Where to start collecting photographs?

[Alistair L]

I am very new to TR collecting,mainly Heer.I figured photograph collecting would be a good start and a wonderful way to have a piece of history.I look at eBay form time to time but a bit wary of the items there.Most look like reprints and such.Is there a good website that has decent photos of German or WW2 in general photographs.I'm mainly drawn to candid,everyday life,or equipment photos.I hope to build a collection to add as display and preserving them.

Thank you

[seekwhence]

There were millions of photos taken by the Germans during the 3rd Reich period. As such, there are still many out there waiting to be found by collectors of all levels - from aspiring to advanced. Images of candid, everyday life is a relatively safe theme to concentrate on since that constitutes the bulk of photography from that period - there is little to worry about with regard to postwar copies because demand is low, supply is high and nothing to be gained from deceivers. Equipment photos on the other hand are more problematic. Depending on what interests you, photos from this genre can easily reach 4 figures a piece; plus because of this high demand and low supply, fraudsters are all to prevalent to separate you from your money with nothing to show in the end.
My advice is to peruse the German eBay site and use search criteria such as: "Foto Sammlung", "Foto Konvolut" with the additional terms "1930er and "1940er" to narrow it down. You'll find hundreds of sellers unloading old photo collections that contain just what you're looking for - images of candid, everyday life with perhaps a number of military shots included as well. And since most of these collections come from families cleaning out estates, chances are excellent that what you're getting are original period photos.
Good luck!

seekwhence

[juoneen]

Ohio is a great place to look locally.....hit shops, antique shows, talk to folks at church....paper dealers, flea markets, etc. There is no easy answer, but see yourself in your own minds eye finding all kinds of photo albums that are originals in your mind, and soon they will cross your path.
Always be ready with cash in hand to be ready to purchase, and as many here do, place an ad on craigslist, and ask for photos of items for sale before meeting to purchase.....the local police departments here have allowed buyers and sellers to meet in the lobbys of police departments to be sure craigslist purchases are safe, and on the up and up.....my suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg...but you get the idea...and remember the closer to the veteran the items are, the better the deals, and more original the items will usually be...happy hunting.....you can't go wrong looking just about anywhere in Ohio. We have one collector here from the Maumee area that scores regularly...so even hit pawn shops, junk shops, and the like... (theres enough out there yet to be found for all of us, and competition makes the hunt even more challenging) One more suggestion ...network, and also pay folks you give your number to who will help you hunt 10% on top of the price you pay for things they find for you ....and remember , "NEVER cheat a finder out of the 10%, as that brings bad luck , and a bad reputation....good reputations of honesty get you more than being cheap or cheating pickers. NUFF said....now get out and start today....(well maybe tomorrow , as its mothers day, so ask mom is she knows anyone who was in ww2 while you are visiting today)
Regarding the above comment: Yes you can do it that way, but remember there are lots of dangers buying that way, and with postage and handling , you will pay many times over what you would pay to hunt locally, and remember americans have more german photos stashed away than there is even in Germany . I'm not sying don't buy from those sources, just saying, there is much in your own back yard , and don't forget it. Many of those dealers overseas buy from americans , lots of guys find photos here, and resell albums they find but do not collect, so you decide how you want to do it, you have a pretty good idea with all the suggestions so far, and with more to come....now that folks know, I bet you get many offers just from this posting...Personally I do not buy much from other collectors, I buy what I find first hand, and prefer to find stuff that way (reason: you'll find out quickly yourself with experience, just remember what I told you )

[mac-apple]

I am very new to TR collecting,mainly Heer.I figured photograph collecting would be a good start and a wonderful way to have a piece of history.I look at eBay form time to time but a bit wary of the items there.Most look like reprints and such.Is there a good website that has decent photos of German or WW2 in general photographs.I'm mainly drawn to candid,everyday life,or equipment photos.I hope to build a collection to add as display and preserving them.

Thank you

I have a photo album with about 300 photos I'm selling if you have any interest.. I am in Columbus.. The Wilmington military show is next month, they always have a few dealers with photo albums there..

[Alistair L]

Sounds good but I am short on cash but will consider.Photo albums are another thing I'm looking to collect.Thanks for the advice all above.

Danke