$15-35,000 SS tunics

[Matthew S.]

I tried to get my guy to steal a visor but he wouldnt pick it up.

Now THAT sounds like an interesting computer game! Leave winning the war up to "Call of Duty" or "Medal of Honor"... Market one where you get to comb the battlefield of souvenirs and I'd buy one!

[JR.]

Why can a dealer get much more for an item that they are selling without a single shred of providence, when you can't on the vetted item that you are trying to sell ? I think that it comes down to this:

Why can a car dealership get more for their used car than the one that you are selling in the paper ?

Why can a realtor get more for the house that he has listed on the same street as yours, than what you can sell yours for on your own?

Why can the jewelry shop get more for their diamonds that the one that you listed in the newspaper ?

Why can the Harley dealer get more for his used bikes than the one that you have listed in the classifieds?

Why can the pet shop get more for their animals than you as breeder advertising in the paper?

The answer is:There is a certain level of confidence that people have when they buy things from a certified dealer, whether it be a single decal army helmet or a 67 Corvette. The dealer has been in business and is well known, has made a name for himself, guarantees his service and product, has a reputation of long standing, will be in business tomorrow etc,etc, etc. And until you build that kind of following with a repeated customer after customer basis, selling on your own will never match the level of a professional dealer.

[Glenn McInnes]

Why can a dealer get much more for an item that they are selling without a single shred of providence, when you can't on the vetted item that you are trying to sell ? I think that it comes down to this:

The answer is:There is a certain level of confidence that people have when they buy things from a certified dealer, whether it be a single decal army helmet or a 67 Corvette. The dealer has been in business and is well known, has made a name for himself, guarantees his service and product, has a reputation of long standing, will be in business tomorrow etc,etc, etc. And until you build that kind of following with a repeated customer after customer basis, selling on your own will never match the level of a professional dealer.

Yes I certainly agree,always seems to be this way.






Glenn

[Robert H]

To sell on their own works pretty well as an example on the sale sections. On what it is pending we know it very well all, price, condition etc. When it is a very rare item the price doesn't matter anymore for certain items as it is one fancy price or named collectors price. Then I wonder about the word certified dealer connected with the military buisiness. It is pending on the agreements and how much you know your stuff. I laugh inside alot when I hear a dealer talks to a customer just crab and is then certified, but that is not new at all.

[John Pic]

So in essence one should just trust a dealer that he knows something is absolutely real even if he cannot provide proof? I hate to say it JR but Cars and Pets are not like rare antiques and cars are usually bought brand new if not, no one I know trusts a used car salesman %100 the car is tested and there is a lemon law to protect the consumer...do you sign a contract with a buyer that states if any dagger you sell is found to be repaired or not as it should be you will replace it or face prosecution? Pets are livinig creatures and youre wrong private breeders can be quite expensive.

Here we have two dealers answering my question,because simply the truth is your paying because they tell you something is real not necessarily because it is. So for 7 years you come on this forum and some expert tells you "buy the item not the story" but let me get this youre going to buy the item and the name of the dealer who sold it to you and that makes it real? Any one with some knowledge and a reputation then could throw a tunic together correctly and sell it as 100% real...oh wait I think maybe thats already happened and some of the dealers are called out on it on the forums others are protected to an extent and cant be touched because of the forums..not that people dont want to but everyone is afraid of legal action..A smart collector will realize that the man between him and his collectible will embellish anything to get a sale and that they are not all knowing..proof of that can be found on every website or walking into a big show. A highly regarded dealer told me there was "nothing wrong" with these eagles...so now you say should I accept them as real because he has a gold reputation???....Heck no because they are not and every real expert knows this or they wouldve spoken out on the forums.But someone somewhere has a $25000 tunic with one on it and thinks its real because they bought it from a big name.

[JR.]

Until you have a lengthy track record, a following & referrals, and repeated sales with few complaints, you will not be able sell a 3rd Reich collectable for the price that a dealer can.

John, if you put a tunic in the e-stand and sell it........... then 90 days later something goes haywire with authenticity, how are you going to handle it ? You already spent the money from the sale 89 days ago............. so how are you going to help this unhappy customer? A dealer can in several ways, but as an individual you may be limited or might not even want to.

When you take a collector like Tom Kibbler, or say Matt Miller, and they list a helmet in the e-stand for sale for instance. Collectors worldwide have a high degree of confidence in the helmet community with these 2 names. They can sell helmets for equal to or more than some of your top tier dealers. Why?? Because the credibility that their name brings assoiciated with 3rd Reich helmets.

Same thing with Brad on SS cap emblems. When he lists one for sale, it will sell immediately for the top money. Collectors have a high level of confidence in his name and expertise. Until a person develops that type of reputation he will never be able to match the prices that a dealer commands.

Collectors are comfortable with names like Jason Burmeister, Steve Wolf & Neil Hardin. These dealers really don't need to advertise to sell their wares. They have a following that comes to them for items time & time again. It is their reputation............and how collectors percieve them, that makes them successful. And knowing that is something were to go amok on a sale, that it will be worked out without further challenges.

[John Pic]

I hate to bring this one up again but alot of the experienced guys on this forum wouldve bought and paid for a $40000 FAKE panzer tunic because it was connected to a name....The case should be rested but it never will be, it will always stand out as a lesson for others to learn from, the only ones that dont agree with that are those who dove in so fast to say it was good.
Im sure some here would like to have seen the thread wiped away to disappear into oblivion like the other one was over on GDC. Hopefully it will be preserved as a lesson to everyone that names shouldnt sell anything.

Nothing wrong with a good reputation but using it to boost the price of an item sold normally for $10,000 tp $30,000.Im sorry JR but for that price I dont care what your reputation is I want to know what I am buying.
I started this thread because of a question asked about a STRIPPED tunic restored and being offered for $18,000 by Craig Gottlieb with no real documentation attached to it either. Sorry but I dont buy the Glamour Dealer name thing..alot of higher end fakes have been passed off through high end dealers.

Alot of novices and desperados buy into it though and lurkers abound but be careful not to grease the tracks too much because people are getting smarter after 8 years of these forums.

[JR.]

As I have mentioned, there are collectors that are not dealers that can sell their items for the top dollar and do. Their names are associated with collector confidence. I've listed 3 of these name in my above post. Their reputation is how collectors percieve them to be in relationship to honesty, knowledge, experience, friendliness, etc,etc, etc. Collectors LIKE to buy from these individuals. That is the difference that sets them apart from the average individual listing an item in e-stand.

[NTZ]

Sorry but I dont buy the Glamour Dealer name thing..alot of higher end fakes have been passed off through high end dealers.

Alot of novices and desperados buy into it though and lurkers abound but be careful not to grease the tracks too much because people are getting smarter after 8 years of these forums.

I can only speak for my little world of visors but some of the “Glamour dealer’s” names that have been mentioned I know for a fact could not spot a high-end put together visor. I should make that plural. No need for details but because a said dealer might be strong in one area of collecting does not mean he is strong in all. So to arbitrarily mark up your inventory because you have a reputation is crazy. Let me rephrase that. For a collector to pay the mark up is crazy.

[John Pic]

Ironic that the best SS uniform I have encountered in all my years came from an unknown name in the hobby.

Youre trying to sell yourself here..You dabble in SS cloth but usually dont frequent the SS forums.Something touched a nerve? You cant convince me JR Ive seen people ripped off by big names collector or dealer too often.

[jacquesf]

As long as you spend the money, these dealers are your best friends. Stop spending and you quickly dissapear from their quick dial list. They, the dealers and some so called veteran/ old collectors are very good at spotting the cash cows(novice collectors with limited experience and lots of money) and milking them with over priced and questionable items. How do they do that? By using their carefully built up reputations. They become TR celebrities (same as Popstars like Britney Spears) Some even write books to enhance their reputations. A lot of collectors fall for this approach and will believe nothing wrong of them. Jacques

[NTZ]

Some even write books to enhance their reputations. Jacques

Oh boy, that is a can of worms Should we open it in another thread?

Three names come to mind on that one!

[jacquesf]

Nick, some of these got seriously exposed on this forum, one even quit TR collecting. They are my pet hate, with their smug, know it all attitudes and collecting groupies (praisesingers) hanging to their every word. Jacques

Oh boy, that is a can of worms Should we open it in another thread?

Three names come to mind on that one!

[John Pic]

NTZ all I can offer is that its best to sit in the shadows and watch and learn..opening the worm cans hasn't saved anyone from getting into trouble and the person who gets in the most trouble is the worm can opener.

[JR.]

John, all that I have made reference to is a dealer selling any item vs that of an individual selling the same. I buy and sell daggers mainly, and in particular SS daggers. Many collectors know this and contact me often when interested in purchasing one. I probably buy & sell more SS edged weapons than the top tier dealers do and rarely have to advertise............... why?