MAX Finds, Photos and Stories

[Kyle Harrington]

At a loss ????

Why are we moaning lets start naming names,come on it is OK to allude to iffy dealers let us take them to task or are people just all wind and piss ??

Intended for the right reasons, if we do not the hobby is/will become a laughing stock.
Cheers Kyle

[Leroy]

Was it a fake we all know? The "Rounder" or something? Or a new one?

Contrary to popular belief, there are very few well-made RK fakes. This particular one was a "dipping ring", with low beading, which had been "worked on" a bit.

On the bright side, I also saw several perfectly good crosses, not all of them with "big time" dealers.

I was only at the MAX for one day, then left (because of contract obligations of my travelling companion) to go to a ordinary gun show in Virginia (one of those things where scheduling conflicts/promoter requirements sometimes mess up a nice weekend). Being bored to death, I had plenty of time to think about this hobby, in which I have been involved for a very long time. Really, very little has changed. There will always be a relatively narrow group of people who "get it" and who are educated and knowledgeable, then a broader group of people who are still learning and who often find treasures, and then a remaining segment of people who don't even try to learn and who are (as in any hobby) totally "out of their league".

I don't worry about dealers. Every "bad" dealer may have something good and every "good" dealer may have something bad. Morals are no different here than in any other business.

This hobby is still a worthwhile one, although the economy is as bad right now as I have personally ever seen it. That takes a toll on this hobby and all others. There also seem to be a lot of "lightweight" and silly people now who go off on tangents and complain about everything or, even worse, are so paranoid because of their own lack of knowledge and experience that they find fault in every piece which comes along. I don't remember that in the past (at least not to the extent I see now), but that is just a "societal" change, and not one limited to this hobby. (Just turn on TV at night.)

[Thomas Durante]

Very, very well said Gentry. I agree with 100% of what you wrote.

Tom

[Dietrich Maerz]

I don't worry about dealers. Every "bad" dealer may have something good and every "good" dealer may have something bad. Morals are no different here than in any other business.

This hobby is still a worthwhile one, although the economy is as bad right now as I have personally ever seen it. That takes a toll on this hobby and all others. There also seem to be a lot of "lightweight" and silly people now who go off on tangents and complain about everything or, even worse, are so paranoid because of their own lack of knowledge and experience that they find fault in every piece which comes along. I don't remember that in the past (at least not to the extent I see now), but that is just a "societal" change, and not one limited to this hobby. (Just turn on TV at night.)

Gentry, truer words have never been spoken! That is exactly what it is. Already starts in school when one complains about mathematics without even starting to study it!

Dietrich

[Bob Hritz]

The MAX Show was pretty good to me. Grand Crosss of window display type, Steinhauer micro 800, and an unknown Knight's Cross with copper center.

Gentry, you left too early!

Bob Hritz

[AlikN]

Interesting finds Bob......

Can you show some closeups of the unknown KC and GC?

[Leroy]

Gentry, you left too early!

Story of my life!

Bob, I would love to see more photos of these crosses.

[Luftm40]

The MAX Show was pretty good to me. Grand Crosss of window display type, Steinhauer micro 800, and an unknown Knight's Cross with copper center.

Gentry, you left too early!

Bob Hritz

Nice finds! I'd love to see more of all three. I'm not ashamed to say that I HATE shows and have avoided them for years. For me personally, there is just something unsettling and slightly overwhelming about all that militaria piled in one place. I always feel rushed, and typically leave w/ the feeling that I either paid too much or missed something spectacular. I much prefer to look for solitary pieces "in the woodwork" so to speak. For me, going to a show is like hunting big game in an animal park....but I have to admit, the social part of it looks fun and you guys do find some nice things!

[Bob Hritz]

Grand Cross. I think this is a product of Steinhauer and Lueck.
Either way, it is not the official Juncker Grand Cross of which I have a nice example.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

The Knight's Cross is certainly not one of the official makers. The center is copper and the frame is marked 800. There was a lot of old varnish on the frame, which almost filled the eyelet and has mixed with the patina. When purchased, I was unaware of the silver mark. I fear trying to remove any more of the old varnish. The very long loop is unmarked. The core has an almost vaulted puffiness to the obverse.

It is a very interesting piece and came with two beautiful Steinhauer and Lueck Knight's Crosses.

Like Gentry, I have a taste for crosses that are out of the ordinary.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

Detail

Weight with loop: 31.26 grams

Weight without loop: 29.51 grams

Bob Hritz

[AlikN]

Grand Cross. I think this is a product of Steinhauer and Lueck.
Either way, it is not the official Juncker Grand Cross of which I have a nice example.

Bob Hritz

The Grand Cross unfortunately not the war time display or a extra copy piece, crosses with those frames come in 1870, 1914 and I also saw an 1813. 1870s of this type of cross seen with fake Wagner mark, 1914s with J.G.uS. mark, the same Wagner mark that used on some "9th bid fakes" and some fake prinzens, I also saw a few 1939 models, one marked 800, unmarked and one with L/12 mark. So in my opinion those were made postwar by the same people who made 9th bid fakes and all those stepped core fake prinzens.

Cross in this thread other then Souval's cross, was possibly made by S&L

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ead.php?t=9889

[John Hodgin]

Thought the Max was great Andy. Hope you will come to the SOS sometime. For me, shows are as much about catching up with like minded friends as collecting. Had a blast hanging out with good guys and talking shop. And still found some nice treasures to bring home.

[Luftm40]

Thought the Max was great Andy. Hope you will come to the SOS sometime. For me, shows are as much about catching up with like minded friends as collecting. Had a blast hanging out with good guys and talking shop. And still found some nice treasures to bring home.

John, yes it would be fun to meet all of the people from the forum!

[StefanK.]

Hello BoB!

That is a very interesting Knights Cross you are showing here. It is the 3rd example of that maker i have seen. If you look at Kai Winklers page you will find the same variant. I have examined these variant very closely but i cannot say when they were made.

many greetings,

Stefan