IanA Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 A report on the BBC website concerns a theft at Heart's stadium in Edinburgh. Amongst the stolen items is a victory medal valued at £800-£1,000. A bit steep? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23633911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarchetta Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 Henry Wattie, Royal Scots, was a 1st July '16 casualty, and a professional footballer, so maybe... You know what these obsessive medal collectors can be like... James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 For a VC winner I would as there is (I believe) only one Coldstream one unaccounted for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 9 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2013 Henry Wattie, Royal Scots, was a 1st July '16 casualty, and a professional footballer, so maybe... You know what these obsessive medal collectors can be like... James I confess to knowing nothing about football and caring less but I wonder how many Hearts fans will have heard of him? I still can't see a single victory medal fetching that though - are there any examples of one being sold recently which reached that estimate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 I confess to knowing nothing about football and caring less but I wonder how many Hearts fans will have heard of him? http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/page/WarMemorial/0,,10289,00.html Probably quite a lot of them. McCrae's battalion has a big profile within the Club and the community. You should spend less time in Skindles and more time in the WW1 related Forums in the pursuit of knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 9 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2013 http://www.heartsfc....,,10289,00.html Probably quite a lot of them. McCrae's battalion has a big profile within the Club and the community. You should spend less time in Skindles and more time in the WW1 related Forums in the pursuit of knowledge. I do know about McCrae's battalion but confess to not knowing them all by name. I also followed with interest the removal and reinstatement of the memorial at the Haymarket. Your latter comment has been noted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidhughhill Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 I have been collecting medals for some time , mainly Royal Scots , and have never heard about or seen any medals awarded to the HMFC players who volunteered in WW1 . I don't think I would pay that much for a single medal but if it was a pair and plaque to any Hearts player I would willingly pay two thousand pounds . Any Takers ? Davie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 I'm a Hearts supporter and Henry Wattie is certainly well known amongst the support. Bob Mercer, recipient of one of the three football medals stolen, was also a WWI veteran. He was gassed during the war, and never regained his pre-war form, although he played for a few years afterwards. He became a Hearts coach after retiring from playing. In April 1926 he was in charge of a Hearts team playing a match in Selkirk, his home town. He decided to play himself, and collapsed and died on the pitch. Mercer is also well known amongst Hearts fans. He and Wattie are much better known than the other two players whose football medals were stolen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 9 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2013 I don't think I would pay that much for a single medal That was my point. I could see someone who owned the plaque and a 14/15 Star and War Medal paying over the odds to get the Victory Medal but any competitors would not have the same incentive so the price would not rise to the extent envisaged. I remain of the opinion that the value is over-estimated. I'm a Hearts supporter and Henry Wattie is certainly well known amongst the support. Glad to hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintwich Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 The Hearts team famously joined up en masse in WW1. There is a memorial to them in Haymarket, Edinburgh. And let's not forget, Hearts are in deep financial trouble so need every penny they can get. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 9 August , 2013 Share Posted 9 August , 2013 A friend of mine (and forum member) has recently paid over £800 for a Victory Medal. The recipient was Lieut. B C De B White. 20th Northumberland Fusiliers, KIA 1st July 1916. He was also an excellent poet of the day. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw63 Posted 10 August , 2013 Share Posted 10 August , 2013 Aren't these just insurance estimates? Always highly inflated in my experience. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 10 August , 2013 Share Posted 10 August , 2013 Aren't these just insurance estimates? Always highly inflated in my experience. Simon Can't speak for the others by example was the price paid. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 10 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2013 A friend of mine (and forum member) has recently paid over £800 for a Victory Medal. The recipient was Lieut. B C De B White. 20th Northumberland Fusiliers, KIA 1st July 1916. He was also an excellent poet of the day. Neil Thanks Neil. That makes my eyes water but I suppose a thing is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. Did your pal have his other medals already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 10 August , 2013 Share Posted 10 August , 2013 And surely the medal is, in effect, priceless now? No-one (well, no legal collector) is going to pay 800 notes for a medal subject to a very high-profile theft, one would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 10 August , 2013 Share Posted 10 August , 2013 Thanks Neil. That makes my eyes water but I suppose a thing is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. Did your pal have his other medals already? Hi Ian, No, he only has the Victory Medal. It was on eBay earlier this year so obviously there was more than one person willing to go that high! The most expensive Ihave seen was a VM to a VC recipient on a dealers site for £3500. I don't know if it sold but it wasn't on there too long. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 10 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2013 Well, well - I can imagine a few things (like my grandfather's medals, which I used to play with as a kid and have long since gone missing) which I would pay way over the odds to get back. Given the passions which football engenders, I suppose the estimate of £800 may be realistic after all. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 10 August , 2013 Share Posted 10 August , 2013 I have one footballer group :- See post 93 - For what it is, I think I got it surprisingly cheap but medal collecting is a strange, strange thing and I suppose it only takes a couple of people with deep pockets to put in 'safe', over the top bids to ensure they get it! Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 10 August , 2013 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2013 I have one footballer group :- Neil Very fine indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seany Posted 11 August , 2013 Share Posted 11 August , 2013 Whilst clearly insurance estimates are always a little high the vValue is set in part by the market but determined by the motivation of the collector, the greater the motivation the deeper the pocket may have to be. Those with an interest in or an emotional attachment to this footballer or football club will pay whatever it takes (within reason?) if my GF's medals became available, even though only the usual two, I would be tempted to enter negotiations wih Mrs Seany about spending the baby's inheritance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 11 August , 2013 Share Posted 11 August , 2013 Surely, though, you are adding to the inheritance? Prices of medals will probably increase more than current interest rates, so blow Mrs Seany ... go for it. She'll thank you when you're dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seany Posted 11 August , 2013 Share Posted 11 August , 2013 Surely, though, you are adding to the inheritance? Prices of medals will probably increase more than current interest rates, so blow Mrs Seany ... go for it. She'll thank you when you're dead. Something to look forward to then Have to find the medals first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spconnolly007 Posted 11 August , 2013 Share Posted 11 August , 2013 I would be tempted to enter negotiations wih Mrs Seany about spending the baby's inheritance No negotiations in the Shiny house, I'd just but them and then worry about the consequences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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