Max certified dealer what does it mean ?

[Gary Wood]

What exactly is this program?

What is the criteria for becoming max certified dealer?
Does it cost dealer money to be part of it? and how do you as collectors feel when you see that a seller is a max certified dealer


Keep it clean!

[John Pic]

Years ago before I went to a MAX show, I took it that this meant you could trust that a dealer you bought from who was certified by these big names was only selling ...to the best of thier knowledge...original items guaranteed to pass any scrutiny by the best....and that if a mistake was made you were guaranteed your money in return no hard feelings.

But I found out I could buy an item from one MAX certified dealer and other MAX certified dealers would give the item a thumbs down...yet they would not take it upon themselves to offer criticism should that dealer put the same item back up for sale.

Ive found that MAX certified means that you can sell fakes and humped up items as long as you dont sell them to anyone of any importance in the hobby.

In short it means absolutely nothing, it is garnish to make a routine hobby convention look like a gathering of an elite club cadre who use it as a way to corner the market.

This is why you got better deals at places like the old Great Western Gun Show no guarantees but also you were on the same level playing field and it was first come first serve.

[Bobwirtz]

In my opinion it is just another money-making scam by the promoters. It doesn't mean crap. It doesn't help the buyer in any way... just a smoke screen!

Bob

[AFF96]

Gary, thank you for posting this question & thanks to those who clarified! As a newby, I have had dealers use this "title" as a mark of their excellence.

[billbert]

There are some dealers whom are honest and wear the name with honor..Sadly many more advanced collector when viewing that on a website THINK it might be a place to get ramed and scammed by the unscrupulous hiding behind this moniker.... JMHO Billbert

[SJP]

In my opinion it is just another money-making scam by the promoters. It doesn't mean crap. It doesn't help the buyer in any way... just a smoke screen!

Bob

Couldn't agree more. It's always been about the money.
___________________________________________
Cheers Steve

[Schulterklappen]

Max

An Alte Hase of insignia collecting told me that it meant, "You say my stuff is good and I'll say yours is too..."

[ETN]

What does it mean? To me, it means nothing. It makes no difference to me when I purchase an item from a dealer.

[Dan P]

just means they can officially screw you over

[Don D.]

And protect each other.

[Schulterklappen]

Waf

Evidently, one of them doesn't care too much for the WAF. From their website:

"However one of the down sides has been the problem of Internet forums. The basic concept of a forum where people can get together either physically or electronically and discuss matters that interest them cannot be judged a bad thing. The main problem with the Internet forum is that we have various groups of people from all parts of the globe talking about items that they have never seen in the physical sense. We constantly have items sent to us via email images for us to pass judgement on. We always reply but never give a judgement, our standard reply is “It is impossible, even with the technology of today, to make judgements on items that we cannot physically hold in our hands, it would be totally unprofessional.” Photograph images are stolen from Companies websites, placed on Internet Forums with various groups of people, many of which are so-called “NEW EXPERTS” who in the past have probably never even attended a major arms fair, never viewed another good collection, never visited an auction house, and making comments and passing judgement on items they have never held in their hands. This is an impossible function to perform. Collecting militaria is not solely about the technical aspect of an item, it is about the feel, the history, even the smell. Because of these events we advise all our web site viewers to make their own judgements on items when they actually receive them or view them and not to be influenced by comments made ostensibly by groups of Internet Forum contributors who have very little or no experience"

[Napalm]

Regimentals talking sh1t. as above...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Bedeut

It all means exactly Jacksh**. Judge the item and know the material.

[Bobwirtz]

Actually, in many cases photography brings out many details that the naked eyeball cannot see. And in many cases where the items are easily identified as fakes, what more touch and feel do you need? I've been surprised over the years at some of the calls on the forums, but there are collectors here who study this stuff down to the nth degree, specializing in one or two things and knowing them better than all the dealers put together. When some of these 'experts' tell you that it's not original, you can take that to the bank. This is just an attempt to say, "Trust me, I'm a dealer and have been for up-teen years and I know best." This is trying to convince buyers not to show their stuff around and finding out that it's fake or put together. My friend always said you'd better know your stuff if you want to collect Third Reich stuff, but you should also collect by consensus, let others see what you've bought. Each collector looks at things differently and each have their "tells" and indicators that raise the red flags. The forums are a wonderful piece of technology, provided that people can put up decent photos.

Bob

[RUHL13]

Very well said Bob