DonC

Thank you both for your help! Anyone else have any reccomendations? Don

Hello, All - Does anyone know if there are any books in English on the Freikorps era? Any help appreciated! Don

I don't know about you, Darrell, but I plan on living forever!

Hi Darrell - Well, at least folks are ASKING $350 or $450 for thier rusty banged-up stuff, but I have not seen a lot of it moving anywhere fast... Just saw an average cased KVK 1 with Swords for $450 - ouch! It's still there, however. Here is an educated guess from an economic novice: In the next ten to fifteen years I think we will see a pullback in the prices of common items - IAB's, WB's, GAB's, issue visors, sidecaps, etc. I think that a lot of folks who collect will indeed be cashing in, and the common items will start showing up in greater numbers. The high end stuff, well, forget it - rare is rare. But $200 or even $150 for an average IAB? I really don't think the market can sustain that indefinitely. When was the last time you visited even a small web militaria site and there weren't 5-6 IAB's or wound badges each? It's out there still, and folks with patience can still get a bargain, but not as easily as five years ago. The "gotta have it now" mentality is what has driven prices up - not increased rarity. When I got serious about the hobby in 1997 (yes I am am still learning), you could get IAB's for $60 and issue infantry arty and infantry visors for $200 to $225 in good condition. Now, you'd be lucky to get a moth buffet for that price. IMHO, the market may have crested. How many were destoyed or somehow lost to posterity in the last ten years? Very few - so they are still there, maybe in a collection, but they have gotten no rarer, just perhaps harder to get - for now. Higher gas prices, an aging collecting community, fewer folks getting into collecting, the MTV generation, whatever you want to blame, I think the baseline may well drop when the next generation starts to get into the hobby, simply because they do not have that visceral conection that many of us have to the hobby. However, my brilliant analysis aside, I am equally sure there were Centurians sitting around Rome in 50 BC saying "ten lira for a lousy Hun helmet? It can't last!" Don

David, the bars represent the level of proficiency, just as the acorns or shells do for the Wehrmacht sch?tzenschnur. Don

Now THAT, my friends, is a beard!

Hi David - Those are old-style Reichswehr markmanship chevrons. They were worn into the TR era by some of the old-timers until 36 or 37 - it was a mark of service in the more "elite" Reichswehr when all the new conscripts came in - sort of like officers keeping their "alter art" caps and tunics well past the wear-out date. I haven't seen any in 1938 or later dated photos, so the more commonly seen cords had taken over by that point... Don

Actually, had it been included in the auction, I would have definitely bid it up provided it was in my size... I think it had the award loops for the bar and everything!

Thanks, Rick! Don

Hi All - Some of you may have seen this bar on eBann last week - I asked for additional scans to see what was behind the curtain, so to speak, and wound up with a five place bar with a '39 EKII and KVKII, the ??? ribbon mismatched with the Hessen silver bravery medal, the LS medal and a West Wall. No HK. My question is, is the bar a complete fantasy piece? Is there any medal out there with a red ribbon, or did somebody just try to get cute? As always, any help appreciated! Don

Close-up of the insignia...

Hi All - I wanted to share this Waffenrock for a Leutnant dR of the 7th Signals Abteilung. I had been looking for an officer's piped tunic or Waffenrock in the Signals Waffnefarbe for about three year and this one sort of dropped into my lap last week. Don

Speedy as always! Rick, I can always count on you. Does anyone have any idea how many Genralleutnant-equivalent Admin officers there were out there? Although of course the pips could have been plugged in at any time since 1945... Don

Hi All - Another forum has an administrative General's tunic for sale, Generalleutnant rank equivalent. It "might" come with his original medals, but the seller is not certain. Is there any way to track this gentleman down? I attached what are purported to be his medals, although I must confess the medal bar seems a little out of order. Perhaps those more knowledgeable than I can assist. And as always, any help much appreciated! Don For some reason the pics won't load. Here is the link: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ad.php?t=156697

Ah, the good old days... When you could christen a ship "HMS Imperialist" and not have to fight off all the rabid PC freaks... Don

Hi Sam - My guess is that the Bulgarian MMO is actually wartime produced. Incredible detail, and I can't see the W. Germans tooling up to produce an award of that quality postr war - the Bulgarians certainly weren't churning out "Fascist" awards under the Sovs. None of the ribbons on the bar glow badly under black light, so I think wartime ribbon was used. The detail on all the medals on that bar are fantastic - the 5 place bar is a later one, and the difference in the medal quality in regards to strike, especially on the LS awards, is marked. Don

Enamel:

Hi Grant - Yeah, I was enamored of the enamel ( ) and just had to have it. I figured I probably would not see that combo ever again. It is a super-quality piece with all early medals - there is a huge difference between these and the later stuff that came out in the 70's. Here's a better shot on my piped arty tunic and one of a five-place bar with the Finnish Cross of Liberty:

It looks better on a tunic - I'll post some more when I get home. Don

Here's one of mine, with a Bulgarian Military Merit Order 5th Class:

Well, after much negotiation, here it is - mint condition save for one small 3 mm repair to the front lower skirt, super nice vibrant colors - all red . I was very relieved when I got it as having it in hand, it is completely legit - never messed with. I was concerned that this would end up being a post war promotion, but it is 100% un-dickified. I'll post more detailed pics in the next few days... My thanks to all of you for your advice and help! Don

Hi Pikey - Techinically, it is not a Waffenrock (parade tunic) it is a piped field blouse - what we in the US refer to as a "Class A" uniform, or a walking out tunic. Don

Hi Rick - No name label, unfortunately. I've been fishing around the various forums to get some sort of composite feeling on this - I am more concerned with the fact it only has the one breast badge - I would expect at least a Flak badge on a Major, as well as the screw-back award... Don

Dear All - Considering this tunic http://www.theoldbrigade.co.uk/shop/viewph...ph=29795&phqu=4 and wanted to get members' input on it. Any and all advice appreciated! Don

Woof! How rare is it that a gent would make it all the way to Generalleutnant and not have at least the DKiG? This guy must have been one hell of an administrator! Don