Imperial Army Uniforms

[PaulChep]

I have been collecting Imperial Iron Cross for many years. I supply, as I am sure you all know, has been drying up and what is left is grossly overpriced! I think I may want to branch out into Imperial uniforms, but I don't know a whole heck of alot about them. I viewed one of our members websites and it was very informative. My questions center around what may be the best type of uniforms to collect. I don't want to spend more then say $200-400 per uniform to start and I don't want to go crazy worrying out fakes. I would like to maybe start with officer uniforms. Any suggestions are helpful and where might be the best delaer or website to buy from? Also if anyone has uniforms for sales please PM.

[Arran]

Hi Paul,

The most readily available tunics and accessories are the pre-war blue ones, both for officers and enlisted men. I see them all over, and the cheapest are usually to be found on Manions or eBay (I know! Shoot me for suggesting either!). Although Infantry tunics are most frequently seen, one sometimes comes across mounted troops tunics at a reasonable price; Imperial navy jackets can also be had rather inexpensively. Because of their relative availablity, I'd stick to tunics that were in superior condition and without alteration. I have from time to time seen theatrical and altered versions for sale as originals, so you should feel fairly confident about what you're buying, but for the most part, there are some great deals to be had out there. You may still find that you have to raise your spending range by $100-$200.

Cheers,

Arran.

[Paul B]

Hi Paul

There are some really advanced uniform collectors who post here -I'm thinking of guys like Tony and Dave- and comparatively I'm a novice, having been collecting seriously only 6 years, but I would make these points:

Field Grey tunics are rare and expensive. Officer's tunics are more common than NCOs or enlisted men's examples, but expect to pay big money for any original examples. (The last officer's tunic I bought cost over £1200, the last NCOs issue tunic over £1500....)

Finding untampered with field grey tunics is quite difficult -many were civillianised or altered post-war and have subsequently being "restored" by certain dealers. If it's untampered with then the cost goes up....if it has been tampered with, then leave well alone....

If you want to put a field grey mannequin together, then a less expensive way is to buy a M1915 greatcoat -these are fairly easy to find, much cheaper than tunics, and look pretty good displayed with field equipment and the relevent headgear. Field grey shoulder straps and shoulder boards, bearing a bewildering array of numbers and cyphers, are another alternative -cheaper than uniforms and they make a powerful visual impression when displayed together.

The other alternative is to collect dunkleblau uniforms. These are the traditional pre-field grey tunics -usually, hence the name, dark blue- which were worn as combat dress until the introduction of the M1907/10 uniform, and worn during WWI mainly by troops undergoing training. They are easier to find then field-grey tunics and a lot less expensive (in the UK you can get them for around £400) although the majority on the market are private purchase examples, so you would pay a little more for an issue piece.

I don't collect dunkleblau tunics myself, but there's no denying that they are a complex and fascinating area, as well as being visually stunning. Check out Tony's website for the best (and it's FREE! ) guide to this type of uniform anywhere on the web.

Whatever you go for, as you already know, building up a good reference library is the key.

Sorry to be so negative about the price and availability of certain WWI German uniforms, but unfortunately for new collectors to this area this is the way it is at the moment. However, there are still many areas of Imperial German collecting left unexplored, so go for it and enjoy it!

Very best regards

Paul.

[PaulChep]

Thanks

Thanks for the help guys