My opinion on Robin Lumsden, as we have discussed him and his books in the past, and now he is here among us.....
I think Lumsden wrote his books pre internet... ie. when you actually had to go out and find the info... some of it was good, some bad.
BUUUT he did make the effort to write some books and tell what he had learned. When he made errors, they were more on the conservative side, and I prefer a book that shoots down an original than one that praises fakes.
Sure... for the guy who has been collecting for years there is nothing new. There are better books on badges.... there are better books on uniforms.... there are better books on helmets.... but I still maintain that as a A.B.C. of collecting.... "see spot run" "I am going to learn to walk before I try to run" "covering all bases for the beginner" that Lumsdens books are a good start for the young/Starting out collector. (Saved me USD600 way back when.... back in the days where there was no internet and the only thing to help me at a show vis a vis a SS cufftitle was his book in my back pocket).
So....now Robin is online...it opens a whole new world to him.... I am sure he to will learn some new tricks...as have many collectors once they have arrived online.
Sure, everyone online is an expert...they all talk like it... but online collecting is easy, just type in the search engine on the forum and whammo instant answer to everything. many well respected collectors have found fakes in their collections since they came online... I have seen complete collections meltdown once the folks came online.
Robin is approaching the net with the enthusiasm that everyone has once they get webbed, and does not have the benifit of having participated in the threads over the last 4-5 years. its no big deal ALL non online collectors have some catching up to do.
All Militaria books have fakes and errors... So do Robins, but unlike some of the other Books out there, I am unaware that Robin published his books to sell fakes.
10 years ago many, many young collectors learned about souval hooks from Robin... many guys in the middle of nowhere at a show were able to say "sorry, this tunic is WEST-German"... sure, we are all experts now, we are in the internet age... but I am sure some of the older collectors will remember how hard it was to find info on some stuff 15 years ago....
So, its been done before... sound off on the subject...
I think Robins Books were /are a good start for the young collector who wants to touch a bit of everything, sure you can say that the fakes in their are SOOOOOO obvious... but then look at some of the crap a lot of folks post here saying "is this original...is it!! Is it ???"
Sure, if you want to go out and buy a RK, there are much better reference books, sure, Mike Beavers books are gonna help you more with SS cammo....
But, if you are starting out, and going to a show... and know very little, well, how many guys here saved a good few bucks thanks to Robin....
Sure some of the stuff he got wrong... the metal on the pins of spanish wound badges... they are magnetic AND brass, but it erred on the conservative side so lost me no money.... how many folks lost money because other books mentioned 200 panzer assault badges or round pilots badges????
Anyway, fire away, lets have opinions (The "I have been collecting for 45 years and Leraned NOTHING from the books!" is an obvious non starter)
I think Lumsden wrote his books pre internet... ie. when you actually had to go out and find the info... some of it was good, some bad.
BUUUT he did make the effort to write some books and tell what he had learned. When he made errors, they were more on the conservative side, and I prefer a book that shoots down an original than one that praises fakes.
Sure... for the guy who has been collecting for years there is nothing new. There are better books on badges.... there are better books on uniforms.... there are better books on helmets.... but I still maintain that as a A.B.C. of collecting.... "see spot run" "I am going to learn to walk before I try to run" "covering all bases for the beginner" that Lumsdens books are a good start for the young/Starting out collector. (Saved me USD600 way back when.... back in the days where there was no internet and the only thing to help me at a show vis a vis a SS cufftitle was his book in my back pocket).
So....now Robin is online...it opens a whole new world to him.... I am sure he to will learn some new tricks...as have many collectors once they have arrived online.
Sure, everyone online is an expert...they all talk like it... but online collecting is easy, just type in the search engine on the forum and whammo instant answer to everything. many well respected collectors have found fakes in their collections since they came online... I have seen complete collections meltdown once the folks came online.
Robin is approaching the net with the enthusiasm that everyone has once they get webbed, and does not have the benifit of having participated in the threads over the last 4-5 years. its no big deal ALL non online collectors have some catching up to do.
All Militaria books have fakes and errors... So do Robins, but unlike some of the other Books out there, I am unaware that Robin published his books to sell fakes.
10 years ago many, many young collectors learned about souval hooks from Robin... many guys in the middle of nowhere at a show were able to say "sorry, this tunic is WEST-German"... sure, we are all experts now, we are in the internet age... but I am sure some of the older collectors will remember how hard it was to find info on some stuff 15 years ago....
So, its been done before... sound off on the subject...
I think Robins Books were /are a good start for the young collector who wants to touch a bit of everything, sure you can say that the fakes in their are SOOOOOO obvious... but then look at some of the crap a lot of folks post here saying "is this original...is it!! Is it ???"
Sure, if you want to go out and buy a RK, there are much better reference books, sure, Mike Beavers books are gonna help you more with SS cammo....
But, if you are starting out, and going to a show... and know very little, well, how many guys here saved a good few bucks thanks to Robin....
Sure some of the stuff he got wrong... the metal on the pins of spanish wound badges... they are magnetic AND brass, but it erred on the conservative side so lost me no money.... how many folks lost money because other books mentioned 200 panzer assault badges or round pilots badges????
Anyway, fire away, lets have opinions (The "I have been collecting for 45 years and Leraned NOTHING from the books!" is an obvious non starter)
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