Hermann Fegelein's SS General tunic at HH

[John Pic]

I think if I am a collector and have an interest in the hobby and the direction it goes down the road...the price trends and the ability of fakers to replicate items and place them into auctions...it is my business...ignoring these trends is what produces the cattle to just throw money into something they know nothing about...but thats what makes the hobby nice for some lots of stupid cattle to buy up the junk.

Since not many could afford to buy an SS Tuxedo badge...its should have been none of their business how much Kai was selling them for...they shouldnt even be interested it's out of their league....

at least thats what Im hearing...Im seeing to schools of thought...one that forgives the fakers and fake sellers to keep the feeding tubes open and another that is fed up with it.

A prestigious Auction house with a cadre that is consistantly fooled by this line of collectible should seek to hire more knowledgeable authenticators period. .......if they truly care.

[N.C. Wyeth]

As far as WHO is collecting... a story from Willi... there was a dealer who sold uniforms on eBay and had three Waffen-SS tunics up for bid. He saw that somebody was bidding on them and emailed him and informed him that the tunics, in his opinion, were no good. Turns out the bidder was the professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Redsox, (I forgot his name --- famous pitcher). Kelly Hicks also contacted him and told him the tunics were dubious at best. He found out who Kelly was and asked if he had any SS helmets for sale. Kelly had a nice double decal helmet for $3400. This pitcher told Kelly that he could get them cheaper on eBay. He ended up winning the 3 Waffen-SS tunics for $13,000. So we have investors buying this stuff up too. Who do you think constantly starts NEW threads on metal cap insignia and want a Yes, it's good - no, it's bad answer (quickly).

Bob

Strange, indeed . . . and twenty years from now, I predict it will only be all the more strange . . . Hold on to your horses!

[panzer1432]

collecting

Strange, indeed . . . and twenty years from now, I predict it will only be all the more strange . . . Hold on to your horses!

This hobby requires homework and patience.

Mike

[Max Wünsche]

If indeed these items are changing hands at these prices, it seems the buyers are not part of the militaria collecting community, as we know it.

The terms idiotic and more money than sense spring to mind!

This pitcher told Kelly that he could get them cheaper on eBay. He ended up winning the 3 Waffen-SS tunics for $13,000.

As I was saying...

[kubel44]

SS tunic maker label

I am very surprised by the tailor's tag. I thought it is a typical example of this tailor, A F Aker & F Ucker from Bumburg . Jacques

Hello, what do think about high quality tailored tunics that DON'T have a tailors labels. Wouldnt a tailor want to put his mark in there creation? Why would a tunic not have a label in it on the otherhand? Would that be indicator of a fake tunic?

[John Pic]

No it would not Ive seen tunic with no labels in them.

I really need to proofread my posts..my spelling and grammar ugh...sign of aging??

[DonC]

I've seen some really beautiful private purchase or even early issue tunics without tailor's labels, and some real POS's with beautiful tailor tags in them. The big name tailors - Holters, Klein & Nuppnau, etc., had a pretty high standard of craftsmanship, but some of the smaller tailors and mom and pop shops varied widely depending on the materials they had access to and their execution.

Don

[Bob Hritz]

Well, who has written to HH and demanded proof? LOL!

Bob Hritz

[james m]

I am not a tunic collector but I have a question after reading this thread. It's apparently obvious to those that commented that the chance this tunic is original is unlikely. Purportedly(I've never dealt with them) Hermann Historica is a legit. auction house. Has any one contacted them and raised the issues with this tunic that are outlined here?
Jim

Bob:
My post number 21(above) in this thread. I don't have enough knowledge about German cloth to raise the proper issues with this item or I'd have done it myself. If this were a firearm with apparent issues I'd have no problem doing just that.
To Date: As far as I can see no one has bothered contacting the auction house. In my experience; Most legitimate auction houses will pay serious attention when a premier item that's coming up for sale is called into question.
Jim

[Bobwirtz]

Not when there is a lot of money to be made! Unfortunately we live in a greedy world. Many dealers have crossed over to the 'dark side' because they needed rent money, or were just greedy for more of everything. Auction houses are no different. They make commissions on SALES, not retractions!!! They are for the most part NOT experts on the things they auction, but instead take the word of the seller. I remember many bad things getting dumped by collectors, or dealers, on the old Manion's Auction. You're wasting your time and effort notifying HH or any other auction house --- your words will fall on deaf ears!

[John Pic]

The auction house could care less what anyone thinks...its been proven time and again giving feedback to the dealers doesn't change what they do...its not them that need to be made aware its the potential buyers.

The mentality of defending the seller and ridiculing the consumer reminds me of this ,Daffy Duck finds the Genie lamp and all he can think about is what it will bring him on the market.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCXnXDiKoQ

[BrianK]

The auction house could care less what anyone thinks...its been proven time and again giving feedback to the dealers doesn't change what they do...its not them that need to be made aware its the potential buyers.

The mentality of defending the seller and ridiculing the consumer reminds me of this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCXnXDiKoQ

That's what I've been told when I've complained of being burned on fake TR items -"It's your fault, you didn't do your homework!"

[John Pic]

Well Brian I agree with that, we collectors should do our homework. But we should also assist other collectors with their homework if they ask....and we should be vigilant about fraud and who is selling fraudulent items and when we see something make others aware....there are some collectors on here who do make enough to buy this tunic maybe it interests them what the opinions of other collectors are.

[Bobwirtz]

The professional baseball pitcher was CURT SCHILLING!!!

[DonC]

Any member of the Yankees' starting roation OR bullpen would have listened to Kelly and Willi...

Don