiting for this upcoming book since I first heard rumors about it for the first time, and it was back in 2003.
But, in the meantime, I would say that this site and the forum already provides the collectors much, much material, as almost 80% of the M9 variations are covered, most of them with pictures.
Of course, the above 80% came from Bill, so........most of "the book" is already here!!!!!!

[porterkids]

I'm afraid that it's going to be a very long wait for those of you waiting for me. I started several years ago but it is such an overwhelming task that I just cannot take the time away from the rest of my life to get it done. My number one priority is my family with my job a close second. I don't have enough time to devote to those two important aspects of my life, I sure cannot take time away from them to spend on this project. The day will come when I have time, for now I comment here and on a couple other forums as time allows. I'm afraid that is all I have to give.

Another big factor will be the expense. This isn't the type of book to be picked up by many publishers so it will probably end up self-published. That represents a huge outlay of money. With 80% of the bayonets covered here for free, how many people will be willing to put down the money required for the type of publication everyone will be expecting?

[pwcosol]

Bill: Family & job commitments are certainly priorities over any book. Most guys do one out of a desire to share their knowledge with fellow collectors and perhaps receive a bit of recognition for the effort. This is not a money-making enterprise either. The amount of time expended, and outlay of funds to privately print your book (rather than going to a publisher whom is only interested in how much money the title will generate, & likely edit your work until he feels it is commercially viable), will take a lot of time to recover. Profit will likely be minimal, if any, when all is said & done.
The one alternative is to do a work on CD such as Otto Ottobre did with his study of Turkish Bayonets. There are many desktop publishing formats available. I think this may be the way to go. Next would be good quality photographs and with today's digital cameras, should be relatively easy to take, or get a professional to do them. Everything gets compiled on CD, which is easily marketable and cheap to do. The only drawback is your work being copied & distributed free of charge (although I believe there is a way to code or encrypt the material so it can't be copied easily). If a collector wants a paper copy, then he can have the material copied from the CD onto quality paper in book form. However, you might prefer that form of desktop publishing yourself, & literally sell hard copies only from your desktop exclusively. I am thinking of going this route if I can get my act together, on a S84/98 T-III book I have long hoped to do. I deferred to another collector when he said he was going to pursue this, since he had already done a similar book, but now has apparently changed his direction...