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It is the purpose of this page to answer some of the most frequently-asked questions about our merchandise, WW II, and other semi-related topics.
About ATF: In business since 1993, located in central Kentucky, we specialize in uniforms and gear from the Second World War. Although most of our products are reproductions, we have some original items and maintain a large collection of authentic pieces for our reference. Since 1999, we have had our own sewing factory. Our factory is 5500 square feet, has 45 machines and 12 operators. Our customers are primarily Reenactors, but include collectors, museums, film companies and some random weirdoes. Most of our business is done via mail order and we ship an average of 50 packages each day, worldwide.
SOP: Our standard operating procedure is simple.
1. We strive to provide the best quality products available at a reasonable price.
2. Orders are shipped ASAP (usually same day or next), with a minimum of drama or BS.
3. If we don't have it, we won't take your money. Period.
4. We strive to under-commit and over-deliver, in contrast to many other businesses in this hobby.
A pleasant surprise trumps a disappointment every time. (Except maybe with EPT's.)
Our "attitude": The owner and author of most text on the website did not go to charm school. Life as an NCO at Ft. Bragg and Ft. Benning were not the most positive influences when it came to having patience for assorted degrees of retardation. Speaking plainly and getting the job done as efficiently and competently as possible were the lessons learned.
The site was, initially, peppered with the flowery, patronizing niceties common to most business. However, after a few rants, provoked by persistent and inane customer demands or an inability to accept our honest answers, it was discovered, much to our surprise, that the attitude actually increased business. It also cut down on the bizarre and idiotic questions and phone calls immeasurably. This was great as it's much more fun to write and far more entertaining to read. Most of the testy prose in initially intended to inform, rather than insult, but the later can occur depending on your sensitivity level and sense of proportion.
We aren't mean: We are not sadistic or nasty to deal with. Quite the contrary. If you have a problem with an order or an item, please feel free to contact us to resolve the issue. It's not a problem.
The Rants: Again, these started as a more or less a joke. They amount to the owner's soapbox on topics ranging from unscrupulous dealers selling fakes to the evils of soft drinks to horrid pranks or hoaxes. Although it may be irrelevant to collecting or reenacting, most of the "ranting" deals with common and stubborn historical misconceptions about specific items, or surly attitudes or sneaky customer games. The owner's sense of humor is somewhere between sick, twisted, cruel, crass and highly inappropriate, and he often fails to suppress the impulse to share. The results can be interesting. Or not. They have beenarchived on several pages for the continued enjoyment/ mortification of our visitors.
We stand behind our products: We do have a 10 day return policy. It was reduced form 30 days mainly to combat the "renters" who either used the gear once then claimed it didn't fit, or who took it to a few military shows, tried to sell it at a mark up then returned it (often with their price tags still attached.) when they failed to do so. Among WWII vendors, having a our own factory allows us a fairly unique capability to repair most of our products should they fail.
1. If a product fails due to poor materials or workmanship (not to normal wear and tear or customer stupidity*) we will usually repair or replace it no problem even after the 10 day period.
2. We can repair most of our products that are damaged due to normal wear and tear for a small charge or no charge depending on how bad it is.
3. If we sell you an item as original and you at some point decide or discover it to be "fake", we will take it back for refund or exchange. (You will need your receipt though.)
*Examples of customer stupidity: Bleaching uniforms, spilling paint stripper on jackets, drying (cooking) leather next to a fire, putting wool in a dryer or microwaving helmets.
Historical Reference: Although we employed Reenactors in past years, we found that it inhibited our efficiency. Most customers prefer to get their order as quickly as possible. Our employees know our products and how they fit, but they are not particularly knowledgeable about what specific units wore in a certain battle. This for you to research, then we can help you. Previously, when we did provide such information, our order line turned into a reenactor chat forum. The phone was always busy and few or no orders got packed. There are more research materials available than ever before, and if you are a reenactor, it is always best to first join a unit and ask them for help, as some have specific requirements.
The Website is the Catalog: Although I have been trying to get a printed catalog made up for the last several years, I have not completed said mission. Even when/ if I do, the website will always be more current. It is updated daily. I have tried to keep the format and navigation clear and simple and have kept the fancy graphics and sundry eye candy to a minimum.
There is no "shopping cart" because our inventory fluctuates constantly and having such a program tied in with a computerized inventory (which we do not have) is very expensive and a hell of a lot of work to keep up with. Were I to use one now, people would constantly be ordering things which are sold out and we'd spend half the day trying to notify them of this and see whether they wanted the rest of the order.
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Most frequently asked questions:
Q: I can get the same stuff from a guy in Hong Kong for alot less. Why should I buy your stuff?
A: In most cases, it is not the same stuff. Sure, it may be an M42 Jump Jacket, but in all but a few cases, our products, even those we import, are unique to us and are not sold by other vendors. Our US made items are available only from us. We do not have distributors and we rarely wholesale any quantity of items to other vendors. In the case of our boots, gear and uniforms that are made overseas, most are unique to us. A handful are made by the same factory that makes the bargain basement items, but we contract directly with the maker and our patterns, colors and hardware are superior. If quality is secondary to cost, remember: Shipping from Hong Kong will run $35-60 depending on the weight and take several weeks to arrive. And if you need to exchange an item, double or triple the cost. Lastly, even when the seller declares the item a "gift", US Customs still nails a notable percentage of packages for duties.
Q: "I met Rollin at a show once. I will only deal with the boss."
A: Forget it. I don't take orders or do customer service. Yes, Gina does screen my calls. There is a practical reason behind my inaccessibility. Every time I have agreed to speak to someone, that person demands to deal with me directly, always and forever. It quickly translates into my work day being extended by several hours with people who want to talk shop. Gina, Steve and Nick are more than capable of helping you with your order, and in most cases are better qualified than I am. I haven't done them in years and will likely screw it up. Yes, that's the truth.
Q: "But I gotta talk to Rollin. It's life or death!"
A: If you have something that honestly needs my attention and no one else can help you with it there are two ways to have me deal with it.
1. Call and explain it to Gina and she will ask me.
2. Send an email to my attention.
Q: "Is this item in stock?"
A: Check the site.The stock status of most items is very current. Technical website note: If you recently visited the page on the site that you are looking for something on, refresh/reload the page... your computer stores pages in cache, and sometimes will not automatically refresh when you visit it again. We update our website almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
Q: "Do you have this, this and that, and three of these? If so how much are they?"
A: Again, check the site.It is very logical to navigate, and the descriptions we give on the site are much more complete than you will get via email. If it isn't on the site, we don't carry it.
Q: "Do you have Japanese Naval Paratrooper uniforms in size 58 X-short? How 'bout a Damascus dagger for $100? Come on, you sure you don't have one hiding in the back somewhere??"
A: Use your heads people. We get seriously nutty requests all the time. If it's not on the site, we don't do it! Many characters seem to think that we have a special hoard of hard-to-find or super rare items that we forget to advertise, but if they hassle us enough, we'll give in and share the treasure. We may be rude, but we aren't stupid.
Q: "I want to place a backorder."
A: Only in rare cases, namely, when the item requested is actually in production. Otherwise, no. The problem is twofold. First, we are still not computerized and we don't have an efficient way to prompt ourselves to notify everyone when a new item arrives. Second, Murphy's law nearly always interferes when we try to give approximate arrival dates for new products. This business is still rather erratic and it's easier to deal with supply fluctuations when you don't have 20 impatient and angry customers yelling at you because they're stuff is late.
Q: "I want to place a custom order."
A: No way. Unless we charged an enormous amount of money, custom orders are not viable for a business that wishes to remain efficient. It sounds like a neat idea, until you actually try it. That's why we won't do them. We're not being mean, arrogant, cruel or snotty. We've learned our lesson and just know better than to let this monster out of the box. Been there, done that, and that monster hurts when it bites.
US Militaria
Q: Is it "khaki"???????
A: "Khaki" refers to a color usually considered to be a shade of tan. It is a mix of gray, green, brown and white. Many people insist that all things GI and pure used during the 1940's were "khaki" in color and that the suggestion of the presence or existence of any other color or shade of their beloved khaki (specifically the ultra-evil "olive drab") during this period is akin to trying to peddle "Jesus got laid last night" t-shirts at a Southern Baptist convention. Much to our pleasure, historical facts prove these khaki-hounds need to go back to grade school, as well as the optometrist.
Q: When did they start using OD gear? My unit commander says that "khaki" is required.
A: We have seen examples of 1942-dated OD (#7) and half OD/khaki (what is referred to as "transitional") gear come through our shop. There are those that argue that even though OD#7 started creeping into production by 1942, that it took too long for the stocks of it to reach England for issue to US troops, even those launched onto Normandy. Hogwash. Through careful examination of even black & white period photos, you can see GI's wearing gear that has noticable darker shades (often mixed in with khaki gear). A Normandy veteran even told us himself that they loved the "new" OD gear as it was the new, hip thing, and he had plenty of it on him when he jumped there. This is why cracking some books pays off. Most M43 folding shovel carriers were all OD, or at least "transitional". It is safe to say that by 1944, a lot of OD gear is completely correct.
Q: What would be more correct to reenact with, reinforced or unreinforced M1942 paratrooper uniforms?
A: Parachute operations prior to Normandy do not appear to have used re-inforced jump suits. Units in Normandy vary greatly as to the percentage of troopers wearing reinforced uniforms. Many photos show men in the same platoon wearing both types side by side. Therefore, both are equally correct and this question is best answered by your unit. Southern France and the Pacific are another animal... again, do your research by cracking open a couple books.
Q: Why are some of your M1942 Airborne uniforms "greener" than others?
A: We had 3 original, unissued or hardly-used uniforms to go off of, and each was a slightly different shade than the other, but all falling within the range of "khaki". Just to cause more hemorrhaging, apparently there exists an unissued, dark-OD M1942 jump uniform in the Ft. Bragg museum!!
German Militaria
Q: What style tunic should I get?
A: Check the German Uniforms intro page for complete information. Basically, if you are doing a 1944 impression (99.9% of all re-enactments represent this time period) then ANY style of uniform is authentic. The final variants had been issued by this time and the earlier models were NEVER declared obsolete or withdrawn from service.
Q: Can you provide conversion instructions for Swedish wool?
A: No. We don't have it, sorry.
Q: Why is it so hard to get large size (68 or 70) infantry helmet shells?
A: These have been sold on the market over the past few years, coming out of several European surplus depots. However, the bucket-head sizes were the first to sell out here in America, and one might assume that since the original makers of these helmets were kindly prodded into not making "coal-scuttles" for Hitler anymore, that they have dried up. So, down the line, this is something that we and/or other vendors will have to have newly reproduced (just like the Fallschirmjäger shells)... we just don't know when this will occur. |