48 Star Flag / eBay "Gambling"

[NAVA1974]

My best flag bargain was when I bought a mint condition 50 star casket flag for $30 and when it arrived it was really a 49 star flag!

Good deal! 49 star flags are hot on eBay (when they are listed as 49s!)

I have won a 44-star flag and a 46-star flag that were advertised as 48-star flags, and a 49 that was advertised as a 50. You can find some gems on eBay if you know what you are looking at.

Here's a link to the 44-star flag:
44 Star Flag 1891-1896 With Holder | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Clearly the seller just counted 8 stars in the top row and saw six rows...

Nick A
Columbia Maryland

[coasterville]

Great stories all. Yes, you have to know what you are looking at, and in some cases know better than the seller. Counting the stars in the photo gave you guys some great deals. Funny how people just assume 50 or 48 or whatever, too lazy to count them I guess. Their loss, your gain.

Yes, casket size 48 star flags are very common on eBay. From what I have gathered here and other places, unless their is a verifiable story behind a particular 48 star flag, their only worth is sentimental or nostalgia, just so many of them floating around. A glance at eBay on any given day is enough to tell you there are enough to go around to anybody that wants one. Just have to wait and snipe the right one. (And avoid the $5.00 'reproductions', though I guess since all past flags are still valid flags with full force, they really aren't repros I guess.)

I'm guessing the cause of the phenomenal deal on your car dealer size (ok, I'll be nicer, Perkins size) flag is not setting a proper minimum or reserve. Unless you get a business client, there just really isn't a market for flags of that size by the general hobbyist. I mean, you'd need what a 50' pole to display it properly astethetically, or have a large amount of wall space to dedicate to it.

[Robin Hickman]

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Gee !!!

Great eBay finds, one and all !!!


It almost makes me want to go and hunt around and try to find my $1.25 eBay "bargain" U.S. Flag that arrived at my house last May. If I find it, I might take a couple of pictures of it and post them here.



Robin
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[NAVA1974]

David,
Have you considered asking the seller if s/he knows how a Valley Forge flag ended up in an Annin box?
Nick

[coasterville]

No, and I didn,t think of that. So can we put a date range on the flag based on the pioneer brand?

Maybe valley forge was out of boxes and borrowed some from annin. .

Forgot to add the flag does have that musty smell you get with old fabric but you have to be close to it smell it, it's not strong at all but it helps reassure me it is an old flag.

[Robin Hickman]

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Since you can buy "New Car Smell" in spray bottles, I wonder if they have "Old Flag Smell", too ????







Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[american_flag_uk]

!!!
I like 'old flag smell!'