Authenticity of militaria

Hi Ray, thanks for the pics of the backsides. Im no expert on anything other than what I have in my collection so part of my opinions are based on what I have. I can't say anything positively about the SS ID tag-it still looks good to me but-I only havetwo tags in my colletion an I am basing this off my tag from a sailor stationed at Wilhelmshaven,

The Ground Assault badge is bad. No rivits. Instead of rivits, there are globs of metal in its place. As for anything else to base these as being bad-with-I can't say but looking at mine compared to he one in the picture-the one in the picture is a bad badge.

AMEN to what you say about dealers. Dealers don/t know all and often good repos slip by them and or they purposely sell them to people without a lot of collecting experience. I got burned twice from a dealer I still buy from regularly. The first item was $60 which was an 8 place ribbonbar (a beautiful one at that) that I bought from them about 12 or so yars ago. I found out many years later-that it was a not original even thought he ribbons used on it were-as well as the miniture devices used on it. The bar itself was made of brass and the original ribbons were assembeled and paced in this bar with the original devices. I now wish I still had kept this ribbon bar-because it looked absolutely great on my Arty Majs tunic.

The other item I got from them that turned up lame-through no fault of the sellers own-was something that I paid $80 for-and years later-I found outit was a bad item-another ribbonbar at that-a 12 place bar.

 

good advice kevin,thanks,makes sense,ray..

 

the thing is carl, not having really taken the time to see what gabs were like,I jumped in with both feet as it looked like a good deal,so I suppose its partly my fault for naivety,and eager to own,so I learn! and nothing comes without a price,thankfully not an amount that causes concern,and on to the next buy,but armed with better knowledge even if not a lot,but the guys who advise and give assistance with there expertise and years of collecting helps a lot,thanks goes to those that do just that,ray..

 

thanks for salute...

 

Hi Ray, quite welcome on all fronts. Also, I think every collector is guilty of having jumped in with both feet on items. You get burned enough-you learn to learn ;-)) Unfortunately, this also turns a lot of people off against collecting-who otherwise-might have a passion for it.

My first time out-I got burned and badly. I traded a nice matched numbered Mauser rifle and & $200 bucks for two German tunics that were supposed to be an Afrika Korps Hptms tunic and an Infantry Majors tunic. The A.K tunic turned out to be an old British Army desert tunic-dressed with AK Hptms boards - which turned out to be (then) modern East German Army Arty Hptms insignia. The tunic buttons were East German and the Adler was a repop. The Majors tunic was a West German Airforce Officers tunis wuth East German Infantry Majs boards and collartabs. The buttons on this one were repo and this tunic had no breast eagle. That old fart KNEW he was totally &&&&&& me over. Thankfully, the old Bast&&& died not long after that and that was when I found out he screwed over a lot of people over the years. Justice in a way was served becaue he was buried in "Potters Field," because his remaining family didn't have enough money to do so otherwise. This guy made the rounds at gunshows for many years laying claim that he had been a Major in the Afrika Korps-which in fact, he had been in an Army allright-but as a Private in the US Army who was discharged for bad conduct.

I was VERY lucky in that a few years later-I was able to trade these items away to a person who reenacted and liked the tunics. For these tunics and two M-42 shells, I got a VERY wearly and weighted Party Banner (which I still have) this banner was made either in 1923 or 1925? I can't make out the 3rd number. I also got two Lithgow Lee Enfields MK 4s and two 1939 EKIIs w/o ribbons. I wish I had kept the EKIIs because one was the very rare larger framed EKII and the other was a rare Shinckle-both today worth about a total of $700.00. I wound up giving the Shinkle away to a good friend of mine in England, and the large frame EK went to Bedo after he gave me his Frozen Meat Medal.

 

that is true,you do let the mind go into top gear,when you think you found something really nice! stop and think! goes out the window,but what comes round goes round,and you get something you are proud of and pleased as punch to boot,I often wonder what the car boot sales throw up these days,do you think there are still 1 or 2 items that pop up every now and then? trouble is I think a lot that sell at boot sales are on the ball and know what is and is,nt collectable,ray.

 

I suppose the old adage is true,if it looks to good to be true!,it probably is!!!

 

Hi Ray, it seems as if everyone is online these days and thinks going prices for stuff is what they see at their first stop in militaria sites and ebay. Unfortunately-they couldn't do worse.

I used to buy from this dealer who came to CC Gunshows who is from San Antonio. I like the guy and all and he always had good to fair prices on things with few exceptions. Hoever, all that changed when he ""found"" the internet. Ebay and internet as well as unknowledgable collectors (meaning) unknowledgable in prices-totally ruined the market. I remember when mint conditioned EKI's went for $80. (now) appx $250 on up. I remember when Knights Crosses sold at $400.00 (now) they are quickly approaching between $7,000 - to - $10,000. I know one dealer that has his priced at $25,000 - which either he doesn't wish to sell it or that he has plenty of time to sell it and doesn't care if it sells now or not?

As for finding deals-I still find them all the time-just depends on knowing where to look and or whom to buy from. I also get offered stuff all the time but-I don't have money for it all so I decline the offers about 99% of the time. It pays off though, because I bought a mint Uboat badge for $175.00 - when in that condition at the time-they were easily selling for about $400.00) only a few years ago-as well as a fairly rare brass-cored EKI for $125.00 - that I have seen on Whammonds site listed at an ungodly price of $750.00 which is one major factor why I never buy from the Collectors Guild.

 

your right! ebay is a factory for greed carl, most collectable stuff on there is rubbish and too many sellers who know diddly squat,zilch,but are willing to tell you all you,d like to hear,just to make a sale,by bull...t info,when questioned they get the needle too,all they want is your money at any cost,well done for those good buys too,sounds like your in a good position,with people willing to sell stuff which usually means quality too,ray..

 

This is so true and almost happened again. This is to do with the CCCiG award doc-which thanks to Wills dilligence-with looking for insights from other sites and thanks to the books I have-it has been determined beyond a doubt that that CCCiG award doc was "Too good to be true." The soldiers name does not exist in any form in any of the lists I have as well as on any Nachtrag lists I have and also lists showing a mans changed name.

I find it absolutely unbelieveable that the dealer in question selling this CCCiG preliminary award doc-did not know that this doc was NOT one for the CCCiG and at best-COULD be a "real" award doc to a soldier who did get a CCC-just not the Gold CCC.

We are also in the midst of having said doc returned and to find another way to complete our deal. I could have saved a lot of time an grief-had I been able to make out the soldiers name-because I would have checked all my lists first for name, rank ad unit confirmation-before choosing this item as payment for said trade.

Apparently the dealer does have a lot of complaints made about him. You can add mine to the list too. I believe this dealer is one who does sell good items-but also and KNOWINGLY sells whatever fakes he can pawn off to the unsuspecting. One thing I really like about dealin with German dealers-is that their laws will come down har on them if they intentionally tried to shaft a buyer on items. This is why I have been doing a lot of dealings with Detlev, Helmut and Andre-for about 12 years now and never not once-had a problem getting an original item and getting the item quickly. Once once from one of these dealers-did I have an issue with how an item was mailed. The item still arrived and in the same condition as it was in when I purchased it-but one of the peope they hired to package things for them-dropped the ball and sent my Hamburg Hanseatic Cross inside an unpadded and regular everyday envelope that one sends a letter in.

Anyway, I STRONGLY suggest anyone reading this to keep vigilent when buying for the first time-from a dealer your not comfortable with.

 

There are bargains out there to be had but these opportunities are becoming exceedingly rare and a lot depends on you knowing your area of interest and hoping the seller doesn't, and not least being in the right place at the right time. You would probably have to go to hundreds of car boot sales etc just to have a half chance.
I read of someone last year who went to a normal car boot sale/general selling fair in the UK and saw that a seller had an 'EK II' for sale at £75 (the seller wasn't a militaria seller, just happened to have had an EK amongst an assortment of items). Now, £75 for an EK II is roughly an ok price, maybe slightly abit too high, except that this particular EK II wasn't an EK II - it was actually an original Knight's Cross! So the buyer was able to snap up an item worth approx £4000-6000 for just £75 all due to the seller not knowing his onions. so to speak!!

 

wow! as good as winning the lottery I would think kevin,ray..

 

Now THAT was a great purchase!! I don't know if you know my good friend Paul-who used to be here but now spend what time he can as a Mod over on the war relics site. Anyway, this happened a few years ago. Paul happened to stop by some Antique SHop? or somethinh like that? and saw the dealer had a LW Honor Goblet for sale. I can't remember the actual price on it but I THINK Paul said he got it for about 5 pounds?? Anyway, te dealer I seem to recall him saying-and thought the Goblet was fake or just did not know what it was? and Paul snatched it up and it now resides amongst his collection. Anyway, these now days go for multi thousands of $$$$.

 

After a lifetime of collecting German militaria(cloth) I totally have switched over to U.S.... Eastern European fakes are so good and resewing insignia with original thread fools even the best.Check the forums.Such a headache!All my fun and thrill of collecting was gone ,wondering whether I was going to get beat on every item I bought.Examining over and over.Does that herringbone twill pattern look post-war?Is that bird resewn(almost always is!!).Where's my blacklight?....and it's HOW MUCH??!!Sorry but it's a crap shoot.Hey, for my buck I'll hit somebody's grandpop up for an Ike jacket or OS cap anyday.

 

Hi Buddy, I came close to switching from German to Ami and Russian but-German has a death grip on me and im not [paying high prices for Russian, unlkess I can get one of those Alexander Nevsky Medals ;-))

 

I'm one of those fools who collects all beligerent WWII and WWI nations. I just love my collection too much and can't specialize yet. If I do I'll probably focus son the WWII Air Force first but I also love French Adrien Helmets....

 

i hear ya skipper......my little collection is all mixed up too, but i think i prefere british and german (both ww1 and ww2) most of all. the problem is that's a lot of stuff!!!!

 

Hi Andy, sadly-----for Kruska ;-)) I practically quit collecting Imperial German with a few exceptions and am centering mainly on WWII stuff. I almost got another Silesian Eagle 2nd class medal but opted for a minty 1957 Knights Cross instead ;-))

Oh and especially for Kruska, im getting another Silver Infantry Award doc that was awarded to a soldier serving in a Penal Battalion ;-)) Thanks for the tip on that site Hucks-I owe ya.

 

Getting some good tips over here!