US Army DUI Question

[speagle]

I have about 100 US Army DUI's (Distinctive Unit Insignias).

QUESTION 1:

I have many that are duplicates. Realizing they were worn on both shoulders, is there more value having both verses just one?

QUESTION 2:

Unfortunately many of the posts on the back have been broken off so the DUIs could be displayed in a book. Obviously, value is lost on these. Realizing that "value is in the eye of the beholder", is there a market for these, either as traders or selling them?

[Long Thrust VI]

For the purposes you describe, Speagle, there appears to be no reason to keep two of each DUI. As far as a market, you might look around online or attend militaria collector shows.

[IrishGunner]

Question 1: Actually, there are cases where only one DUI is worn. A) Over right pocket of Service Dress to indicate regimental or corps affiliation; B) On the flash of the beret for enlisted personnel. So, having only one could also make sense. However, there are some DUIs that have both a left and a right - for example, my profile photo is my regiment's DUI - the 6th Artillery. There is both a left facing and a right facing insignia - so that worn on the shoulders the arrows point forward. In these cases, I think a pair is more "collectible."

Question 2: Matter of preference, I think. I would buy only complete with clutch pin, pin back, or screw back. No "cut offs" for me... But that's my preference. Relative value would then depend on the buyer's preference. A "cut off" pin would only be a filler to me and therefore, a much lower value. But for someone looking to display as you state, then you could find a market. In general though, I think majority would prefer complete DUIs.

Edited December 27, 2014 by IrishGunner

[speagle]

Thanks gents for your time and comments.

Ed