Bob

Here's a very used one!

Finally got it Key here is the reverse.

Sounds like you despise the same people who you probably do business with to acquire your awards. There's a word for that... :rolleyes:

RECENTLY SOLD pinback - USD 795, nr 857, www.collectrussia.com - 1998 - USD 740, nr 1.938, www.collectrussia.com - 1999 - USD 780, nr ?, www.collectrussia.com - 2002 - USD 945, nr 1.233, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.870, nr 1.918, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2007 - USD 1.880, nr 1.785, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2007 (boxed) - USD 1.950, nr 860, www.russianglory.com - MARCH 2007 - EURO 1.600 (roughly 2.100 USD), nr 1.183, www.huesken.com - MARCH 2007 - EURO 1.650 (roughly 2.200 USD), nr 1.514, www.huesken.com - JUNE 2007 - EURO 1.300 (roughly 1.700 USD), nr 1.246, private seller - SEPTEMBER 2007 - EURO 1.600 (roughly 2.200 USD - before fees!), nr 1.514, Andreas Thies October auction - OCTOBER 2007 - USD 1.850, nr 1.947, Nota Bene - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 2.150, nr 1.837, www.collectrussia.com - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 1.950, nr 1.437, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2008 - USD 2.000 (excl. 15% auction premium), nr 1,246, Dmitry Markov auction - JANUARY 2008 - USD 1.925, nr 902, eBay - FEBRUARY 2008 - USD 2.200, nr 1.617, somewhere in Russia - MARCH 2008 - USD 2.750, nr 1.635, www.collectrussia.com - MARCH 2008 - USD 2.750, nr 860, Nota Bene - APRIL 2008 - USD 3.200, nr 1.600, www.collectrussia.com - APRIL 2008 screwback - USD 820, nr ?, www.collectrussia.com - 1998 - USD 1.375, nr 89, www.collectrussia.com - 2003 - USD 985, nr 523, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.150, nr 519, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.680, nr 644, Nota Bene - NOVEMBER 2006 - EUR 1.630 (roughly 2.150 USD), nr 585, Albert GMIC - MAY 2007 - USD 2.650, nr 644 (again!), Nota Bene - OCTOBER 2007 (boxed) - USD 2.900, nr 640, www.collectrussia.com - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 2.500, nr 777, somewhere in Russia - DECEMBER 2007 - USD 3.250 (excl. 15% auction premium), nr 427, Dmitry Markov auction - JANUARY 2008 - USD 3.225, nr 556, private seller - MAY 2008 - USD 3.500, nr 261, Coinsell (on eBay) - SEPTEMBER 2008 CURRENTLY FOR SALE - USD 3.500, nr 474 (screwback), eBay - USD 5.800, nr 448 (screwback), www.collectrussia.com - USD 3.800, nr 1.388 (pinback), private seller

Indeed a lot was UNSOLD... but at least I got some goodies! Finally got my hands on the very rare small order of remembrance. Unfortunately did not win the lot with the gold prototype of the same. Not me winning it, but 3.000 Euro for a gold first class IKOM Skanderbeg is a lot of money I'm happy if Albanian items continue to stay out of the limelight... always on the lookout for numbered class 3 skanderbegs to hopefully research someday!

Don't laugh, but I don't find those prices to be THAT expensive. I was almost expecting the hero to go well north of 20K Euro. The documented set I'd even consider "cheap", idem or the SB. Makes me regret not putting some bids in actually. Oh well, at least got some other goodies:)

this may also raise some reassessment of previous statement on fakes :unsure:

What's still for sale is priced high... sellers market apparently. RECENTLY SOLD pinback - USD 795, nr 857, www.collectrussia.com - 1998 - USD 740, nr 1.938, www.collectrussia.com - 1999 - USD 780, nr ?, www.collectrussia.com - 2002 - USD 945, nr 1.233, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.870, nr 1.918, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2007 - USD 1.880, nr 1.785, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2007 (boxed) - USD 1.950, nr 860, www.russianglory.com - MARCH 2007 - EURO 1.600 (roughly 2.100 USD), nr 1.183, www.huesken.com - MARCH 2007 - EURO 1.650 (roughly 2.200 USD), nr 1.514, www.huesken.com - JUNE 2007 - EURO 1.300 (roughly 1.700 USD), nr 1.246, private seller - SEPTEMBER 2007 - EURO 1.600 (roughly 2.200 USD - before fees!), nr 1.514, Andreas Thies October auction - OCTOBER 2007 - USD 1.850, nr 1.947, Nota Bene - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 2.150, nr 1.837, www.collectrussia.com - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 1.950, nr 1.437, Nota Bene - JANUARY 2008 - USD 2.000 (excl. 15% auction premium), nr 1,246, Dmitry Markov auction - JANUARY 2008 - USD 1.925, nr 902, eBay - FEBRUARY 2008 - USD 2.200, nr 1.617, somewhere in Russia - MARCH 2008 - USD 2.750, nr 1.635, www.collectrussia.com - MARCH 2008 - USD 2.750, nr 860, Nota Bene - APRIL 2008 - USD 3.200, nr 1.600, www.collectrussia.com - APRIL 2008 screwback - USD 820, nr ?, www.collectrussia.com - 1998 - USD 1.375, nr 89, www.collectrussia.com - 2003 - USD 985, nr 523, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.150, nr 519, www.collectrussia.com - 2004 - USD 1.680, nr 644, Nota Bene - NOVEMBER 2006 - EUR 1.630 (roughly 2.150 USD), nr 585, Albert GMIC - MAY 2007 - USD 2.650, nr 644 (again!), Nota Bene - OCTOBER 2007 (boxed) - USD 2.900, nr 640, www.collectrussia.com - NOVEMBER 2007 - USD 2.500, nr 777, somewhere in Russia - DECEMBER 2007 - USD 3.250 (excl. 15% auction premium), nr 427, Dmitry Markov auction - JANUARY 2008 - USD 3.225, nr 556, private seller - MAY 2008 - USD 3.500, nr 261, Coinsell (on eBay) - SEPTEMBER 2008 CURRENTLY FOR SALE - USD 5.800, nr 448 (screwback), www.collectrussia.com - USD 3.800, nr 1.388 (pinback), private seller - USD 4.400, nr 2.009 (pinback), eBay PREVIOUSLY FOR SALE BUT NOT REPORTED AS SOLD screwback - USD 5.000, nr 227 (screwback), Coinsell (on eBay)

reverse

Recent addition to my collection, nr 261 It's had a difficult life, but I love it

I guess "wait and see" is the only thing we can do. Prices are rising as is... so I'd be surprised if research doesn't add to that. Soviet awards also aren't all for snipers in stalingrad who escaped via a submarine etc. etc. so I'm not going to be too picky... research is better than no research:)

Perhaps, but this is the 3rd one he has (i think) in 12 months time... prices are jacked up almost 100% each time and after a few months they do sell. May be very few Mongolia collectors... but there's also not that much material to collect of course! Plus I do suspect Mongolia is a natural fringe area of collecting for Soviet collectors of which there are many. Also, the potential "price explosion" from research hasn't even materialized yet. One wonders also how many of the collectors for these high end items are so affected by the financial crisis that it really impacts their spending pattern...

When I compare SB prices (remember... 2000 of them) vs. Soyombo (e.g. 10k on collect russia, low number of only 400 or so) and am assuming that SB prices are "appropriate" (after all, we can track over last 2-3 years the gradual increase), I'm left thinking that Soyombo's will soon rocket to well over 20k. Don't even want to start thinking about what a regular Hero Star will go for...

Location: concord, CA, Mongolia Never knew Arnold was governor of a part of Mongolia:)

Need to keep the Mongolia section alive a bit:)

Need to keep the Mongolia section alive a bit:)

Now in my collection

Found this in a box and hadn't shared it yet

and a smaller one but very shiny

And looking at the reverse, the plastic medal bar makes clear that the recipient had to expand on two occasions:)

These look so much alike that you start to wonder whether they could belong to the same individual after all...

Excellent... and "nice" award he has on right hand side of the pic :jumping:

Was just reading about a dutch millionaire who bought one of only 20 maybach convertibles recently. His response to the question whether he had doubts in buying due to the recent economic crisis: "it doesn't affected my spending habits the slightest bit" We'll see...

So possibly one should then think,ok that's what the hero of labor is maybe somewhat for... But I get the impression those are essentially awarded for long work, useful inventions, and "popular" artists. No awardings however to "incorrect" people... Eg during grobatsjov era, no dissidents from the past were "reinstated" and "legitimized" by a hero award?