The Nomadic Life of a Bavarian Silver Bravery Medal

[Stogieman]

Once upon a time, this magnificent Silver Bravery Medal Bar lived with me. The group was purchased as shown off eBay Germany, if memory serves.

[Stogieman]

Scans of the SBM.

[Stogieman]

Now, without digging through boxes in my attic, I can assure you at some point in time, I sold the entire group, as shown, to someone else. If I dug, I could actually tell you the date of the sale and who bought it, provided it occurred in the last seven years.......

I cannot stress enough, it left here as shown.

[Stogieman]

Today, I was contacted by SPM..... he has now purchased the bar and it has had a document ADDED and the bits and bobs REMOVED......

Someone, somewhere, has screwed with a group.

Now, when I buy off eBay, I always ask the seller if there's anything else and those of you who know me well can attest to my obsessiveness in completing, not breaking groups.

So... off I go to comb the archives to see if I actually had such a group and I can confirm when I owned it... no document and as shown.

[Stogieman]

Now, after staring at the picture for a bit... it occurs to me that one of the very last things I bought before I gave up my full-time dealings in militaria was this set of two ribbon bars offered by a dealer in Hamburg. He didn't have anything else, he only had the 2 bars and they're actually still in his shipping envelope......

Now I don't forget much so after looking at the original image the little bell goes "ding" and I pull up the scan of the 2 ribbon bars and sure enough.... same damn pair of bars except now the swords have been turned back the right way.....

[Stogieman]

Yep... look closely.... same two ribbon bars as the original set....

hmmmmmmmmmm

[Stogieman]

I shall rant no more and allow SPM to fill in his end of the story.... Unfortunately, if it's the same bar; he has at best purchased an original bar and an original document.... but a set? Not a chance....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Not a chance....

Well, technically there IS a chance.... in how many thousand?

Am really, really keen to see the doc...

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello folks:

Yes, sad but true, I can confirm that the original group was broken-up.

I am now in possession of the mounted group, and Stogie fortunately has the field ribbon bars back. So, the group is "sort of" back together geographically after a European tour.

It certainly is strange what happens to these things!

Best regards,

"SPM"

Edited May 1, 2008 by Schie?platzmeister

[Stogieman]

... and for my part, I will try and send these back where they started from. A sad statement of how these things go and a sad statement on our hobby that a group would be busted.

[Stogieman]

Here's yet another example. The following set was auctioned in Germany in 2006. As you can see, the seller had all of these individual pieces, had no clue as to what went where. Just sold them as "objects". I was able to purchase all the pieces shown.

[Stogieman]

next piece

[Stogieman]

next piece

[Stogieman]

next piece

[Stogieman]

next piece

[Stogieman]

Now, they were all sold individually, I bought all of it. Put everything back just the way it was supposed to be. Sold the group to a collector in California. Last year I spotted part of the group for sale in Canada.... very discouraging indeed.

http://www.emedals.ca/catalog.asp?item=GST522

http://www.emedals.ca/catalog.asp?item=GST516

Solo bar.... gone.

Wound badge.... gone

Ribbon and pin... gone

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello folks:

I want all of you to know that Stogieman has graciously offered me the field ribbon bars that go with this group (and I have accepted of course).

He is not motivated by money, but by what is right. I am touched by his generosity and his desire to see things items re-united for the sake of history. These items will now stay together as they should!

If only there were more good souls like him, this hobby (and the world) would be so much better!

THANK YOU STOGIEMAN!

Best regards,

"SPM"

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello again:

Yes, Stogieman, another sad story indeed!

It is so unfortunate that some collectors and dealers look at these magnificent pieces of history only as "things" and do not look deeper at what they represent (insanely brave deeds to stop an enemy attack, saving a wounded comrade under fire, capturing an enemy position and equipment, etc. etc.....). Some brave soldier actually did something rather death-defying (in most cases) and significant to be awarded these medals.

Best regards,

"SPM"

[Kev in Deva]

There is a very persistent seller on British Ebay

who strips the German medals from German bars and sells them as individual items,

the paperwork, the pictures all sold individually,

but on each auction he mentions the item is from "so and so" in "such and such"

a state

See:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GERMAN-BAYERN-Iron-C...1QQcmdZViewItem

for his latest sales

Kevin in Deva

Edited May 1, 2008 by Kev in Deva

[Stogieman]

What a ######....

[VtwinVince]

Another small victory in the battle to preserve history, well done gentlemen.