Buyer Beware in Barrie Ontario!!! Please Read

Early this year I was at the Barrie Antique Mall, I bought 2 Photo albums showing many photos of training, I brought them home and put them away.

Last week a Friend who publishes books on Canadian Military history asked if he could borrow them to scan the photos.

I gave them to him on Sat. On Sunday he emailed me and told me he had seen these before, 3 or 4 years ago at the Borden Museum!!!
These were "well" known photo albums, so both he and I contacted the Museum to find out how they got to the Antique Mall.

Turns out that the Museum has had a lot of work done on the storage room as well, they have had CF Members waiting for release cleaning up and sorting the items there, and this is how they think the albums walked out.

Also I reported to that Museum a couple of months ago, someone from Barrie was selling WW1 Artifacts he claimed were dug up in Borden ( this was on Kijiji)
The base is going through a lot of construction at this time, and many dug up items have been turned over to the Museum and will be put on display at a future date.

This is just a heads up for those that buy in that area, I am not saying the owner of the booth knew they were stolen, and many items do show up from WW2 Base Borden all legal, however if you buy in that area, take a close look for Museum markings on items you intend to buy

CampX

Thank you for the warning although please watch how you word these items as in your notice you have unwittingly cast suspicion, doubt and potential theft accusations towards CF members who had allegedly been working at the museum.

As well, these cautionary notices carry far more weight when they are not been posted under a pseudonym.

Ed as you know I spent almost 10 Years in the CF, and I am only explaining what I was told, there were also Contactors working on the store room
I ment No offense to anyone, just letting People know what happened as a heads up

Dean O

Dean:

I wondered who was posting this as I can not keep track of the 'call signs' everyone seems to use. What I am pointing out is that unless charges are laid or the event has been settled in court, it is best to simply state that it is suspected that the items had been stolen from the museum. To repeat what is basically hearsay evidence and to start pointing fingers at people who had worked in the museum is not fair to anyone who had any contact with that institution.

ED

Thanks for the heads up!

OK Ed, I told the story as I know it..so after seeing your replies I am the guilty one as no Member of the forces or contartor would do this./

I was giving a heads up...but you seem to be stuck on one theam...carry on with that...I will never post here again.
I was just trying to help people and collectors out, but your attacks on me seem somewhat uncode for where do you get off defending people you don't know???

You know me and I donate all the time...guess you know better than me

This is may last post here...I was just trying to help..but others..those that are experts will not take my side after coming out about this...and what happens after telling the truth and explaning everything...I get shot down by an expert... a guy I know and have dealt with...well no more..
I have learned being honest only causes you problems.....as such I will never psot here agin

Take Care


And Ed.,,after this go kiss your own ass

DEan Owen
Ajax

Thanks for the info Dean...good to know. Hopefully you come back to post again.

Dean, settle down, suck back and reload. Your heart was in the right place with your notice, all I was saying is that you have to be careful how you word such a notice.

ED

Ed, I am sorry for my last words..I do get ahead of myself and this really hurt me...not just your words, but the fact I bought a possible stolen pair of items from a Museum!!
When Clive contacted me and told me these may have been stolen, it broke my heart...I have donated to the Base Borden museum, the National Air Force Museum in Ottawa, my own Archives here in Ajax, and many small, local Museums between Ajax and North Bay..hell I donated 55 WW2 Canadian Helmets to the Simcoe Museum when I found out they were starting a WW1 thing for students, so they could "feel" like WW1 Soldiers
I have given talks at schools, historical societies ect about Camp X

I asked Clive to keep this under his hat until we found out how this happened...however I felt that this should be known, so if other items are bought in that area, buyers should be awear .

Most Collector dealers would never let the fact out that they may have bought something stolen from a Museum..however I felt that this story must come out... even if many may now look at me in a different light. I WOULD NEVER KNOWINGLY BUY ANYTHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN AQUIRED IN A LEGAL WAY!!!!

But there we are...and by the way ED, not all Members of the CF are upstanding, we both know that...the story I told is not hearsay.
If these were taken from the Museum, can you tell me how they got out without including release Members or contractors? If these were in the store room and not on display, how else would they have come out of there????

Again, I am almost sorry I started this thread...just wanted collectors to know what happened..I don't see many people coming forward with this sort of story..they would rather it go away and be forgotten...I want to help Museums,

Dean

I'm no expert by any means Dean,but again I support your pointing out what you did,and I'm sure others do who won't speak up for fear of ,"hiding behind a computer" verbal retaliation. I've also been attacked a few times as well by self proclaimed expert(s) but have been thankfully supported by a few in return(thank you). That said, it hasn't and will not prevent me from speaking my mind,saying my piece, or posting my posts about what I love to do;Collect militarily interesting and hopefully historically significant pieces and be proud of and to show my pieces.(Especially that collection I wore to Normandy,that was a big deal for me!)  

I enjoy this forum for the most part...but people need to be thoughtful of others,and not be asses. I don't care if they served as a buck private or a Brig.General...whether they are 6 or 60...we still need to be humans to one another.

Hopefully Dean, you do not stop posting here because of someone seemingly looking to get a reaction,or trying to prove just how much their opinion is so much more right than others,or how much more they know...or don't. Someone has to say it...I'm saying it.

Ok,enough of being 10 years old...I'm going back to being an old man who's passionate about my collecting and sharing it to anyone interested in sharing it with me.  



And by the way,wait until you see the cool Cdn. Armoured Corps grouping I was sent a few days ago,with some pretty awesome paperwork!

Cheers,pay goodness forward and remember...presentation is everything...even with a short 34 word sentence.

This is about the 5th or 6th reply I have written in response to this topic. I find it rather difficult as it is a very touchy subject and I know Dean and Ed are both very passionate about military history and heritage. Both are also very honest people.


Dean I must thank you very much for bringing this disturbing incident to the forum. I do understand fully, how something like this can cause a person a lot of distress. I have been there a couple of times in regards to medals and other personal items within my collection. To say it leaves behind very bad feelings, is an understatement.

I think Ed was primarily just giving a bit of cautionary advice on something that could blow up in the original posters face, if not worded a certain way. As we all know there are people out there who seem to live solely to make others miserable when a post is made that leaves even the hint of any inflammatory wording. I will not go into great detail but again, I know first hand about these things. A post I made many many years ago about a similar incident caused me so much grief, I quit collecting medals for many years.

I do hope Dean, now that you have had a few moments to reflect, that you will continue to post here as you are very knowledgeable and have passion for this hobby that is unwavering.

Thanks for the heads up on the stolen items from the museum Dean. I see no problem with you repeating the information as it was told to you.

I hope you continue to post on this forum, I have enjoyed your posts in the past.

The Museum now has the photo albums back, neither the Director or Technical Officer remember ever seeing them, however I understand they do have items in storage that they are trying to sort as they do not know everything that is there.

Glad they are back home.

Dean

Thanks for the update Dean,happy to hear it!