Added my 2nd piece (the 8.5in spoon) last week thanks to Eric. Here it is in it's new display, shown with a candid shot of Hitler in parade, a small fork, and a rock brought back by a friend of mine who's grandfather was in the 101st at the Berghof. Said it came from a gravel walk way on the property.
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Last edited by rebeldevil89; 03-08-2015, 05:56 PM. -
Congrats on adding two pieces of history to your collection.Comment
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Now your hooked
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Does anyone remember the ww ii veteran who use to come to the Max show around 1990. He had picked up a ton of AH silverware, plates, napkins,etc,etc.
He had a table at the show, he came for a few years and sold off this vast collection, that he had brought back from the war.
Thanks,
BobComment
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I was told the vet and his wife were at several shows trying to sell the massive collection. AH formal silver set contained 100's of examples, tobacco box, cigarette box, humidor, tea service. All for 100k and he would not break up the set......
Someone bought it!Comment
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If I would have had any idea where the prices would have gone, I would have taken out a loan and bought the collection. You are right he had a lot of nice pieces, some you hardly ever see.Wonder what happen to the collection??Comment
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Spread into 100 collections and dealers' websites.Comment
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I had to 'give away' my remaining formal/informal 'AH' silverware for $900 each at the SOS, so that will give everyone an idea of the 'real value' at the moment per piece.
That's a loss for me of $200-$395 each on most, and a $500 loss on one; the formal 'ice cream' spoon that I paid $1400 for. Lesson learned, but at quite a price!
Don't pay this $1200+ crap, as you'll never get it back....at least not in this decade.
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Dear John,
Sorry to hear that you took a beating on AH Formal and Informal Pattern tableware, but not too surprised. Obviously you are a dealer and, as such, you intend to make a profit on the antiques you purchase. No surprise there; this is the heart of free enterprise! The key in your note is found in your last sentence: "...NOT IN THIS DECADE!" Dealers need to turn over their products and make the profit that enables them to purchase more products, and at least for you at SOS this year, that worked the opposite way. Sorry!
My collection of AH Informal Pattern silverware was begun at least 25 years ago. Not being a dealer, I collect for the sheer joy of possessing specific elements of history, and never with any thought to 'profit and loss statements' or 'resale value' or 'shelf life,' which means that I buy what I like, when I see and can afford it. Certainly NOT a business approach, to be sure, but that is how I have built my varied collections for 55+ years.
In my quite limited experience of major militaria shows, I am aware that many people walk up and down the aisles, visually taking in as much availability information as possible, while waiting for the end of the last day of sale. They know that dealers don't want to have to pack up their wares and carry them back home -- dealers come to shows to SELL, not to ship back and forth! As that last day wears on, those folks make contact with the dealers in the hope of talking down the prices of the items they have been watching throughout the show, while knowing that dealers will probably be in a more 'agreeable' mood if they have not sold their wares before then. That's the time to strike, with high hopes!
Dealers who sell on the internet are much slower in reducing the prices they have set for their pieces, in my experience. You can always phone or approach a dealer via email about a particular piece and try to negotiate a lower price for yourself, and sometimes that works for both the dealer and the buyer...but not always.
Again, sorry that your experience at the SOS was so negative -- and in business, losing money is always negative! -- but not being a dealer, I really can't relate to your situation.
Best regards,
Br. JamesComment
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Hi Br. James,
Good for you in purchasing most of your pieces back when they were reasonably priced, but many in this thread seem to be of the opinion that these are now grossly overpriced, and not a good use of our limited collector funds. I now support that view 1000%
So to anyone thinking of purchasing any 'AH' silverware at today's hyper inflated prices, THINK TWICE about it! I speak from experience
Last edited by johninhb; 03-22-2015, 02:45 AM.Comment
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Hi John,
I'm not convinced that AH silverware pieces were ever "reasonably priced!" Back in the day when I bought my first piece of the Informal Pattern, I believe it cost me about $350.00 for a dessert fork, which sounds cheap by today's standards but since it was then in the early 1980s -- more than 35 years ago -- inflation since then would surely account for any 'savings' I may have received by purchasing that piece back then. Indeed, I still recall how hard it was for me to scrape together the money to purchase that piece back then!
As I said in my note below, the issue for me has never been one of "cost;" I have always been focused on collecting pieces that caught my eye and never one of perceived 'market value' or 'loss potential.' But I do understand your position as a dealer, concerned with making a profit or at least not sustaining a loss to your business; that makes good sense to me!
Cheers, my friend,
Br. JamesComment
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So much for TR "investment".Originally posted by johninhb View PostHi Br. James,
Good for you in purchasing most of your pieces back when they were reasonably priced, but many in this thread seem to be of the opinion that these are now grossly overpriced, and not a good use of our limited collector funds. I now support that view 1000%
So to anyone thinking of purchasing any 'AH' silverware at today's hyper inflated prices, THINK TWICE about it! I speak from experience
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I have a formal AH fork on its way from Bill Shea, it was part of a hoard brought back from the Eagle's Nest, so excited to see it! It has been on lay away for a while.Comment
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Congrats, I have a few pieces from the same hoard.Originally posted by Knight_ridergta View PostComment
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