ebay SS helmet laugh of the day...

[Mike Bollow]

Read this guy's tips to spot fakes!! He goes on and on about how wonderfully original this helmet is... but won't gaurantee it!

It's worth clicking on...

http://cgi.ebay.com/S-S-WW2-GERMAN-H...QQcmdZViewItem

Mike

[Fred S]

Thanks!!!!

For posterity, a good tutorial...

"Hi again I been selling some of my collection as I’m down sizing house but I’m not in a rush to get rid of this piece its a very heavy ww2 S/S German helmet, this was my granddads, one of two helmets which he brought back from the war. The other one is an ordinary infantry helmet. I used to ware this as a boy playing soldiers so I have fond memories of it.

Every thing you see is original and genuine it has been painted by brush at some point covering the S/S decal. A few years ago I was offered £400 from a dealer but I declined his offer .he was very nice and told me some interesting facts about ww2 German helmets why the decals were painted over when in the field. In-fact it was him who told me it was a S/S decal The S/S would paint the helmet to which ever environment they was in to blend in, so they didn’t stick out. Also another reason to paint over the decal was not to be used as a sniper target. They often painted in sawdust or grass, dust dirt any thing to make them blend in to the battlefield they were in at that time.

The helmet looks like it has been painted with sawdust and grass. In the liner it is stamped size 58 it is a very heavy helmet in the middle back rim it has a stamped in number which has been heavily painted can make out certain numbers in the light 674? At the side of the helmet by the chin strap in has some numbers too again been heavily painted its been suggested that I rub off the paint to see the exact numbers but I don't want to make a mess and ruin it. The paint stops at the liner none has touched the liner at a guess it was painted to brush the paint runs out.

The helmet smells old and once handled you instantly know it’s genuine.

I have put a reserve on this of a £1275 I know it’s a lot of money but that’s the price it’s going to be to get me to sell this helmet as I know it’s 100% genuine. I'm not really expecting to sell this helmet but its there if some one wants a rare helmet If it doesn’t make the reserve then I will just put it away and give it to my grand kids in the future. And at least you have had chance to see a genuine helmet. Before you click off to another read on as I'm writing a guide so you don't get ripped off buying fake helmets.



If you’d like full size pictures please add your email address to your message

Postage is free I will send the helmet special delivery singed for.

For over seas I will use air sure special delivery priority singed for .





My guide to see if I can help out a little as it’s a mine field out there on ebay firstly

Made up helmets-

If you see a helmet that's been painted on the inside of the liner then its been painted by some one other than the Germans. They were never painted on the inside

If you see a helmet with out a chin strap then there's a 95% chance that's its been made up

Check the helmet has a chin strap if not why not? All helmets were issued with chinstraps strong leather ones they don't rot and will last as long as the liner.

Liner -

The liner should fit flush with in the helmet if you see any big gaps between the liner and the helmet then its probably the wrong size liner and again been made up

One big tell tale is the smell of leather leather takes years in-fact decades to break down and loose its smell any smell of leather is a sign of reproduction

Also the liners should have grommets by the rings in the back of the liner, where the string goes through another common trick is to dye the liner a dark colour. One way to tell if the liners been dyed is to check the back of the line. To see if its a dark colour same as the front of the liner if it is then its been dyed. -The liner should be similar colour but a shade lighter than the front piece of the liner, one more thing if a liner has been dyed then it most likely will have dark spots where the concentrate has blobbed on too thickly. All liners have ink stamped sizes on

Watch out for fake stamps, it would have been easy for me to have borrowed or bought a set of metal stamps, as my son works in a sheet metal work factory I could of stamped the helmet my self with a hammer and a dye stick, the common letters seem to be QC62. And while I’m on the subject my daughter a dab hand at writing I could have got her to write a German name on like Hans or Gerhard in gothic writing.

One last thing the helmet should smell like an old man with out a trace



Oh just thought of something else watch out for other coppy cat ebayers you might suddenly see a few more helmets with details been painted over



If you think of anything else please message me and I will add it all the best hope I have helped "





"

[Mike Bollow]

Thanks for posting his "words of wisdom" for posterity!!

Have a look at how huge the SS decal is... must have been for Himmler himself!

[prussian.guard]

if thats an ss decal thats been painted over it must have eaten all the pies.to me it looks like a norwiegen decal under that scabby paint.if i was him i would take it back to the guy that told him it was an original ss helmet and then sold him it and smack him round the chops with it.
what an absolute pile of dung

[keifer kahn]

I think ill chuck all my books out and stop visiting the forum also and just keep that tutorial handy.

I suppose id best be throwing most of my helmets out too as most of them dont have chin straps.Im so glad he points this out.

Another oxygen thief.

[Texasuberalles]

He just needs to find the dealer who offered him 400 pounds for it.
Shouldn't be hard too hard to find him; he'll be down at the street corner wearing dark glasses and holding a white cane selling pencils in a tin cup...........

[Manuel GE]

Thank you Wolhans and sdkfz247 for reposting it. I often see the links to Ebay but from Germany its not possible open the 1939-1945 helmet category on Ebay USA and UK, German Helmets are invalid items for Germans.
Great guide of the seller, sure all helmets were issued with chinstraps, but they were not made of Krupp steel, yes they rot. But none of my helmets is stamped with QC62. All helmets should smell like an old man ?
Hope i have left the minefield now, you too? Thanks for this guide.

[paddywhack]

i like the way if a helemt doesnt have a chin strap theres a 95% irs made up?? really why?? as has been said chin straps aint made o steel!!!!

[sgstandard]

Helmet

German helmets aren't available to Germans. I see. This just shows how utterly stupid some people are. I'm sure I'll be criticized, but there is a nobility to war. Countries at peace are busy idling the time away worrying about keeping German helmets out of the hands of Germans. These are the same nitwits that label 4 and 5 year olds as sex offenders for inappropriate touching. A country seriously engaged in warfare has no time for such silliness.
I say "Attack!!"

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-WW2-SS-M40-...QQcmdZViewItem

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-WW2-SS-M40-...QQcmdZViewItem

decal

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

decal

2

[Mike Bollow]

ITALIANWARFRONT... you lost me. Why are you posting those pictures on this thread?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Mike

[MartyC]

ss

Another bad one.........

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

ITALIANWARFRONT... you lost me. Why are you posting those pictures on this thread?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Mike

One other bad SS helmet on E bay.

If you are bothered let me know and i will edit / delete my post