Thread about collecting tactics

Morlar

I was reading today of some of the tactics used by collectors, one collector of US special forces equipment trawls military surplus shops in the vicinity of relevant US military bases, which I thought was quite clever.

Another I know of deals with house clearance people in Berlin, scans obituaries and turns up at likely locations and sweet-talks the clearance people.

I have also heard that there can be a crowd at these things.

I also read of someone who went to old Garda stations being decomissioned and cleared out the attics, So all this got me wondering are there any tactics that collectors use which have proven useful ? This could boil down to your method of using ebay (bid on everything low or wait till the last second to snipe high etc.,) or anything at all.

The Dragon

Hi Morlar,

I have heard lots of ways of clever collecting too, some of which you have mentioned. I can not answer about any other era or nation except for my own chosen field which is the Third Reich - Luftwaffe.

In my experience and being a collector in Ireland I think the best thing to do if you collect Third Reich items is try and build up a network of friends and fellow collectors abroad. Over the past ten years this is what I have done. Virtually everything I buy or have in my collection comes from Germany.

Collectors in Germany do pick up items in the ways you have mentioned from neighbours, dead relatives, attics and so on and so forth. The German collectors I know do not get roasted from these sources and then tend not to do any roasting in return. They are more than making their money back anyway and are in my opinion easier to do business with.

However even if you have friends, Third Reich items are not cheap no matter who you buy from being fellow collectors or dealers. I think that is a very important thing to get ones head around.

There is simply no easy or cheap way of collecting Third Reich items.

Dr Strange

I snipe and bid high in the end. And from collector to collector when I see someone has a particular item I would like to add to my collection I go straight in with a middle to high offer to secure the item. Works most of the time.

I thionk the main problem for collectors of TR militaria is that we're a bit too removed from mainland Europe as some of the best bargains are to be had at the source (i.e. family getting rid of stuff, estate sale etc).

The Dragon

Preusse wrote: »

I thionk the main problem for collectors of TR militaria is that we're a bit too removed from mainland Europe as some of the best bargains are to be had at the source (i.e. family getting rid of stuff, estate sale etc).

I agree.

Do you think a shop in Ireland if one were available would do well here?

( There is none that I know of )

Morlar

Preusse wrote: »

I snipe and bid high in the end. And from collector to collector when I see someone has a particular item I would like to add to my collection I go straight in with a middle to high offer to secure the item. Works most of the time.

I thionk the main problem for collectors of TR militaria is that we're a bit too removed from mainland Europe as some of the best bargains are to be had at the source (i.e. family getting rid of stuff, estate sale etc).

I had an experience recently of a set of photographs I wanted, the seller sold the first batch and they all went for high pricesas no photo collectors knew how many of these pictures exsisted and they were rare.

So then the seller came back then with another batch from the same lot, so I watched till the end then high on almost all of them. Got burned bigtime & it cost me a fortune but I did get a good few.

So for batch 3 I bid low on ALL of them, then as time ticked on I was getting outbid on them all one by one (in the hours before the auction) so for the first 5 or 6 pics to come up I went very high. People watching the auction thought - 'this is another bloodbath' & left them alone.

That seemed to scare others off so by the end of batch 3 they were going for like 1 and 2 euros so I snapped them all up.

Another time I was bidding on some photos (I have an idea who I was bidding against). This was a different seller, same kinds of pictures but less of them, the first one went for 60.Eur and I knew this would be bad, so I let one or two go by then went very high, got that one, did the same again, got that one, so then basically myself and the other buyer took turns, go low for one high for the next, that way one of us was always getting a consecutive picture and neither of us burned each other for the rest of the auction. I have to say I find the secret stories and the psychology of all of this fascinating !

Morlar

I know as well a lot of the Americans advertise for 'vet bring-backs' and do 'hotel buys'. I'd say having a shop would be a huge help too (I know having a website doesn't hurt ), I'd guess walk-ins at fairs account for a lot of business too.

I was reading through a History Ireland magazine form 1994 the other day and a UK collector took a 1/4 page advert to get Connaught rangers items . . in 1994 History Ireland - that guy was on the ball bigtime I think. I also found a reference on the web from a guy who wrote a letter to the times saying he was 'doing research' and wanted to get in touch with owners of items relating to Schleswig Holstein visit to Dublin 1936 (or so) , not sure how legit that one was but the times published his letter for some reason and I imagine it may have worked.

The worst one I'd heard was the guy who wanted widows to donate items to his private museum to honour their dead husbands, which he then kept for a couple of weeks before selling on.

The Dragon

Donations to private museums ha. There sure are some snakes out there trying to con people and thats fact.

So Morlar your + 1 for a shop eh?

Dr Strange

I've hear about one or two shops that offer TR items. There's also a medal fair. My main problem are the prices, even going to the next nearest neighbour, the UK, you still pay over the odds most of the time. As for a shop, I am not sure to be honest as I didn't buy any of my collectibles from shops (I mean the walk-in kind) in the first place.

The Dragon

Preusse wrote: »

I've hear about one or two shops that offer TR items. There's also a medal fair. My main problem are the prices, even going to the next nearest neighbour, the UK, you still pay over the odds most of the time. As for a shop, I am not sure to be honest as I didn't buy any of my collectibles from shops (I mean the walk-in kind) in the first place.

I do my shopping at fairs and the interent. I agree with you on the insane prices here in Ireland and across the water, Britain. The problem I have with buying from fairs in Ireland and Britain or even doing business with the afore mentioned on the interent is that IMO they are the worst for selling reproduction / fake items.

I ask Irish dealers questions at fairs here in Dublin regarding authenticity all the time and they cant even answer them.

One answer I got from the dealer who had the shop in Powerscourt was that he used his gut feeling to determine
authenticity. :eek: I mean what sort of an answer is that to give someone.

The last fair I was at in the North Star Hotel I over heard a collector asking a question regarding a medal a dealer had for sale. The dealer replied that he didnt know what is was or what it was for but he thought it was American then said but you can have it for €10.

There some reasons why I started to look to the Continent for new sources.

enfield

I have a simple strategy, I bring along an interesting item of some value that I know and ask a dealer can he tell me anything about it and what would it be worth anything. If he is straight and gives an honest identification and value I then know who I can trust. One big warning guys, when a dealer says he does not know about any particular thing he has for sale AVOID it like the plague. I have seen dingers or fakes sold in this way. The buyer thinks he has a little gem and the dealer does not know what it is, WRONG!. They don't buy items they don't know about. I would tend to drift towards dealers that sell legit stuff and also sell fakes as fakes. The main sales and best buys change hands before the public ever cross the doors. Learn about your subject, compare fakes with the real thing, buy a black light and stay one step ahead of the dealers otherwise you will be taken for a ride, maybe an expensive one. Another this is when you have purchased an item bring it to a different dealer and ask his opinion on its worth and him does he thing it is legit or if it is dodgy. If he says he does not know.......
Tom.

HerrScheisse

I never pass any kind of market without having a look! They are like boxes of chocolate and you never know what you are going to get.

I never bid early on EBay, I let the item rest and then wait until 10 seconds is remaining and then blast them out of it with the highest offer I am willing to pay.

Fuinseog

Morlar wrote: »

I was reading today of some of the tactics used by collectors, one collector of US special forces equipment trawls military surplus shops in the vicinity of relevant US military bases, which I thought was quite clever.

Another I know of deals with house clearance people in Berlin, scans obituaries and turns up at likely locations and sweet-talks the clearance people.

I have also heard that there can be a crowd at these things.

I also read of someone who went to old Garda stations being decomissioned and cleared out the attics, So all this got me wondering are there any tactics that collectors use which have proven useful ? This could boil down to your method of using ebay (bid on everything low or wait till the last second to snipe high etc.,) or anything at all.

you can of course advertise in Der Freiwillige or get in contact with veterans associations. Some Germans have this stuff lying around at home and do not value it.
German and Austrian flea markets are hit and miss. get there before 1pm on a Saturday and go into the countryside where the tourists are absent, otherwise you pay tourist prices.
As regards DDR and soviet articles I pick up bits and bobs at army surplus stores which are considerably cheaper than buying from dealers.
i have never tried auction houses such as the Dorotheum in Vienna, but you never know what will turn up there.

Fuinseog

Luftwaffe wrote: »

I agree.

Do you think a shop in Ireland if one were available would do well here?

( There is none that I know of )

a shop online might do some business, but a walk in shop is nothing more than a hobby for someone who is retired. in Dublin they are few and far between. there is the place in Geogres street arcade, but i can buy the same medals cheaper online. The car Boot sale shop on the quays has been black balled.
I wonder what became of the stock of the shop just off parnell square?

poiuytsam

Hi All

I am looking to buy an authentic WW2 German helmet , as used by the majority of the german army in WW2, any ideas where I could find an authentic one ?

Have found many replicas , but not the real thing ? any suggestions

Fuinseog

poiuytsam wrote: »

Hi All

I am looking to buy an authentic WW2 German helmet , as used by the majority of the german army in WW2, any ideas where I could find an authentic one ?

Have found many replicas , but not the real thing ? any suggestions

easy enough to find, but not cheap. try klaus butschek

www.klaus-butschek.com

poiuytsam

thanks great site and has a couple of helmets

arnhem44

Building up contacts is a good way of accessing items especially from abroad,join a group like the Western Front Association or the Medal Society Of Ireland for example,people here will be like minded and some will be buying and selling so worth talking to.Also it's worth talking to people you know,it's amazing how many people out there have old military items lying around and unless the subject is brought up you may never know about them.Markets and fairs are also worth having a quick browse as you never know what you might find.As for sites like ebay,I tend to snipe auctions 99% of the time in the last few seconds partly to keep the price down on an item.Sometimes people bid regularly on items,when outbid they rebid only to drive the price up which is fine if you have enough money but who has enough money these days.My advice is set yourself a price on an item and don't exceed that price unless you really want to,it's often easy to get carried away and pay over the odds for something that may not be worth as much after.

bobster453

As regards ebay, any particular sellers of militaria you guys in your experience would recommend as being genuine or the opposite as the case may be