The history of the human race can be traced in the history of its wars.
Perhaps that doesn’t speak too highly of us as a species, but fact remains: we’ve waged wars longer than recorded history, with stones and clubs at first, arrows and swords later. Wars have shaped the contours of civilizations ancient and present, have given birth to countless inventions and innovations, and have even been the catalysts for great works of art. Would there ever be an Iliad without war? Would Hemingway have ever written For Whom the Bell Tolls in peace? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But consider that this medium – the internet – itself is a by-product of military research, and you can begin to grasp the primacy of wars in the development of human civilization.
Because of this, war memorabilia or ‘militaria’ is a big business. Millions of hobbyists around the world obsessively collect historically significant artifacts of military and police. A Victoria Cross isn’t just a medal; it contains an entire narrative of human valor and achievement. A crumbling, rusted spear from the 16th century might very well have turned the tide of history, while a faltering gun scope could have made the difference between two sides in a pitched battle. Each piece of historical military hardware is replete with rich history.
WarStuff, an online marketplace for war memorabilia, makes this rich history accessible to millions of collectors (and curious non-collectors) around the world. Launched in 2009 as an alternative solution to eBay wary collectors, the site has quickly morphed into the to-to source for all things militaria.
The Nuts & Bolts
Traditionally, the militaria market has been served by local fairs and specialized stores trading in military antiques. This, of course, was an inadequate solution given the global orientation of the market. With the advent of the internet, eBay became the de-facto platform for hobbyists to trade militaria. eBay, however, as any user will testify, is expensive, replete with payment issues and untrustworthy. Which is why WarStuff attracted members by the thousands when it launched in 2009.
Doing away with the eBay model, WarStuff charges no listing fees, nor does it take any commissions on successful transactions. Users can list their militaria for free and buyers can either place bids or pay the ‘Buy-It-Now’ price. Unlike eBay, there are no limitations of the payment methods; sellers can use PayPal, their own merchant credit card processing accounts, and even accept checks, cash, or postal orders. The end result? Happier sellers, even happier buyers.
That brings up an important question: how does WarStuff make money?
WarStuff charges sellers for promotional listings. Sellers who want to get their wares seen more prominently can pay a small fee to promote their listing over others with a highlight or bold text. Additionally, WarStuff sells advertising space to stores, fairs and war-related websites/games/apps to generate additional revenue.
WarStuff also operates a number of branded properties that focus on militaria from particular conflicts, such as the Vietnam war or the war in Afghanistan.
For Collectors, by Collectors
Militaria, because of the obvious political implications of war, isn’t a hobby without its share of controversies. Dealing with war-related artifacts can often evoke strong emotions among collectors and non-collectors alike. This is especially true when dealing with militaria from recent conflicts, particularly German WWII memorabilia.
The situation isn’t helped by the rather ambiguous policies of eBay and other major auction sites. De-politicized listings are often yanked without warning even as some sellers openly trade in militaria with overt political motives.
Since it is dedicated solely to dealing with war memorabilia, WarStuff has a rather lengthy list of terms and conditions to deal with controversial listings. The site doesn’t allow any listings for live weapons or ammunition. Ethically contentious items, such as WWII Nazi memorabilia are partially hidden so as to protect the sensitivities of surfers. While WarStuff recognizes the historical significance of militaria and thus, doesn’t apply any limits to what can be sold on the site, it actively polices the listings for any items that violate its TOS.
Says Paul McCabe, WarStuff’s founder, “We keep a careful eye on listings, as do our community. If we believe any seller has political motivations, is listing an item which insults the memory of the dead, or trivializes conflict, we will take action”.
Case in point: in February 2011, a decommissioned Royal Air Force Harrier Jump-Jet fighter plane was put up for sale on eBay. Militaria collectors were, of course, salivating at the thought of owning such a magnificent piece of military history. However, a couple of days later, the listing was removed from eBay because the jet, despite being a harmless relic, somehow flouted the site’s weapons policy.
That jet eventually found its way on WarStuff where it found a happy buyer. As one of only four such jets, it was an important milestone in not just military history, but in human engineering ingenuity as well.
Going Ahead
The online militaria market is estimated to be worth over $10M in the United States alone, excluding high-ticket items. Combined with Europe, the total size of the online market is several million dollars more.
Hobbyists trade in military wares for their historical value. Many artifacts also make for solid investments. In 1990, a 1815 Waterloo medal had a market value of 350GBP. In 2006, this had increased to 3500GBP – a ten fold appreciation.
High-ticket items regularly realize hundreds of thousands of dollars at auctions. In 2010, Lord Ashcroft bought a double Victoria Cross – one of the most sought after medals – for a reported fee of £1.4M. The same year, a Crosby Garrett Helmet (a Roman parade helmet made from copper) became the most expensive piece of militaria ever sold when it fetched a price of £2.35M at an auction.
WarStuff is ideally placed to tap into this burgeoning market for military antiques. Two years after launch, it has already carved a niche in the British militaria market and is now in expansion mode to conquer the Western Europe and American markets monopolized by eBay inferior offerings. As a site made for collectors, by collectors, WarStuff has attracted a passionate user base that understands history and discards the jingoism normally associated with anything war related. This user base is arguably the site’s strongest suit going forward.
Going ahead, WarStuff will have to side-step ethical issues that may make mainstream press and investors queasy about working with the company. It is impossible to de-contextualize artifacts of conflicts. One perspective might paint a gun as a historically important tool; the other might focus on the human costs and suffering associated with it. The latter opinion is strong and vociferous, even if at times unreasonable. So far, WarStuff has done a good job of policing its listings and laying out its policies clearly. The challenge will be to maintain the same level of well, cleanliness, as the community grows in size.
WarStuff is based out of London. It was founded in 2009 by Paul McCabe, who is a militaria collector himself and has a wealth of experience in running dotcom businesses.
