Guns at the SOS

[gew98]

I saw alot of high $ end stuff at the show(s) as usual. This time around alot more bargaining then usual ( some guys needed the $$ ).
Typical frigged with P08's and 98k's as always. Some goofy SS junk as is the norm anymore.Loads of minty fake helmets being peddeled for stupid cash. Good original peices to be had with diligent haggling. The NGD as usual was the tire kicker and hammer clicker show with oodles of those evil ass-ault rifles of all flavors for goofy money.
Ammunition and reload components were near nonexistant. And for some felllow to think this is somehow a sky is falling fear by yokels and "street sign hunters" has his head up his arse , look what party is in the whitehouse ( can I say whitehouse now an not be racist ? ).
I cringe at the asshats that tout collectibles as "investements" to validate their prices.... if it was an investment I was after I'd had bought gold doofuss !.

[vitts]

Although I was not able to attend the SOS or NGD I must agree with the comment about people bringing out some realy nice pieces to sell. It seems that they may be in need of some serious money so they are selling the more collectable expensive guns to cover themselves. At the same time they are out there buying up the less expensive Taurus and Ruger pistols because they do not want to be left unarmed. They are also buying up all the ammunition they can get. We have been experiencing record numbers of people at gunshows here in the midwest. Table holders are selling a lot of AK's and SKS's to people that I never would have thought would want one.\\

Just my opinion Have a nice week and happy hunting to all. Frank V.

[MaxxBrunn1938]

has his head up his arse , look what party is in the whitehouse ( can I say whitehouse now an not be racist ? ).
WELL I rather have my head up my ass then to still be a Republician (which I denouced and became Dem).. I got tried of that Retarded Texan (YES HE IS RETARDED)chasing a fake rainbow and sending our Service Personel to die. Which I've lost over 100 that I knew personally thru my place of business that came from the Marine Base.

And no I'm not some Anti Gun Freak, I've got a few of my own including ones that have been Banned in since after I got them. But I've not had any trouble in obtaining ammo or hassles for owning them. Nor expect and trouble in the future..

[ChrisCook]

has his head up his arse , look what party is in the whitehouse ( can I say whitehouse now an not be racist ? ).
WELL I rather have my head up my ass then to still be a Republician (which I denouced and became Dem).. I got tried of that Retarded Texan (YES HE IS RETARDED)chasing a fake rainbow and sending our Service Personel to die. Which I've lost over 100 that I knew personally thru my place of business that came from the Marine Base.

And no I'm not some Anti Gun Freak, I've got a few of my own including ones that have been Banned in since after I got them. But I've not had any trouble in obtaining ammo or hassles for owning them. Nor expect and trouble in the future..

First off I totally disagree with almost everything you say (A quick google search on the Ammunition accountability act or HR45 will confirm that), secondly there is already a thread on the topic of gun control on this forum....let's get back to the SOS... Chris...

[booney110]

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Hi guys, I'm new to the Forum but I wanted to comment here. I collect German WWII weapons and Militaria. I have been searching for the "Holy Grail" since I began. I believe that sooner or later, each collector will find one "stash" of original good stuff that they will get for a good price WITHOUT ripping someone off. Something happened one year that just about turned me off of collecting all together. I was at the MAX Show in Pittsburgh in 2001. I had just gotten there and was looking at a table with assorted German items on it. There was a "reputable" MAX dealer table next to me that sold German Daggers. I noticed an old man walk in with a bag. I am a police officer so I try to notice people by their clothes or some other easily remembered trait. This old man had on house shoes, a flannel shirt and old jeans. He looked like he didn't have a lot of money. He spoke to the table holder telling him he brought that "knife" he had gotten during the war. Being curious, I waited to see the "knife". Now I am not a dagger person. I like combat stuff and K98's but the old man pulled a black box out of that bag and I about freaked! It had the "Y' life Rune on it and it turned out to be an original SS Himmler presentation dagger with everything! It had the felt bag, the yellow wax paper, the tag still on the hanger.........could not be upgraded. The MAX "reputable" dealer looked it over, looked down from his glasses and said "I'd give you $2000 for it, I have a couple like it back home" I was pi$$##!! Even without knowing a lot I know that dagger was worth 10 times that much. He could have offered $10000 and still made a nice profit by selling it later. SOOOOO my point is this. There are people that will not be fair in this hobby. There are people that will do things that other collectors would never do. All we can do is try to be as honest, forthcoming and fair as we can. Sooner or later we will be rewarded. By the way, the old veteran told the dealer that he wanted to show the knife to a friend of his at another table. He wlaked away and all I can hope is that his friend was truly a stand up guy. The MAX "reputable" dealer got on his cell phone immediately talking about "you'll never believe what just walked in!" What a POS. Thanks guys for listening to my story

[booney110]

PS....I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly going to the SOS and the MAX for the last 10 years. Overall, I still believe that the SOS is the best place to find good variety of anything you could be looking for in Militaria. I have bought 10 years worth of my collection there and will continue to do so. Like someone else already said, study what you are searching for and haggle a little and you can come away happy. Go in without preparation and there are people that would take advantage. Thanks for having a collector network to help spread the word....good or bad!!

[PanzerJohn]

Why didn't you go and tell the guy what is was worth, that sort of money would have mad a huge differerence to an down on his luck ex serviceman.

[booney110]

I always heard that if you boogered some guys "deal" at or near his table you would be labeled as a problem and your name would go around pretty quick. I felt bad about the whole mess and trust me, I will never let it happen again. Live and learn.

[PanzerJohn]

Just imagine what gear still lies forgotten in some vets lofts and garages, its a shame that they don't know the value of some of things they have. When my father got back from Germany after the war he managed did sneak in a Luger which my gran made him throw in the pond and a couple of German helmets which my Grandad made into hanging baskets for plants. The other stuff, medals,buckle and German Cross in Gold (cloth) I have.
Unlike our American cousins bringbacks were officially frowned upon and my dad said that many returning soldiers were searched and anything considered loot was confiscated. The US idea of posting back helmets,etc and even guns has preserved so much stuff.

[gew98]

I always heard that if you boogered some guys "deal" at or near his table you would be labeled as a problem and your name would go around pretty quick. I felt bad about the whole mess and trust me, I will never let it happen again. Live and learn.

Been there done that. I don't give a rats ass myself. I am a collector with certain interests. If I see such skullduggery go down I will and have spoken up. The only guys that deserve such a butt-pokin are the damn "dealers" looking for the money kill , or bragging fodder.
I saw a well known retired millionaire asshat try and rip a kid off by browbeating him to take $700 for a couple grand political dagger his dad brought back. Same "human" tried to wrangle a gorgeous Luftampt proofed P08 from another vet's sone for dirt money. Such "humans" can afford to be at least marginally fair but tend to be the most greedy egotisitcal types I've encountered. Almost reminds me of most yellow dog demslobs I know and read about... you know the types that love to call GWB a chimp but go ape when their chosen one gets the same moniker... oh now it's racist claptrap. What's sauce for the goose... etc etc !.
As for SOS I have to say again alot of good peices were to be had for fair money. Loads and loads of P38's and an unusual amount of high end G/K43 rifles. Lot's of guys trying to cash in before the market values deflate , but flooding the show with such peices did just that on the values. Last year at the SOS I could not have touched GI 45 autos as the prices were artificially inflated with arseloads of doctored peices for profit. And this time around guys with decent peices were willing to get really reasonable so I got "45 rich" again at the SOS show.

[Matt Weber]

I agree, P38s were the place to strike gold at the SOS this year! My friend purchased a 1st variation, as well as a 2nd variation zero series at the SOS!! I missed out on two guns at the SOS. One was a nice early Spreewerk P38 (not the high-polished ones, but still early, I believe "c" block?) It was minty, and fairly priced too. Came back to look for it, and it was gone of course!
The other nice gun I missed was a type 2 Radom VIS. Again, condition was excellent, and it wasn't overpriced. Again, I waited too long though!
I also passed up an early slotted Radom, but that one was in rough shape, and the guy was asking $850 for it. Of course He told me, "it's worth $1,000!)

I'd like to remind everyone to keep the language at PG13 level, and remember this thread is not about politics but about the SOS or NGD.

Thanks,
Matt

[Craig W.C. Brown]

The place was crawling with G/K43s, K98ks, G98/40s, and G33/40s, a good 75% of which had "issues." There was a legit plastic-stocked K98k offered at $30k - but it had been reblued.

[PanzerJohn]

Plastic stocked K98!, thats a new one to me, could you tell me more please.

[Craig W.C. Brown]

Reddish brown hollow "bakelite" material applied over a fabric base; found on very few S/243 1937 K98ks in a restricted SN range; tried as an alternative to wood. One is illustrated in BACKBONE OF THE WEHRMACHT.
Beware of reroductions, most (currently) coming out of Nevada.

[PanzerJohn]

Thanks for that, its fantastic that in this hobby you can learn amazing new things all the time,they must go for a fortune!.