Need Help Fast!!

[Rich Yankowski]

Please,I need help fast!A co-worker just emailed me that he went to a 'barn' sale about five minutes from my house.There were two German helmets for sale,one 'plain' and the other a WW1 helmet with a spike!!He says the guy wanted $200 for it,but I could get it for less maybe!
I have books on WW2 German helmets,but none on WW1 spiked helmets.What tips to you have on spotting fakes?I need help fast!The doors open again at 9 P.M. tomarrow!
Btw:I just did a recon run on the house where the sale is at,the house is at least 150 years old!That makes me feel a little better!

[McCulloh]

Sorry Rich,
I know little about Pickhables. But I'd look for real leather (black) or greyish felt. Note the condition. The "reenactors' helmets I have seen don't sem to use real leather, but some sort of modern "wipe off" synthetic and the felt ones seem very shiney-almost buffed.
Can you look at any reenactors' equipment sites? One thing I notice is that very few Picks are in top notch condition-usually with lots of leather cracking. The rarer ones are from the smaller states, with different state arms as front plates than the Prussian/Imperial becrowned eagle.
Perhaps others can help?

[Rick Research]

All I know is that many items are old but STILL made out of parts-- look inside for extra holes indicating the whatever is on front plate hasn't been switched, that the trim is all lined up and OK. There are simply too many varieties to guess.

Going with statistical averages, it's probably a wartime-used Prussian enlisted man's. Brass trim would be pre-war, Feldgrau painted is wartime. Unless it is beat up or made entirely out of mismatched parts (watch for metal colors that don't match-- yellow and white or some painted Feldgrau etc etc) or missing major parts like chinstrap, cockades on each side of the chinstrap, spike (or artillery ball "spike) etc, 200 certainly doesn't sound bad.

[Rich Yankowski]

Thanks for the tips!The barn doors open again in about an hour!I'll let you know how I made out!

[Rich Yankowski]

It was a wartime Prussian in very poor shape!The spike and the front eagle were in fair;y good shape.Good maybe for parts,but at that price,not me!
The other helmet was either WW1 French or Belgian,also in poor shape.I passed on both.