I was looking for a walter zettl dressage book......now I am just so sad to see this!
I love the olympics! - no matter how commercialized!
J
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
posted on January 7, 2004 05:22:32 AM new
Who on earth would give up their Olympic gold medal? Even if the athlete is deceased, surely the family would keep it. And Tom, you are right - what is with the two obviously male figures on the reverse?
posted on January 7, 2004 06:54:46 AM new
From the Olympic.org site.....
On the obverse, the traditional goddess of victory, a design used since the 1928 Amsterdam Games, accompanied by the specific inscription "XX Olympiade München 1972".
On the reverse, Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Léda, the patrons of sports competitions and friendship, represented by two naked youths. This design was created by Gerhard Marcks, one of the last representatives of the Bauhaus.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on January 7, 2004 08:09:42 AM new
$50.00 has got to be the insurance, on something that is going for $5,000.00 and, I notice, there are no takers yet...
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
posted on January 7, 2004 10:27:56 AM new
I once worked in a large factory in the 1970's. The plant manager had won a Bronze Medal for a swimming event in the 1972 Olympics. He had the medal mounted on a marble slab and had it on his desk. Know I know why he had it glued with the good side up.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on January 7, 2004 01:14:50 PM new
When I had my shop, I once had a bronze Olymipic Field medal from 1976. I bought it off of a "picker". Goodness only knows how he came by it.
Belonged to Frank something. Anyway,a couple came in from Alabama who knew Frank. They told me this really sad story about how he had died young, unknown and destitute and no close family. His hometown in AL still remembered him as a hero.
I sold them the medal for $50.00 and they donated it to the library in his hometown.
posted on January 7, 2004 01:44:14 PM new
ltray...that is so sad!
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
posted on January 7, 2004 02:30:29 PM new
When you have an antique shop and a soft heart, you hear alot of sad stories. Some of them are even true!
I used to be amazed at the people who wanted to sell me their family photo albums and old letters because they meant nothing to them.
I felt more like a curator of history than a business owner on some days. But the up side is the number of people who are truly interested in such history. They don't value it for its price tag, they value it for the story it tells. Those are people I love to meet!
Most everything I dealt in had a story which I willing passed on to the new owner if they were interested.
posted on January 8, 2004 03:53:57 AM new
Itray, when I go to estate sales, I am always keenly aware this is somebody's life I am rifling though. One gentleman worked for Nasa and he saved his employee handbook, civil service card, and all his 1st day papers from 1960. I remember holding it, reading it and thinking how young, happy and proud he must have been that day. He even had his insurance papers with it there in a little folder.
I sold the handbook to a Nasa buff, but havent sold the other stuff yet and I probably wont.
posted on January 8, 2004 06:28:58 AM new
Everyone who was sentient in 1972 knows the story of the Munich Olympics. So why does this seller expend so much listing space going over and over it?
Because he has no idea who won this medal or in what event or if it is even genuine.
It could be a sample or misstrike from the manufacturer.
With no provenance, seems like the value of this piece is closer to zero than to $5,000.
posted on January 8, 2004 08:03:55 AM new
Neroter12 , I still have a large part of the first estate I ever bought. The family was first generation Czech/American and had lovely Prussian china and good solid furniture. My kitchen stool came from their grandfather and every time I use it I think about the 6 generations of people who rested a weary bottom there.
Fluffy, I'm with you. Something does not smell or feel right about that medal. Without provenance, it is just another chunk of junk. Plus, Why would they put gold on an corrosive metal? The one I had was solid bronze and I had assumed that Silver and gold were solid as well.
Anyone else knows if the metals are solid? Would like to know for future reference...
posted on January 8, 2004 09:00:16 AM new
As the Local Olympic Collectable Seller, let me tell you a bit about medals. First, there are usually a few more produced then there are awarded (it is hard to issue double medals or replace lost or stolen medals if there are no extras). Olympic medals are very collectable. $5000 for a gold is fairly reasonable, but ebay is ebay. This medal has been up with a silver and bronze from Munich. I think it was probably a set kept by a High Up member of the Organizing committee. As to why someone would sell a medal... The Soviet Union won many medals and when the hard times hit in the mid 1990's, a gold medal would bring enough hard money for a family to live on for a year. In africa, a gold will bring enough for a family for several years (assuming half price or about $2500 for a gold). Retail for a gold is about $4000 to $7500. The market has softened quite a bit since 1992. Silver's genrally go for about $2500 or $3000. Bronzes go for $2000 to $2500. Medals for the Winter Olympics are generally more expensive.
I have a collection of Participation medals from Every Olympics I've personally attended plus a couple of others that I really wanted. Every team member gets a medal for showing up. In general you can buy them at the games for $50 to $80 for the summer games and $125 to $175 for the winter games. The only way to buy them is to give cash to the team member who wants to sell it. I bought my Barcelona Medal from a Bosnian Athelet, My Lillehammer medal from a Lithuanian Athelet, My Atlanta medal was a gift from the coach of the usa woman's vollyball team, Nagano was sold to me by a friend. I don't know who he got it from. I met an Athelet from Mongolia in sydney and he sold me his medal, team hat and signed me into an exclusive area for the games for $100 and a baggy of pins. I got my Salt Lake City medal from a lituanian team member who also sold me his team badge (only 50 made) and his baggy of team pins (all for $200). I bought a medal for 1984, my first olympics from a dealer. I also bought from dealers an 1896 medal (first Olympics)for $125 in july of 1984 (They come up for auction on ebay now about once a year, and generally get $750 to $1500) and a 1932 medal (I live in Los Angeles, and 1932 was also LA)
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. B. Franklin
[ edited by dejapooh on Jan 8, 2004 09:02 AM ]
posted on January 8, 2004 09:01:01 AM new
With gold at $400 an ounce, a solid gold medal that size would cost at least $20,000 in material alone. Not likely.
posted on January 8, 2004 09:03:52 AM new
BTW, I've held a gold medal before... I've WORN a gold medal before, and there is no way they are as much as 3 oz plus ribbon or chain. Also, along the edge was engraved the winners name and sport.
According to my resources, it weighs 175 grams and there were 364 gold medals made.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. B. Franklin
[ edited by dejapooh on Jan 8, 2004 09:08 AM ]
[ edited by dejapooh on Jan 8, 2004 09:08 AM ]
posted on January 8, 2004 10:11:01 AM new
Wow, Thanks for the info. When I sold the Bronze in '94 I had no access to more info. Guess someone received a really good deal for $50.00.
posted on January 8, 2004 12:03:14 PM new
Thanks for all that info on the Olympic medals. Interesting stuff.
Itray, when I go to estate sales, I am always keenly aware this is somebody's life I am rifling though.
I see that same thing Tessa at flea markets where a vendor has bought an abandoned storage locker's contents. It makes you wonder what a family's momentos are worth to the family or if they cared at all. Most of the family photo albums are totally worthless to anyone but the family and I think the vendors only bring them out so they can toss them in the empty 55 gallon drums that are scattered about the flea market. Sad stuff.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on January 8, 2004 01:31:07 PM new
Hi Ace. Yeah, it is a bit sad.
re old photos: for awhile there some were collecting them just for their oldness, ,or whatever reason. But I think that was around when restoreing older photographs first became popular.
