Knights Cross Stories

[Knight_ridergta]

Hello everyone,

One day I want to add a Knights Cross to my collection. In the meantime I thought I would see if anyone had any cool stories of how they got their Knights Crosses, like through garage sales, vet bring backs etc.

Thanks!

[hkusp40]

Mine was a vet bring back in 1946. When he died about ten years ago, the widow sold a tin cookie can filled with badges and awards to a friend of mine. He took most of the awards and i managed to get the rk and a nice ek1 from the lot. My rk was in that grouping. It had sat in an attic for over 50 years in that cookie tin. You never know what will pop up. -Ger

[vonStubben]

In 1995 I was living in my RV in a seasonal camp ground here in Florida. My neighbor who was in his late 60's learned that I was an antiques/militaria dealer, who was down on his luck, after loosing everything to a major heist.

After having learned this he asked me to sell some antique women's purses that had belonged to his grandmother since I had an antique show scheduled that weekend and I agreed knowing just who to sell them to. When I saw him that next Monday I handed him a wad of cash totaling much more than he had ever expected. The next weekend (as he was pulling out that day for parts unknown) he dropped by to say goodbye and produced an old manila envelope that his uncle had given to him sometime after the war. This manila envelope was stuffed full of shoulder boards, speciality patches, breast eagles, chevrons, etc.,....and when I say stuffed, I mean stuffed. When I asked him what he wanted for it he told me he had been offered $85.00 a few months earlier from an antique shop...so, I told him I'd give him half of all I presently had to my name (half being only $150.00) and he accepted, telling me that he really wanted me to have it. We then said our goodbyes and he drove off. When I got back to my RV I tossed the bag in a drawer and got ready to meet some friends. The next morning I opened the envelope and dumped everything onto my bed and the last thing to come tumbling out was a nicely patinated K&Q KC on a second class ribbon that had eyelets sewn at both ends...talk about excited!

That cross put me back on my feet, although it was very hard for me to sell it, and only selling it to this particular dealer with the proviso that I could buy it back when I got back on my feet (....which it turned out he wouldn't BTW).

In 2000 while doing the same antique show I passed a booth and saw a KC and ribbon in a display case and asked how much it was completly expecting it to be a fake. After louping it I gave him the $50.00 and happily walked away with a lazy 2 Juncker KC. That cross paid for my wedding the next year.

My third was another K&Q which I paid $6,000.00 for, and my last (to date), is the S&L "A" type with war time S&L Oaks which you can find discussed here on the forum and also written about in the Spring 2012, Volume 3, Number 1 issue of the International Medal Collector magazine published by our own Dietrich Maerz.

So...that's my story....for what it's worth.

[Rich G]

I bought all of mine with hard earned cash.

[Ludwig]

I have found two of mine at ebay. One 3/4 loop and one L/12 with that marking to the left instead of to the right, which is most common. Both excellent crosses, but no bargain!

[Chet Sowersby]

Everything has a story. When it comes to collecting items of the Third Reich thoes stories are best left for bedtime....

Chet

[Knight_ridergta]

Great stories everyone! I would love to come across one like some of you have but most likely I will end up buying one at retail!

[Calvin Hall]

I got mine at a pawn shop - a very fortunate buy.

I copied and pasted the story from my original thread...

"A buddy of mine that works at a local pawn shop called me a few months ago to say that an item that I would be interested had walked into the shop. Well, we spoke by phone yesterday and he said that the item was an EK2 that was missing both the ring and ribbon. I thought to myself, "Great, an EK2 that is missing the ribbon and ring. Where will I ever find a damn ring - those are soldered on at the factory." He goes on to say that the EK2 was brought in by the daughter of the vet, and that the cross is maker marked, and it is in nice condition. He then says that the cross is marked "800" and "L/12". So, I catch my breath and say, "I will meet you at your shop tomorrow."

[tony james]

i bought mine from ebay.the seller was a antiques dealer who was selling it as a iron cross 2nd class for 95 dollars. a guy that used to be on this fourm years ago and was always selling knights cross ribbons and suspension loops drove up the price to 1500 dollars. still a good price for a Otto schickle KC. it was disscussed briefly on the fourm as " bargin knights cross ".
the seller told me that it was his brother in laws who rode the back of a garbage truck and found it after he dumped a can in the truck.what i also found interesting was the location was in Idaho falls which i knew had POW camp there during the war. possibly belonged to a prisoner. their historcal society replied a year later after i emailed them many times for info on the camp stating that someone stole the POW camp records.a year later i bought a 57 cased Otto schickle KC from ebay for 60 dollars .price included shipping.

[Matthieu]

a year later i bought a 57 cased Otto schickle KC from ebay for 60 dollars .price included shipping.

... now try finding one for less then 1.000 USD .

[Jimmy]

Rk

I got mine (cased) against the far wall in Bldg. 4 at the Great Western
the first show at the Fair Grounds don't know the date.

Everyone and their dog was there (Wolfe & Hardin was on the opposite wall I remember)
I just happened to be the first to see it $700,
its long gone and I don't remember the maker.

[kraut72]

I got mine at a pawn shop - a very fortunate buy.

I copied and pasted the story from my original thread...

"A buddy of mine that works at a local pawn shop called me a few months ago to say that an item that I would be interested had walked into the shop. Well, we spoke by phone yesterday and he said that the item was an EK2 that was missing both the ring and ribbon. I thought to myself, "Great, an EK2 that is missing the ribbon and ring. Where will I ever find a damn ring - those are soldered on at the factory." He goes on to say that the EK2 was brought in by the daughter of the vet, and that the cross is maker marked, and it is in nice condition. He then says that the cross is marked "800" and "L/12". So, I catch my breath and say, "I will meet you at your shop tomorrow."

i guess did not buy it at Rick Harrison

[nipperdon]

knights cross

I bought my first, a 800 marked cross from a dealer in Pennsylvania years ago. Sent me a postcard asking $800 for the cross and case. I later bought a mint Panzer officers hat from him for $700 which was interesting as the pricing was about the same. Have found several others throughout the years, including the Knights Cross owned by one of the paratroopers that captured Eben Emael, Walter Koch.

Don

[Knight_ridergta]

If you guys ever want to sell one of you Knights Crosses let me know!

[streptile]

I got mine from Charlie Snyder.