MAX Show Polizei Helmet

[Martin E]

I say the only way to correct this issue for the dealer in question is to sell all his helmets out of his personal collection at half of the current market value. First pick goes to the ones he tried to rip off!

[B. N. Singer]

Everybody should have had ample time to formulate their opinions at this point.

This thread has gone WAY PAST any point of usefulness.

Where is the moderator in this???

B. N. Singer

[sunny59]

I think this is a very sad experience for many of us, including Ken N.


First, this is what we don't need right now, one more issue that may complicate an already complicate hobby.

Second, the frustration when I erased this dealer name from my Dealer's list.

Third, why in heaven he did this for???


Gentlenman, believe it or not, we all lost something here...........

[Perry Floyd]

Everybody should have had ample time to formulate their opinions at this point.

This thread has gone WAY PAST any point of usefulness.

Where is the moderator in this???

B. N. Singer

I'm here, what would you like me to do, delete it or close it? If so why?
I want to give Ken every chance to tell his side of the story and allow the COA posted if the buyer so wishes. After that or a good time period I'll most likely close it.

[B. N. Singer]

I'm here, what would you like me to do, delete it or close it?

Perhaps suggesting to all that a situation has been brought to light, discussed, response time given (do you really think an answer will be forthcoming after all this time?), and to advise people to resume "productive" collecting discussions.

B. N. Singer

[Perry Floyd]

Perhaps suggesting to all that a situation has been brought to light, discussed, response time given (do you really think an answer will be forthcoming after all this time?), and to advise people to resume "productive" collecting discussions.

B. N. Singer

No, I don't think a explanation is forthcoming but I want to give a VERY reasonable time period for Ken to respond. Believe me when I say closing/deleting threads get more complaints, give birth to more conspiracy theories than leaving them open.

[B. N. Singer]

Believe me when I say closing/deleting threads get more complaints, give birth to more conspiracy theories than leaving them open.

Perry, Not at all!

Indeed this thread should remain open for all to read and reread.

I only mean that it seems that too much "quality time" has already been given to this sad occurrence, and that more will really have very scant chance of being important (save of course a response from the perpetrating party). And that perhaps the time has come to focus a little less on this and more on a more relevant thread.

B. N. Singer

[amydron]

I think this thread should be left open....I have had my say, as have other members, and I think the ground has been thoroughly covered.
I have to agree with Perry that deleting this thread would not be a good idea.
Even if no one else contributes, it should remain to show the strength of feeling regarding this situation.
Regards,
RAY.

[Edgar Estrada]

I have been reading all the 21 pages for long, long time now. Wow, I learned a lot (from both sides, the pros and the odds). Now, I wonder what is original in my KM m35 helmet? I am really new in this collectors world, so that is why I really do not know what I have with me now (the helmet, KM). However, when I see it I like it and I like to think that it is a real KM German helmet.

Well, thanks to all of you, I still learning a lot from you.

Edgar

[Perry Floyd]

Perry, Not at all!

Indeed this thread should remain open for all to read and reread.

I only mean that it seems that too much "quality time" has already been given to this sad occurrence, and that more will really have very scant chance of being important (save of course a response from the perpetrating party). And that perhaps the time has come to focus a little less on this and more on a more relevant thread.

B. N. Singer

No problem I think in part this is fresh news to alot of collectors and are in the "shocked" stage right now.

[Brian Ice]

It's not that he was making the police more valuable, obviously the removed early liner was needed for another high dollar helmet. The question is, was that high dollar helmet original or not.

What doesn't make sense to me is that why remove the original liner from a very high dollar helmet? If it was only a common 1939 dated aluminum liner that was needed, why not remove one from a much cheaper ND helmet/reissue ?

[peacenotwar]

I think this thread must remain open.
We have lot of things to know, for examples I would like to see detailed rivets pics of the helmet sold....
I believe this is also important as a warning for whole the dealers.
Mauro

[Dennis J]

polizei

Correct me if Iam wrong Ken has not said a word in his defence and DID make good with the person that bought the helmet from him is that right?So the person that bought the helmet from him would have not known that the helmet was a parts helmet that came with a COA that said that the helmet was all orig. if this thread had not started is that right?If this is right common sense would say that he might have done this in the past living on his good Rep. to cover his doings.I have bought 2 helmets from Ken and have asked him severial questions and he always helped me and did me right.We all know that helmet collecting today is big biss and with the internet that a dealer can reach 10s of thousands of buyers that are willing to pay top dollar for the real deal and we all know that finding good helmets is getting harder and harder everyday(supply and demand)and with Kens back ground with helmets? Who knows only Ken and he is not talking.

[Mike Osbourne]

I'm not quite sure what he was thinking either. Why take a valuable helmet with a perfectly textbook liner/shell combination and replace it with a 1940 zinc band? And then represent it as a "transitory" factory produced piece? Was it supposed to be some super rare combination that would be much more valuable/desirable than the standard aluminum band?

On closer examination it seems that such a factory combination may be only a fantasy. Time will tell.

Only Ken knows what was going on in his mind. The only thing that makes sense (to me at least) would be an attempt to establish such "transitory" pieces by salting them in the collecting world. This would allow them to slowly become accepted as out of the norm, but real pieces. Why? Once accepted it would be easier to rehab shells and sell as complete originals without having to match components for date of manufacture and etc.... After a few years whyo would know. Then again, maybe someone might recall that these were "unknown prior to 2006". Let's hope I am wrong.
Cheers,
Mike ("Rev. Mike" on GDC)

[Lignemaginot]

Thank goodness I sold all my German helmets a few years ago; I'd look at the paint and decals, and figured that sooner rather than later, there'd just be no way for me to tell what was original and what was not.

I started to concentrate on visor caps, and then only Heer and Luft (unless I found a KM or W-SS made by a known private-purchase maker); it seemed to me that it was far more difficult for someone to make a repro visor cap that could pass as original, than a helmet, even if they were trying to patch together original parts (which in the visor cap world we call a "Frankenstein"). If it hadn't been for this person having taken photos of this helmet, this Frankenstein helmet would be an accepted original in the helmet collectors' community simply because of its origin.

Given the relative ease of replacing a liner in a helmet (as opposed to the liner in a visor cap, for example), I can only imagine that this event is going to seriously lower that very top range of prices that have been paid for supposedly unmolested helmets, as everyone starts to acknowledge that there's no way to ever prove that a helmet has not been molested. If I ever got back into collecting helmets, I would only ever pay the amount for a complete original helmet - not for an "unmolested" complete original helmet.

If your helmet COA says that the helmet is complete and original, great. If your helmet COA says that it's unmolested (especially if it's from this gentleman), you can now get more use out of it by using it line your daughter's hamster cage. I do feel badly for all of you who have paid the recent super-high-end prices for your unmolested helmet.