Soviet How many awards or groups have you asked research for?

[Bryan]

How many medals, orders or groups have you asked research for?

I'm quit new with researching awards, because up to now I preferred to spend money on new orders instead of researching what I already have. I have to admit that for a "low scaled" collector like me, researching awards is kind of expensive. You spend lots of money on research before even that you have a decent collection.

However I have decided to conduct 2 researches, one a group and one on an order. I made them 2 months ago and I am thrilled to see what do I have. I also bought a small documented grouping not so long ago that I should receive pretty soon.

So up to know, in theory, I only have 3 researched awards or grouping. I was wondering how many researches did you already asked for or things in your collection that had already been researched.

I'm just curious. It seems that this forum is well oriented towards researching awards more than any other forum I visit.

Do you prefer to research what you have already or spend more your money on new stuff?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Bryan

[order_of_victory]

Soviet,

I have ten requestes for research for my awards, I tend to put a few in month, one is the post to me And two medals in my colletion with research.

Personaly at the moment I am in position were cant afford much new stuff because I require only rare pieces so I am catching up on Research and DOC's for my medals.

Order of Victory

[Guest Rick Research]

I have gotten research on all my groups or I hope to eventually (still have a polar naval aviation WW2-"Doctor Strangelove" Cold War one to do etc).

And let me say, having been collecting since Early Days if not instantly (1994 on)--

the way prices have risen, even the most horrible and "disappointing" research has always been "worth" it.

We can't afford those XX,XXX National Currency Unit items, but we CAN get the few remaining XX and XXX N.C.U. awards done.

Until the doors get slammed shut on the vaults again.

Whicjh could happen at any time.

Whereupon-- for anyone thinking only of retail resale -- the awards that HAVE been researched will forever after command a premium-- no matter how lowly they are.

[Gerd Becker]

Bryan, what is a decent collection? I would rather have only 3 researched awards than 25 nameless pieces, for sure.

And the thrill is for all of us the same, believe me.

I also have research for most of my collection. I have about 15 researched single pieces and 5 researched groups. Waiting for a few more to come...

[Ed_Haynes]

Honestly, I can't imagine having anything -- even a lowly single Red Star -- without at least trying to extract research. For me, it isn't the "things", it is the "history", and history = research. While I can't say that every research request has been successful (and some seem to have gone astray and I need to resubmit my requests), I keep asking and asking and some day, maybe, . . .

Sorry, you touched a fanatic nerve here.

[Riley1965]

So far I have had two Soviet groups researched, request in for one OoG and I am buying one group with research. As for my British & Indian Army I have 6 pieces/groups researched. I can only do a little at a time with my soviet items. However, I'm like that "Little Engine that could"...I keep chugging along.

Doc

[NavyFCO]

I think I can say that I probably have requested more research than any other member (at least "posting member" - I don't know who all is a "lurker" on here...) Maybe 500 individual pieces and groups, I can't say for certain...probably many more than that.

I RARELY ever sell an award without researching it. At the same time, I RARELY ever keep awards after they're researched, and this has been the case since I started researching awards back in 1995. My enjoyment from collecting comes from finding out who the "nameless" awards belonged to and bringing that history to life. Once that's done, they go onto their next (hopefully loving) home.

So, my philosophy is: buy, research, sell. I AM NOT saying that's what I think everyone should do, that is simply how I have conducted my Soviet collection. Unfortunately I started collecting Soviet awards in 1992, and sold many before research became possible. Ahhhh well.....

Dave

[NavyFCO]

I forgot to add... I have researched many people whose awards I do not have, to include famous generals, foreigners and the like. That adds a few more into the pile.....

Dave

[Bryan]

Dave, to have ordered so many researches, do you have special prices that we might don't have for research?

Edited November 17, 2006 by Soviet

[NavyFCO]

Dave, to have ordered so many researches, do you have special prices that we might don't have for research?

LOL!

Geeeze... Don't I wish! Nope, I pay the same thing as you all do. In fact, many of my research requests were done through another collector for many years. That fellow actually charged an extra $20 on top of the initial price, so I paid around $75 per award researched! Earlier, when I would have it done through people like R&M International, the cost was actually more, but you'd only get a typewritten extract of the citation in return - not even a copy of the actual citation!

I should add up my research costs sometime, but I think I have lost a lot of my old e-mails with the bills... I would estimate that I've easily spent $15,000 (probably more) on research over the past 11 years.

So nope, no discounts for the old-timers.

Dave

[Bryan]

My opinion is that you should deserve a small reduction for that amount you spend!

[Ed_Haynes]

Why? The research takes the same amount of effort and time (on average) for one item or 500?

[NavyFCO]

Why? The research takes the same amount of effort and time (on average) for one item or 500?

Yep. AND, the people in the Archives don't offer discounts (unfortunately.) They are exceptional capitalists! They know there is a market, and the research would be ordered even if they didn't give a discount, so they don't have a problem keeping the prices high.

Dave

[Stogieman]

I think Dave is probably at the the very top on ordered research!

[Bryan]

I guess Paul Schmitt must have ordered a lot for his book Echoes of War!

[NavyFCO]

I guess Paul Schmitt must have ordered a lot for his book Echoes of War!

Actually, that was a compilation of research from about a dozen (maybe more) collections worth of research (including mine.) The info came out of several books as well. The names of the people they came from are included in the acknowledgements section, and the books are in the references section. I'm always happy to contribute everything I've got for a great reference like that!

Dave

[NavyFCO]

I think Dave is probably at the the very top on ordered research!

There's only one person with more research ordered than I (that I am aware of) and that's the collector who was the "source" prior to the researcher going public and handling all of the requests himself. For probably 5 or 6 years, probably 90% of all research requests for all collectors went through this one collector.

Dave

[Gerd Becker]

Dave,

do you know, how many collectors are out there, who request resaearch for their awards? Not the exact number of course, just an educated guess.

Gerd

[Ed_Haynes]

Dave,

do you know, how many collectors are out there, who request resaearch for their awards? Not the exact number of course, just an educated guess.

Gerd

Other than the ones on this forum?

It is my understanding that not many of the great herd of Russian collectors request (or value) research? Hope that isn't true.

[NavyFCO]

Dave,

do you know, how many collectors are out there, who request resaearch for their awards? Not the exact number of course, just an educated guess.

Gerd

Gerd:

That might be a good question for the researcher himself. I know of at least a half dozen (off the top of my head) that regularly research their groups (and they have some amazing ones!) that don't participate on this forum. Most of these fellows are "older" collectors who have had (and have) the resources that have built very impressive collections for themselves. They'd probably like to participate on the forums as they value research as much as we do, but due to their positions in life (several company CEO/presidents, doctors, etc.) they simply do not have the time to.

But those are just ones that I know. I am certain that there are probably quite a few others out there.

Traditionally, it was assumed that many of the Russian collectors didn't value research, but having worked with one of them (who had access in the Archives) and from other discussions, I believe that research is starting to take off in Russia as well. Many collectors there are in the same position that we are in the west... the prices have risen dramatically there as well and they are researching what awards they can afford, just like us.

Dave

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks for the answer, Dave. I will ask him in my next email.

The most of the collectors, i know(and who participate here) have at least once or twice requested research for their groups/awards or even get the most or all of their collection researched.

Ed, already here on the forum are quite a lot soviet collectors with researched groups or awards. I counted them over in the researched section, there are 22 people, who have posted something with research there.

I think, thats not bad! The GMIC has developed to the most extensive forum for researched awards

Thanks again, gentlemen.

Gerd

[Ed_Haynes]

Ed, already here on the forum are quite a lot soviet collectors with researched groups or awards. I counted them over in the researched section, there are 22 people, who have posted something with research there.

I think, thats not bad!

Really!? Shall check again, I wasn't aware we had that many collectors from Russia actively online here. Great!!

The GMIC has developed to the most extensive forum for researched awards

So true so true. Well done, everyone!!

[Gerd Becker]

Really!? Shall check again, I wasn't aware we had that many collectors from Russia actively online here. Great!!

So true so true. Well done, everyone!!

Oh, sorry, thats a mistake, Ed. I meant to say, 22 members completely have participated, not only russian members.

[Christian Zulus]

Lieber Ger,

The GMIC has developed to the most extensive forum for researched awards

I think, that is defintly true and phaleristics is specially for the history of the Soviet Union of essential value!

In my modest collection there are still far too many groups and awards unresearched - I will invest some money ...

Beste Gr??e

Christian

[Riley1965]

Gerd,

I believe that I am one of the 22.

Doc