These Militaria dealers who pass off cheap junk as the genuine article. I have been looking at several items-notably an Infantry Assault Badge in Silver. JUNK!!!!!! How can they honestly still be in business when they are fraudelently selling repros to people!!!
Hello, You will find that our hobby is FULL of reproductions, some of which is impossible to tell from the original unless you know where the piece originates. Dealers will sell reproductions either purposefully, or un-intentionally. Either way, you should not necessarily blame them, but EDUCATE yourself in finding original examples. Fred Konig
Fred-What I'm saying is-i was looking at this piece advertised on the net-only to read an accompanying article about how the received product was far different from the advertised. David-It is a local dealership concerned stationed in Queensland.
Its frustrating and--ive only been burned once when I used to go with "Gut feeling" only. I was burned on a Coastal Artillery Badge--supposed manufacturer was Schwerin of Berlin. I'll say onething on it--the badge is perfect on the front--the only thing I ever thought strange on this badge was the pin itself--everything else was perfect--turns out that I was right--the pin gave it away as being a repo--I paid a few years ago about $80.00 for it. Now the person I bought it from I know did not know it was a repo--he is the person I got my minty Iron Cross 1st class from and my Luftwaffe Pilots Badge from--and they are 100% real. Oh and I think I got my early war Infantry Assault Badge in bronze from him too--I missed a chance to get a mint U Boat badge from him for I think $75.00--now they fetch in excess of $350-$400--tho I got mine a few weeks ago for $175.00 and it IS a nice nearmint piece. Its maker is L/56.
Panzerknacker-- I have the same feeling when I am at the militaria show in Antwerpen. I don't like to buy medals and badges there. I think I have to rely on the well known dealers. Two weeks ago I was in Frankfurt in a small antique shop. They had a little bit third reich stuff for very good prices. My money burned in my pocket. The problems is that I cannot detect the good repros. I think I am going to buy the book 'Combat badges of the third reich'. It's a recently published book with more than 1000 pictures. It's very detailed but also very expensive: $129,95. On the wehrmacht-awards forum there is some discussion about the book. Mainly about the more expensive badges like the para badge. But overall it seems to be a good book.
Hi Volkbert--nope the financial problems are still here--hopefully will be receeding by years end though. And if I decide to go for this driving job that pays $10-about $14 an hour--i'll be out of debt and in the black in two months--then I can get into debt again and buy some expensive militaria. I get this job--im going to buy another tunic, and possible somekind of Imperial German House Order--as my next expensive choices--but i'll have to wait and see.
Hello Volkbert, Yes, the book you mention is a great one, but in my opinion too expensive. It has priced itself out of the collectors market. It has some great color photos, but nothing that a book half its cost has. There are several other great books out there that are half the price of this one, that has just as much great information. Fred Konig
Fred-- Which books do you think are as good as or almost as good as the book I mentioned? Right now I have two books about medal/badge collecting: World war 2 german medals from Cristopher Ailsby and Detecting the fakes from Robin Lumdsen. That books are OK but not good enough for good fake detection I think.
Volkbert--dont waste your money on Robin Lumsdens book--its not worth it as his books feature too many fakes for the real thing. Also, when he shows fakes AS fakes--these are so poorly made fakes that a blind person can tell the difference. You can get most good referance books from $25.00-to $60.00. That one for over $100.00 isnt worth it--Id rather have a mint Panzer Assault Badge and a mint Wound Badge in Black in my collection for that price.
Hello, Carl is correct. Although references are great, I would personally rather add a nice piece to my collection than a book for the same price. For Fuhrer and Fatherland is a good reference, Detlev Niemann has a price guide that shows front and reverse. Andre Husken has a price guide reference. A. Forman has three guides. All four references are great and show good photos of front reverse of medals. You also get a pricing guide with the others. Fred Konig
I would like to add that I am in the process of doing a Combat Medals reference. I should have it published in the next 6 months. It will be in the $65 range, and full of colour pages of known originals, with many never before published photos. I would like to add that Gordon Williamson just published an Iron Cross reference via Bender publishing. This is NOT a reference I would recommend. Fred Konig [ 11. November 2002, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: FRED KONIG ]
Hey Fred--if you need a few good original press photos for your books--I have a few I can make copies of and send to you. Also--I have a few Knights Cross and other decorations award photos too--if you want to use them. I also have a VERY nice pic of Hauptmann Peter Keisegen instructing Hitler Youth on how to fire a Panzerfaust--shows an excellent vies of his Tank Destruction Badges. Let me know if you are interested--i'll let you use them for free I also have some DKiG award pics sent to me by my friend who was awarded it by RKT Kptn.z.S. Wilhelm Dommes, in Singapore in 1945.
Carl, VERY interested, and I will of course credit you in the book. If you would like to email me please PM me or if you already have my email. I would gladly take JPEG's of the photos if they are good enough. I am always interested in any and all period photographs of soldiers wearing medals. Thank you!!! Fred Konig
Thats great! let me know a deadline--so I can get them out to you. Hopefully you will not need them for til after the new year--im still looking for a job I do have some extra copies of some of them already made so thats not a problem. I'll go through and see how many pics I have that you might be interested in. I have several propaganda kompanie/press photos, and several awards photos. One group in particular that I like very much is four pics of ek2s being awarded. Nice clear shots. Anyway--i'll make out a lise as soon as possible and will give you descriptions and let you choose--or if Otto sees this posting--maybe he can email some of the pics for you to then choose from and then I cam make you hard copies.
Hi Carl, As long as the JPEG is good and clear, that would be fine. No need to send. If you can scan them and email me, that would be fine. Thanks again, Fred Konig
Thats cool, I'll ask Greg to see if he can do them. I'm going to try to talk to him tonight for a few minutes. He has a nice new "Toy" in which he tested out a few scans of my L/19 Ek1 and my L/56 U boat Badge--and they did look awsome coming from his scanner.
