As we approach the hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War, the bravery of the men and women who served our country is on the collective mind of the nation. Given that their contribution was priceless, can it be right to sell off their medals to the highest bidder?
There is definitely a market for the memorabilia, with over 700 unique listings of “authentic WW1 medals” on Ebay and countless online auctions. Prices regularly range from £15 to £500.
I understand that we all fall on hard times, and these items definitely do sell. But selling your great-grandfather’s honorary medal for £15? Seems a little disrespectful to me. Of course, there are people who collect these items and take great care of them, but it seems a little perverse to have a collection of medals that you did nothing to earn.
One potential seller sought advice from Amelia Murray, financial reporter at the Daily Telegraph:
“I have a set of Boer War and First World War medals all of which belonged to my family. I would be grateful for any information you can give as to how best sell these medals. I just don’t know how to go about it and am afraid of being ripped off. I think the Boer War medals especially could be quite valuable.”
Murray urged the worried seller to seek expert evaluation. However, not once did she mention the emotional value of these items. It’s a bit rich that the seller thinks the Boer War medal could be “quite valuable”. To the person it was awarded to, that may be something of an understatement.
In a world of Ebay and Gumtree, people have found so many ways to make money. But isn’t this the moment to take pause and think: should I really be selling this?
In my eyes, these items are not just antiques, like a vase or a tea set; they are tokens, representations of lives altered, bravery unmatched. To sell all of this for the price of a round of drinks – now that’s what I call cheap.
