German jerry can

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:06 am

While this has little to do with CCKW's, it does in a sense as during the Red Ball Rxpress run, the Army paid French citizens to gather up jerry cans and they brought in American, German and British and all were used to get gasoline to the front.
Yesterday I paid dearly for a German jerry can dated 1943 because I did not have one in my small collection of jerry cans and felt that if you had a CCKW Red Ball Express display then a German can should be there.
What occured to me when I typed in that last high bid was that it was not about price, but how much someone needed that item or wanted that item.
In our hobby bargains are fast disappearing and our mindset of the old pricing system has to change. While they may have used to have been 10.00 they are no more and we need to adjust our attitudes towards our hobby and be prepared to pay more as we go along.
In 1955 I bought my first jeep. A 1945 MB for $100.00, and that was a lot of money then. Times have changed and our supply of the items we love and need is drying up and we will have to pay more if we want to keep up our hobby.
I don't regret what I paid for the German can because I did not have one and could not afford to see if a sleeper came along that I could get for a bargain. Now I can rest and not worry about looking at that empty spot in my display.

Bill_Wolf · Post by **Bill_Wolf** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:55 pm

AD,

I agree...the deals are gone, for the most part.

I have been looking for a WWII Pioneer Rack for my Dodge

Ambulance. Saw a couple last year but was unwilling to pony up the money for one. This year I went to Aberdeen, Weare, and Red Ball/Gilbert and never even saw one....I am kicking myself now.

You are right we have to revaluate what things are worth.

And in 10 years we will think that the $15,000 353 CCKW that was $7,500 in 2005 is a good deal.

Bill

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:05 am

You are right on in that summation. I remember a gun show in Houston in 1972 when I had the opportunity to buy a pair of Colt .45 1911 commercial automatics that were a matched pair, consecutive serial numbers, with 6 extra cavalry loop magazines all in a Colt presentation case about the size of a brief case. The man wanted $500.00 for them and GI 1911's were selling for $75.00 apiece then and I walked away.
Can you imagine what that set of pistols would fetch today?
The same is happening in all collectors fields and we just have to forget about the old days and be prepared to fork over the dough if we want it.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:30 am

Now you guys are seeing the light. There was a WWII B-17 named "Hang the Expense" (3 of them), and that is my phillosophy. Money can too buy happiness(CCKW).

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:57 am

My $5.00 NOS Norwegian can looks "quite German" The US dealers are loaded with these cans and most cannot tell the diff.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:59 am

My free SS Ring is going to make me wealthy.

arthur.m · Post by **arthur.m** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:54 am

I actually started my MV hobby by collecting jerry cans, I have not had many, but always liked them. People are still throwing away war-dated cans here, on the other hand there are clearly over-priced cans on flea markets and swap meets. The most common ones up here are the British WD cans, but I have been able to find American and German cans too. After the war linseed oil and other chemicals and oils were sold to farmers in surplus jerry cans, so many a farm auction brings these hidden treasures to daylight.

arthur

UK Jack · Post by **UK Jack** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:33 am

Good point AD and wise words.

I don't think you paid over the odds for it as the can bloomin expensive over here,.................but are they? A friend of mine smoke 20 cigarettes a day, which cost's about $8.60/pack so when you look at things like that then you have a very cheap piece of world history.

I missed one in the summer that what for about $38

Cheers.

Jack.

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:41 am

Joel mentioned his Norwegian can. A friend of mine in Sweden said that at a recent auction at a military base in Norway the cans were selling for $30.00 per hundred and among them were some WWII dated German cans.

arnee · Post by **arnee** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:40 pm

Three weeks ago I bought 450 jerrycans for $ 1.50, and among them there was 12 German and 45 British WWII cans

Arne

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:50 pm

I will be celebrating my birthday in 3 weeks- Hint, Hint!
BTW
This guy sells good stuff.

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:08 pm

Happy birthday Joel. and I hope you have many more.

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:12 pm

Arnee, that was what I was talking about. I got my numbers wrong. In anycase he had heard of how cheap the cans were going for. He could not make the auction because of road conditions . He has several CCKW's and some other old cars he has bought over the years, in Norway and
Sweden.
Thanks for the update. I wish I could get a find like that here, but alas no more.

The GMC CCKW

German jerry can

German jerry can

Jerry cans