Remember when no one wanted Police stuff?

[hmsbrinmaric]

Hi Everyone,

I was just on a website and saw some great Police tunics. I was very interested until I clicked on them and saw the prices. They ranged from $1,400- $4500.00. I have a few almost identical to these that I purchased not more than 2 years ago for $500-$750.00.

Did I miss something or did the demand for Police items go up that fast in such a short time? I know other service branches have gone up but police tunics are now worth more than an Army combat tunic.

When I started collecting police items over 10 years ago, I paid $225.00 for my first tunic and visor cap, which I still own.

What caused this? All the new reference material now available on the Police? Lack of other good original items in the hobby? Where is the ceiling on these prices?

What do you guys think?
Keith

[John Huff]

The whole Third Reich scene is going nutzzz. I bought my police combat tunic, long trousers, and greatcoat at one of the early MAX shows for $350 total. It sat there at that price for most of the show.

[W.Unland]

Hello,

I'm afraid I go back to the late 60's when you couldn't give police items away. Schirmmutzen went for $15, sleeve eagles $5 if someone would buy them, and tunics could be had for $25-30.

Generational differences aside, yes police items have of late gone CRAZY. Just 2 years ago lowly fire department eagles sold for $30, now they are over $100 on many sites. Simple EM service tunics were $500, now $1500. It seems the prices are raised every few months now. Good God look at those tunics on Collector's Guild $4000!

I have my own theory, and it has to do with the "dark side" of the hobby.....yes the fascination, almost fixation, of many with that nasty ol' SS.

SS collecting has been totally taken over by forgers and reproductions going back to the 1960's which are now accepted as legit. I personally feel that the vast majority of SS cloth is phoney, and wouldn't touch the stuff. What IS real is sold for prices that all but the few Ferrari driving "elite" amongst us can't even dream of paying.

When I got back into collecting I choose the police for personal reasons, but also because it hadn't been forged and reproduced so much because of low appeal and consequently was priced lower. Now, since the vast majority of collectors drawn to the dark side cant afford the stuff, the dealers have come up with a cleaver ploy. They are transforming the police into a poor man's SS. Look at the sites. Every piece of police insignia, every cap, is advertised as "rare SS police division". There is a conscious effort to turn the police into a branch of the SS.

I believe that the relatively low prices of police items drew in these masses attracted to the dark side, and VOLA....the prices have jumped , and with the price increases have come the forgers and knock offs, and soon this area of collecting will be as spoilt as SS is.

Just my 2 cents worth. I hate to see the hobby ruined, but that's what comes with the big money. When police was trash, when the SS guys turned their noses at the stuff it was a clean, fun hobby mostly populated by good guys who weren't in it for a fast buck. It was a pretty small community that were eager to help each other and were always polite. When was the last time you saw the type of personal attacks, name calling and elitism shown in a recent thread dealing with a cap on the SS forum in a police discussion. You don't.

Unfortunately now that is starting to change. With the increase in demand and soring prices the same petty silliness, back biting, and arrogence characteristic of the SS forums everywhere has begun to creep little by little into the police collecting hobby as well.......... thats what happens when the dark side and MONEY gets involved.

Oh well, I will enjoy what I have and watch as the hobby passes this old guy by. It belongs to the investment bankers and stock brokers amongst us now I guess.

Regards,
Bill Unland

[schutzpolizei]

Some of these dealers really need to stop accepting stupid prices from consignors and then adding their 20+%. It sets precedence and we all know there are more people with $$ than with brains in this hobby. $1400 for a combat tunic? Really. They can still be had for $500-800! Just have to look.

Nice hand stitched runes too! Looks like the former owner was cross-eyed. But it adds that extra $1K.

[macki]

Keith its not just the police stuff its anything WW 2 that the price has gone to crazy heights

[SCHUPO]

Yep, I mostly agree with what Bill just said!

As a matter of fact, I have to agree with most of what everyone has said. Frankly police stuff is overpriced at the moment. Of course, it was underpriced before the Angolia-Taylor and Munoz references came out. It seems absolutly true that as soon as a good reference book comes on the market it increases both demand and price. But, some of these high prices are just plain silly.

You know what... I won't pay wild prices for this stuff. And, typically dealers don't get these prices in cash money either. They get into this, "I will trade you two $500 chickens for your $1000 goat" sort of deal and then think this is a viable price in real money. Only pay what you are comfortable with and don't support these high prices and you will see them level off or recede.

Just my two cents worth.

[hmsbrinmaric]

Bill you brought up a very good point about the Police being closely associated to the SS to make the prices go up. How many M35, M40 and M42 Helmets are now SS/Police Division helmets? It must have been one very large division!

This is also the same with Gendarmerie items. They are instantly Feldgendarmerie, when the only thing similar is the orange sleeve eagle.

I also agree about the sharing on this forum. There is a very good flow of information that is passed along here, and no bickering or slamming of anyone else. Bills thread on sleeve eagles was fantastic!

Thank you everyone for your input here.
Keith

[batfink9]

Some of the dealer sights that I visit say that Police stuff is up and coming with advice to get in while you can, perhaps that is encouraging people to buy and thus increasing the prices, just my two pence and not necessarily the case

[SCHUPO]

Batfink,

I think you are seeing the militaria dealer marketing strategy at work. The same sort of thing that Bill is talking about with linking the Polizei to the SS to get the cachet of the dark side. Police collectors know what police stuff is... and what it is not. Hyping police uniforms up is pandering to folks who think this hobby is a business and an investment. A buy low and sell high mentality.

One thing I am seeing is new police collectors get burned. Ten years ago there were lots of SS fakes on the market and very few Polizei fakes. Nowadays, even the lowly police sleeve eagle is routinely faked. This is not so much of a problem @ $30 a pop but @ $100 a mistake takes a bite out of your pocket. When you buy a wrong tunic @ $1000, ouch! Not much profit to be made by "investment collectors" who don't know what they are doing and "a fool and his money are soon parted." You know, P.T. Barnum was right.

[John Huff]

Hmmmmmm... I think the German Red Cross eventually came under the control of Himmler also.. What's next for marketing the Red Cross uniforms? "SS Medic's Tunic"

[NickG]

Polizei Grouping

I was very happy to pay $1K for this Polizei grouping! Like its says in this thread all German memorabilia is getting more and more expensive and if you don't buy it today at today's price it will be more $ later! I see it as an investment opportunity that will only go up in value! Try that with a savings account!
I think I did allright with this grouping! (thanks Dennis!)
Nick Grooters
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=160129