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**Greg** · 10-17-2011, 07:28 AM

Hello dave,

Welcome to the hobby, and WAF! The first suggestion I would have is to join the WAF Association for $25 a year, then you have access to the otherwise "hidden" sections of the site, including information on fakes. You can also buy and sell on the Estand then, which often has better prices than dealers.

See the A.MEMBER link at the top right of the page.

Best,
Greg

**Thomas Durante** · 10-17-2011, 07:52 AM

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the hobby and to this great forum! I can only echo Greg's great advice, the $25 membership fee is well worth it to be able to post pics of badges you find so that they can be vetted by the many experienced and knowledgeable collectors here. I think you will find many guys willing to share their knowledge with you and post good pics of what you are looking to buy is key.

The estand here on WAF is a great place to buy things, and are usually priced less than most of the big name dealers. There is an unconditional 7 day inspection period, so you can feel good about your purchases and can return something if you don't like what you see in hand.

Bill Shea is a great dealer IMO. Others like Helmut Weitze, Carsten Baldes and Militaria-Berlin are also great to deal with and all of them give very good inspection periods and full return policies if you find out something is fake...even months and years down the road.

I would lastly recommend that you try and specialize into 1 aspect of this hobby. There are many aspects to this hobby, and its overwhelming to try and learn about everything due to all the very good fakes out there. I would recomment picking a subject you like and then studying the hell out of it by buying books and reading the forum. I feel that is the best way to know your hobby and avoid the fakes as best you can. Some fakes slip in and we have all been burned from time to time. But that is how you learn and if it weren't for the fakes, then this hobby wouldn't be as much fun IMO

Good luck and I look forward to seeing some of your posts and purchases.

Tom

**fdodge** · 10-17-2011, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by Thomas Durante View Post

Hi Dave,

.......I would lastly recommend that you try and specialize into 1 aspect of this hobby. There are many aspects to this hobby, and its overwhelming to try and learn about everything due to all the very good fakes out there.

Tom

Tom leads by example

Welcome to the forums.

Regards,
Frank

**mmiller** · 10-17-2011, 09:31 AM

Hi Dave and Welcome,

So far, all the advice given has been correct. My question to you, is, what are you looking to purchase? Comabat badges, I assume? Heer, Kreigsmarine, and Luftwaffe are your targets. Do you have particular interests or a focus?

Regards,
Mark

**Bruce Simcox** · 10-17-2011, 10:26 AM

Hi Dave......

......Welcome. For starters, check out the Community Forum. There is a lot of great info there concerning good and bad dealers, as well as good/bad individuals that sell on the estand!

Use this link: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...isplay.php?f=5

**Cst. Greene** · 10-17-2011, 12:32 PM

Thanks Mark,

I am undecided as of yet how I will specialize, although I have purchased a few medals as of now. I have been a police officer for many years in Canada and will likely look to specialize in police material. Finances will be a issue with me though as I have two teenage daughters that I need to get through University and a start in life, so my purchases will be on the low end for a bit.

Thanks to all for your advise, much appreciated.

Dave

**BobI** · 10-17-2011, 12:46 PM

Hi Dave!
I am a forum sponsor and you may want to check out my site as well, I try to have really good prices with great quality original material. If I do not have what you are looking for contact me, there is more that is not on the site.
Best Wishes,
Bob

**Darrell** · 10-17-2011, 12:56 PM

Dave besides the good advice offered above, I'd like to suggest a few more:

1. Be patient! Don't jump on the first items you see. While an item may grab your attention, there will always be one in better condition or price if you wait.

2. Keep a hold of your hard earned money until you see a badge is very good condition. Remember, the items in good condition will be easier to sell when the time comes. Better to save up to buy quality rather than quantity.

3. Always post pictures here for authentication BEFORE buying. Any dealer or person worth buying off should and will supply all the pictures you need to ensure all is well.

**Panzercracker** · 10-17-2011, 02:39 PM

My best advice. Be careful when collecting "mint", should you endeavor to do so. Not all that "glitters" is gold! Like the old saying goes, "Don't sweat the petty stuff, pet the sweaty stuff". In the end, you'll have a collection loaded with character and you will have saved in the process. Patience is a virtue for sure. Further, I've seen many, many combat worn examples that have better die characteristics than many "minty" badges. You'll see what I mean when you get in there....

**Panzercracker** · 10-17-2011, 02:53 PM

Lastly, do your homework!!! Both here and the GCA forums.

**JasonA** · 10-17-2011, 03:01 PM

Hi Dave,

Welcome, and great advice, one and all. I would expand upon and/or reiterate a couple of points here, and add one of my own.

First is what Darrell mentioned, in that patience is a virtue! My advice is to get to know other collectors, go to shows and visit as many dealer sites as possible. When you're first collecting, it's difficult to know if an item is indeed rare or not, and if it is priced fairly. I remember one of the first dealer sites I visited had a bunch of tough to find items. I thought they were more readily available than they actually were, simply because it was the first site I stumbled upon. A more frequent occurrence is when you may think something is rare or tough to find, but going to shows or chatting with more advanced collectors tells you that the item is more common than you might have originally thought.

Second is what Tom mentioned: have a specialty/focus. This can be difficult to do in Third Reich collecting, because there are so many interesting things across the spectrum. But it's challenging enough to know enough about a particular focus, let alone trying to collect a little of everything - and having to know about everything! It's impossible to do, and you are likely to make more mistakes in the process. Additionally, the more you decide to collect, the more you'll want to buy. If you collect a little of everything, there will always be something you want. Most of us can't afford this.

Finally, I would add that having an end goal in mind for what you want your collection to look like is imperative. I don't think many collectors do this. The more you think about this, the more likely you are to stay on track. Collectors who don't give this much thought tend to buy and sell more than they need to along the way, which is not ideal. You may want the most comprehensive Heer combat badge collection in the world (as an example), or you may want one representative example of each issued Heer badge. Either way, when you have an end goal in mind, working toward it keeps your budget intact and prevents you from getting sidetracked along the way.

My two cents.

Best of luck, it's a wonderful hobby!

Jason

**Chet Sowersby** · 10-17-2011, 03:27 PM

Hey Dave,
Welcome aboard!

All of the forum members have offered you sound advice. May your stay be enjoyable and even more so educational. See you on the boards.

Chet

**fdodge** · 10-17-2011, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by Cst. Greene View Post

Thanks Mark,

I am undecided as of yet how I will specialize, although I have purchased a few medals as of now. I have been a police officer for many years in Canada and will likely look to specialize in police material. Finances will be a issue with me though as I have two teenage daughters that I need to get through University and a start in life, so my purchases will be on the low end for a bit.

Thanks to all for your advise, much appreciated.

Dave

Dave, I have a son finishing at a university and 2 more will be starting next year. You will feel my pain

Frank

**Darrell** · 10-17-2011, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by Panzercracker View Post

My best advice. Be careful when collecting "mint", should you endeavor to do so. Not all that "glitters" is gold! Like the old saying goes, "Don't sweat the petty stuff, pet the sweaty stuff". In the end, you'll have a collection loaded with character and you will have saved in the process. Patience is a virtue for sure. Further, I've seen many, many combat worn examples that have better die characteristics than many "minty" badges. You'll see what I mean when you get in there....

Maybe .. but MINT badges will always reap the highest return. You can collect the old and tatty, but everyone has one. Minty may not be for everyone, but in the end, those are the ones that never stay for sale for long.

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