Last Updated: 04/23/08 06:14 AM
Latest
Tidbits
Layaway Information
New Payment Terms
Show Information
Site Update Schedule
Welcome to "The Ruptured Duck's" Tidbits section. This is where you'll find me rambling on regarding what is happening and where in our hobby. I'll try to do my best to keep this page as updated as we do the site itself. We certainly appreciate all your positive feedback regarding the set up and content of the site.
A word of caution and qualification. I have linked with dealers and organizations that I have reviewed and evaluated before I selected them for linkage. However, this doesn't serve as a "carte blanche" endorsement of their items. I cannot conduct an ongoing day to day check of these sites. I would like to know if you ever have a problem with one of the dealers on my link page. If I am made aware of something like this it could influence me in keeping or dropping a link.
Buying tip--Purchase from dealers and individuals you trust. Ask around before you buy from a dealer or individual. Reputations are earned and stay with a person for a long time. Collectors have long memories when it comes to this type of stealing. So don't hesitate to seek advice. Also don't hesitate to ask for a guarantee in writing. I'm not talking about a $15.00 War Merit Cross but when it comes to a bigger item, someone who is selling you something for a tidy sum should be prepared to back it up with more than just a verbal OK. If they hedge...then maybe so should you.
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I do receive a lot of requests for and
questions about layaways. I am more than happy to work out a payment plan on
larger items, knowing that the money we use for our collectibles falls under the
category of "mad money". It should not come from "house
money". I have always
subscribed to the philosophy that "Sears and Roebuck was not built on cash
and carry " and fully understand that we all have a
limited budget with which to work. With
that in mind, here are the guidelines for the LAYAWAY
program at The Ruptured Duck.
1)
In order for an item to fall into the category of a layaway, the purchase
price must be at least $300.00.
2) The
length of the layaway depends on the price of the item(s).
This will serve as a basic guideline for the duration of
a layaway:
a)
if the price of the item(s) is $300.00 to $500.00, the layaway time is up
to 60 days;
b)
from $500.00 to $1,000.00, the layaway time is up to 90 days;
c)
from $1,000.00 to $2,500.00, the layaway time is up to 180 days;
d)
from $2,500.00 to $4,000.00, the layaway time is up to 270 days;
e)
item(s) for more than $4,000.00, the layaway time is up to a year.
3) No
interest can or will be charged on layaways.
4) If
the purchase includes multiple items, individual items will not be sent until
the entire layaway has been paid for.
5) The
down payment for a layaway will represent 25% of the purchase price.
This down payment is non-refundable if the buyer does not live up to his
or her end of the agreement.
6) The
remainder of the balance of the layaway will be divided into monthly
installments. We will do the math
for you and we can facilitate these payments if you are using a credit card. We
will make up all the credit cards beforehand and process them on or after the
day of the month agreed upon. In
this case you will not receive a receipt. You will know that the card has been processed when you
receive your statement from the credit card company.
7) Return
policy....Your satisfaction is very important to me and originality is always
guaranteed for lifetime. However,
if you elect to return an item that you have placed on layaway, I shall retain
the down payment as a processing and administrative payment, because I will need
to market the item over again.
8) all
layaways are subject to approval.
Buying Items
I am always in the market for buying
German or Japanese items or doing trades for items I have in stock.
Simply stated, I have three straightforward criteria:
1) The
item must be real and authentic and produced in
the period before May of 1945. Please do not waste my time or yours;
2) I
need to purchase the item for resale and
therefore must pay a wholesale price;
3) I
need to see the item before I pay for it.
Keeping these in mind, I am open to any and all items you might have for sale.
I am willing to travel to buy large numbers of items or entire
collections.
......A LOOK BACK ON MAX 2007......
Several of you have asked for my reflections on the 23rd
annual MAX show. So after taking a second to catch my breath, I decided to jot
down a few sentences to give you my perspective. I would say "in a
nutshell" that the MAX has come home!!!
After departing from Monroeville, PA in 2003, the MAX wandered around
trying to plant roots in other locations. That was not a successful experiment.
Returning to Monroeville has breathed fresh air into the show. The facility is
more than adequate and big enough to handle all who came to buy or sell. There
are more than enough restaurants and hotels in the area to handle the overflow
of those who can't get into the host hotel Radisson.
My new table location at the front of the hall near the large picture windows
worked out well. The lighting was more conducive to buying and selling. I
was happy with sales and very pleased with the quantity and quality of the items
I was able to purchase for resale. The fruits of these labors will
translate into several weeks of thick, juicy updates. So we all will
benefit in the long run! It was fantastic to be able to spend a few
minutes with many "old" friends and chat with a great number of
"new" customers. Let's hope we are here to stay for the foreseeable
future.
Please be sure to take a few minutes to review some of the pictures
my staff took or were submitted to me!
Best Personal Regards,
Bill
The Ruptured Duck helps out with Disney's film entitled "The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". When you watch this hit movie, be sure to check out the equipment on the flight crew in the German Bomber (first scene!). Most of it came from us! I've copied the follow-up letter from the props manager, read it for yourself by clicking here...
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Site Update Schedule
We are constantly striving to provide you with the best militaria
available on the Internet. We have also made some dramatic changes in the
format, designed to make it easier to find the 'new' additions to our
website. As many of you know, each category of the web site is updated
almost daily, however, many of these updates are to remove 'sold' items. From
now on, updates will occur according to the
following schedule:
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Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Site updates will occur during the following weeks:
Week beginning April 21, 2008
Week beginning May 12, 2008
Week beginning May 26, 2008
Future dates to be posted later
We will try our best to adhere to this schedule but shows,
buying trips, vacations and other circumstances could occur that would preclude
this happening. The update will occur before 2:00 PM EST on the days
listed. This is something that many of you have asked about, so I look forward to
receiving your feedback on this and any other suggestions you might have!
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR
VALUED CUSTOMERS:
Effective immediately**,
we will no longer be accepting PayPal as a means of payment. We
received notification from PayPal's "Compliance Department" that the
content of our website does not comply with their "Acceptable Use
Policy". I was informed that I would have to remove all
"objectionable and offensive materials" before June 9th, 2004 to avoid
"further escalation" of this issue. I made a call to my
"PayPal Account Manager" and told him in very clear and concise
English what he could do with his "Acceptable Policy". Rest
assured you will still have many payment options to continue doing business with
The Ruptured Duck.
**Effective May 11, 2004, we shall no longer accept PayPal as a method of payment. There are a number of reasons for this, but suffice to say I did not think lightly of the following notice that I received from them on May 10th 2004. It read, and I QUOTE:
Dear Bill Shea,
I was recently informed by the PayPal Compliance Department that some items
listed on your website do not comply with the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy.
Specifically, any merchandise associated with Nazi Germany or the Secret Service
"SS" are not allowed to be sold through PayPal due to the offensive
nature of these goods. PayPal respectfully requests that you remove these
items off your website or remove the PayPal option for payment. For
further clarification concerning the PayPal Offensive Material Policy, please
review the information below:
PayPal believes that it is important to respect the diversity of beliefs of our
members, and generally permits the use of PayPal to pay for anything the law
allows. However, PayPal cannot condone the sale of items or support of
organizations that promote hate, violence, or racial intolerance. In addition,
PayPal is a worldwide company with many users residing in countries where the
possession or sale of items associated with hate organizations is a criminal
offense. Therefore, PayPal will judiciously disallow organizations that promote
or glorify hatred, violence, or racial intolerance (such as the KKK, Nazis,
neo-Nazis, and Aryan Nation), from using PayPal to accept payments.
Furthermore, such organizations may not be listed in PayPal Shops, nor may any
website listed in PayPal Shops advertise or support such organizations.
PayPal also may, at its sole discretion, prohibit the sale of items which
graphically portray violence or victims of violence, and lack substantial
social, artistic or political value. PayPal may also, in its discretion
and out of respect for the families of murder victims, prohibit the use of
PayPal to sell items closely associated with individuals notorious for
committing murderous acts within the last 100 years, such as personal belongings
of criminals, letters or artwork created by such criminals, or novelty items
that bear the name or image of the criminal. Further, PayPal prohibits a
person convicted of a violent felony, or his relatives or associates, from using
PayPal to benefit financially from the convict's criminal notoriety.
PayPal will review sellers that are brought to its attention by its worldwide
community, and will look at the seller's entire website, and other public
information to determine whether it falls within this rule. Examples of items
that generally may not be sold using PayPal:
· Items that bear symbols of the Nazis, the SS, or the KKK, including
authentic German WWII memorabilia that bear such marks
· Crime scene photographs
· Morgue shots
· Letters and artwork from notorious murderers
· Electric chairs and related capital punishment items
Examples of items that may generally be sold using PayPal:
· German coins and stamps from the WWII era regardless of markings
· WWII memorabilia that does not bear the Nazi or SS markings
· Books and movies about WWII or Nazi Germany, even if the Nazi symbol
appears on the item
· War documentaries or documentary photos portraying victims of war or
violence
· Items of historical importance associated with acts of violence
against public figures
To read the complete policy governing this category, please visit https://www.PayPal.com/aup or copy and paste entire link into address bar. If you have any further questions, please reply to this email.
Sincerely,
PayPal Account Manager
PayPal, an eBay Company " END QUOTE
Thank you very much for your continued support and we look forward to doing business with you in the future! Bill
Watchdog
Service
I wanted to let the many
fine customers who have e-mailed me when they noticed a "misteak",
either in our spelling, photos or descriptions, that I sincerely appreciate your
effort. I would much rather this happen then to let the mistake continue
to be viewed by the 500 or so daily visitors to the site. Do not
hesitate to let us know when you see something amiss. We will do our very
best to clean up our act and right the wrong. Keep up the good work!
What does **ON HOLD** mean?
Many customers have asked what **ON HOLD** means. That's a very legitimate question! This represents one of the following possibilities:
SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE
Remember in spite of all the fanfare related to the Internet, eBay, web sites, auction houses, etc, the Militaria and Gun shows still provide a vital part of this hobby. The shows provide collectors with an opportunity to rendezvous with other collectors and dealers. There are still many hobbyists out there that still have the "touchy-feely" needs. I certainly enjoy the show circuit and find it is an excellent opportunity to interact face to face with many of you. The shows still provide me, as a dealer/collector, with a vital source of merchandise. Bottom line is SUPPORT THE SHOWS! Here's a partial listing of the Militaria-type shows that I am familiar with. The listing of the shows does not necessarily mean that I will attend/exhibit. It is provided as a source of information to the collector community.
Dear Customers and Friends;
I have been asked many times why I do not attend all the shows that I list
in this section. The primary reason is the time factor. The
125 emails per day I receive, in addition to faxes and snail mail, require
a great amount of my time. This, combined with the many hours it takes to
write up descriptions, shoot the pictures and maintain the website, makes for
very long hours. I'm not complaining, just laying out the
facts! The shows require a large commitment of time also. This
includes preparation, the driving time to get there and return and the actual
show itself (which can run up to four days). When I return I am beset
by paperwork, unpacking, reorganizing and catching up on the mail that's piled
up since I was gone.
You folks are used to receiving the best service in the hobby with regards to response times, combined with receiving items you have purchased. You also have grown accustomed to professional packaging and quality answers to your technical questions. In order for me to try to maintain this level of service, I have found it necessary to cut back on some of the shows.
The show that I have eliminated from my show circuit is Allentown, PA (which I had attended faithfully since 1976). I strongly urge you to continue to attend this fine show. You can see my items 24/7, but the shows give you the opportunity to see items face to face and interact with the collecting community. I sincerely hope you understand my position. I will still be going to Union, NJ shows, the Lowell, MA shows and certainly the Show of Shows in February.
SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE...SHOW SCHEDULE
DATE
LOCATION
SPONSOR
May 3,
2008 Union,
NJ
Meadowlands Militaria, Bob or Gail Curran (201) 939-8846 10 AM to 9 PM
May 10 - 11, 2008 Allentown, PA Forks of Delaware Historical Arms Society, Connie Hoffman (610) 997-8613
July 12 - 13, 2008 Allentown, PA Forks of Delaware Historical Arms Society, Connie Hoffman (610) 997-8613
July 19, 2008 Union, NJ Meadowlands Militaria, Bob or Gail Curran (201) 939-8846 10 AM to 9 PM
September 20, 2008 Union, NJ Meadowlands Militaria, Bob or Gail Curran (201) 939-8846 10 AM to 9 PM
October 3 - 4, 2008 Monroeville,
PA
The MAX Show, Debbie B. @ MAX Promotions (856) 231-0323
www.themaxshow.com
October 18 - 19, 2008 Allentown, PA Forks of Delaware Historical Arms Society, Connie Hoffman (610) 997-8613
November 8, 2008 Union, NJ Meadowlands Militaria, Bob or Gail Curran (201) 939-8846 10 AM to 9 PM
December 6 - 7, 2008 Allentown, PA Forks of Delaware Historical Arms Society, Connie Hoffman (610) 997-8613
A note on pricing:
Many of you have asked, with good reason, about whether I negotiate on items
that are listed on the website. In fact you have mentioned that some items
say 5-10% off or Reduced Price. I wanted to provide you with some insight
(or should I say "in-site") on my philosophy of pricing.
I try my best to price the items at "Fair Market Value". As you are certainly aware these things don't "grow on trees" so I have costs associated with purchasing these items. I work long and hard to buy items you'd be proud to have on display in your collection. This has taken years of developing a fine network of pickers who are out there beating the bush to find me authentic pieces.
Of course, we have all the other costs associated with running a competitive business in this day and age. So that you are aware of my feelings, I want to let you know that I need to get the price listed on the site. If an item sticks around for 60 days or more, I might decide to reduce the price by listing the percent reduction/reduced price, but until I decide to do that I won't negotiate a price.
However, what do you get in addition to the item?
1) Prompt and courteous service;
2) No hassle three day return privilege;
3) Lifetime guarantee regarding authenticity
of items sold by me;
4) Technical assistance on collecting related questions;
5) THE REAL THING!
I'm sure you appreciate where I'm coming from as the response to the site and the items listed thereon has been overwhelming. I am very grateful for your continued support.
All the best,
Bill
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