General Lufstreitkräfte Schirmmütze

[Jan Klaassen]

'nAbend fellow forum-members!

I'm close to buying a Schirmmütze, General Lufstreitkräfte. The outside looks ok.

Now I do have these pictures;



Could someone give me thumbs up () or down (), based on these pictures?
Or does one need pics of some other specific area to be more sure about originality?

Thanks in advance!

[Jan Klaassen]

It is made in 1990... Would that have been possible?

[olivyaya]

Looks good to me... but I would not buy a 1990 made one !!

[Jan Klaassen]

Just because it might be post-DDR or something?

Any other opinions? ^^

[David H]

Too few pictures, more needed, but it is possible it is what it is meant to be. Ok it will be unissued, but alot of the 1980's ones are as well. The DDR was still there for more than half of 1990 so it would still be a period item. Whilst I can understand 1990 items not commanding as much money as earlier items, it does seem strange a collector not wanting it in the collection... That is a little like a TR collector not wanting a mint hat made in 1945!!
Is it coming from a safe source??? ie. not the normal suspect sources for generals caps??

[ironhrt15]

I would not turn down something just because it is later like 90 or so. It can always fill the hole until one found something from an earlier decade. I also like looking at the differences in construction and workmanship from different eras also. I would always judge the item itself as a whole and then worry about the date unless that was the reason I wanted it. Just my thoughts on the matter.

[Mike G.]

I too agree it would be nice to have some additional photos.

However, if real, and the only issue is the 1990 production date, then to answer your question, the hat most definitely gets a .

Even in 1990, it is still DDR NVA.

[Kartofelpreußer]

If it's real, the date wouldn't bother me.

In fact, a 1990 item is even better... the factory workers knew that their stockpiles of socialist fervor were going to go bad in a few months, so they were breaking open the storehouses and lavishing it on every item that went out the door.

[Jan Klaassen]

Too few pictures, more needed, but it is possible it is what it is meant to be. Ok it will be unissued, but alot of the 1980's ones are as well. The DDR was still there for more than half of 1990 so it would still be a period item. Whilst I can understand 1990 items not commanding as much money as earlier items, it does seem strange a collector not wanting it in the collection... That is a little like a TR collector not wanting a mint hat made in 1945!!
Is it coming from a safe source??? ie. not the normal suspect sources for generals caps??

Thanks for the reply!
I wasn't really bothered about 1990, only wondered if they could possibly have made these in 1990...

Of what would you like to see more pictures? I could ask the seller...

Safe source: as far as I know, yes. It's a Dutch private seller, with no connections to the sources for generals fakes ^^

[Gordon Craig]

Jan,

Pictures you would need are of the cockade and good front and side views of the hat. In the early days following the fall of the wall, there was a strong feeling in the ruling circles of the DDR that they could continue as a separate state and a "two state Germany" would continue to exist. That is why they designed special buttons for Generals uniforms without the DDR state seal, among other things. I know you said that the 1990 date didn't worry you and it shouldn't. If you are comfortable with the dealer and he is willing to send more pictures and the price is right then it should be ok to buy.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

sorry-double post

[Jan Klaassen]

I'll ask the seller for pictures of the cockade, front and side.

Would a price of, say, 75 euros be in order here? ^^

[uscob]

The main thing is the AF contract. They might get ordered in 1988 or 89 and they get paid for them, so they made them. I had lot's of Majors Shoulder boards from 1990 and the last made ones they stamped with Made in Germany, directly for Export.

[Gordon Craig]

I'll ask the seller for pictures of the cockade, front and side.

Would a price of, say, 75 euros be in order here? ^^

Jan,

I haven't bought one of these in a long time so I am not the best person to advise on price. It sounds reasonable to me though. Perhaps someone else can comment as well.

Regards,

Gordon

[ehrentitle]

The main thing is the AF contract. They might get ordered in 1988 or 89 and they get paid for them, so they made them. I had lot's of Majors Shoulder boards from 1990 and the last made ones they stamped with Made in Germany, directly for Export.

That may explain why I was able to buy large lots of AF Major, NCO, and private shoulder boards several years back. I've got a good sized box of extras somewhere.