Craig Gottlieb, History Hunter

My Favorite Airplane

2014-12-08T08:22:00.002-08:00

On a recent visit to the San Diego Air & Space museum to check out their amazing collection of aircraft and aviation memorabilia, I struck up a conversation with another visitor, who asked me what my favorite aircraft was. Not being a died-in-the-wool aviation buff myself, and not wanting to be a poser, my mind turned to humor. Yes, my favorite aircraft was the last airplane I was in that didn’t crash. But my brain got the better of me. But how would I answer as a historian? Because I’m always drawn to single artifacts that changed history, I wasn’t thinking aircraft type. So I zeroed in on the one airplane that in my opinion, made the single most profound impact on world history. And the hands down winner for that title is the Enola Gay. Here are three reasons why.

First, the Enola Gay indirectly saved over a million lives. The explosion killed an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people instantly, with tens of thousands dying of burns and radiation poisoning in the days, months, and even years after. All told, the bomb killed about 135,000 people. Nevertheless, proponents of the bombing argue that many more people would have died had the Allies been forced to invade the Japanese mainland to end the war. Hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers, and several million Japanese soldiers and civilians would have perished. They cite Japan’s fanatic soldiers, who routinely fought to the bitter end. On Saipan where my father was stationed during the war, less than 1000 of the island’s 30,000 Japan’s soldiers were captured alive. Critics respond that it’s comparing apples to oranges, because the deaths at Hiroshima were largely civilian. Whatever side you are on in this ever-raging (and important) argument, you can’t disagree: the Enola Gay altered the course of world history by changing the fate of a million people. What other plane has done that?

Second, the Enola Gay ushered in the atomic age. Had the mission failed for whatever reason, work on the Manhattan project would have slowed or stopped altogether, and World History would be different. If you’ve ever gotten a CAT scan or used electricity from a nuclear reactor, you’ve benefitted from nuclear energy, to say nothing of pure science. Now that I think of it, if you are alive today, either you or your parents survived the Cold War, and many argue that it was the presence of nuclear arsenals on both sides that kept the war “cold.” The threat of nuclear war kept the Bay of Pigs crisis a crisis, and not the first battlefield of World War Three. Of course, if you lived near Chernobyl in the 1980s, or lived in Hiroshima on August 6th, that argument doesn’t hold water. But in a macro-sense, Nuclear energy has been a force for good, and the nuclear age wouldn’t be without the Enola Gay.

Lastly, although the Enola Gay changed history, prior to August 6, 1945, it had no history. Most people don’t know that it was only 3 months old. Other than a couple of insignificant bombing runs, this infant plane’s sole mission in life was to become the first of two aircraft in human history to drop a Nuclear bomb. Well, that’s if you ignore the nuclear bomb dropped accidentally by a clumsy flight navigator in 1958 into someone’s back yard in Mars Bluff, South Carolina. Fortunately, the bomb didn’t go nuclear, because the core was not installed. But I digress. If you count the number of missions flown by one plane relative to the historic impact of each mission flown, the Enola Gay wins the day.

2014-11-02T20:25:00.001-08:00

Stories are popping up worldwide about Hitler’s personal copy of Mein Kampf that is for sale in my auction, which sold for $28,400 on Saturday. Prior to and after the auction, I was inundated with questions from the press.

The persistent question I get is … why is Mein Kampf an important book at all? Critics point out that the book was widely printed and sold, but infrequently read. And if few read it, what actual impact did it have on world events? This is a fair question with a profound answer.

The importance of the book is the fact that it wasn’t read. It’s a critical lesson for us. Had people taken the book seriously and actually read it – and by extension taken Hitler seriously – the world would be a fundamentally different place today. After all, within it’s pages, Hitler was abundantly clear about his goals. He spoke of Germany’s “historic destiny” to rule Europe. Introducing the concept of Lebensraum, (living space) he clearly signaled that his vision involved taking land by force in the East, at the expense of Russia. Communists and Jews look out – they were to blame for every bad thing in Hitler’s universe.

Had Neville Chamberlain read (or paid attention) to the book, the Munich Pact would have not been signed. Had Stalin not taken Hitler seriously, he would have recognized the insincerity of non-aggression pacts with Germany, and seen the massing of troops on the new Polish/Russian border in 1940 for what it was … a build up for invasion. The falling dominoes from the historic mistake of NOT taking Hitler and his manifesto seriously go on from there, and are too numerous to count.

So yes, Mein Kampf is important not because of who read it, but because it wasn’t taken seriously. It teaches us a lesson from the past – to take world leaders seriously when they make statements as clear and defined as Hitler’s were. We face a dangerous and uncertain world today, and we would do well to remember this lesson as we constantly face new threats to our lives and liberties.

Marine Corps Treasure

2014-08-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

What does a hunk of wood, a castle in Mexico, and the red stripe on the dress blue trousers worn by Marine NCOs and Officers have in common? They are all part of the history of the Mexican American War. Recently, we obtained from the descendant of an officer who fought at the famous battle of Chapultipec, this section of the flag-staff from the famous castle that fell to US forces, and ultimately gave the Marines Hymn it's opening line ... "From the Halls of Montezuma." You can read about the artifact by clicking the image of the flagstaff above. Legend has it that so many Marine NCOs and Officers died assaulting the castle in 1847, that the Marines added the "blood stripe" to the uniform to commemorate their sacrifice.

Unfortunately, the story of the "blood stripe" is not true. The red stripe on the trousers was added to the uniform of Corporals and above, in 1840 ... seven years before the famous battle. Still, the famous battle is forever enshrined in the hallowed halls of Marine lore, which makes this section of flag staff even more impressive. What Marine wouldn't want it on his or her desk or bookshelf? Sorry devil dogs, only one to go around!

Addicted to Forums? Do what I did.

2014-04-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

After more than 10 years as a member of the collector website www.wehrmacht-awards.com, I called it quits in a letter to the owner, Sebastian Bianchi. Higher-ups at the website moved quickly to cover their tracks by expelling me after the fact. Oh well, I guess I had it coming, or did I? What was behind my decision to leave many friends and colleagues?

To answer that question, first ask yourself why a dealer with a transferrable lifetime guarantee of authenticity is pilloried as a villain. Or try to figure out why a dealer with thousands of verifiable sales under his belt and not ONE SINGLE customer "left holding the bag" after a fake item was sold to him, is considered "dangerous" to do business with. Or why an author of three peer-reviewed books on various collecting subjects is continually branded ignorant. Or finally, why the most collector-friendly auction on the planet for military collectibles is considered collector enemy #1 by a small but vocal crowd?

It reminds me of the scene in Monty Python's "Holy Grail" where the townsfolk have captured a young woman, taped a carrot nose on her face to make her look more "witch-y" and are crying for her burning. In one scene, John Cleese answers the constable's question "How do you know she's a witch" to which he answers, "Uh, well, she turned me into a newt, but, uh, I got better."

It is true ... there is a small but vocal crowd who seem to run things at "WAF" who act like playground bullies picking on the flavor of the moment, which on and off for the past 10 years, has been me. It's a popularity contest where people addicted to the narrative that I'm somehow a "bad person" are given virtual free-reign to character-assasinate. Void of facts, they are reduced to rumor-mongering. Though my record is clearly outstanding, my motives are questioned, and the hatred boils over into strange scenes that remind me of the rabid rage you might find at a lynching.

The leadership is not innocent either. They do not stand on principle but relish in their power to censor. Several years ago they "voted" to remove me as an advertiser on the forum, to the chagrin of Bianchi, who told me in a letter that he just couldn't figure out why so many people were "out to get me." And after my resignation, they branded me "expelled" (I have the emails to prove I resigned well in advance of my expulsion). It might interest people to know that after I was expelled as an advertiser, Bianchi let me secretly donate to the website to the tune of $500 a year, in exchange for a "personal moderator." The guy did a heroic job, and in his defense, tried to stay objective. He's a friend, and I would never "out" him because his fellow-moderators would EAT HIM ALIVE.

Frankly, I'd love to see how huge the empty hole in people's lives would be, if "WAF" ceased to exist. Something tells me that they'd suddenly find themselves with a lot of free, lonely time, with no internet friends to keep them company. If you're an active member, ask yourself how much of your life is taken up by thinking about your online life at WAF and other forums? Are conversations on your mind 24 hours a day, and do you get an emotional rush by writing something, and then watching for people's reaction? If you are, you may be addicted to forums! Google it if you dare ... there are actually forums dedicated to forum addiction!

But why did I resign? Simply put ... I would rather spend time with my family, free of thoughts of "what I'm going to say to so-and-so." In short, WAF became a waste of time for me. I love my wife and my son, and spending time with them, free of stress caused by internet bullies who hide behind childish monikers, is enough reason to have quit. In addition, I would rather focus on continuing to be the best dealer I can be, enjoying commerce with collectors who know the truth about me (ironically, it's a very broad-based group that vote continuously with their dollars because they know I'm good at what I do). Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great people on WAF, but their voice is often too small, and their patience too short, to become embroiled in one of the "witch hunts of the week."

There was a time where the attention was good for business. People would read these witch-hunt threads, and then go to my website to see what all the fuss was about. And they'd see hundreds of peer-reviewed authentic artifacts, accurately described, with a lifetime guarantee behind them. It still happens daily ... guys come to me amazed that the feeding-frenzies on WAF are still going strong. But the truth is, I don't need it anymore. I'm popular enough, and people know enough about my sterling record. Sure, a few people may "get the message" that the Gottlieb-haters love to preach, but oh well. It's their loss.

I am happier now that I'm not a member, I'm free of the incessant "so-and-so has replied to your topic" emails that kept me coming back for more abuse. Ironically, I hear that the conversations continue even now that I'm gone. They're still the LONGEST threads on the forum. Of course, I can't defend myself anymore. But guess what? I don't care.

Nazi Artifacts

2014-03-30T13:57:00.002-07:00

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the question was raised (again) ... is buying, selling, or owning artifacts from the Third Reich morally ambiguous? Having recently purchased Hitler's hat, uniform and medals, I'm getting this question a lot lately. The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, while not overtly critical, suggested that I needed to ask strong questions about what I'm doing. Artifacts like Hitler's personal effects, they suggest, are legitimate only in a museum setting, and should not be sold for profit.

So let me get this straight. In a world where Hitler is a billion dollar industry ... where documentaries, books and museums are contributing to the telling of history in their own way, it's somehow wrong for me to profit from the sale of artifacts to those who deem artifacts important to their understanding of history? Is Rabbi Heir at the Museum of Tolerance working for free? Does the History Channel produce documentaries without compensation? How about the countless authors who publish outstanding books on the subject? I guess publishing companies and advertisers should leave their profit at the door when working on Nazi-tainted projects.

Don't get me wrong ... everyone I just mentioned has a part to play in the preservation of history, but what's different about collectors and dealers? I would even take it a step further and argue that in the history-industry, especially where Hitler and the Nazis are concerned, the dollar value of artifacts I sell are a rounding error, in the grand scheme of things. Inglorious Bastards took in $400 million (almost 1/2 billion dollars), and it wasn't even historically accurate!

I think artifacts are the best way for some people to come to terms with what made the monsters of the Third Reich tick and I don't think that's so hard to understand. For me and for others, artifacts like little time machines that connect me to history in the first-person. Museums are curated, books are written from a perspective, and documentaries are produced. Nothing wrong with that, no evil agenda there.

The IRS and Collectibles

2014-03-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is a scarcy sight for most. They're the government and they're hear to help, right? Well, while looking around on the internet for good articles on how the US Government treats the sale of antiquities and collectibles, I stumbled upon this article, which is a great (albeit dry) read. Check it out.

Singing Birds Anybody?

2013-02-10T13:12:00.001-08:00

The only pair of matching Singing Bird Pistols, attributed to Frères Rochat, went on auction at Christie’s Hong Kong Important Watches sale on 30 May 2011. Although this is old news, you've got to look at these fascinating mechanical works of art you’ll ever see. They sold for 5.8 million U.S. dollars. For an outstanding video of these pistols, click here.

Washington Letter Brings $362,500

2013-01-08T18:03:00.001-08:00

A letter from George Washington to his wartime aide James McHenry, written following the British evacuation of New York City and telling of Washington’s intention to resign his commission as Continental Commander recently sold at auction for $362,500. The December 10, 1783 dated letter, which was the fourth highest price fetched at auction for any letter by the man who would go on to be the first President of the United States, is considered quite important as it includes Washington’s desire to “get translated into a private Citizen.” This correspondence was sold in 1859 with McHenry’s archives at auction to Baltimore collector William T. Walters, in whose family it descended to the current consignor.

Cannon Hits The Beach

2012-12-18T15:10:00.003-08:00

Many people hope to find buried treasure on a beach, but Miranda Patrone actually did just that. When the Oregon teen spotted a misshapen, rocky blob in the beach sand at Arch Cape, she saw more than a rocky blob - she saw a cannon, or at least a cannon-like shape. This shouldn't really be that big of a surprise as the nearby town of Cannon Beach earned its name thanks to an 1846 shipwreck of the USS Shark. The wreckage included three short cannons that washed ashore with a portion of the ship's deck. One of those cannons was recovered in 1898, but the other two were only recently discovered by Patrone. These have been sent to Texas A&M University's Nautical Archaeology program, which is working to remove the cannon from their rocky blob prisons. Why don't I go to the beach more often!

Nice Trip, Mr.President?

2012-12-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Gerald Ford was the 38^th President of the United States, but he was the only President who was never elected to any office higher than US Congress. That’s because in 1973 Ford replaced scandal-ridden Vice President Spiro Agnew. It would have ended there, but for the fact that Ford’s boss was Richard Nixon. So when Nixon’s presidency went up in flames after the Watergate cover-up, Ford was appointed president to serve out Nixon’s remaining term. The defining moment of Ford’s presidency was when he pardoned Nixon “for any crimes he may have committed.” Had two female assassins gotten their way, Ford may have become the only unelected President to be assassinated. Both attempts failed, but Ford never recovered from a series of bungles (including several literal trip-and-fall incidents). He as beaten in 1976 by Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter, really?

White House for One, Please

2012-12-05T08:02:00.001-08:00

Although many other commanders-in-chief might have acted single, James Buchanan was the only bachelor president in US History. Despite having a fiancé, and several romantic pursuits on record, Buchanan's bachelorhood may not be so cut and dry ... Buchanan may have been bisexual or gay. According to professor James Loewen of Catholic University, Buchanan enjoyed the company of companion William Rufus King, also single, who had also served as the only bachelor Vice President under Franklin Pierce. Contemporary critics called King Buchanan’s better half, his wife, and Aunt Fancy. Some people even snickered that they were Siamese Twins, slang at the time for homosexuals. Little can be learned from Buchanan himself. He ordered his papers burned upon his death.

Still Hangin' Around

2012-11-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

Grover Cleveland was the only president in history to hold the job of a hangman. He was once the sheriff of Erie County, New York in the 1870s. Prior to his election to this, his first office, the deputy Sheriff Jacob Emerick had been responsible for hangings, all of which were then public. On at least one occasions however, Cleveland sprung the trap himself, considering it inappropriate to shirk the unpleasant duty. It was on September 6, 1872 that Irishman Jack Morrissey, who was convicted of killing his own mother, died at Cleveleand’s hand. According to a later article in The New York Times in 1912, Cleveland did not enjoy the job and was sick for days after. Interesting for a man whose favorite hobby was hunting, and who named his shotgun Death & Destruction. And of course, he was on the $1000 bill. Not related to this article, but hey ... why pass on a chance to post a pic of a thousand bucks!

War and Peace

2012-11-20T06:40:00.003-08:00

Theodore Roosevelt is known as much for his cowboy-persona as he was for his policies as President. He is the only president to receive the Medal of Honor. During his service in the Spanish American War, then-Colonel Roosevelt commanded the volunteer “Rough Rider” cavalry regiment in battle and personally led a horseback charge at the Battle of San Juan Heights. He was recommended for the medal for exposing himself to “withering enemy fire over open countryside” but the medal was denied, possibly for political reasons. For more than 100 years people campaigned to have the medal awarded to Roosevelt. In 2001, the honor was bestowed upon him by then-President Bill Clinton in a ceremony at The White House. This “first” also made Roosevelt the only president, and the only man in history, to win both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize, which he won for his role in settling the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.

I'll have a Sam Adams, Mr. President

2012-11-19T06:44:00.003-08:00

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Career paths to the White House are varied, but Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president who was once a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in New Salem, Illinois. It was back in 1832, after a failed run for Illinois state legislature, that the 23-year-old opened what was first a general store. The store sold alcohol that was illegal to drink on premises. So in 1833 the pair obtained personal licenses to serve. Because Berry was a raging alcoholic, most of the work fell to Lincoln, who could not compete with other taverns in the town. A declining population in New Salem sealed the fate of Lincoln’s days as a bartender, but his opponents during the 1860 presidential campaign would not let him forget the past. Because the Republican Party, of which Lincoln was a member, promoted the temperance movement, his opponent Stephen Douglass used Lincoln’s stint as a bartender against him. Lincoln cleverly denied his role in Berry and Lincoln, claiming that it was Berry who had obtained the licenses, not him. At least he never claimed not to have imbibed.

Remember the Maine?

2012-11-10T09:00:00.001-08:00

In the recent episode of Pawn Stars entitled Whatcha talkin' 'Bout Sturgis, Rick and I took a look at a set of documents purporting to be the official engineering drawings of the USS Maine. The ship was made famous for being sunk in Havana Harbor, and touching off the Spanish American War. But what were these documents that walked into Gold and Silver Pawn? Were they, as the seller claimed, valuable engineering drawings, or were they something else?

Rick and I decided that while they were cool pieces of art, they weren't worth the thousands of dollars the seller was asking. Rick pointed out that they were lithographs, and I noticed the name of a German printer in the bottom right corner of each folded document. Well, after the guy walked out of the shop (with his documents in hand), I did a little bit more research, and determined that our guess that the prints were either part of a propaganda or commercial endeavor was not far from the truth.

Turns out they were diagrams included in a Naval Academy textbook, printed many years after the Spanish American War. Battleship technology was still studied by Midshipmen at the USNA, and these pictures were fold-out supplements from the book.

As I said to Rick, the notion that the US Government would send top-secret plans for their latest battle-ship off to a German printer in town, to be printed, was unfathomable. I mean, has anybody seen Star Wars? The rebels and the Empire fought an entire war over stolen battle plans! I doubted the Government would have been THAT stupid or careless!

It's not in Kansas Anymore

2012-11-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

The ironic blue gingham dress that Judy Garland wore in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is going up for auction, and the price could go somewhere over the rainbow. While the Icons and Idols 2012: Hollywood auction to be held this weekend will feature more than 800 items of screen worn wardrobes, props and, original photographs and other celebrity owned items, it is Dorothy’s dress – the only one actually used in the film – that could be the ultimate blow out with an expected auction price of half a million dollars. My opinion is that it'll go higher. While not THE most iconic item of the film (I'd say the Ruby slippers take that prize), everybody could probably complete the sentence "this is the dress worn in the movie ..." Stay tuned!

Curious Cat Unearths Roman Tomb

2012-10-27T18:39:00.001-07:00

While most cats are more likely to bury "treasure" in a sandbox or return home with a mouse, a stray cat's curiosity in Rome led an Italian man to a 2,000 year old tomb in rock cliffs near his apartment. Mirko Curti and a friend saw the cat scamper towards an opening in a rock, and upon following the feline inside the men discovered a rock-like subterranean burial chamber that archaeologists believed dates to between the 1st century BC and 2nd century AD. And while the cat can't all the credit, as heavy rains likely caused rocks concealing the entrance to crumble, it probably deserves some kind of reward.

Stolen Dragoon

2012-10-20T15:21:00.003-07:00

A Colt Model 1848 Percussion Army Revolver in your hands makes Dirty Harry's .44 Magnum seem like a toy. It's bulky and heavy, and a real hand-cannon. It's also very rare and valuable, selling for $15,000 and up. That's unless you try to sell a stolen one on a TV show. That's exactly what happened on Discovery Channel's American Guns, when a man named Wylie Gene Newton offered one on one of the episodes, which aired last December. He's since been arrested. For more information on this bizarre dose of Reality TV, click here.

Nazi-Plundered Meteorite Statue

2012-09-30T20:13:00.004-07:00

It's no secret the Nazis considered themselves to have descended from a superior human bloodline. What many people don't know is that they sponsored "fact" finding missions to Tibet to search for their "Aryan" ancestry (spoiler: the entire Aryan mess was almost an entire fabrication to give an air of legitimacy to their superiority complex). Still, one thing they did find was this statue, which has recently been determined to have been carved from a meteorite. Click here for the full story. And yeah, it looks like the Nazis got the swastika backwards!

Ivory and The Law

2012-09-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Someone offered me a large carved Ivory tusk that'd been in the family for generations. It's not my specialty, and something in my mind to me to check out the state and federal laws concerning the sale of ivory. I ran through a bunch of poorly written articles that did not inspire confidence in me, but finally ran into this one, and I highly recommend it for anyone thinking about buying a carved ivory figure or tusk.

Colt or Remington?

2012-08-19T18:06:00.002-07:00

To the untrained eye, these guns look identical. The top one is by Colt, and is their "Model 1860." The one below it is the Remington New Model Army. Both were used during the civil war, but which one was a better gun? Tune in to Pawn Stars episode "Cool as Ike" tomorrow night to find out. After the episode, I'll modify this entry and give you my detailed opinion.

Ring Guns At Rock Island Auctions

2012-08-16T08:08:00.001-07:00

If there was ever an award for "most curious, and probably most useless" firearm, the "ring" gun would definitely win the prize. Unless you're trying to annoy your target during a card game, I can think of more effective means of hurting someone. I first saw one of these on Pawn Stars, and after personally handling the one Rick bought, I was hooked. While it may not be a useful piece of gear, the ones I have seen since, have all shared one thing in common ... they're an extremely well-made piece of gear. Not much is known about the history of these guns, but I've seen three models. A collection of them is for sale at next month's Rock Island Auctions. Do a search under "ring" or "Petit" and they'll come up (two of the guns come in a box labeled "Le Petit Protector." I wonder if you could wear one of these past TSA?

Olympic Medals

2012-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Olympics makes me thinking about something different than most. While Olympic medals are priceless to the athlete who wins one, how much are they worth on the collector market, and what else from this summer's games (and games past) have value? Here are a couple of great articles taht deal with both subjects.

Today's Trash, Tomorrow's Olympic Collectible
How Much are Olympic Medals Worth?

Both articles are worth a read. One thing is certain: buying one of these has got to be like finding a loose Oscar statue lying around for sale (something I'll talk about in a future blog entry).

Honus Wagner Found

2012-07-10T20:20:00.001-07:00

If this story doesn't get your hunting juices going, nothing will. Experts are calling a hoard of baseball cards discovered by an Ohio man during an attic expedition, the greatest find ever in baseball card history. The crown jewel in the cache of rare cards is a T206 Honus Wagner card, the rarest and most valuable baseball card in the genre of sports collectibles. Issued by the American Tobacco Company, the card was withdrawn due to the player's dislike of tobacco products. Very few cards circulated, and about 60 exist today. For more information on this hoard, which included cards estimated to bring $3 million, click here.

Seek and ye shall find: Internet regular Internet searches turn up lost grandfather's WWI medals

2012-06-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet story about a Welsh family's recovery of their grandfather's WWI medals by routinely canvassing the Internet. When a regular Internet search turned up the long-missing medals as part of a batch being sold on eBay, the grandson reached out got them back. Best of all, the seller didn't squawk or want any money.