It is better to know and understand the law when it comes to buying and selling new or used military gear.
When selling used or new military gear, it is important to be honest when selling the items and not to sell someone else’s things. If someone is still in active duty, don’t sell those items. There are many military surplus stores who will purchase unwanted, used military gear.
There are lots of things to consider when selling used military items, and what to do if pawn shops won’t purchase it.
How to Sell to a Pawn Shop
What you need to make sure of before you sell your military uniform is that you have just recently gone into retirement and you won’t be needing it anymore. Of course, make sure that any insignia, badges, or names are taken off of the uniform before being sold.
A pawn shop is a collector of items, they don’t want just any uniform that has been worn. It needs to be of value in order to be sold for money. Set a minimum price before going in to sell it, then negotiate.
This is entirely dependent on the state that you live in. States where a military base is near may not purchase because of an excess of military gear, some may not purchase because of personal preferences. Some pawn shops don’t want to deal with assumed repercussions, so inform yourself before selling to just any pawn shop.
Give to a Military Surplus Store
How a Military Surplus tore works is that they purchase your old things in order to repurpose them and sell them at a lower cost to civilians. There are many across the United States, and someone can even start their own. You can either sell or donate them to these stores and they can resell them.
Whatever you are selling can be used or not, but will vary in price depending on the wear and tear they come with. Even if your items are privately manufactured within the military, surplus stores may still purchase them.
What you are selling and military stores are purchasing is going to be military grade, which means that it has to meet the standards set by the Department of Defense. They need to be Army Regulation approved in order to be worn while protecting the country; Military Surplus stores will check for the same set of guidelines.
You Can Also Donate Your Old Uniform
Instead of just throwing away your old uniform if it takes up too much space in your closet, you may want to donate it. Allowing someone else to purchase it for a costume for Halloween or using it for something else, donating it gives it what is considered a second life.
When donating it, simply make sure to take off any insignia that may be on it. Your name that is on the shoulder or any banding and medals should of course be taken off. People who try to impersonate someone in the military can suffer such things as a fine or time spent in jail. It is much simpler to take off any insignia stating that this is a military uniform specifically.
Before just donating it to any thrift store, maybe consider reaching out to places that exclusively take military gear. These places are called Band For Arms, Sword and Plough, or Museum of G.I. These organizations are exclusively utilizing specific pieces of the uniform. You could also reach out to a school to see if they need a uniform for plays, the VFW, or the American Legion.
Consider Getting Crafty
The old uniform can also be used for any crafting purposing imaginable. Something that could be fun, and memorable, is transforming your old uniforms into a blanket. Patching together uniforms that you used throughout your service can be memorable and remind you of the sacrifice you put forth for our country.
Another fun craft is cutting it up into different outfits. Anything can become shorts, or given to your daughter or niece if she wants to transform the old uniform into something more fashionable. By cutting up different outfits and patching them together can create a fun design for a different camo style.
It can also be completely transformed into a duffel or diaper bag. Both of these options are fun and incredibly useful. This requires a few more steps and a pattern to transform it into a bag, but can be a fun craft that impacts you or your children.
One more interesting craft to consider is turning your old military uniform into a wreath. What you can do is purchase either a wire wreath or a wooden wreath, and then cut your old uniform into strips. Tie some strips around the wreath; this can be done in either a small bunch or around the entire wreath. You can also use some of those strips to make flowers and leaves to spice up the design. Whatever kind of wreath you are looking for, it can be a fun activity to transform an old uniform into.
Do Not Ever Sell Your Old Uniform
It is highly controversial to sell your old uniform. Whether it is on eBay, through Facebook Marketplace, wherever, it can be frowned upon. Selling them to a military surplus store isn’t as big of a deal because you are selling it back to the people you purchased it from. Most of your uniforms you likely purchased yourself, so it is up to you what to do with them. Pawn shops will consider whether they want to purchase you or not, but don’t forget how important the uniform was and what it means to have worn it.
The problem most people see with selling them is stealing valor; stealing valor is wearing someone else’s uniform dishonestly and trying to act as if they served in the military. There are laws put in place in order to punish those who dishonestly wear uniforms, and hopefully that is enough to encourage honesty.