eBay "Iron Cross"

German Iron Cross Military Medal Pin Sterling LoT LQQK - eBay (item 270709618988 end time Feb-27-11 16:37:07 PST)

Hmm. Seems to look a lot like a marksmanship qualification badge.

 

Only monkeys loooooook neener neener neener.
I am sure it will pop up on here in the new member forum with a request for authenticity; that's a happy thought to start the day.

 

hmmm, it's definately real though ......I bet it's made by the rare maker 'BTF' (berlin toy factory)

 

'What You See Is What You Get'.....yeah, right !

 

Funny but, ive NEVER seen anything German marked "Sterling" :lol::lol:

In other words, it aint German. Looks more to me like its some sort of US Army Marksmanship piece if im not sadly mistake? Also, those dont sell for much money unless people are STUPID enough to pay a high price for one. That is just like people who are STUPID enough to waste their money on bILL shEAs site. :lol::lol:

 

You can sell anything to a fool on....Ebay

 

Tis absolutely true. I saw easily spotted fakes being sold as real--on ebay. A guy who was attending Austin Gun Shows told me that he made his-and his are made of a cheap tin like metal. This guy was NOT fully honest though, as his fakes were all priced at what the real stuff sells around-All of his are easy to spot-flawless on the fronts but turn them over and they all have the same pin attachment systems.

At the show I saw him in Austin at, I saw a guy who was grinning from ear to ear thinking he had just bought an 1939 EKI for a great price--however, he didnt. He bought one of the dealers pieces of fakery for $400.00. That guy was just waking away from his tables and going out the door. I had yet to actually get to see any in hand and at a distance-I thought they looked cool and I was then in the frame of mind of leaving about $300.00 poorer BUT, when I asked his permission to look at some of his GABs and he opened the case, I dove in grabbing three of them and laying them on the table. I then turned them all over as they felt "wierd" aka too light, and I thought they could be the hollow-backs--which I have one of and wanted more. Well, I turned them all over, looked at the pin attachments on them, laughed and asked where he had got these "Party Pieces" from? To which he then grinned seeing I knew something, and told me he makes several of each item before going to shows.

Though he was honest with me, I wonder how many he aint honest with? Guys like he is tick me off to no end. Shafting newbies on their first foray into this collecting minefield.

PS, before I walked away, the dealer asked if I wanted any of these? I said why? He said well you could wear these or display them without fear of them being pinched. I said, I would buy some but only if he sold them to me for 3 for $10 bucks. He said he couldnt go that low-I said-no thanks and turned my back and walked away. I WOULD have bought three for $10 though-just for the heck of it.

 

Yes I'm getting tired about this too. On the other hand you can spot some nice items there too. Buyers are getting so reluctant that they sometimes miss the goodies and that's when I get into action and usually snipe a few items fro a few euros only.
What I'm trying to say is that if yo uknow how to use Ebay you can actually get out of the thing as a winner. For instance I got my Lancaster Bomber thransmitter there. It's just common sense there are no fakes Lancaster bombers , so Icouldn't get wrong on that one(yet...)

 

Somewhere, at a workshop deep in the forests of Russia.....

 

More like: Latvia. That place seems to place their ENTIRE economy on producing fakes for the unwise.

 

At an airfield somewhere in Latvia : 'What's Skipper's address ? '

View attachment 12827

 

Heh heh, Skipper'll give you a flowerpot off the 2nd storey balcony for that one :lol::lol::lol:

 

Anyway I think the point has been made. Buying online could be a real bargain for people who need things from overseas, providing you are careful and dodge the traps. There is some good and some bad on online auction sales. I'm usually happy about my purchases, but from time to time I get trapped too .Remember my M-16 German helmet, ( but even then I got every penny back ).

 

Of course those are US shooting qualification badges. There this kind of items from ww2 to today. Mainly the WW2 and some Korea items was mainly Sterling silver. They usually had the "Sterling" word engraved. In that badges are hanged several bars with the kind of qualification: pistol, rifle,....

The weapon qualification bars hunged in that badges can be: Rifle, Machine Gun, Submachine Gun, Rocket Launcher,

Small Bore Pistol, Pistol, Field Artillery, Grenade, Mortar, Missile, AAArtillery, Tank Weapons, Carbine, Bayonet, Aeroweapons, Auto Rifle, Flamethrower, Recoilless Rifle, Small Bore Rifle​

In 1941 was deleted the qualification for Sword and added Small Bore Rifle, Small Bore Pistol, Submachine Gun, Small Bore MG.
In 1944 was added Carbine, Antitank, 81mm Mortar, 60 mm Mortar, TD 75mm, TD 57mm, TD 3 inch
In 1948 was added Recoilless Rifle, Mortar. Deleted Pistol D, Pistol M, Mines, C.W.S. Weapons, Aerial Gunner, Aerial bomber,
Small Bore MG, Antitank, 81mm Mortar, 60mm Mortar, TD (all types)
In 1951 was added Submarine Mines
In 1972 was added Aeroweapons
Prior to 1951 regulation, the titles of the badges were Marksman and 2d Class Gunner; Sharpshooter and First Class Gunner​

and Expert.



These two types you can see there are (from left to right): Expert Basic Qualification Badge and Markmanship 2 class gunner Badge

 

Just a quicky on Ebay, I have just brought a compresser with two air brushes went direct to the company that were selling it and got it £15.00 cheaper!

 

*Groans*...why can't anyone donate any authentic WW2 item to a museum...or am I just using logic again?

 

In fareness there alot of collectors out there and not that many museums, Personnaly if I had apiece of history whether a medal or not and it was very rare then yes I agree