Bryan

Wow this is a very nice introductory guide and making it free for the forum members is something that I really respect! Thank you very much Eric!

All right! Merci Christophe.

Is the Downloadable PDF File still there? I don't see it.

Thank you very much Eric! As a relatively young collector I started collecting Soviet awards 2 years ago and I have noticed the fluctuation in the awards prices. I am very interested in almost all ex-communism countries and so am I with there awards. However as a university student, collecting Soviet awards can be very expensive. I?m that kind of guy you spend some of my scholarships in my collection, but because I can?t afford some awards for now, I decided to jump into Yugoslavian awards for few reasons. 1. I?m interested in Yugoslavia history with all his nations and 2. They really have gorgeous awards in IMHO. I would also like also to collect Mongolian or Albanian awards, but I can?t just collect everything for I?m interested in for now. I hope I?ll have the chance to collect those awards one day, but who knows, they might be as expensive as Soviet awards one day.

Nice street sign Order of Victory. I bought a street sign this summer in Moscow. I got it for $25, which I think was a good deal. It is the street Komsomolskaya and it is supposed to be a sign from the '70.

I have won a Soviet railroad plaque yesterday on eBay like the one from order_of_victory. I'll post pictures when I will get it.

Eric, may I know where does your fascination about Albanian medals comes from? I'd really like to know!

These were later replaced by a plastic version.

This has nothing to do with Soviet train plaques, but I find this border plaque very interesting. I think this is the metalic earlier plaque.

Here are 2 more awards I have picked up for my collection. Order of Labor 2nd Class Order of Yugoslavian People's Army 3rd Class

I just have a small question. I say this Polish group for sale on eBay and I have noticed that the document for the Soviet medal for Victory over Germany has a Polish stamp. Does it mean the medal was issued by the Polish government? Is it very frequent to find such stamps on Soviet medal documents?

Hello Gerd. Congradulation having this in your collection. I guess I know where it comes from!

I'm learning russian rigth now. so I won't ask for the translation. My only big problem is to read russian handwriting.

Thanks for your comments! I'm ordering a research on this group and on my Red Banner screwback.

Hello, I'm ready to research my first group. Ricky said : So that means I should ask for 2 awards citations and the service record. I guess it doesn't really worth asking for the award card of the soldier, because I have already the order book. Does it worth to ask for the personal file of the soldier? What can we normally learn? Thanks for your help!

Jesus! Did you buy most of your groups long time ago? You have a wonderful collection.

Wow Andrei! I just discovered that thread. Your grandfather was on the Voronezh Front! So I guess he took part in Operation Saturn in December 1942. He may have fought against the 2nd Hungarian Army and then later participated in the capture of Budapest in 1945. This is very interesting! Thanks for sharing one of your most precious group!

Which restaurant was the first McDonald?s in Moscow? Street?

You must have one of the greatest display in Canada! If not, for sure the greatest on the West coast!

Fantastic collection! I do not collect Mongolian awards, but I do think they are very interesting. They have lots of colors that can catch your eye and their orders are really gorgeous and detailed. Too bad I can't afford to collect everything.

Sorry for the late response Gerd. I don't show up very often in the Collectors Showcase forum and stick more to the Communism forum. I have to admit that you have an impressive collection after only 2 years and some months. It's been also for me in August-September my second collecting year of Soviet medals. Too bad we haven't started earlier when they were dirt cheap. You made a nice presentation and did well by framing them. Too made I didn't manage to add time to visit you and see your collection while I was in Germany. I hope next time I'll be able. Congratulations again and I must also admit that I really like the Red Banner display case! It seems that you prefer to collect the groups and the Red Banners. Do you also have some Liberation, Capture and Defence medals outside of the ones you have in groups?

I like Socialist Realism artwork!

KAi-Winkler has a lot of dubious Soviet medals. I once was interested by his Partisan medals, but it seems that many people on an other forum put red flags on them.

And what about Yougoslavian medals?

Very nice Lenin Order Paddy! It was also nice to see it in real life in Dublin.