The Houston Chronicle recently ran a story about the Normandy Tank Museum shuttering its doors and selling off all their assets. As listed on the auction site Artcurial, thousands of military items, including tanks, vehicles, equipment and accessories will be liquidated as the museum closes due to lack of attendance.

For a lucky group of investors, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own fully restored and authentic gear from a historic time in world history. As expected, prices (whether in Euros or USD) will range from high to insane.

Let’s hope most of the piece wind up in other museums around the world so that mere mortals like myself will still have the chance to enjoy all the restored details.

The Normandy Tank Museum is selling its entire collection at auction next month before closing its doors because it failed to attract enough visitors. The sale includes tanks, military vehicles, trucks, aircraft and motorcycles, many of which have been restored to working order.

More than 40 armored vehicles, along with thousands of military items used during World War II and dozens of mannequins in full battle dress, will be sold on September 18 by Artcurial, a Paris-based luxury auction house. The sale will be held in Catz, a town a few kilometers from Normandy’s Utah beach, where the Allies landed to liberate German-occupied northwestern Europe in June 1944.

The entire catalogue of items to be auctioned can be downloaded here:

“We thought the museum would attract more people,” museum co-founder Stephane Nerrant said in a phone interview. “The terrorist attacks had a considerable impact on visitor attendance,” he said, declining to provide numbers. French refinery-workers strikes that caused fuel shortages in May and June nationwide also dented ticket sales, he said.

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial

Credit: Artcurial