Thoughts on Corps of Engineers Tunic

[bradcancian]

Hi folks,

I have never purchased a Luftwaffe tunic but have always been interested in finding a tunic for the corps of engineers, as I am an Air Force engineer myself.

I've been out of the collecting field for about a year or so, and did an internet search recently to see if anything new had turned up on this subject. I found this one for sale:

http://www.thirdreich.ca/product/luf...unic-engineer/

The tunic looks ok to me, but Luftwaffe is not my field. Any thoughts or opinions?

After further searching, I found this one:

http://myww2militaria.com/shop/luftw...genieur-major/

These seem to be the same tunic (noting insignia, award loops etc)? Both for sale (and apparently available) from two different sellers at different prices? Is something fishy going on here or are these two sites linked in some way?

Thanks in advance,

BC

[Mike Swan]

I'll take a risk and be first commentator.

Based on the smallish photos, I'd be very happy to own the tunic. And yes, something is fishy, unless there's some connection between the two vendors. The price issue is unusual to say the least.

I hope you're able to acquire it. Please keep us posted.

Mike

[JasonA]

Hi BC,

Mike beat me to the punch. I saw this last night but was on my mobile and really couldn't comment until I saw proper photos on the computer.

Regarding the two dealers, the most likely scenario is that the tunic was sold on one site and the dealer never updated his listing. That is pretty typical among. Although I just found a second tunic listed on both sites, so there is something going on. They could be working together to maximize their exposure...who knows. But I would see who has what, why there is overlap, etc. The first guy's in Canada, but there is scant information on the second vendor/seller. It is odd.

As far as the tunic itself, the photos provided are insufficient. I would ask for a full suite of high resolution pictures. I fully endorse exercising a dealer's return policy if an item is not properly described for any reason, but collectors (and dealers) should do everything they can to prevent that from happening. Proper photos and realistic/accurate descriptions are integral in this endeavor.

What I do see is a replaced or partially restitched eagle (albeit a high quality example), shoulder boards which have been updated (mostly likely from Hauptman-equivalent boards), and uneven fading between the boards and tabs. The latter might easily be from poor quality photos and flash effects. The tabs are machine sewn but I don't see any evidence of previous tab sewing. The evidence would be faint and easier to see with high res photos. But since the armpit seams have been opened up to replace the boards, you'd expect to see traces of previous Hauptman-equivalent tabs which would have been removed for the promotion to Major-equivalent.

I would also have those in the know on the '39 spange verify it's a good one.

That's what I see from the photos; hope that helps.

Good luck!

J-

[PaulR]

The tunic looks beautiful and one I would love to have for myself. Both sites have the same tunic.

[Gene]

Is it named?

[wayne gosley]

Hi Brad, Looking at both sites, both sites have all the same items, headgear, tunics, badges, ect, I cant comment on the tunic, but looking at his lw visor caps, i dont personally like to many of them.
Good luck with what you decide on
Cheers
Wayne

[bradcancian]

Thanks for the comments / thoughts guys - as I am not a Luftwaffe guy I very much welcome your thoughts.

I e-mailed both sellers yesterday at around the same time of my original post, querying both in regards to availability of the item and highlighting the fact that both seem to be listing the same tunic; no response received from either seller yet. If I do get a response that adequately explains the situation then I may ask for more detailed pictures. If I don't get a satisfactory answer on why the same items are listed on two different sites I think I will avoid making any purchases....

Cheers!

BC

[DonC]

Brad, I would be careful. There are far too few good quality pictures of the things we normally look for on visors and tunics for me to feel comfortable with either site. There are also some issues with some of the Heer visors where there are sufficient photos to make a call on them.

Don

[bradcancian]

Hi guys - the seller who says he has te tunic (thirdreich.ca) has sent me some better pictures (i.e. higher res pictures of the ones on the site) - what are your thoughts?











Still didn't hear anything from the second seller of this tunic. Still a little nervous.

Thanks,

BC

[Gene]

Looks nice, is it named?

[JasonA]

Doesn't appear to be named but dealers have missed an obvious name tag before.

BC - a nice piece. I still think there has been either a partial restoration of the eagle, or at least some threads have come loose in portions of the backing. You won't know which until you have it in hand. There doesn't seem to be any fading of the tabs, so I'm guessing the fading I see on the board waffenfarbe is a reflection of the photography. The armpit sleeves have definitely been opened up to replace the boards, but I don't see any previous tab stitching on the collar underside. You will probably notice that in hand and/or under a loop. An in-hand is going to be your final judge anyway.

As long as you do your due diligence with the seller before buying, I wouldn't worry about anything. Paying with credit card is safe, and if you have documentation showing that the seller didn't fulfill his end of the contract, the charge will be reversed by your cc company. I.e., get everything in writing. I know a for Ed return is not what you want, but that is a worst-case scenario and most people try to do the right thing. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get feedback from other buyers of his, search the dealer name on the forum, etc. If you still have a bad feeling, though, just walk away. This is the fourth Luft Engineer's tunic I've seen over the last year - in the same rank, no less!

Good luck,

Jason

[Mike Swan]

I still really like it. Worth every cent in my opinion.

Mike

[PaulR]

I still really like it. Worth every cent in my opinion.

Mike

+1

[ethreecee]

Looks just like this one

[Mike Swan]

Poorly positioned collar tabs.....ten days in the cooler !!!

Mike