An Introduction to all members

[KNIGHTSCROSS]

Hello to all members of this excellant forum. I am relatively new to the forum and collecting Third Reich items, having just purchased my first item on E-stand i am eagerly awaiting my maker marked EK2. There is so much to learn and i am almost certain to seek advice on here from other collectors regards authenticity and what i should be considering sensible regards pricing of an object.
I was surprised to learn that even the post war 1957 restrikes are now rising in price and are beginning to be heavily copied and so now, what i beleived might be an economical way to owning a mighty RK or oak leaves has become something of a mine-field in its own right!
Hopefully your advice will help me traverse this "minefield" and make the right decisions although i wonder how do i submit detailed photos of an item i do not as yet own? i think any seller worth his salt should happily submit detailed pics to the potential buyer first , as with the E-Stand.
I have to Admit that some of the prices out there i find shocking, i will never be a wealthy collector and so i shall start from very humble beginnings and take my time to select items that are both genuine and well priced and surely that is the joy of collecting.
Anyway just a short intoduction, my name is Stuart and im in the UK, Thank you in advance for any advice i will undoubtably ask for in the future.

Cheers

[Nico C]

Welcome Stuart to this magnificient forum .

Best,

[herrgeezer]

Hello Stuart. Welcome aboard!

[mar maskery]

hello...

hi stuart from a fellow brit !

live in the north east and have been a member of the forum for a few years and have been collecting third reich militaria for around 25 years but do not confess to be an expert,there is always something to learn here.e-stand is an excellent place to purchase items as other members will advise if ' suspect ' items arise.also good place to obtain reference books which are a very important part of the hobby and can become collectable in their own right.i can only suggest specialising in a particular item or field but i confess to changing interests as i go along.award documents are still relatively cheap and interesting as you can do a fair bit of research on them.iron cross documents are my personal favourites and now and again,one will pop up signed by knights cross winner and no one has realised ! good hunting and welcome to the hobby.

mark

[Seigfried]

Welcome Stuart,
You can't go far wrong on here, and you are right - the prices, especially of late have been shocking but there are still good deals and nice pieces to be had if you look around - one thing which no doubt many collectors will tell you and something that has stood me in good stead is this - buy the best and nicest you can afford, as it will be difficult to sell on a 'ropey' item in the future

[tinmantis]

a warm welcome to the circus
my advice? buy what you like, and enjoy the history.
If you stick with this forum, and keep an open mind, you won't go far wrong
also become a member, so you can show pics! we're all here to learn and help
regards
jon

[Jonathan M]

Welcome aboard and you've come to the best place to learn
Jonathan

[Mark Holmes]

Hi Stuart . Nice to see new faces as always . I am fairly new to collecting myself (2.5 Years ) and this forum has helped me progress much faster than i ever imagined. There is a wealth of information floating around this forum . The search option has helped me numerous times as well as the other collectors here, nothing gets past these guys.
I to collect 3rd Reich , mainly iron crosses but do stray now and again .
Speak soon im sure , Mark Holmes (Stomper)

[MLH13]

Welcome Stuart! This is the BEST place to be. The expertise here is priceless!

Mark

[Chet Sowersby]

Stuart,
Welcome aboard! May your stay be enjoyable as well as educational.

Chet

[Anthony N]

Welcome aboard Stuart!
You have come to the best place, i have been collecting for only 4 months now & this place has been incredible, i can't believe just how much i've learnt in that short time & how much money i've been saved by being warned off "fake" items.
Enjoy the stay & happy collecting,
Ant.

[Dietrich Maerz]

Welcome, Stuart, and enjoy yourself! That is the most important thing!

Dietrich

[Santi]

Welcome aboard Stuart!
I hope you enjoy your time and learn as much as possible, there is always something new to learn everyday!
Good lucking,
Santiago

[Stu W]

Welcome

Welcome to WAF Stuart. I'm new here myself and have found it to be a great place to learn and make friends. In fact it appears we have something in common already.

Regards,
another Stuart

[Adrian]

Hi Stuart,
Again, welcome to the forum and to echo what has already been said, enjoy what you collect and collect what you enjoy!
The estand is a good place to pick up some good items but always do the research first and stick around the forums to get all the latest information!
Happy collecting!