Tropical M40 collection from closet collector.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Stonemint has started a thread on a "closet collector's collection of caps, mostly visors and many items. Not sure about the story....

https://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/for...oset-collector

Here are the tropical M40's from the collection. All appear to be made by the same maker/faker. Notice a shiny soutache or too, & the eagles. Have not seen this faker stamp before that i remember ? They are up for auction and am sure some will be resold as originals in the future.

As always all comments welcome ?

[Tim O'Keefe]

This corduroy M43 is also part of the collection. This cap is an earlier generation of fakes as i have seen this type before with the "where's the feet" fake eagle. As these caps are likely to show up again listed as originals. As are some of the helmets. The KM tropical chaplains cap is the best

https://bid.candtauctions.co.uk/m/vi...no&featured=no

[pauke]

Is there any guess as to when these might have been made? Apparently the producer had not heard about leather sweat bands.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Stonemint mentions that most of the visors were probably made in the 90's. Looking at these would guess these are also around that time period. Not old fakes except the corduroy goes back to the 80's.
Thanks stonemint and pauke

[Tim O'Keefe]

I notice the white piped cap and the corduroy cap both look like they were worn by the same oily headed guy

[Tim O'Keefe]

The fake tropical M40 caps have all been sold in the recent auction. The officers signals sold for 380euro. The officer Arty sold for 360euro while the officer Pz/PzJg went for just 220euro ? So is rosa on the decline and caps with a soutache that is either red or yellow on the rise $ wise ?

The white piped EM cap sold at 300euros and the corduroy cap for 280euros. I kinda like that one, as far as fakes go.
The tropical peaked Chaplains cap sold for 360euros

Am sure these caps will all be offered as originals in the future...

The winner/loser was this FJ helmet, at 2700euro

[HAF]

.

The winner/loser was this FJ helmet, at 2700euro

real para liner in this size +real straps was okey here, and this fake painted shell still has some value +

[Tim O'Keefe]

real para liner in this size +real straps was okey here, and this fake painted shell still has some value +

So there is some original parts at least in this collection. What is the value of the helmet in your opinion sir ?

[90th Light]

So there is some original parts at least in this collection.

Same with all the tropical caps Tim, the tropical eagles and tropical cockades look to be originals. The prices paid are very reasonable if you are seeking an original tropical eagle and tropical cockade showing wear/ use, all folded to shape for restoring a original tropical cap missing its badges. And on the other hand, if you are unscrupulous and deceiving then you could cut the eagle and cockade off the hats and sell them as cut-offs for more than double what you have paid for the whole cap. And if the soutache is original then it could be used in more than one way also. Dangerous stuff or cheap useful parts depending on who bought them for whatever purpose ? , Chris

p.s. the artillery and signal caps have the harder to get, more desirable tropical cockades which might explain the higher prices

[RGD51]

Is there any guess as to when these might have been made? Apparently the producer had not heard about leather sweat bands.

I’m stymied by that statement, why would a guy cranking out fake M40’s put a leather sweatband in? How many originals had them?

Robt.