Help with a Dilemma

[Operation Cobra]

I have a chance to purchase a PAB 25 engagements. I had set my heart on it but i have since found out that it comes out of a group. I have now the possibility to buy that group but its not cheap plus I am only interested in the PAB. The problem is i do not like to split up groupings but its offered for sale as an individual item or as a group. Thoughts please.

[tystgaard]

Groups

Complete groups are becoming rare. If you can afford it, go for it.

It also break my hard when lovely groups are split. Think its a big
mistake to do that.

BR
Nicolai

I have a chance to purchase a PAB 25 engagements. I had set my heart on it but i have since found out that it comes out of a group. I have now the possibility to buy that group but its not cheap plus I am only interested in the PAB. The problem is i do not like to split up groupings but its offered for sale as an individual item or as a group. Thoughts please.

[Operation Cobra]

Complete groups are becoming rare. If you can afford it, go for it.

It also break my hard when lovely groups are split. Think its a big
mistake to do that.

BR
Nicolai

I hear what you are saying and i agree. The trouble is another 5000 is allot of money and if you dont have it you dont have it. i think maybe i should let it go but if i find out later it was split up I shall be cross.

[Gary B]

I typically avoid groupings. Depending on the group of items, it is impossible to verify that the medals you get in a grouping are the actual medals that were awarded/belonged to the soldier. There are plenty of threads on the forum exposing groupings that have been sold only to find out later that many of the items have been swapped out, replaced, added from an earlier owner. Whether this is intentional or not is a moot point, still not a original grouping.

25 PABs are not that hard to find. My recommendation is to wait for one and save the extra cash, especially since you are not into collecting groupings.

Gary B

[Chet Sowersby]

I completely agree with Gary about knowing what for sure is original to offered groups. Also the fact that finding a 25 PAB will not be a problem as they are easy to come by.

Chet

[Giel VW]

Gary + 1!

[Thomas Durante]

I agree, impossible to know about groupings anymore because they are consistently put together with different medals for many years now. I know several dealers that do this regularly. I don't agree with this, but its unfortunately pretty common to see and impossible to verify otherwise unless you have clear photo evidence of the recipient wearing those EXACT badges.

Tom

[chrisje110]

Agreed 100% with the wise posters above me

[swjXE]

If it's original and the price is fair then buy it, especially if there's no proof that this particular badge came with the group. It's easy to create or add to groupings if you have documents and or photos.If the seller is willing to break the group up for you then he'll do it for anyone else that comes along and then you'll miss out and regret it.

If the badge can be absolutely verified as coming from the group then document the provenance and buy it anyway. Perhaps you can get copies of the documents and or photos that document the provenance.

Just another opinion.

[Operation Cobra]

Thanks for your opinions gentlemen very wise words. There are quite a few PABs about so might let this one go. I cant verify the group but on the other hand I do not want to split it up. The guy was a member of the Grosdeutschland and the group consists of EK 1 and 2, PAB 25, shoulder tabs, collar tabs, wound badges, ID disk, cuff titles x 2 and a few other things, quite nice but 6000 euro.

[pedroMM]

I think that if there are no documents, award certificates or even photos which can prove that those medals belonged to the same man you shouldnt be worried about splitting the grouping, as it is not an estate but just a group of medals which are offered for sale together ( unless that provennance proofs apart from docs or pics could appear)

[Graeme]

If it's original and the price is fair then buy it, especially if there's no proof that this particular badge came with the group. It's easy to create or add to groupings if you have documents and or photos.If the seller is willing to break the group up for you then he'll do it for anyone else that comes along and then you'll miss out and regret it.

If the badge can be absolutely verified as coming from the group then document the provenance and buy it anyway. Perhaps you can get copies of the documents and or photos that document the provenance.

Just another opinion.

All good points.

If it was me and the badge is one that I wanted, and at a good price, I would buy the badge and take a record of the rest of the group.

In the future, there is always the possibility that the grouping will come together again, providing you take a record of it.

regards
Graeme

[John T]

oh ye pessimists, how do you know the grouping was not together since day one, by going the easy route and breaking up the grouping for whatever reason then surely it is a put together grouping from that point on

[tystgaard]

Nice

I actually probably seen this group on Facebook.
Looks like a very nice group. Display and the type of
items looks correct for a real group. But hard to say 100%

BR
Nicolai

[Graeme]

oh ye pessimists, how do you know the grouping was not together since day one, by going the easy route and breaking up the grouping for whatever reason then surely it is a put together grouping from that point on

Hi John

I fully understand your point and probably most of us like the idea of groupings staying together. But I think the overriding factor here is that the seller is willing to split it up. When that happens it is all in the hands of the seller.

best regards
Graeme