How to Find Vietnam Combat Photos for Purchase
Combat photographs from the Vietnam War are available for sale online through the U.S. government, militaria dealers and individuals. They are also available at militaria shows, where photographs are sold along with uniforms, patches, manuals, artifacts and documents. Posting "wanted to buy" notices locally can also key you in to collectors and veterans looking to sell photographs. Actual combat photos are relatively rare and cost more than non-combat pictures. Rare Vietnam War photography books are available at the Advanced Book Exchange.
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Instructions
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Search the National Archives Archival Research Catalog, digital copies, using the search term "Vietnam" plus the battle or topic that interests you. Still photographs are available online, and most are copyright-free and downloadable (see National Archives under Resources: click on Archival Research Catalog under "Databases and Tools (right column)).
Most reproductions are not available online, so you will have to order them from an Archives-approved list of vendors (see Resources). Some of those vendors are Archival Research International/Double Delta Industries, Inc., Photo Response Studios and Do You Graphics.
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Buy from militaria dealers who sell medals, uniforms, weapons, vehicles, equipment, flags, coins, insignia, posters and ephemera, and photographs from various wars. Bay State Militaria has sold pictures taken by the Viet Cong and captured by U.S. forces, photos of crashed helicopters and battle scenes. Photos cost about $40.00 each. Rallypointmilitaria.com recently sold the uniform and documents, including pictures, of a Special Forces soldier in Vietnam.
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Visit militaria conventions and shows where photographs are sold. The West Coast Historical Militaria Collector's Show is just one example, meeting once every two years. Admission as of 2009 is $10.00, which is typical; photographs of the war are included among the other items for sale. Militarytrader.com has a list of upcoming shows being held across the country, with links to show descriptions. Click on the Events/Auction Calendar tab to see lists of shows, auctions and military vehicle shows.
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Place a "wanted to buy" ad in your local newspaper, explaining what kind of photograph you want and how much you will pay. Vietnam veterans or estate representatives who have photos to sell may contact you with entire collections. By respectfully going straight to the source, you may avoid the dealer mark-up.
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Search book sellers on the Advanced Book Exchange, abebooks.com, a long-standing, well-respected site with reputable rare-book sellers, if you do not need original photography. ABE is famous for offering out-of-print, collectible books on all topics, including the Vietnam War.
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