Items passed down from your family (ie. grandfather giving you his old watch)

[Q]

I got back from visiting both of my grandparents, and while in the basement of one of my granfathers I saw a knife laying on the work bench, and asked him about it. He told me he saw that a while ago and planned on giving it to me and he would have forgotten if I didn't happen to see it. (This is sadly true since he apparently has early stages of Alzheimer's )

Anywho, it was his knife from WW2; a friend gave it to him while in New Guinea on December 24, 1944 (all this is written on the back of the leather sheath). It is still extremely sharp and can cut through paper, though the blade has some minor green marks on it that I cannot decide if I should clean or not.

Also, next time I see him he will be giving me his dogtags, as well as his father's (my great grandfather's) dogtags from WWI.

I was thinking of getting all three of these somehow put in a display that I can hang on my wall, but my question is, should I clean the items, or leave them be? What is typically done to things like this?


Pic 1
Pic 2

BTW: I was very excited to receive it since this is really the first / only real thing passed down to me, and I saw how happy he was when he gave it to me since I don't see him often.

So I was wondering if the rest of you guys and gals have gotten or will get some family owned item passed down to you?

 

[bctbct]

i wouldnt clean them.

 

[Nik]

Don't clean them. Buy a felt-lined wooden box with a glass front (kinda like decorative funeral flag display boxes) and mount them tastefully. Hang the box on your wall.

 

[Q]

Changed the title a bit

 

[gorcorps]

Yeah, I have a diseased heart... fucking family

 

[xanis]

My grandfather gave me a German copy of Mein Kampf from the early 30s. So awesome.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Xanis
My grandfather gave me a German copy of Mein Kampf from the early 30s. So awesome.

:Q :Q

Is it worth anything? Is it in good shape?

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Xanis
My grandfather gave me a German copy of Mein Kampf from the early 30s. So awesome.

:Q :Q

Is it worth anything? Is it in good shape?

It's in excellent condition. I did some quick Googling a while back and it looks like it's worth ~$200-300.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
Yeah, I have a diseased heart... fucking family

bwahaha

i expect nada of any sentimental value. me and a brother will split some of my dads guns, i expect, but he doesnt use them, has nothing really of much collectible value (a couple of pieces, maybe)

 

[nageov3t]

nope.

I had my dad's high school ring, but my mom randomly decided to clean it one day and while she was doing that, the stone popped out so she just threw it away. /facepalm

 

[Orsorum]

I have numerous antique rifles and shotguns that I will receive when my father passes on. Mostly from late 1800s to mid 1900s.

 

[rudder]

My dad gave me a machete that a Filipino friend had given him. The machete was used to kill a japanese soldier in WW2.

 

[PottedMeat]

Pass down you say?

This watch I got here was first purchased by your great-grandfather during the first World War. It was bought in a little general store in Knoxville, Tennessee. Made by the first company to ever make wrist watches. Up till then people just carried pocket watches. It was bought by private Doughboy Erine Coolidge on the day he set sail for Paris. It was your great-grandfather's war watch and he wore it everyday he was in that war.
When he had done his duty, he went home to your great-grandmother, took the watch off, put it an old coffee can, and in that can it stayed 'til your granddad Dane Coolidge was called upon by his country to go overseas and fight the Germans once again. This time they called it World War II.
Your great-grandfather gave this watch to your granddad for good luck. Unfortunately, Dane's luck wasn't as good as his old man's. Dane was a Marine and he was killed -- along with the other Marines at the battle of Wake Island. Your granddad was facing death, he knew it. None of those boys had any illusions about ever leavin' that island alive. So three days before the Japanese took the island, your granddad asked a gunner on an Air Force transport name of Winocki, a man he had never met before in his life, to deliver to his infant son, who he'd never seen in the flesh, his gold watch.
Three days later, your granddad was dead. But Winocki kept his word. After the war was over, he paid a visit to your grandmother, delivering to your infant father, his Dad's gold watch. This watch. (holds it up, long pause)
This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi. He was captured, put in a Vietnamese prison camp. He knew if the gooks ever saw the watch it'd be confiscated, taken away. The way your Dad looked at it, that watch was your birthright. He'd be damned if any slopes were gonna put their greasy yella hands on his boy's birthright.
So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide something. His ass.
Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass. Then he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family.
And now, little man, I give the watch to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...oylIVM&feature=related

 

[hans030390]

My dad will probably give me his 1965 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. He doesn't play it much at all (and never learned much). Still, this guitar is AMAZING.

 

[GiggleGirl]

i dont think theres anything to be given.......... my mom has an antique bench that is currently in my possession but its not going to be given to me.

oh well

 

[GiggleGirl]

oh and dont clean the items. leave them as is.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I have my dad's linel train set. I think it is 1935-1942 era.

 

[BeauJangles]

I would be honored if my step-father left me his challenge coin, dog tags, and photos from his time as part of the SOG in Cambodia. I also would be amazed if he left me his gun, sword, and helmet collections. The challenge coin probably means the most to me.

 

[Kaervak]

I have my grandfather's dog tags, medals and next of kin/signup papers from WWII. My grandmother still has his hat, discharge papers & some other army stuff of his that I'll probably end up with when she dies. My grandfather never gave me any of this stuff though, he died eleven years ago and I've only had it for a couple years though. He also collected coins, so I have those as well. They're older actual silver US coins with some British and Filipino coins.

 

[Bibble]

My grandfather gave me his model trains, some pieces of which are very old. A guy once offered to pay my grandfather a ton of money for the set. I always loved them as a kid, but by the time I was old enough for him to consider me mature enough to care for them, I wasn't interested in playing with model trains. They've sat in my garage ever since. I feel bad because I know they meant a lot to him.

I inherited a large sum of money from my grandmother's estate. I saw the check once, when I signed it. It was then immediately used to pay my tuition. Oh well.

I don't know what else I might get, but I'm sure it will be along the lines of medals for serving in the army and other neat but not really valuable stuff.

 

[mugs]

My grandfather collected Indian (the kind with the feathers) artifacts. He had thousands of arrowheads and a lot of other stone artifacts (tools and what have you). He left one artifact to each grandchild when he died, and he gave the rest to two of his daughters.

My dad has a large collection of sports memorabilia (game-worn jerseys, autographed balls, etc) that I'm sure he'll give to my brothers.

 

[lxskllr]

Baseball cards from the 30s
Old coins
House
Misc stuff

 

[MovingTarget]

Mostly handmade furniture. There are a few things like cufflinks or war medals, but these aren't things really spoken much about.

 

[Anubis]

Ive got a decanter that the first settler of the state of Maine carried with him

 

[Safeway]

I'll get a mint Austin Healey Convertible, identical to the one linked.

And some vintage Playboy magazines. :beer: