Great Article on relic helmets!

[Chris Stewart]

I can't agree with you here. Look at the battle damage on half of the helmets you see for sale, they are stress fractures etc. caused by a concussion, not a blow from fragments.

[john.g]

I only collect relic helmets any more, for me it's the collecting and history.
thumbs up to relic collectors!
john

[Wizard]

I read the article and I thought it was very good.

To Jean-Loup : I have read what you wrote and I am afraid I don't understand by some of the things you were trying to say. As this hobby grows and demand rises, it costs more and more to acquire certain pieces. People should start realizing that this is becoming to be an investment in addition to being a hobby - based on the percentage of income spent. I think the author's target audience are collectors in general, and the author was trying to put the money value of a relic helmet in relations to other collectible helmets. Nothing wrong with that. He doesn't mention the "emotions" of digging because - not many of us collectors really do go "digging," literally.

As for history, every genuine helmet has it. We all collect it because it was "there." There is only one piece of information that a relic may yield over other helmets - and that is its final resting place. If that information is valuable to you, I understand. But you must realize that, to the person (second or third owner) buying a relic, it is just a story. For example. If you dig up a helmet, you know where it came from because you dug it up. If you were to sell it to me, I have no proof where it came from except on your word. Why should I pay extra based on your story? Hence, the author did not price in the "historical" value.

Lastly, what was wrong about conservation part? The author said that if you live in an area where the humidity is stable, the relic should last a bit longer. But if you live somewhere with a lot of humidity, the relic will continue to deteriorate

[ccmax]

I also disagree with the viewpoints of the author of the article. The way he puts it makes helmet collectors look like people who accumulate designer sunglasses. C.

[jamesmccann]

twine camo

Here is a fine relic that hasnt lost a single piece of rust over the years. I know where its from, and although it would be nicer if it was complete, I like it a lot.
JL

The m35/40 relic Jean looks in the photo to have had twine or wire or tyre rubber around it?Nice display James/Ireland.

[jamesmccann]

Nice dd m35

just thought i would show my relic..

Thats a dramatic piece of damage on that m35,i like the way you displayed it to good effect,James/Ireland...............

[Jean-Loup]

Chris: "I can't agree with you here. Look at the battle damage on half of the helmets you see for sale, they are stress fractures etc. caused by a concussion, not a blow from fragments."I actualy believe these fractures are not even due to concusions, but are due to metal fatigue, and temperature changes. Summer, winter, summer, winter.
My resoning is: try to find a non relic helmet damaged in this way. Also, some helmets are totaly bent, and were obviously at the heart of an explosion, and show no cracks. Others that are not bent at all have large cracks suposedly from a concussion.

James, yes, that helmet I posted has some remains of a wire on it.

Wisard: "Lastly, what was wrong about conservation part? The author said that if you live in an area where the humidity is stable, the relic should last a bit longer. But if you live somewhere with a lot of humidity, the relic will continue to deteriorate"
What is wrong is the words "a bit longer". Its not a bit longer, its indefenetly. Rust will affect rusted metal, or mint non painted metal in the same way. If your relics deteriorate in your appartment, then good helmets will deteriorate as well.
The author gives the impression that relics will crumble away in a couple of years, and this is totaly false, exept for certain types of very severe rust.
JL