Soviet Slim Pickins

[slava1stclass]

To all:

A recent quick scan of IM's website revealed that his normally well-stocked categories are looking mighty thin these days. His HSU, Lenin, Top Soviet Military Orders, Order of Glory and Army & Navy Bravery Medals (among others) were all rather low on stock.

Heaven's goodness. Could we soon be facing yet another NOTA BENE situation?

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited September 5, 2007 by slava1stclass

[Riley1965]

To all:

A recent quick scan of IM's website revealed that his normally well-stocked categories are looking mighty thin these days. His HSU, Lenin, Top Soviet Military Orders, Order of Glory and Army & Navy Bravery Medals (among others) were all rather low on stock.

Heaven's goodness. Could we soon be facing yet another NOTA BENE situation?

Regards,

slava1stclass

I think that IM will be around for a long time to come. He's TOO well connected to go under. Just my two cents.

Doc

[zook]

He is still buying high end stuff and selling it WITHOUT putting on the website...selling to preferred buyers who have a wishlist. How do I know? ...he has done that for me in the past (as a buyer)...and as a seller, he recently (but not TOO recently) purchased some nice items from me, and NONE of it made posting. I strongly believed he moved it to a preferred customer directly..

that's my take. All that being said, I think supply and demand is still "limiting" in the western hemisphere... and I don't know to what degree IM is involved in the eastern European trade, in order to maintain a VIABLE business. So, I can't say with confidence he will be around forever.

Dan

[Ed_Haynes]

He is, I believe, doing more and more imperial and less and less CCCP. A function of supply. As yet, no dark clouds have gathered over imperial awards (except the super-stratospheric stuff) they way they have over the Soviet things.

He is, in the final analysis, a businessman and will sell whatever he can get and whatever people (both in the Motherland and in the "West") want to buy. He even now has some Third Reich stuff!

He also has some considerable capital tied up in several super-high-end Soviet solo items and groups and, even for him, the basics of ECON 101 still apply.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[order_of_victory]

IM seems to clear out things that have been on his website for a couple of months, I think its just his way keeping his website looking fresh

BTW has any one checked out some of his Korean stuff lately

Order of Victory

[Eric Gaumann]

Heaven's goodness. Could we soon be facing yet another NOTA BENE situation?

I sure hope not. I just received notification that a major German dealer has announced he's closing his doors at the end of the year. Kai Winkler, one of the German big three in Imperial and TR stuff, is out of business.

[paddywhack]

from what im hearing mr winkler is opening a shop and is probably not closing down but do you guys think that CCCP stuff is going to dry up and the prices go sky rocking out of here??

[new world]

from what im hearing mr winkler is opening a shop and is probably not closing down but do you guys think that CCCP stuff is going to dry up and the prices go sky rocking out of here??

It seems to me that IM currently is following a business model when he's getting the items from his old customers in the West and re-selling it to cash-rich collectors in Russia.

I am curious what will he do when sources in the USA will dry up, as most of his old clients sell their collections?

William

[slava1stclass]

To all:

In a first, IM's website no longer carries an "Order of Lenin" category. That's how desperate the situation has become. Who would have thought?

Regards,

slava1stclass

[matteti]

To all:

In a first, IM's website no longer carries an "Order of Lenin" category. That's how desperate the situation has become. Who would have thought?

Regards,

slava1stclass

If you also look at DM's site you will also see that inventory is very very low. Many categories have no item for sale.

[new world]

If you also look at DM's site you will also see that inventory is very very low. Many categories have no item for sale.

I've got the last Lenin DM had listed on his site.

[Paul R]

To all:

In a first, IM's website no longer carries an "Order of Lenin" category. That's how desperate the situation has become. Who would have thought?

Regards,

slava1stclass

I know... I was checking out his site last night and noticed the same thing. I am surprised that he completely removed the catagory! I always enjoy looking at the Lenin award and was actually disappointed to see that he had none!

[new world]

It was there during the day...

It's truly sad to see many of the categories missing.

But let's face reality - USA is currently a secondary market, with prices lagging prices in Russia / Ukraine by several months. I can understand the dealer - why offer anything here is he can sell teh same items higher directly to customers in Europe?

I guess if I were a dealer, I would still keep sold items on the web site, but marked with SOLD instead of price. A lot of collectors use dealers' sites as reference and check them freequently. If there's nothing to see the site loses traffic and those customers may not come back if situation changes in the future.

William

[JimZ]

Some two years ago or so some of us believed that dealers stocks did not turn over.

I guess we got our answer and the slow down on prices was nothing more than a temporary lull.

Jim

[Riley1965]

A Russian friend of mine has told me to wait 1-2 years as the prices will come back down. He suggested that I work on the other areas of my collection. I'm following his advice with one exception. I am still looking for Orders, Medals, badges and research for Soviet Doctors, Nurses and Medics for my book.

Doc

[Wild Card]

I guess if I were a dealer, I would still keep sold items on the web site, but marked with SOLD instead of price. A lot of collectors use dealers' sites as reference and check them freequently. If there's nothing to see the site loses traffic and those customers may not come back if situation changes in the future.

William

An excellent point new world. Actually, if you were to do a search through various threads on The Forum, pictures from IM?s site have been used for reference more than once. The ideal situation, in my opinion, would be an accessible archive, on the dealer?s site, of items which they have sold. This would not be very difficult for them - when an item is sold, simply remove the price and move the page to the archive - the information and pictures are already in place.

This could even be construed as being a form of advertising as it would serve to bring collectors/customers to the dealer?s website; and hopefully, while there, they would check out the current offerings.

Would someone like to play devil?s advocate on this?

[new world]

I was watching some cigarette cases from 1920s through 1950s on eBay. These cases have inscriptions (some given as awards, some just have name of the owner) and are fairly nice.

To my shock they closed from $800 to $2,250. I remember their going rate used to be couple hundred dollars.

William

[Guest Rick Research]

That would be an excellent plan for Igor! Who else COULD do it?

I have given up nagging him about PRINTED catalogs (ahhhh, the Good Old Days--group references FOREVER, but those prices: weep weep weep) but I still have hope for the global Military Merit Medal campaign to overcome the persistent and WRONG Combat Service Medal "translation."