Whats Best book for new collectors?

[lauraly]

I am fairly new to collecting 3rd Reich stuff and I am looking for a good all round encyclopedia of awards and medals with price guide? Is there such a thing?

I find that either the book just touches on the award with not quite enough information or otherwise the book is just about one award?

I really like: Collector's Guide to Third Reich Militaria
by Robin Lumsden but it just does not cover very many awards and medals.

I would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction?

[Jono]

Do you mean a book about the history of the awards, or fake detection?
Lumsden's "Medals and Decorations of Hitler's Germany" is good for the former. For the latter, there isn't one. The fakes are so good these days that whole books are being required to comprehensively cover a single award.
Price guides in books are useless, so forget about that. They are out of date before the book hits the shelves. Watch the E-Stand to get an idea about prices

[evilmike]

i bought Robins Collector's Guide to Third Reich Militaria, when i started but i think what helped and taught me was using the forums to pick up info, the search button is v helpful and just keep reading plus you get to see many different pieces start looking to see what your thoughts are on an item are before looking at the answers after lol.

both that and the detecting the fakes book are worthwhile its worth hanging out on waf looking at your particular interest to learn the most

[Stahlhelm]

I agree. Hanging out on the WAF, doing research on various medals, awards, etc., and using the search function to compare and contrast is where I've learned some of the best information out there. As mentioned earlier, no one book covers everything comprehensively, and it actually takes an entire large volume to deal with just one item, if that even exists.

So, I'd really suggest spending time researching on the forum, communicating with and gathering knowledge from the friends/experts you meet, and yes, do buy the books you happen to find about any particular piece in which you have special interest.

That's just my opinion, and I hope it helps.

Chris

[Adrian]

My advice would be to decide which area you want to concentrate on, EKs or visors or helmets or daggers or cloth or uniforms.........
Once you have thought about that you can make a more informed decision on which books you need to get to help you. As the others have said, hang around on the forum, use the search button regularly and keep up to date with the latest news in your chosen area.

[BrianK]

"German War Booty"

I would recommend this book to ANY TR collector. It has great photos of the best & rarest items from every area of collecting. It's a great reference & beginning book. The author is Thomas Johnson & it is available from Amazon.com & many other major book websites.

[Immer Treue]

My advice would be to decide which area you want to concentrate on, EKs or visors or helmets or daggers or cloth or uniforms.........
Once you have thought about that you can make a more informed decision on which books you need to get to help you. As the others have said, hang around on the forum, use the search button regularly and keep up to date with the latest news in your chosen area.

This is, in my opinion, by far the best advice. With the price of the stuff out there, and the lure of the forgeries, it might be better to concentrate on a particular area, and just get good at it. If you're willing to hustle and dig, other things may fall your way. Get into the position of letting your collection work for you. If you generalize,this may not be possible.

Mike

[Huntzman]

1st, welcome to the wonderful and happy world of TR collecting........

Now run away as quickly as you can.............

Seriously though, I would be very leery of any "one book" coverage. You'll only get snipets of information, and nothing tangible as far as insight into "good" original pieces.

The best advice I can give, being fairly new myself, is to spend time here on the forums. Decide what it is that you would like to collect. And then pick up books geared towards that field.

If you want a book that dabbles in everything. something like "Badges & Insignia of the Third Reich 1933-1945", by Brian Leigh Davis is good. I like it because it mixes period photos to show usage of items, but the main plates are illustrated. This way no pesky fakes pop up to steer you wrong......

And don't be put off on the "price" of some books...... trust me, that $75 - $100 you invest in a good reference work book is usually a lot cheaper than the cost of getting burned the first time on a fake.

Either way, the forum provides a lot of valuable information and if you sit and read and learn you will be on your way to enjoying a nice, but complicated, hobby.

Andrew

[Andy Harris]

I agree, Huntzman.

Definitely avoid relying on just one book for ANYTHING! Even the best authors' works have gaps in info, and it is always a good idea to cross-reference. For collecting uniforms and equipment, I really like Brian Davis's books, especially his two-volume Luftewaffe set. Robin Lumsden's books are also good, and so are Gordon Williamson's and others.
If you really get into TR collecting, you will likely spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on the hobby. Investing in a decent reference library is a must.