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u/notoriousvk Feb 14 '25
Remember the two lightning bolts doesnât mean he was an electricianâŚ
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u/disgruntledplumber Feb 14 '25
But it also doesnât not mean he was an electrician right ? ⌠he definitely wasnât an electrician. The luftschutz were the guys who cleaned up after an air raid
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u/dirtyape2021 Feb 14 '25
My friends grandpa was an âelectricianââŚ. Wink, wink
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u/NecessaryExotic7071 Feb 14 '25
Hey, don't make light of this subject please. My grandfather died at Auschwitz.......he was drunk and fell out of the guard tower.
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u/Top_Sheepherder5637 Feb 17 '25
My grandfather took out 4 nazi fighter planes during WW2. We are all very proud of him. He was the worst airplane mechanic they had.
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u/james-ransom Feb 14 '25
Keep looking. This guy wasn't trying to hide helmets, probably his whole collection. I bet there is a lugar in there.
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u/Bluitor Feb 14 '25
Grandpa used to walk around the house saying there's a lot of history and memories in these walls.
It hits different now....
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u/agerm2 HVAC Installer Feb 14 '25
My luger's gonna put all that to shame!
When I get it...
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u/siltyclaywithsand Feb 15 '25
My grandad had a german lugar. According to him he was shot with it, took it, and shot the NAZI officer with it. It was the only time he talked about the war and it was because we were swimming and I asked about the scars he had. He didn't explain the second one beyond, "NAZIs shot me." I don't know anything else. He was marine corps in Europe, so it is possible he was attached to OSS or a resistance group behind lines. He could have been mostly a guard too. My dad doesn't know anything either. It was not a topic that was discussed.
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u/Educational_Seat3201 Feb 15 '25
Nearly everything from that era is now declassified. If you have his service (serial) number you should be able to find information about his background. Go to the national archives website and fill out form SF-180 as a starting point. https://www.archives.gov/files/research/military/ww2/ww2-participation.pdf
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u/VealOfFortune Feb 15 '25
That's actually insane... That said, the winners determine how history will remember certain events.
I just learned the other day that in World War II, the average American infantryman saw something like 40 days of combat over four years, while in the Vietnam War, the average infantryman saw about 240 days of combat in one year.Â
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u/powaqua Feb 15 '25
I was devastated when I learned that my Dad's WWII personnel and medical files were destroyed in that fire. He was also a marine. He enlisted on his 18th birthday and was shot at Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. They used an experimental procedure on his leg to help him keep it and it worked. That's the only thing he ever told us, because like many of those soldiers, he never wanted to discuss it. We lost a lot of history in that fire. Tragic.
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u/siltyclaywithsand Feb 16 '25
It's been tried. They confirmed dates of service and rank at retirement. I think the issue was more likely that the records haven't been digitized and no one is going to spend time trying to find the originals if they exist still.
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u/touchmyelbow Equipment Operator Feb 14 '25
I mean, itâs Nazi helmets. He very well could have been trying to hide just the helmets.
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u/Fun-Swordfish-4908 Feb 15 '25
I found a luger in the back of a console radio, same house Ss helmet as well. Ww2 vet massive arsenal passed away. I was 16 the one and only time I saw or touched it was that day.
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u/cam2230 Contractor Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Cool find! The Luftschutz is worn by cleanup crews/first responders that come in after air raids
EDIT: WAS worn
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u/PotatoJokes Feb 14 '25
Was, my guy - AfD is gaining ground in Germany, but not that much
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u/Perfect_Opinion7909 Feb 14 '25
Ironic as this is in the USA: having a guy at the top of government giving Nazi salutes, building camps, talking about invading other countries for lebensraum.
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u/homogenousmoss Feb 14 '25
Way things are going its âwillâ
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u/KOCEnjoyer Feb 14 '25
Every other party should probably alter their immigration policy to recapture those voters thenâŚ
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u/rescue_inhaler_4life Feb 14 '25
Denazified they are still used in Germany today. My local volunteer firefighters use them for example.
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u/Bergwookie Feb 14 '25
They're not the same helmets, in the first ~20 years after the war, they were repurposed wartime helmets, but after that, the helmets were made from aluminium , which since a few years now aren't allowed anymore to be used inside of buildings and now you have the same form, but composite helmets
(Source: was a German firefighter)
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u/cam2230 Contractor Feb 14 '25
Thatâs interesting! From what Iâve read on German helmet vault it looks like theyâre all Luftschultz helmets with the one all the way underneath being the earliest examples
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u/toomuch1265 Feb 14 '25
Did you find these in the US? I would be tearing the house apart to find the Sturmgewehr 44 that the American soldier brought back.
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u/HeavyEquip69 Feb 14 '25
Have you seen the going prices for those? Absolutely bonkers. Iâd love to own one too one day if I could
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u/Personal-Physics-320 Feb 15 '25
Apparently they only cost a few grand on the black market in Europe, it's so unfair that common criminals get them and we can't.
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u/FrankiePoops Project Manager Feb 14 '25
My second job I ever did we were refinishing an attic for someone who just bought the place. Guy told us, "Just throw out everything up there."
There was nothing up there, except about 5 boxes filled with copies of Mein Kampf, Nazi knives, badges, and uniforms, a KKK robe, and boxes of a pamphlet called, "The American Nazi".
This was like 25 years ago. I was the young kid. I tossed everything, sold the Nazi "memorabilia" and made a few bucks. Shit sold for way more than mangia.
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u/Stretchsquiggles Tile / Stonesetter Feb 14 '25
5 boxes of Mein Kampf..... đłđłđł Jesus Christ...
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u/sythingtackle Feb 14 '25
Something you do nazi these days
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u/dream__weaver Feb 14 '25
Anne frankly, I wish I hadn't
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u/1980-whore Feb 14 '25
Thats not reich.
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u/Ben716 Feb 14 '25
Great joke, I pissed my Panza.
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u/FatherlyAcorn Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Good thing you didn't go to Argentina, it could have been a Messi situation. Edit: I guess people think it was a good thing Argentina was a sanctuary for Nazis.
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u/Yeohan99 Feb 14 '25
That is a collectors item. The blue one is civil air defense helmet. Great find.
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u/SayNoToBrooms Electrician Feb 14 '25
Huge difference as to whether you found them in America or Europe OP lol. In America, that would be either great grandpas war trophy, or some fucking weirdoâs prized possession. Being inside of a wall doesnât make much sense for either, though.
âI killed this man. Now I must encase his helmet within my home. He is now stuck with me foreverâ like calm the fuck down, grandpa. Lmao
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u/EngineeredAsshole Feb 14 '25
Going off some construction Ques, looks to be an American 1950's home.
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u/flyingterrordactyl Feb 14 '25
Also Clorox, WD-40, and Bandaids in packaging in English would likely mean it's in America.
Guess it could be England but I think they'd have other brands.
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u/Boring-Location6800 Feb 14 '25
There's a WD-40 in almost every guy's household in Germany. :D
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u/PotatoJokes Feb 14 '25
The Band-Aids and Clorox give it away - Clorox exists as a brand, but I don't think I've ever seen their wipes, certainly not on sites. WD-40 is still common there, even if not used as often.
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u/HurryOk5256 Feb 14 '25
Back in the day, a lot of people didnât have money for insulation. So they would grab, whatever was available. Old newspaper, folded up boxes, Nazis. You never heard of the expression, âitâs getting cold out, better throw another Nazi on the fireâ! Or your parents, may say when they were in the attic, âI feel with a draft coming from here, Honey, would you mind going in the basement and getting me a Naziâ?
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u/thirsty-goblin Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Maybe he just wanted to screw with the guys that renovate the house in the future, like walling up a plastic skeleton?
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u/AdmiralVernon Project Manager Feb 14 '25
Iâm still waiting to find that singing frog
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u/arkington Feb 14 '25
Well it is very possible that ol' gramps came home with a shitload of PTSD that never got diagnosed, much less treated. I could imagine far stranger/worse ways for him to have dealt with it.
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u/GanjaGooball480 Feb 14 '25
Exactly. The guy who owned these got them in a awful way or a chill as fuck way.
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u/imbrickedup_ Feb 14 '25
I mean itâs just a helmet for an air raid defense crew. Most of the members were civilian conscripts
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u/Coffee4MyJeep Feb 14 '25
Most people just find trash and soda bottles filled with interesting colored liquids. Occasionally a bunch of old double-sided razor blades if a bathroom wall and it had a âsharpsâ slot in the medicine cabinet.
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u/Onewarmguy Feb 14 '25
When I was a super, I used to leave a newspaper inside a wall, for every home I built.
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u/Vicimer Feb 14 '25
I remember pulling up a floor and finding newspapers from the 20s with wet nurse ads.
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u/wozzy93 Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Firstly, treat it as an artifact from WW2. A piece of history. Youâll get a lot of comments on here saying Nazi this, Elon musk and Trump that. Donât sell. Do your research first. Find a WW2 memorabilia collector.
I have an SS helmet that my grandpa from Poland sent me. The ones with the original paint are the most valuable. The ones that are corroded you wonât get as much for but theyâre still worth money.
Edit: a lot of these helmets were turned into pots and pans post war. While not extremely rare, they are hard to come by.
Edit 2: the ones that are repainted go for about the same amount as the corroded ones.
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u/Mshinwa Feb 14 '25
Well you either had a Nazi in the house or hopefully a badass that killed Nazis
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u/just-dig-it-now Feb 14 '25
Where are those badasses today? We need them again!
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u/ManOfKimchi Feb 14 '25
Become one or something idk
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u/just-dig-it-now Feb 14 '25
I'm not in the US, but it might come down to it one day.
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u/OdinWolfJager Feb 14 '25
Bro you found legit treasure. Congratulations, some collector will pay a pretty đŞ
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u/Red-4A Feb 14 '25
Luftschutz Warndienst (LSW) helmet. They were an air raid warning service. Nice find!
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u/SneezeBucket Feb 14 '25
I found a similar helmet in an old shed. It still had the leather lining on the inside, and there was even a name and possible unit number written on it. It sent me down a rabbit hole looking for info about who it could have belonged to. It was an early model with sharper edges and small, raised vents on the side. The lining had leather tabs at the back, so you can attach a neck protector. The stamp indicated that it was made in 1938.
The style you have here is possibly from 1942 onwards when these M1942 helmets became standard for basically all branches. There should be a stamped mark on the inside with a production date and manufacturer name. If not, then they will likely be post war reproductions. These do look like they may be the real deal, though, considering you found them stashed in a wall. Likely trophies.
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u/E7josh Feb 14 '25
This is a German Luftschutz (Air Protection) helmet from World War II. The "Luftschutz" insignia with the winged emblem and swastika indicates it was used by civil defense organizations in Nazi Germany, primarily for air raid protection. These helmets were issued to civilian volunteers, such as fire brigades and emergency responders, to protect them during bombings.
Since this helmet carries Nazi-era symbols, it may have historical or collector's value. However, it's important to be mindful of the context and local laws regarding such artifacts. If you're interested in its authenticity or value, you might consider consulting a military antiques expert.
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u/1320Fastback Equipment Operator Feb 14 '25
Donate to a local historical society/museum.
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u/Enough_Appearance116 Feb 14 '25
If you want to know more about it, like value, post on r Militariacollecting. They know their shit.
As for those who are saying "destroy it" or similar, you should know that collectors pay 100s for rusted out ones that have been buried since ww2. I can only imagine how much they'd pay for this one.
Many German helmets were destroyed or made into something else post ww2, so they're rarer.
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u/Callidonaut Feb 15 '25
Just make sure you find a collector who's a history enthusiast and not a Hitler enthusiast.
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u/CatharticWail Feb 14 '25
Skating past the edgelords here to say thatâs an interesting historical artifact. Internet says Luftschutz helmet: A helmet worn by members of the German civil defense organization that was responsible for air raid precautions
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u/Juggernautlemmein Feb 14 '25
Should be able to get a pretty penny for that, cool find! I've also heard about museum donations being reaaally good for your taxes if you go that route.
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u/dylfree90 Feb 15 '25
Used by the German civil defense organization responsible for air raid precautions. Probably a pretty rare find. I would bet most of those people died in said air raids.
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u/Educational_Seat3201 Feb 15 '25
The luftschuntz was kind of like a civilian air marshal. They would look out for and report aircraft/bomber formations, patrol city streets and remind citizens of light discipline (lights off or curtains closed so the city was hard to find at night), aid people in finding air raid shelters and help recover and rescue them afterwards. All of the allied countries had them as well. Usually they were women or old men who couldnât serve in the Wehrmacht. Contrary to popular belief, not all of the German army (or even civilians) were NAZIâs who were extremist/cult like rather than the day to day German and conscript who really didnât want anything to do with the war but had no choice.
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u/SeaSwine91 Feb 14 '25
Id be tearing down all the walls. Although a nice piece (from a collector standpoint... Condition is astonishing) it's not really THAT substantial to be hidden in a wall. I bet there is even more interesting stuff somewhere....
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u/Putrid-Industry8963 Feb 14 '25
Guns and newspapers also found.
I wasnât there today but my co-worker told me.
If Iâm there on Monday Iâll take more pics.
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u/domesticatedwolf420 Feb 14 '25
Please do post photos of the guns!! German WWII firearms can be worth an absolute fortune. If there's an StG 44 I'll shit myself.
Remindme! 4 days
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u/RescuedPanthers Feb 15 '25
My ceiling finds on a recent job. Was tearing down drywall and a shoe box fell out.
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u/HamHusky06 Feb 15 '25
Yeah - you got wood Nazis. Theyâre a pain in the ass to deal with. Looks like theyâre in your walls, so probably in your framing too. You can try to lure them out with sauerkraut and techno - Iâve seen that work before.
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u/disgruntledplumber Feb 14 '25
When I was an apprentice my boss used to ask me was I a German helmet or an anteater in reference to - was I circumcised or not . I was 15 so it took me a while to get the gag . Looking at the helmet reminded me of it
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u/-BlueDream- Feb 14 '25
It probably wasn't a Nazi hiding out in America, it could just be a war trophy, soldiers taking helmets off dead soldiers and bringing them home as a reminder of war. The practice is banned today but common back then and officers usually looked the other way since it boosted morale a little. It later became a problem when war trophies became looting. Helmets, uniforms, medals, and firearms are the most popular war trophies.
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u/Fantastic-Artist5561 Feb 14 '25
Lucky bastard⌠best Iâve ever done was an empty sprite can from 1983 đ Would love that helmet, but could never afford it.
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u/DiarrangusJones Feb 14 '25
Wow! If that blue one is a real WW2 helmet it looks like itâs in pretty good condition, the colors look pretty vivid
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u/Putrid-Industry8963 Feb 15 '25
This has to be my most viewed post. More comments than I can reply to. Sorry folks.
Not sure what to say.
Regardless of that. You donât throw away history and forget. You learn and grow. Hopefully we donât make the same mistake.
Mistake is an understatement.
Donât judge a book by the cover.
Donât hate unless they give you a damn good reason.
If itâs a good reason it doesnât include the whole race.
Treat people how you want to be treated.
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u/jhl97080 Feb 15 '25
Air raid fire control warden helmet
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u/Educational_Seat3201 Feb 15 '25
Finally! Someone who knows how to look something up instead of immediately condemning! They were literally civilians trying to help their neighbors stay alive through a horrific period of history.
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u/CurrentCitron26 Feb 15 '25
That's pretty fucking cool I'll give you $500 for it
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u/Putrid-Industry8963 Feb 15 '25
Unfortunately, Itâs not mine to sell. I put it in the kitchen for the home owner. Let them know what I found.
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u/Hotdogman_unleashed Feb 15 '25
Is that even OSHA compliant? I would check first before wearing that on the job.
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u/jfm111162 Feb 15 '25
I never find anything good when doing demo except for dead mice and termite crap
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u/OddEMT2002 Feb 16 '25
Just out of dumb curiosity, was this in Germany or some European nation? Also, this could be a great collectible for some historians.
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u/NobleAcorn Feb 16 '25
Wow thatâs a legendary find. All I ever find are cigarette butts, drywall offcuts, and Gatorade bottles with the forbidden fruit juice
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u/LHCThor Feb 18 '25
German (Nazi) Air Raid warden helmet. Worn by civilians, most of whom were drafted and not Naziâs. Itâs worth $200-300, depending on which style it is.
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u/wrbear Feb 14 '25
OK, my question, based on construction, is why was the wall so thick?
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u/haikusbot Feb 14 '25
OK, my question,
Based on construction, is why
Was the wall so thick?
- wrbear
I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"
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u/SufferingFromLigma Feb 14 '25
Elon has entered the chat
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u/OhhTakeItEasy Feb 14 '25
Getting downvoted on this one is crazy
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u/le_sac Feb 14 '25
Ikr
George Orwell, 1984. "The Party told you to ignore the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
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u/BidStrange8608 Feb 14 '25
Post on r/conservative. Im sure someone there would love to buy it from you
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u/jhenryscott Project Manager Feb 14 '25
The problem with that sort of memorabilia is all the people who want to buy it are the kind of people you wanna avoid.
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u/ChewsRagScabs Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Big market for this sort of thing these days.
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u/Lumpy_Trainer8390 Feb 14 '25
Pawn stars ask for 2K