Airborne Clicker - Frequently Asked Questions:Feel free to fire a question at us about our Normandy clickers and we will add it here if it's not already been asked!
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History:
Q. Are your crickets genuine?
A. Our Crickets were not made during World War Two. They were made recently but by the same company, in the same country and on the same machinery as the originals. So they are the genuine clickers but made after the war.
Q. Can I buy a Cricket made in the USA?
A. Yes you can but not from our site. The crickets used by the 101st Airborne and to a lesser degree, the 82'd Airborne were all made in England. You are buying a historically accurate reproduction if you buy our Crickets. You can buy our crickets from our official USA distributor wwiidogtags.com. So if you live in USA and are in a rush, get them from www.wwiidogtags.com.
Q. What senior ranking Officers used the Acme Cricket?
B. There is very strong evidence that General Maxwell D. Taylor , commander of the 101st Airborne Division used the Airborne Cricket.
General James Gavin "The Jumping General" commander of the 82'd Airborne has been thought to have picked up one after a meeting with the 101st Airborne, although we find this unlikely (to have used it), as he wrote several books on his units operations and dismissed the idea of crickets being used in his Division. Crickets were not issued to the 82'd Airborne as they were to the 101st Airborne. However there are veteran recollections of 82'd Airborne personnel claiming to use them.
Q. What is the correct name for the D-Day Cricket?
A. The Official name for the Normandy Cricket is 'The Acme No.470 Clicker'. However its name was changed by the 101st Airborne when they renamed it the 'Cricket' as it sounded a bit like a real cricket. It has been called by numerous names over the years including: The D-Day Clicker; The Normandy Cricket; The Airborne Clacker; The Paratrooper Signalling Toy and The 101st Clicker.
Costs, Currency & Payments:
Q. Why are they so expensive?
A. They may seem expensive to some customers but a lot of effort and resources went into the research and re-development of our crickets which has to be paid for. What you are getting is a 100% facsimile of the genuine article. Most collectors and WW2 Airborne re-enactors want authenticity when dealing with the public and we give them that.
Our aged crickets take time and effort and no two are the same, each one is hand aged as is the presentation box and string we cannot mass produce these, you are buying an individually aged product unique in finish.
Q. I would like to pay in US Dollars or some other currency?
A. Our main on-line payment processor is PayPal, which carries out the currency conversion for you, just pay in GBP (£ British Pounds) and the amount is taken from your account in your local currency. PayPal also accepts the cards detailed below so you don't need a PayPal account to make a payment via PayPal. You also have the option to pay by credit/debit card on our checkout.
Q. I would like to pay by cheque or some other method not mentioned above?
A. Feel free to contact us to discuss options as we take Bank Transfers, Cheques, Cash, Postal Orders, International Transfers etc. But it will be in GBP - British Pounds denomination.
Accuracy:
Q. How accurate to the originals are they?
A. They are made on the same machinery and with the same materials but there is a small 'R' on the inside to try and prevent them being passed as originals which of course can command huge prices. The aged crickets also have the 'R' but it is incredibly difficult to see due to the ageing process and in some cases this is not visible.
Q. I can buy an alternative manufactured cricket for £5 - why buy yours?
A. 'Yes you can' - but it has probably been made in China or India or France, not in England like the originals were. It will also have many historically incorrect details including design, size, shape, materials, markings and even the 'click click' noise.
We have come across crickets marked 'U.S' which is totally incorrect, this is one item of USA Airborne kit which was never marked with this stamp. If you are a WW2 USA 101st or 82'd re-enactor you want to show the public an authentic item as possible, not some sort of fantasy item that never existed in WWII. Lets face it, the public like to look at kit and this is how our kids learn about history, so you should try for 100% accuracy!
Q. Do the aged Clickers still make the clicking noise?
A. Yes they do, we test all clickers before they are sent out. If you are not happy with its 'clicking' or any other aspect we will gladly send you an other one or give you a refund.
Q. I want one aged up to a certain degree - light medium or heavy - can I get this?
A. Yes you can. It can be a bit tricky to get the ageing correct to meet every individuals requirements, but email us before or immediately after you buy one of our Crickets with what you want. If you are not happy with the result, send it back and we will send out another one to you, till you are happy!
Postage & Returns:
Q. Will you send my cricket to USA or Worldwide?
A. Yes, we will send the clickers worldwide and our postage costs are adjusted for every country so you know the total amount to pay up front.
Q. How quickly will you send my Clacker once I buy it?
A. We send out all orders 6 days a week - Monday to Saturday. We try and send your D-Day Cricket the next working day after order.
Q. How long does it take to get to USA?
A. This is an interesting question. We find it takes between 1 to 4 weeks to get to USA or Canada. The record time is two days! The average is about 9 days.
Q. Can I return a Cricket if I don't like it?
A. You will love it! But 'yes' of course, we can either exchange it or give you a full refund. You will need to pay for return postage.
Wholesale & Marketing:
Q. Can I buy these wholesale and/or sell them on my site?
A. Yes you can, we would be looking at a minimum order of 20 crickets in one style (styles: New Brass, New Nickel, Aged Brass or Aged Nickel). Email us if you want to discuss this. Please be aware aged crickets can take several months to make.
The wholesale 2016 discounts are below:
Q. Can I buy these wholesale and sell them in my Museum or shop?
A. Yes you can. We sell to several museums worldwide and we are happy to discuss a mutually acceptable price. We would be looking at a minimum order of 100 crickets in any combination of style (styles: New Brass, New Nickel, Aged Brass or Aged Nickel). Email us if you want to discuss this. Lets face it, if you operate a museum or shop with minimal footfall, then 100 crickets is a tiny amount to hold in stock but we offer this, as its a good way of 'trying it out' before moving onto larger quantities! Our Normandy crickets sell particularly well in Airborne related outlets and museums!
Q. I have a marketing campaign for a product & the Airborne Clicker is a good match to our product can we discuss options?
A. Yes you can. For any marketing or sales campaigns or 'one off' offers or anything similar feel free to contact us.
Q. Can we buy the cricket in our own country?
A. We are currently building up our distributor network, our list of distributors and their websites are listed below. If you are interested in becoming a distributor please contact us to discuss.
Q. Are your crickets genuine?
A. Our Crickets were not made during World War Two. They were made recently but by the same company, in the same country and on the same machinery as the originals. So they are the genuine clickers but made after the war.
Q. Can I buy a Cricket made in the USA?
A. Yes you can but not from our site. The crickets used by the 101st Airborne and to a lesser degree, the 82'd Airborne were all made in England. You are buying a historically accurate reproduction if you buy our Crickets. You can buy our crickets from our official USA distributor wwiidogtags.com. So if you live in USA and are in a rush, get them from www.wwiidogtags.com.
Q. What senior ranking Officers used the Acme Cricket?
B. There is very strong evidence that General Maxwell D. Taylor , commander of the 101st Airborne Division used the Airborne Cricket.
General James Gavin "The Jumping General" commander of the 82'd Airborne has been thought to have picked up one after a meeting with the 101st Airborne, although we find this unlikely (to have used it), as he wrote several books on his units operations and dismissed the idea of crickets being used in his Division. Crickets were not issued to the 82'd Airborne as they were to the 101st Airborne. However there are veteran recollections of 82'd Airborne personnel claiming to use them.
Q. What is the correct name for the D-Day Cricket?
A. The Official name for the Normandy Cricket is 'The Acme No.470 Clicker'. However its name was changed by the 101st Airborne when they renamed it the 'Cricket' as it sounded a bit like a real cricket. It has been called by numerous names over the years including: The D-Day Clicker; The Normandy Cricket; The Airborne Clacker; The Paratrooper Signalling Toy and The 101st Clicker.
Costs, Currency & Payments:
Q. Why are they so expensive?
A. They may seem expensive to some customers but a lot of effort and resources went into the research and re-development of our crickets which has to be paid for. What you are getting is a 100% facsimile of the genuine article. Most collectors and WW2 Airborne re-enactors want authenticity when dealing with the public and we give them that.
Our aged crickets take time and effort and no two are the same, each one is hand aged as is the presentation box and string we cannot mass produce these, you are buying an individually aged product unique in finish.
Q. I would like to pay in US Dollars or some other currency?
A. Our main on-line payment processor is PayPal, which carries out the currency conversion for you, just pay in GBP (£ British Pounds) and the amount is taken from your account in your local currency. PayPal also accepts the cards detailed below so you don't need a PayPal account to make a payment via PayPal. You also have the option to pay by credit/debit card on our checkout.
- Visa / Delta / Electron
- MasterCard / Eurocard
- Maestro
- American Express.
- And Debit cards with Visa or MasterCard Logo.
Q. I would like to pay by cheque or some other method not mentioned above?
A. Feel free to contact us to discuss options as we take Bank Transfers, Cheques, Cash, Postal Orders, International Transfers etc. But it will be in GBP - British Pounds denomination.
Accuracy:
Q. How accurate to the originals are they?
A. They are made on the same machinery and with the same materials but there is a small 'R' on the inside to try and prevent them being passed as originals which of course can command huge prices. The aged crickets also have the 'R' but it is incredibly difficult to see due to the ageing process and in some cases this is not visible.
Q. I can buy an alternative manufactured cricket for £5 - why buy yours?
A. 'Yes you can' - but it has probably been made in China or India or France, not in England like the originals were. It will also have many historically incorrect details including design, size, shape, materials, markings and even the 'click click' noise.
We have come across crickets marked 'U.S' which is totally incorrect, this is one item of USA Airborne kit which was never marked with this stamp. If you are a WW2 USA 101st or 82'd re-enactor you want to show the public an authentic item as possible, not some sort of fantasy item that never existed in WWII. Lets face it, the public like to look at kit and this is how our kids learn about history, so you should try for 100% accuracy!
Q. Do the aged Clickers still make the clicking noise?
A. Yes they do, we test all clickers before they are sent out. If you are not happy with its 'clicking' or any other aspect we will gladly send you an other one or give you a refund.
Q. I want one aged up to a certain degree - light medium or heavy - can I get this?
A. Yes you can. It can be a bit tricky to get the ageing correct to meet every individuals requirements, but email us before or immediately after you buy one of our Crickets with what you want. If you are not happy with the result, send it back and we will send out another one to you, till you are happy!
Postage & Returns:
Q. Will you send my cricket to USA or Worldwide?
A. Yes, we will send the clickers worldwide and our postage costs are adjusted for every country so you know the total amount to pay up front.
Q. How quickly will you send my Clacker once I buy it?
A. We send out all orders 6 days a week - Monday to Saturday. We try and send your D-Day Cricket the next working day after order.
Q. How long does it take to get to USA?
A. This is an interesting question. We find it takes between 1 to 4 weeks to get to USA or Canada. The record time is two days! The average is about 9 days.
Q. Can I return a Cricket if I don't like it?
A. You will love it! But 'yes' of course, we can either exchange it or give you a full refund. You will need to pay for return postage.
Wholesale & Marketing:
Q. Can I buy these wholesale and/or sell them on my site?
A. Yes you can, we would be looking at a minimum order of 20 crickets in one style (styles: New Brass, New Nickel, Aged Brass or Aged Nickel). Email us if you want to discuss this. Please be aware aged crickets can take several months to make.
The wholesale 2016 discounts are below:
- 20 to 40 Clickers – 4% discount.
- 41 to 60 Clickers – 5% discount.
- 61 to 80 Clickers – 6% discount.
- 81 to 100 Clickers – 7% discount.
- 101 to 250 Clickers – 8% discount.
- 251 to 500 Clickers – 9% discount.
Q. Can I buy these wholesale and sell them in my Museum or shop?
A. Yes you can. We sell to several museums worldwide and we are happy to discuss a mutually acceptable price. We would be looking at a minimum order of 100 crickets in any combination of style (styles: New Brass, New Nickel, Aged Brass or Aged Nickel). Email us if you want to discuss this. Lets face it, if you operate a museum or shop with minimal footfall, then 100 crickets is a tiny amount to hold in stock but we offer this, as its a good way of 'trying it out' before moving onto larger quantities! Our Normandy crickets sell particularly well in Airborne related outlets and museums!
Q. I have a marketing campaign for a product & the Airborne Clicker is a good match to our product can we discuss options?
A. Yes you can. For any marketing or sales campaigns or 'one off' offers or anything similar feel free to contact us.
Q. Can we buy the cricket in our own country?
A. We are currently building up our distributor network, our list of distributors and their websites are listed below. If you are interested in becoming a distributor please contact us to discuss.
Q. Can the Guarantee of Authenticity be tailored to my company or service? A. Yes it can. Shown to the right is the standard guarantee with www.airborne-cricket.com at the bottom. This can be changed to your company web address. A great way to get new and returning website visitors without a hard sell. |
Current Distributors:
- www.warhats.com - WarHats - Reproduction and Restoration services for WW1 & WW2 Headgear
- www.wwiidogtags.com - WW2 Dog Tags - Reproduction WW2 notched army dog tags
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