My EK collection

[Dietrich Maerz]

Robert, you already know how I feel about your situation, but I have to say here how grateful I am that you have been a participant in the "Crosses" Forum over the years. Your expertise, enthusiasm, and willingness to share your knowledge have been great assets here, and I hope that you will continue to participate in many discussions. You have been all that a hobbyist should be! Thank you very much for everything you have done here! And thanks also for the great friendship and hospitality you have shown me. Your assistance in my various projects will be of benefit to the collecting community for many years to come, and for that everyone in the hobby owes you a big "Thank you" too!

Some of the crosses are shown in the book The Iron Cross 1. Class and his collection and his willingness to share has given him a deserved and solid place in the collector community for many, many years to come.
I had the great pleasure meeting Robert and dine with him one evening during an SOS show. My wife and myself, we remember that evening with great pleasure.
Robert, you are a true gentleman and a huge asset of the community!

[adren]

Always sad to hear, good luck to you!

Best Regards,

Adren

[kriztof]

You will be sorely missed Robert, I hope we can still keep in touch.

Best regards always,

Chris

[Steve Campbell]

Wow, just realized who this member is as he changed his forum name slightly. Very shocked to hear this and it must have been a tough desicion. No doubt Robert has his reasons which we should all respect. Robert has been one of the main contributors on this forum since I have been a member here and was always quick to respond to a thread. I have even spoken to him on the phone. Hopefully you will stick around Robert.

This should make us all glad that no matter how large or small our collections may be we are able to hold on to what we have and enjoy.

I wish Robert all the best in the future and hope that perhaps he can get back in the game if he so wishes.

[Adrian]

Robert,
I opened this thread yesterday hoping and expecting to see images of your wonderful Iron Cross collection on display.
Unfortunately this was not the case and with sadness and a degree of shock I learnt of your decision to sell.
You have been an inspiration not only to me but countless other members here and our collecting has been made all the more enjoyable by your wisdom, contributions, advice and help over the years. I'm thankful your posts here will be an education and wonderful reference not only for me but for new and old collectors alike into the future.
Your gentle, modest and humble nature is a true asset and a lesson for all of us to aspire to, you are a true gentleman and will be sorely missed.
I hope that if ever you visit the U.K you'll be in touch and give me the opportunity to shake your hand and thank you for making my hobby so much more enjoyable.
I would like to offer my very best wishes to you for whatever course life takes you on and hope you future is happy and successful.
Thank You Robert.
Your friend,
Adrian.

[Robert P.]

Once again thank you all very much for the kind words,

Dietrich, I remember that evening well. I came to the SOS, and was met by Marc Garlasco. He introduced me to Tom Durante and Dietrich. They all took me 'under their wing' and made the show a real event for me. I had the pleasure of meeting Tom's dad one evening, a fellow Vietnam vet. What a great man! You all made me feel like a celebrity, and I thank you for that!

Robert

[plaut]

Robert,
All I can say THANK YOU!!
And please be here.

[evilmike]

Robert, hope the funds from the sale get to buy something worthwhile and soften the loss of parting with no doubt old friends in the EK's....

Hope you stay about who else will be first to post on all the junk i find

Mike

[mametz]

I do hope you will stay on here, this hobby can ill afford to lose
people like you
Regards
Mametz

[Snni]

Hi Robert,
I'm sorry to hear that you are selling your entire collection, but its your choice and I'm sure you have your reasons.
I havent known you for that long, but long enough to know that you are a true gentleman and a very kind person.
I just want to thank you very much for all your help in the forum and all the help with the customs in your last deal.

I hope you will stay in this forum and learn us all about the crosses!

THANK YOU, ROBERT.

[Mike Coleman]

Please stay around

Robert,
I am sorry to read that you are selling such a wondeful collection. I have generally stayed silent on this forum because my level of knowledge is no where near at the level of you and others here. I am thankful to you and others for the tremendous learning resource you provide and only hope that you will continue to share your knowledge with us.

I have more than once had to sell off things and later start over. Getting rid of pieces that have been in a collection for a long time or that you searched long and hard for before being able to add them is like saying good by to an old friend.

I have always felt, as I think some other members of these forums may feel , that when we spend money to obtain an item we are not so much paying for ownership but rather for the right, privilege and responsibility of caring for and preserving pieces that represent the history of our culture. Wheteher what it represents is something good or bad or a mixture of the two it is still our history and things we collect will be tangible and undeniable reminders of things that happened in the past.

So I as a fellow collector thank you for the stewardship you provided for these items and also for your willingness at this time to pass this stewardship on to others. May we as a community of collectors show our respect for you by continuing to take care of and preserve them as well as you have done.

All the best,
Mike

[5tefan]

Hi Robert,

I know it is not easy to sell his collection.
I know what I'm talking about! My first collection of 45 EK1 I had to sell, because I need the money for privat reasons. I did call it "meine eiserne Reserve"! Hope you make some fotos of better times.
To remember on good times is sometimes what we need to solve hard times.

All the best wishes to you.

Stefan

[John Henderson]

Hi Robert, I didnt get to know you, but nevertheless I would like to wish you all the best for whatever reasons you have to sell your eks, and the future. I really do hope you can stick around and give the benefit of all your knowledge to all us new ek collectors.
kind regards John

[Gabor Tischler]

Hi Robert,

I see now this thread. This is a really bad news. I hope, that I can read even more than once your professional comments on the WAF in the future.
I wish you good health

Best regards
Gabor

[Douglas 5]

Surprized and sorry hear this .

Douglas