$15-35,000 SS tunics

[John Pic]

Thinking about it today made me wonder who pays the exhorbitant prices currently asked for by some sellers $15-35000 ?
Many of those who own the real unquestionable pieces bought them when they cost between $500-$7500 in the 70s and 80s or before. For the most part owners are responsible for value and dealers who set prices are as well.
It also appears that in the past 8 years the really expensive are bought and then somehow end up back with a dealer.. during my visit to Steve Wolfe's home a few years ago I saw tunics he had sold back in the early 80s still in his possession. I recall Hooper a member on another forum buying some expensive pieces but then they all seemed to go back to the dealers for sale again. Has anyone really bought a $35000 LAH panzer wrapper and kept it ? Im of the impression that a majority of people with the degree of interest to collect such things are not in positions to fork that out without taking out loans that come up later to bite them.Thus the returns in some cases. Its going to be interesting to see what kind of money gets shelled out as prices rise and rise before your eyes.Now I know those who already own such treasures believe they are worth it and many of those people never paid near what one costs today even if it was alot "back then" Im more interested in hearing from those who would be wiling to fork out the big mula for a righteous SS tunic.

[dukhunter]

Hi John,

If you got started collecting SS tunics/uniforms late, say within the last few years, and you wanted the real deal SS tunic, tell me, what are your options?
If the going rate for an authentic, un-messed with SS tunic is $20K or more, mind you, that's if you can even find one, then that is what you pay! I don't imagine that the prices for these items are going to go down so, you pay the going price now or wait and pay more later! That's my two cents worth!

Thanks,
dukhunter

[B. N. Singer]

Thinking about it today made me wonder who pays the exhorbitant prices currently asked for by some sellers $15-35000 ?
... Has anyone really bought a $35000 LAH panzer wrapper and kept it ?...Im more interested in hearing from those who would be wiling to fork out the big mula for a righteous SS tunic.

Well, not an SS one but I certainly know of a Heer example (recently acquired) and doubt it will ever go up for sale in the owners life time.
B. N. Singer

[NTZ]

In my opinion these prices reflect collector obsession of SS items and certainly not rarity. I can see forking out that kind of money for a 100% untouched tunic with clear provenance named to a major historical figure like a general or Himmler himself but that is about it. It looks like some want to own an SS item at all costs. Certainly rarity has been forgotten. Case and point. I am a visor geek so of course this will be visor related. Shea just sold a heer chaplains visor for $4,000. In terms of rarity it gets no rarer. There can’t be any more than a handful in the world that survived the war. These things make a white alg visor look common. Now if it were a white alg visor it would sell in the $30K range, go figure.

[Mike Davis]

I suppose it would be obvious to state that there are different levels of collecting and that some have more disposable income than others.

The supply and demand pricing phenomenon is not limited to just uniforms, but to all kinds of collectible rarities, particularly those that don't required tortured explanation to justify their originality.

In real terms, I don't see prices decreasing. The old maxim in life applies here as well: "You get what you pay for."

[dukhunter]

Nick,

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, well maybe a little jerkish , but, please go find me an un-messed with, authentic M36, W-SS field service blouse belonging to an NCO with original, untouched insignia, properly marked, to include a cuff title and then let me know how many you found and what they cost.

Thanks,
dukhunter

[BlackBelt]

In my opinion these prices reflect collector obsession of SS items and certainly not rarity. I can see forking out that kind of money for a 100% untouched tunic with clear provenance named to a major historical figure like a general or Himmler himself but that is about it. It looks like some want to own an SS item at all costs. Certainly rarity has been forgotten. Case and point. I am a visor geek so of course this will be visor related. Shea just sold a heer chaplains visor for $4,000. In terms of rarity it gets no rarer. There can’t be any more than a handful in the world that survived the war. These things make a white alg visor look common. Now if it were a white alg visor it would sell in the $30K range, go figure.

..................

[Karl S.]

Hi BlackBelt,
Since I lost my job in June and will be going back to school for a new profession, may I ask what you do for a living?

[BlackBelt]

Hi BlackBelt,
Since I lost my job in June and will be going back to school for a new profession, may I ask what you do for a living?

............

[Karl S.]

Sorry to hear that! I am a professional restorer. I consult for the Rock & Hall Of Fame, and other museums.

Thanks for the reply, actually I'm looking forward to the change. After working shifts for 30 years it will be great to have a daylight job.. Sorry about getting off the subject.

[BlackBelt]

Thanks for the reply, actually I'm looking forward to the change. After working shifts for 30 years it will be great to have a daylight job.. Sorry about getting off the subject.

I really hope things keep going forward for you! I hope it did not look like I was boasting, I was simply using those as examples.

[Chad1]

rediculously overpriced tunics

I would be willing to bet that anyone who spends $30k on a tunic, will offer it up for sale before long.

It's too much money to have stuck into a tunic and it won't be long before there is something else that is somehow more rare and more valuable, of course, that they want.

I've been collecting for only about 15 years, but my take is that this still is a middle-class kind of hobby (not that there aren't exceptions). Most of us probably collect either at the limit of what we can afford, or just beyond it. With the kind of disposable income that can buy $30k tunics, you might as well buy vehicles, or have some other hobby that is in the next bracket up for income.

It's just too much money for a tunic. Perhaps you get more into trading with such high priced pieces, that way there is a lot of slop in the determination of values.

[NTZ]

I recently purchased a white Allg officer visor from a vets family at 12,500.00. Now that was a vets family, and not a professional dealer. I can only imagine if Shea had that on his site.

Please share it with us nerds in the headgear area. By the way, I think you win for the best job.

[bwanek1]

I only anticipate prices rising. As the newly-wealthy Russians (and Chinese) who are new to the global TR market start to learn the difference between 100% original and the expensive doctored items or outright fakes they have been buying, the prices for really good items will go up even higher tan the current asking prices.

Right now, a lot of those Asian continent buyers have more money than sense and are buying a lot of crap along with the good. Once they get smarter, they will realize that truly good items are rarer than they thought and they will pay the high prices most US and European collectors won't or can't right now. Sellers will cash in and those items will disappear into Asia, not to be see again in our lifetimes.

[phild]

I suppose it would be obvious to state that there are different levels of collecting and that some have more disposable income than others.

The supply and demand pricing phenomenon is not limited to just uniforms, but to all kinds of collectible rarities, particularly those that don't required tortured explanation to justify their originality.

In real terms, I don't see prices decreasing. The old maxim in life applies here as well: "You get what you pay for."

The remarks above sum it all up nicely. I think that the statement regarding the price heights across other collecting areas is very often overlooked but very related to the original post of this thread.

Even within the area of 3rd Reich just look at the current prices of other items. Today we have the nicer M36 chained SS daggers routinly selling for 8-10k. These are much more common that untouched SS tunics...and I offer this as just one example as we could all fill pages of threads with other examples from every area of 3rd Reich collecting.

My point is items generally stay realative in price to other items and the bigger question then becomes where will all of the major items be in price down the road in terms of being in reach of collectors?