DDR What started your East German Collection

[redleg]

For me it was the Grenztruppen. See fotos:

[2xvetran]

For me it was the Grenztruppen. See fotos:

For me it was a combination of Cold War curiosity combined with the very cheap prices of the post Cold War era. Now my oldest son likes the DDR stuff. Scott.

[Hauptmann]

I'd seen three pictures of DDR uniforms in a couple of uniform books I have... one of a Panzer Major in the double breasted gala uniform, one of the rain pattern camo with the DDR helmet and equipment and one of the Berlin Watchregiment doing a goosestep. Especially that last one... the similarity to the TR uniforms, equipment, etc., was so close and it always made me wonder. Here's a communist, Soviet Block state who are supposed to be anti nazi and yet they nearly copied the uniforms verbatim. And of course so little was available on any of the militaria behind the Iron Curtain for so long that it was just something I had to dive in to. And after collecting Imperial, TR and some West German the DDR seemed the next logical step.

Dan

[Greg Collins]

A few things came into play that moved me toward the DDR... I had lived in Germany when the wall was being built; I had already gotten all the Soviet and Mongolian items I could afford before the prices shot up; a guy I worked with had been there with the Air Force during reunification and had invested in a ton of items which he was now selling- very convenient and; I had formed a fascination with the MfS (Stasi) through watching a mini-series on PBS- Game, Set and Match (which I really wish they would release on dvd).

[IrishGunner]

I don't have a lot - a few medals, some Grenztruppen cuff titles and insignia; my interest is connected to having served in West Berlin during the early 80s. Now I wished I had made more trades back then! ;)

[bolo]

my East German MAKAROV with matching magazines and original records where it was used the KARL MARX police station, also shows the dates it was issued and the names of each person that used it

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

First of all, because it was German. Secondly, because there was so much of it available at reasonable prices. Thirdly, the existance of the East German Military Collectors Society with good reference material in the monthly newsletter. Last but not least, the insane prices, and the increasing quality of Third Reich reproduction pieces, made it difficult to buy anything TR related with any confidence in its authenticity or to justify the price.

Regards,

Gordon