eBay joke thread

[uscob]

What next?
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Tischlampen-N...item589fbee8f3

The only you need is a cheap Lamp from the one Euro Shop a Helmet, A Drill and some Sweat. I think it's a nice Money making Idea without fu...g somebody.

[SanderMan]

Even though they may have torn apart a helmet, I actually think that lamp looks pretty cool

[uscob]

Even though they may have torn apart a helmet, I actually think that lamp looks pretty cool

Mostly you didn't had to rip them into pieces as it was very common to find them as Scrap on the Scrap Yards for small money.

[uscob]

While browsing I found this Pic in an old ebay auction.

[Gene T]

Does this one belong in this long-neglected thread?

https://www.ebay.de/itm/323436207391?ul_noapp=true

It even has "Muster IV" hand-written inside, in case one is not fully convinced of its originality.

Note that the right sleeve is a patch work affair but not the left; obviously an experimental feature.

I am genuinely puzzled by the heavy fabric however, with these periodic black weft lines on the backside. Does anyone recognize what it is? Is this a heavy tent fabric?

[Gene T]

After looking at the pictures more closely, I can answer my own question. The white fabric with the thin black stripe is not the backside of the printed fabric, but a separate liner piece. You can see that clearly in the unfinished armhole joint, and the fact that the poacher's pocket is not sewn through this liner. I have little doubt now that the whole thing is made out of a Zeltbahn using an ordinary sewing machine.

[Ralph P]

Gene - so is this jacket considered not to be real?

[Gene T]

Hi Ralph,

I'm a little surprised that no one else has commented on this (maybe they don't think this is funny enough?). I cannot claim to know what this jacket is, but the details just don't really add up to this being an official item.

The crudeness of the cut and sewing technique evident here are simply not found on any professionally made garment that I've seen. During the time Flaechentarn uniforms were made, double-stitching and bias-binding were the norm. No tailor worth his salt would have left sleeve joints in such an appalling state, or made a collar that would only fit someone with no neck.

In any event, I would not expect an officially sanctioned trial uniform to be made out of a cut-up Zeltbahn. The multi-piece right sleeve and single-piece left sleeve, along with the fact that the fabric in the sleeve is printed on both sides, leave little doubt in my mind that this is a repurposed Zeltbahn.

While the Germans did make things out of Zeltbahn during the war, was this practice tolerated in the NVA? If so, then we can't completely rule out that this was an unofficially made garment from the period, but for what purpose? The seller claims that it's a paratrooper's jacket. While I can picture the paratroopers making modifications to their existing uniforms to improve function or fit, I have a much harder time imagining them putting together a completely novel creation using a Zeltbahn.

[Ralph P]

Thanks much for your additional comments. I believe others once they see this thread will respond. I for sure will be interested what is written from some knowledgeable collectors we all know.