The Stolen Valor Act

Since the Stolen Valor Act was passed last year, word of it has spread fear far and wide. Auction houses have canceled sales. Ebay has banned some US military medals from it's site and even marginal dealers in antique malls have pulled the US military medals from their display cases. Recently when I asked an antique mall dealer if she had any military medals for sale a horrified look came over her face and she asked ,"isn't that illegal now?" Her question is an example of the tragic consequences of a legislative disaster called the Stolen Valor Act. How many military medals will be lost due to fear of violating this new law. No, I told the lady, based on Sen. Kent Conrad's quoted opinion that the words "except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law." found in the bill, make it legal for collectors and private citizens to buy, sell and trade US military medals as long as the medals are genuine and not used for fraudulent purposes.(Check this link for his quote: http://www.omsa.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1518 ). Since Sen. Conrad, Dem. from North Dakota, was one of the bill's sponsors I will take his word for that. I will continue to buy and collect US military medals and sincerely hope that everyone reading this blog will also continue collecting as usual. If we as American Collectors do not continue to collect our own national military medals and preserve their history who will?