WWII Spam Can: Shooting or Collecting?

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  • Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    I'm selling a Spam Can of ammo, but I don't really know whether I should sell it to a shooter or a collector. The can itself is in great shape and it's sealed and, due to its low WCC Lot Number, I'm thinking it must be World War II vintage era. Here's a photo of the can:



    Elsewhere I saw this can being sold back in 2010.





    Can anyone tell me what the value of a can like this is and whether it has any collector's value or it's just something that ought to be for shooting? Also, is this World War II fodder? And what's something like this worth in 2017? Thanks!!
     

    SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    WWII. Not in the best condition.
     

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    Clifjr

    Active Member
    Feb 2, 2014
    966
    Germantown
    I don’t understand your question? Why would you care if the buyer shoots it or collects it? You are the seller and I would assume all you want is the most cash you can get for it?
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    You will most likely get more $$$ from a collector since a shooter will only realize shooting value. Problem is collector’s typically will not pay full market price (so their investment will realize a ‘gain’). Also, that is a big chunk of cash to sit on so only well monitarily heeled individuals could afford to do that.

    To put it in perspective, an original M1 Carbine bayonet with correct scabbard goes for over $100. Many will baulk at that simply because the investment is idle but theoretically growing. Many of us could aftord it and sit on it realizing value is increasing. Many of those just able to afford the bayonet couldn’t touch the spam can of ammo investment.

    As a suggestion you may want to research and calculate if opening the can and selling bandoliers then the can would yield a greater return. It may.
     

    Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    Yes, but since it is a collector's item, I'd rather sell it to a collector. Or keep it, even though I don't own a gun that shoots it. My can is in mint condition with the key still attached. The handle is still in the closed condition since it's been sitting in a box fore a very long time.

    History means a lot to me. My dad was in the Navy during the War and he used his Ka-Bar knife to engrave all the places he visited. Once, he was sent on a suicide mission to reconnoiter an island. He did the math on fuel consumption and discovered he wouldn't have enough fuel for a return. He let his CO know, and was instructed to proceed, so he got his knife, his .45 and ammo, and was taxiing down the runway when he got a radio instruction canceling the mission. They'd done the math and discovered that my dad had been right; so they canceled it. He said the chances of him getting back or being rescued was nil, so he happy they'd made the decision they did. Here's his knife:



    I really valued the knife, so I made sure I got it when he passed. But since I have no kids to pass it on to I eventually gave it to my brother, who now values it as much as I did, and he has seven kids, so the knife's in good hands.
     

    Alea Jacta Est

    Extinguished member
    MDS Supporter
    Yes, but since it is a collector's item, I'd rather sell it to a collector. Or keep it, even though I don't own a gun that shoots it. My can is in mint condition with the key still attached. The handle is still in the closed condition since it's been sitting in a box fore a very long time.

    History means a lot to me. My dad was in the Navy during the War and he used his Ka-Bar knife to engrave all the places he visited. Once, he was sent on a suicide mission to reconnoiter an island. He did the math on fuel consumption and discovered he wouldn't have enough fuel for a return. He let his CO know, and was instructed to proceed, so he got his knife, his .45 and ammo, and was taxiing down the runway when he got a radio instruction canceling the mission. They'd done the math and discovered that my dad had been right; so they canceled it. He said the chances of him getting back or being rescued was nil, so he happy they'd made the decision they did. Here's his knife:



    I really valued the knife, so I made sure I got it when he passed. But since I have no kids to pass it on to I eventually gave it to my brother, who now values it as much as I did, and he has seven kids, so the knife's in good hands.
    God bless your Pop.

    We owe him and his mates more than we can ever know. More too than we could ever pay.
     

    Clifjr

    Active Member
    Feb 2, 2014
    966
    Germantown
    That’s an amazing piece of evidence of what your father did for this country! Hope it and the story goes on in your family for years to come! On your spam can I don’t know if your on the CMP forum or not but if you are you could try selling it there. There’s lots of collectors there and would probably get more country wide attention.
     

    Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    Thanks, everyone. Appreciate your comments and suggestions! My father always cared for his tools as you can see by the leather bit that he made for the knife hilt. He would never have damaged it by whacking it against something that may have marred it. He was like that with everything. The first flashlight he ever gave me as a kid (a shiny, chrome-plated Ray-O-Vac) had a leather pouch he had made with it. I kept mine in it for years and it always looked new. My brother and sister didn't, and their flashlights after two years looked like they'd been in a toolbox! He also engraved our initials in them with something sharp, but they were neatly done.

    Being in the Navy, he made sure we had great Christmases from stuff all over the world. I can remember the sights and smells of the binoculars he gave us, as well as the Westinghouse radio/walkie-talkies, microscope, telescope and especially the Kodak Brownie camera which I think my mom got me. They never cheaped out on those days. They did have distinctive smells most products today lack. Anyone who's never smelled film or flashbulbs on a Christmas has really missed out. One Christmas he gave me his Bolex 8mm camera with zoom lens. I bought filters for it and loved smelling the film canisters. I can still smell the old electrical oil and the odor of my brother's electric train set. Even Erector Sets had a smell! Add to that the smell of coal that hung in the air and they made for some amazing memories.
     

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