Sell all for a Knight's Cross?

[Dave Kane]

Just some more of my rambling thoughts! Would it not be better to sell all the 'lower' end stuff we have and put that money in to something that really appreciates in value like the Knight's Cross...Afterall on any given weekend we can all find the standard medals, tunics, telephones etc. and etc. but, do they ever go up in value like that of the Knight's Cross???
John

[Frank Heukemes]

This certainly holds some truth but thankfully collecting is about COLLECTING not about gathering only items that will go up in value a lot. It might be a reasonable thing to do, but should a nice addiction be reasonable at all times?

Cheers, Frank

[W. C. Stump]

IF ONLY AFTER THOUGHT WAS FORE THOUGHT

If after thought was fore thought I would be a millionaire many time over today. However, I have always collected for the historical element rather than for an investment. Alas, that is like a frog wishing for wings. If wishes brought wings the frog would not bounce his butt on the ground. If wishes could let me go back in time and take $5,000.00 to invest into Knights Crosses I would be a Donald Trump rather than a Hillbilly Stump. Just think that had I only known that a common Knights Cross would bring in the excess of $5K in 1960, and had bought all I could for $15-20, just look at the potential profit I could make today.

[Brian S]

KC w Oakleaves

Well when any of you decide to do somthing that will get the wife to leave you, I have a Knight's Cross with Oakleaves from Detlev to a Luftwaffe Pilot that I be happy to part with... Then there you go.

[ERIC S.]

Frank's right, collecting is COLLECTING. Buying now for resale later
is not collecting to me. If one wants to do that, I don't really classify him as a collector, more like a dealer! How many of us here have $6 to $10 grand to dump each time we purchase something? Not me that's for sure!! For every RK you or anyone for that matter buys, if you can find them, for the same amount you spent I could buy 10 to 12 quality Luftwaffe Badges, probably cased! More reasearch, more pieces by different makers, more fun! Now that to me is collecting! I love looking at all my badges every day. From the late zinc to the early buntmetal. Don't get me wrong here, RK's are gorgeous pieces. But realistically, how many could the "common" collector buy a year?1 MAYBE? And that's after putting all his eggs in one basket.
Just my thoughts here.
ERIC

[Brian S]

Then DO NOT purchase the books about the RK holders. Reading their biographies will do give you the RK sickness.

[Dez H]

I would rather keep all my pieces than have one Knight’s Cross by itself. Collecting militaria is a hobby, sure it is also an investment but the primary reason for buying is because I like what I buy. Sometimes I have bought pieces and sold them soon after for a profit, which I see no harm in. But I have some pieces in my collection that I will never sell regardless of how much I might make on it.

[Brian S]

Couldn't agree with you more. A cased pilot badge is as pretty a badge to look at as anything out there. Put a cased Air Gunner next to it and you've got the best looking twins in town.

[Greg S]

I have actually thought about that "What If" I could trade what I have for the RK of my choosing? It would be nice but I like what I have acquired and how I acquired them. I would have to say no I couldn't do it.

[RoyA]

An RK Collector's Perspective

I can only saywhen I received my first RK....
My hands shook when I held the box...
My hands shook when I opened the box...
My hands shook when I held that beautiful Juncker in my hands....
And it does more for me than any medal, badge, schirmutze or tunic I've ever owned.
And I never once considered the investment aspect.
An RK is a true rarity and a beauty to behold.
If I sold it for what I paid I wouldn't care.
Nothing I've purchased in the past 25 years has given me more enjoyment.

Brians....tell us more about your RK with oaks!

[Brian S]

Awarded to Heinrich Paepcke. On The Field Of Honor Vol. 2 P.141. It only shows a drawing. I have a couple on real pics of him. Putting it next to a few badges and daggers and you'd think the room was filling with ghosts.

[RoyA]

Brians,
Would you do us all the honor and pleasure of viewing a photo?
It would be much appreciated by all.

[IVAN]

Hi guys,

till where do you think will arrive III Reich decoration's price- rare and not ones- ?

okay, nobody can say something about the future, .....but your opinion?

Ivan

[Joseph D'Errico]

Hello,

Sell all my Luft badges for an RK..........hmmmm, nope!!! But I might sell an RK to buy a nice bunch of Luft badges.

To each his own, buy just to invest......that's not fun, where is the rush?

Best regards,
JD

[Ed_Haynes]

To echo others:

Are we in this for an investment? (I certainly hope not, though I fear, that for some, I know better.)

Are we in this to study the past? (I certainly hope so, but the same disclaimer applies.)

The most "valuable" medals to me are not those with the most decimal places in their "book value".

Ed Haynes