What was your Gateway TR Award?

[mametz]

I was given a HJ members badge by my Aunty more than forty years ago
she was in Germany after the war. A gang of other kids came to the
house and it went missing, still it sparked my interest i loved that badge
Regards
Mametz

[Adam S.]

KVK2 w Swords for me. Ribbon was repro but medal was good.

[Eddie]

This is the first item i bought.

[adren]

I bought at first luftwaffe 2nd model dagger from Regimental Depot, have about 6 daggers before I started collecting medals

[phild]

I started out experimenting with EK2's and wound badges it seemed harmless and fun, but within a few years I was hooked on Lugers and P.38s. I thought that I was maintaining and could even move into harder fixes and bigger thrills. Before I knew what hit me I was mainlining W-SS Officer tunics and Heer PZ wraps. By that point I realized that I was spiraling completely out of control. It has been a long hard road back to near sobriety and I have fallen off of the wagon many times. There was the time when I spent my last dime and the rent on a Heer General's uniform and even sold blood over a period of 6 months to make a down payment on a Confederate Lemat revolver......thinking that a change in poison could turn me around.

My life has not been pretty in many ways and I never dismiss the danger of flirting with gateway militaria. It leads down only one path and when that smokey devil gets his claws into you there is no way out. Beware.

[adren]

This is my first medal, started bit high,

There is an unique opportunity to acquire these in Finland now, I missed another nice grouping but trying to get one soon again

[streptile]

This is my first medal, started bit high

Wow, you certainly did Very nice.

[Dave Wyatt]

Fake EK2 and a fake IAB when I was ten. I worked all summer to go to the local gun show and paid $110 for both. Several years later I found out they were fake. Luckily by that point some time had passed and I was already hooked, otherwise I think that would have ended my collecting right then and there. My first real one was a SHuCo IAB which I gave to my daughter because she wanted her own, as she calls it "eagle".

[John F.]

This is my first medal, started bit high...

Adren,

Wow, certainly not the common beginner medal but beautiful nonetheless.

Thanks for sharing

[adren]

Thanks Guys! It is the best piece in my collection, was a lucky stroke!