Genuine dealer ?

[hayleyp]

whos a trusted dealer i would like to buy a cammo jacket and pants [tiger] are they rare ,thanks for your help.

[historyguy]

If you need to buy a set today, these dealers are your best bet:

http://www.vintageproductions.com/
http://www.baystatemilitaria.com
http://www.ljmilitaria.com/geargener...r_stripe_items

They all three have a good selection of tigerstripe, though I think the last one, Lee-Jackson is the only one currently offering a matching set. (Bob Chatt has jackets & pants available separately. You could email him and ask what he has that isn't listed online.)

As for your question "are they rare," my personnal opinion is no, they are not-- genuine tigerstripes can be found quite easly in different styles, sizes and condition. They are, however, incredibly popular, which is really what drives up their prices.

[thefallenbuddha]

For me, tigerstripes in general are rare, even the more commonly found patterns, in addition to the harder to find patterns. For every one good tigerstripe piece you find, there will be dozens of US jungle shirts. When you visit a military show, how many tables have real tigers? Not that many on average compared to other items.

Check the tigerstripe threads on the "other" forum for a good overview and reference.

Also, Vintage Productions has a very large number of excellent tiger items, the website only shows a fraction of what is available.

[kammo man]

Bob has the most for sale .
Maybee 50 pieces any any one time .
owen

[kammo man]

On another flip of the coin , I was talking my hike up by the Hollywood sign with my dogs and I felt I could have answered more .
With Tigers as any other camouflage pattern from any wars there are the common and rare prints and cuts of a pattern .
When buying Tigers you have to ask yourself how deep into the subject you want to go ?
Is size a factor ?
Do you only want any pattern as an example or do you want to go down the long road of collecting pattern by pattern ,cut by cut ?
Is it a wearer piece you are after ?
how much do you want to spend ?
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
or more .
With each hundred spent you will get a better garment in terms of hard to find ,condition ,size ect .
Its all up to you the buyer !!!
tigers are a lot of fun ,but beware .....................
One piece leads to another and before long those stripes will have the allure of a srien calling ships into rocks ......
you will NEED to get more .
Have fun cuz they are fun .
owen

[blue7289]

Man, did you step on a camo land mine!!!

[Bob Chatt]

Thanks Guys for the kind words. Yes, we always have a large selection of tiger stripes in the showrrom.
On the subject of tiger stripes being common, that I will disagree with. There are a couple of late patterns that are fairly easy to find, but there are also other patterns that are extremely rare to find. In the last two years I have personally watched two sets of tigers sell in the 10K range. I never thought in my lifetime I would see tigers selling for more then some SS camo. Granted these were rare, and I had only handled one of these patterns once, about twenty years ago.

[Scott Joseph]

Indochina militaria is another good source, their are a few more common stripes for sale right now for around $150 for a shirt. John's a real stand up guy with good connections. As to the 10k for a set WOW! It seems Vietnam militaria is attracting more and more attention. I remember as a kid wearing a tiger stripe Three pocket shirt playing paintball... oops.
S.

[historyguy]

Thanks Guys for the kind words. Yes, we always have a large selection of tiger stripes in the showrrom.
On the subject of tiger stripes being common, that I will disagree with. There are a couple of late patterns that are fairly easy to find, but there are also other patterns that are extremely rare to find. In the last two years I have personally watched two sets of tigers sell in the 10K range. I never thought in my lifetime I would see tigers selling for more then some SS camo. Granted these were rare, and I had only handled one of these patterns once, about twenty years ago.

I too recall seeing at least one set of those $10K camos for sale, and they were nice!

But the original poster asked for "a cammo jacket and pants [tiger]," not an RVN Marine set, or SEAL-modified jacket or a fully badged MACV-SOG set... If he had, my answer would have been different.

Instead, he asked for a set of tigerstripes. In less than five minutes I found multiple examples for sale by three different dealers. (To be honest, only Lee Jackson had a matching set currently listed online. Though you had multiple pairs of pants for a buyer to chose from to make a jacket/pants set.) And as mentioned, other dealers currently (or at least frequently) offer tigerstripes as well.

Could you find an RT North Carolina patch for sale in five minutes? What about examples from different dealers for someone to chose from? When was the last time a dealer offered an SVN general’s uniform for sale? Or how about an original painted BDQ helmet-- do you have 50 of those to display with your tigerstripes? THOSE items are RARE.

I just don’t see how one can consider something "rare" when it is so readily available for sale.

I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

[Bob Chatt]

Andy- One set of the tigers was a Viet Marine pattern, the other was what is considered the first pattern tiger stripe.

Like I orignally posted the late war stuff is fairly easy to find, that I agree with. But, that being said I regualry sell late war, harder to find patterns in the four figures. Also, I was not referring to SEAL jackets, SOG uniforms, or Viet marine patterns, I understood he was asking for tiger stripes and responded as such.
Even Gold patterns are now selling in the $1500.00 range, for good sets. Kammo-Man's comment of me having at least fifty pieces of Tiger Stripe at any given time is not an exageration, and is probably light in number to what we do have. Are all the patterns considered common? By no means, I have tiger stripes for every collector, whether they are beginners or the ultra-advanced. Just because I have that many pieces, does not mean or make them common. That is like saying if one of the bigger German dealers, has, say 20 SS camo pullovers, does that make them common and easy to find? If he had this many that would make them readily available, but yet they are still considered rare.

As per your other statement, could I turn up a real RT North Carolina or even a real RT Minnesota in five minutes. Yes, I could, if the collector was willing to pay the right price. I could also turn up a "real" ARVN Ranger helmet, if the collector is willing to pay what a "real" one sells for. Let's also be honest, if someone had 50 ARVN Ranger helmets would you trust any of them? My shop is full of Rare items ( badged and documented SOG items, SEAL items, obscure Vn camo, etc.). So just because something is rare, does not mean it is unattainable. I am not trying to brag or boast just trying to make a factual statement. We all know that no matter how rare an item is, if the right amount of money is being talked, even the rarest of the rare item, can become available. Now for the ARVN General's uniform, hey there's one on Manion's, but I don't think we want to touch that one.....

You are definately right though, we will have to agree to disagree on this subject.
Bob

[thefallenbuddha]

I just don’t see how one can consider something "rare" when it is so readily available for sale

Well, it looks like the issue here is how the term "rare" can be used.

Just because a type of item can be found for sale does that cancel it out as "rare"?
Are the only "rare" items those which almost never appear for sale on the Internet?

I would disagree.

Also, I wouldn't recommend using a few five minute Internet searches as the concrete background to proving any point. I don't think this is a solid reference. It doesn't work for a junior high research assignment, and it wouldn't work for getting a complete picture of the collecting market either.

If I was a full time military dealer and had a website, I would want to post some of the best items I had, and I think most would agree the best items are those, which sale the most, have higher prices, and are rare. I probably wouldn't waste my time with posting dozens of $10 items.

For myself, the definition of "rare" is defined by percentage/ratio.
What percentage of servicemen (of all nationalities involved) wore tiger stripe versus green fatigues in Vietnam?
What's more, what percentage of these still exist today?

I think the answers to both of these questions would show the number of tiger stripes to be in a pretty obvious minority in comparison to other uniforms.
They also simply do not appear nearly as often at military shows or (the evil incarnate) Ebay as most other uniform items.
How many times do you find a tiger stripe at grandma's antique mall?
So, for me, that would give more than enough case to term them "rare".

Also, as well all know...money can buy everything, so I would agree if a buyer is willing to pay the right price, any collectible can be located and purchased.

When I'm filthy rich I plan on buying Kilgore's surfboard from Apocalypse Now. I have a penny jar in my kitchen, and I add to it every day when I get home with the change I save from buying lunch at Arby's. It's a long way to go, but still...progress is progress.

[kammo man]

Budda ........
I am in shock .
All these years I thought you were a vegetarian .
And you eat at Arbys !!!
My god man so that is how you are able to save up for your surf board .
Guys ..we can all learn from this .
A roast beef sandwich a day keeps the collecting blues away .

Rare is an old debate in collecting land for decades .
Though money sure breaks down the barrier .

owen

[Beau Brummel.]

I think you are correct to a point but If you then do the demographic of originally badged jungle jackets with pocket patches and all the toys then the whole thing stands on It's head again. Then you go a step further and say, 'what about tigers with badging etc' and It all slides the other way. I don't believe tigers per se are incredibly rare but as Bob and Owen have said certain patterns are virtually unobtainable and extremely valuable whilst others are everywhere and not worth a wank!

Actually the whole argument base Is flawed because In effect we are comparing apples to oranges

Then there Is the value based on rarity concept.

As an ex colletor of German and British camouflage I watch askance at the prices of pull over smocks. I sold my last one for what I considered a very good price some 5 years ago and that was a supposedly rare plane tree 4 m40. That same smock has now quadrupled In value, why? I could go out and find half a dozen with no problem. try finding a tiger jacket with originally applied MF Insignia and you can't and It Isn't just because Bob has them all . However If you could find one It would be a fraction of the price of the smock, WHY!

All we can really say Is that rarity Is subjective and peoples tastes are not a good indicator.

My head hurts Guy.

Well, it looks like the issue here is how the term "rare" can be used.

Just because a type of item can be found for sale does that cancel it out as "rare"?
Are the only "rare" items those which almost never appear for sale on the Internet?

I would disagree.

Also, I wouldn't recommend using a few five minute Internet searches as the concrete background to proving any point. I don't think this is a solid reference. It doesn't work for a junior high research assignment, and it wouldn't work for getting a complete picture of the collecting market either.

If I was a full time military dealer and had a website, I would want to post some of the best items I had, and I think most would agree the best items are those, which sale the most, have higher prices, and are rare. I probably wouldn't waste my time with posting dozens of $10 items.

For myself, the definition of "rare" is defined by percentage/ratio.
What percentage of servicemen (of all nationalities involved) wore tiger stripe versus green fatigues in Vietnam?
What's more, what percentage of these still exist today?

I think the answers to both of these questions would show the number of tiger stripes to be in a pretty obvious minority in comparison to other uniforms.
They also simply do not appear nearly as often at military shows or (the evil incarnate) Ebay as most other uniform items.
How many times do you find a tiger stripe at grandma's antique mall?
So, for me, that would give more than enough case to term them "rare".

Also, as well all know...money can buy everything, so I would agree if a buyer is willing to pay the right price, any collectible can be located and purchased.

When I'm filthy rich I plan on buying Kilgore's surfboard from Apocalypse Now. I have a penny jar in my kitchen, and I add to it every day when I get home with the change I save from buying lunch at Arby's. It's a long way to go, but still...progress is progress.

[blue7289]

Ok, like I said, "LAND MINE"!!! Someone sell this guy a set of tigers between $500-$1,000 that he'll be happy with in his collection.

[thefallenbuddha]

Budda ........
I am in shock .
All these years I thought you were a vegetarian .
And you eat at Arbys !!!
My god man so that is how you are able to save up for your surf board .
Guys ..we can all learn from this .
A roast beef sandwich a day keeps the collecting blues away .

Tis more fulfilling to buy five roast beefs for $5 than to pay $2.69 each for two.
Arby's has much to offer us.

So sayeth the Buddha.