Archive for October 2011
Military Challenge Coins – Create Your Own Unique Custom Challenge Coin
October 8, 2011 | 
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Military challenge coins tend to be one of the most reproduced militaria related items on the market. This may be due to their increasing popularity. Besides military organizations, they are also used by groups not specifically associated with the military. These include police and fire departments, church and scout organizations.
The coin’s popularity can be attributed to the meaning of the it. It’s purpose is to create and promote unity and morality within the organization. The person receiving the coin considers it a great honor to be part of the group and the coin is something they can keep for the rest of their lives and even pass it on to their future descendants.
Why get a custom military challenge coin?
1. Organization uniqueness
Instead of getting the same type of coin from a manufacturer that mass produces them, you create the design that reflects the uniqueness of your organization.
The individuals within the organization will feel honored to part of this unique group and know that the coin was only issued to them.
2. Organization identity
There are thousands of organizations that exist in society so it’s hard to distinguish what is different about them. A custom coin helps cement the identity of your group because it is a symbol of high quality and deep history. It’s a something substantial (metal) that your members will be proud to wear and display to others.
3. Organization history
If your organization has existed for several decades the members will be proud of its history. A custom made military challenge coin captures that deep history
and helps solidify it. Owning the coin will make them feel they are a part of this history and want to contribute to it.
4. Organization reputation
The reputation of an individual usually stems from the character he has built for many years. A good character will enhance a person’s reputation. This applies to organizations as well. Your organization’s reputation is created by the character of the individuals within it. A custom coin will help acknowledge and honor the individuals within the group and preserve its reputation far into the future.
Conclusion
Creating a custom military challenge coin will help distinguish your organization from those that just purchase cheap mass-produced coins. Each member of your group will be proud to own one because they know it is one-of-a-kind coin that symbolizes integrity, unity, fellowship, and benevolence.
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Ancient Daggers – A Review of the Scythian Acinaces Dagger
The Acinaces Dagger was one of the Ancient Daggers was originally used by the Scythians that were from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Later it was used by the Persians and finally the Greeks. The Persians however were the culture that made this weapon famous. Later, the Chinese used the design of this weapon as a prototype to develop other similar weapons. This Dagger is commonly referred to as a Short Sword, so you may hear this terminology being associated with it as well.
Typically the Scythian Acinaces Dagger measures in at 14-18 Inches. This is a double edged weapon. While there is no specific design the guard is usually lobed which means it is shaped somewhat like a Glacier. The Hilt of this weapon is shaped like a Bollock Dagger, with two oval swellings around the guard which mimicks a males private parts. The Scabbard is the one part of the weapon that makes it really stand out. It is a large pretty mount which allows it to be worn from a belt on the right side of the person wearing it.
The Scythian Acinaces Dagger is primarily a thrusting weapon. Since this weapon was usually worn on the right side, it was used with the sword blade facing down to be drawn quickly in the event to throw the enemy off guard and to execute a quick surprise attack. All of the ancient literature found on this weapon say it was a Persian Sword. The Greek and Romans claim that this weapon was given out to special people by the king as a gesture of favor.
The Acinaces Dagger is curved like a Scimitar. A Scimitar is a curved blade sword and is from Southwest Asia which is the Middle East. Scimitar can mean any sword from the South Asia or Middle East as long as it has a curved blade. And most have a ridge at the end. Scimitars came into action during Horse Warfare, because these weapons were light in comparison to the larger swords of the time. Because of the curvy architecture, they were ideal for slashing people when on horseback.
Buying and Selling Collectibles
I buy and sell collectibles, what about you? A friend called me today and said that recently eBay has lost over 50% of their sellers. I found that figure quite incredible. I would think that a number of those might be sellers that have more than one account. But then I began to think about it some more and decided to do a little research.
On a July 10, NY Times report, I found an interesting article that page views on eBay were down over 30 percent in May from a year ago. That is a significant drop. I then looked at the number of items up for auction in the category that I shop (oh, my wife would be razzing me for using that word), which is Militaria and the number of items that are available is at least 1/2 of what it was a year ago. So what is the correlation?
Could it be that eBay wants to get rid of all the smaller mom and pop sellers? these are the type of sellers that have that little antique shop. The items they sell are ’1-up’. So they have continued to increase their fees, force settlements through PayPal and be difficult with resolving disputes. It certainly appears that way. Since they have a stake in Craigslist, that could be where they want these people to go; I see fees starting on this site soon.
Nothing against PayPal.
I don’t have any personal issues with PayPal myself, I know of some people out there that do, but you need to look at each site that uses it, or in some cases the seller that uses it, whether on eBay or other sites and check the terms and conditions of purchase before you buy.
Hey, is my check not good anymore?
Many merchants still like to do business this way; they don’t take credit cards for whatever reason they may have. Most certainly don’t want to pay the processor and their bank a fee for the transaction and cut into their profit. I don’t blame them. A lot of people are not companies, so they cannot get a merchant account anyway. That is where PayPal and other companies have come in. But as individuals they want to do business as an individual and that is selling an item, they want to be paid in cash, money order or check.
So maybe it’s time to branch out and search for some other sites where you can buy, sell and auction. Do some searches. Maybe checkout a site that lists different auction sites such as: http://auctions.nettop20.com/
So what’s in my wish list for a site as a seller of collectibles?
How about reasonable fees. Either low commissions or maybe even a flat rate. Auction and selling options. A reserve amount for auctions of my choosing. A site that simply puts the buyers and sellers together. I can transact my business with the customer. So I set my terms, the how and the method with which I want to be paid. That will be a good start.
Business is a bit slow even on eBay, but I am in it for the long haul. Just need to find some new places to sell my stuff, its gotta go!
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