Of everything that comes across our counter, military items are the ones we handle with the most care. Almost every piece walked in here because somebody served — a grandfather, an uncle, a mother, a son. When a family brings us a foot locker that hasn't been opened since it came home, we know we're not just looking at collectibles. We're looking at somebody's story.
And this is military country. Between Camp Lejeune down in Jacksonville, Cherry Point over in Havelock, Seymour Johnson in Goldsboro, the Coast Guard in Elizabeth City, and Fayetteville's long Army history, nearly every family in Eastern North Carolina has service in it somewhere — which means nearly every family has a trunk, a drawer, or a closet shelf with military items in it. Here's exactly what we buy, and how we handle it.
Every Era
Revolutionary War items are rare in any condition — buttons, documents, edged weapons, anything from that period is worth a trip here no matter how rough it looks. Civil War material still turns up in Eastern NC attics more than people think: belt plates, buttons, bayonets, letters, and old photographs of soldiers. World War I brings helmets, trench art, medals, and uniform pieces. World War II is the era we see most — uniforms, helmets, field gear, patches, medals, foot lockers, fighting knives, and items brought home from overseas. Korea and Vietnam material is collected seriously now too: jungle gear, boonie hats, patches, engraved lighters, and medals.
Every Branch
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard — and their earlier forms. USMC items in particular have a strong collector following, but don't sort anything out before you come. We want to see it all together.
What to Look For Around the House
Uniforms — jackets, shirts, caps, and especially anything with the name still in it. Helmets — steel pots, liners, flight helmets, and foreign helmets brought home. Medals, ribbons, badges, and insignia — including the small stuff in the cigar box. Personal gear — canteens, mess kits, web belts, packs, first aid pouches. Knives and bayonets — fighting knives, bayonets, machetes, and their sheaths. Paper — discharge papers, photos, letters, unit books, training manuals. And the odds and ends: engraved lighters, sweetheart jewelry, bring-backs.
Keep the Grouping Together
Here's the thing families get wrong, and we understand why: they split the grouping up. The medals go to one cousin, the helmet goes to another, the paperwork gets tossed because "it's just papers." A veteran's items are worth the most — and honestly, they mean the most — when they stay together. The uniform with the name tag, the medals that match the discharge papers, the photo of the man wearing the gear you're holding. If you can keep it together, bring it together.
Not Ready to Sell?
That's fine too. Some families come in just wanting to know what they have, and we're glad to look. When a family does decide to sell, they can trust that these items go to collectors and historians who preserve them — people who research the units, document the names, and keep the stories alive. That's a better fate than a box in a damp attic, and most families feel real relief knowing it.
We look at everything together and make one fair offer — no cherry-picking the medals and leaving you with the rest. Bring it to the shop at 101 S Main Street in downtown Robersonville and you'll walk out with payment in hand the same day. For larger collections, or if moving Dad's foot locker just isn't practical, we make house calls all over Eastern North Carolina and pay you on the spot.