SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
In today's collecting world social media has really taken off as a means to bring collectors together. There is little wonder that as the turnout of quality RAF kit at militaria fairs has dwindled, the online market has boomed. One specific persecutor of this has been eBay and the rise of online auction sites. Everyone can be a dealer now and it has never been easier for people to compete over rare items. It is a double edged sword: auction sites have brought rare items to people's attention when they could perhaps have slipped the radar, but it has also helped see dramatic spikes in realised prices on basic items. The overarching result of this is that a lot of collectors interested in RAF militaria use social media as a main form of communication, and not militaria fairs or aerojumbles (which now seem to be a thing of the past). The hobby may have lost its personal touch, but the borders for communication channels are multi-national. It's a truly international affair.
Facebook is a massive platform and it continues to grow at an alarming pace. It is also a lively location for collectors to assemble, with specific collecting groups being quick and easy to setup by anyone. There are a few groups I personally frequent and many of my contacts have been made through these channels.
WW2 Original RAF Flying clothing collectors group 2.0
One of the main groups for RAF flying clothing collectors, with a focus on original kit and original kit only. There is a lot of regular chat, and some fantastic resources to look back through.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
WWII RAF Kit, Flight Gear, Clothing, Discussion, Buying and Selling
Another superb group of collectors setup by my good friend Glenn Heyler (most of the sweats here will be present in the above group). I have the privilege of being an Administrator of this group. The focus is on original flying kit, but the discussion of certain reproduction items and ephemera is condoned, so there are some very useful topics for reenactors and collectors alike.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
RAF WWII Type B Flying Helmet Club
Another group setup by my good friend Glenn Heyler, who like me has a strong interest for early war flying kit.
As the title would suggest, this group is specifically focused on the RAF B Type Flying Helmet. Very useful for Battle of Britain or early war collectors. There are daily postings of original, period photos showing the B Types in use and some fantastic resources to look back on.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
RAF Type C Flying Helmet Resource Group
The next two groups were all setup by a good friend of mine, Dan Johnson. Dan is a lovely guy and graciously takes the time to ensure he uploads at least one post to each group daily.
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Quite simply a superb group if you are interested in the RAF C Type Flying Helmet or any of its cousins. Expect daily posts and a lot of interesting discussion about the various iterations of this helmet throughout the war (not to mention a lot of crossovers with USAAF kit too).
There are a wealth of resources here to look back over.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
The RAF 32 Pattern and 41 Pattern Mae West Resource Group
The third group of Dan's that I regularly frequent and another excellent resource for any collector interested in the two main life preserver's the RAF used during WW2.
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Currently this group is invite only, so please message me if you have any interest in joining.
Irvin Flying Jackets "Collectors and enthusiasts"
Another fantastic group, focused this time on the Irvin Flying Jacket. Lots of great posts to look back on, and the group has some senior members who really are experts on the subject of Irvins. If you are needing to research an Irvin in your collection or simply have an interest in these flying jackets, look no further.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
WW2 British and Commonwealth Militaria sales and wants.
A brilliant group for collectors of British and Commonwealth WW2 militaria. The focus may be broad, but there are often RAF items posted for sale, and it can be a great location to post a wanted add.
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Click the photo to proceed to the group.
ONLINE FORUMS
When I started collecting social media was in its relative infancy and online forums where the main hub for collectors to communicate through. Many forums have died down, killed off by other social media platforms, but some remain and contain invaluable resources for vigilant collectors. Make yourself a hot drink and spend some time going through the archives.
WW2 RAF COLLECTORS FORUM
The original forum that first got me into collecting and allowed me to connect to many of my close collector-friends today.
The WW2 RAF Collectors Forum was originally hosted on a website called Network54, and in its hey-day was THE place to go to discuss RAF Flying Clothing & Equipment. At the end of 2017 the forum was decommissioned, but in 2021 it has been rejuvenated and there are countless pages containing copious threads, reference materials and discussion topics that I highly recommend sifting through.
A lot of credit needs to go to Chris Kanca for first creating the forum and graciously keeping it running for almost two decades now.
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Click the photo to proceed to the forum.
VINTAGE LEATHER JACKETS FORUM
A fantastic forum for anyone interested in flying jackets, the Vintage Leather Jackets (VLJ) Forum contains a great group of collectors and enthusiasts with regular, lively discussions on both original and reproduction flying jackets.
There is definitely a strong focus on A2 Jackets, so this is definitely one for USAAF enthusiasts, but there are also some great topics on RAF Irvin Jackets and a lot of research materials to look through.
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Click the photo to proceed to the forum.