John...forgive me if I identify the cyphers by the wrong fonts.The small "a"(that looks like a 21) I believe is Gothic.This may very well have been used early on I simply seem to recall reading it the later style cypher,However it is not the issue...so to avoid confusion lets disregard it for now.The "A" which I believe may be Roman style(again forgive me if my fonts are off)...this is the style you refered to that is pictured on page 638 of "Unis. of the Waf-SS" by Beaver.This style is pictured in "Cloth Insig of the SS" on pg.241 and captioned as being in bright red.....I disagreed with that photo caption years ago(the photo while in b/w appears to be yellow) and tried to start a disscussion on it in GDC around 2001/2002.I wanted to know if anyone actually had any examples(authentic) of the shoulderboards in artillery bright red with the cyphers "A"....NO TAKERS unfortunetly.I have since come across more photos of the "A" in wear....on Aufklarungs uniforms....which cemented my theory.One photo I cannot post as it is an unpublished photo and I dont own it.Another(and I can not post it either as I dont have a scanner) but I can give the reference.Page 249 of "German Cross Holders of the SS and Police" vol 2 by Yerger has an excellent photo of Josef Thaler(at time of photo serving in Aufklarungsabteilung SS/VT) in his early black wrap with the "A" clearly visible on his shoulder boards.Personnaly I do not believe the SS/VT artillery ever wore the "A" on ther shoulderboards...but I may keep an open mind to it.However it was defenitely without a doubt worn by the SS/VT Aufklarungsabteilung.So eventually I came to this conclusion(answering the first question of your last post) by comparing the written info in the references I have to the actual photos that I could find.
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Also I forgot to add...the photographic references and unpublished photos I have and have seen along with the surviving examples of artillery shoulderboards and uniforms adorned with such have numbered cyphers.For example 2nd Art.Regt of Das Reich (which I believe was originally the SS/VT Artillery) wore a numer "2" cypher.Enlisted and Officers alike.Comment
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I have the book I willtake a look tonight...found it,you are correct it appears that is the A cypher being used for Aufklarungs. Very interesting. The cypher looks stitched too rather than metal.Comment
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dealer prices
Dealers can get big prices for a few reasons.
1. Their reputation, if good, can create a sense that what you are getting is better, or safer.
2. Their reputation, if bad, may not be known to those who do not know any better, but still spend that much money.
3. They plop it on their site and wait. Eventually, some dupe will come along.
4. Payment plan, payment plan, payment plan. This is why a dealer can sell a $15k tunic, and any one of us couldn't at 10k.
This is still more of a middle-class hobby IMO, and there is a limit to the size of the wad of the money that guys can lay out at once.
Either the prices will stop rising for a while, or the collectors with change to those with more income.Comment
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