Award Rolls Publication For The Centennial 1914-2014

[Guest Rick Research]

Talking to Daniel yesterday (there is still a place for Mister Bell's invention in the Age Of Tweet), without DEFINITE scheduling (or funding!) the following projects are at should be completed in time---

1) Mecklenburg-Strelitz Cross for Distinction in War 1914-1933, Adolf-Friedrich Cross, and Kriegrverein Cross: "done" (maybe 2013?)

2) Lippe-Detmold: everything, basically, 1816-1918, once Dave has transcribed the Heroic Deeds receipts from his recent trip, then "done."

Probably complete-able in time--

3) Schaumburg-Lippe: Honor Cross 1869-1918, Arts & Sciences awards, pinback Cross for Loyalty in War, and Lifesaving Medal (alas in Sachsen-Weimar under-sdetailed form, but it is what it is). "Done" but for (should we even try?) endlessly adding first names etc to the minimalist entries. "Semi-done"

4) Baden: Dave has got perfect, legible scans of the Zähringen Lion Order through the end of the war, beyond the late Erhard Roth's 1997 volume and beyond the 900 or so I could add (posted here at GMIC some years back)--right up to the end. Unit numbers etc omitted by Roth and these four-figures additions to all classes combined suggest a Second-&-Improved-Edition like our 2008 "Waldeck" is in order, AND "doable" (but no thanks to lazy bad local Sascha who made Dave cross an ocean to get these. Bad Sascha!!! Bad!!! )

Possibly complete-able in time--

5) Anhalt: Ah, Anhalt! This was undreamt of--but Dave has gotten what exist of the 1914-18 Friedrich Cross Rolls-- tens of thouands of them. Those will have to be transcribed and then added to like our other 2008 volumes, so definitely won't be possible before 2014.

6) Prussian Orders on "EK" ribbons/with Xs: Daniel has been working on these (colonials and World War), and in super-perfectionist mode keeps delaying for a bit of data here, a bit there... I'll concede that with the amazing dat Dave is getting from HARA Wehrmacht files, maybe 2014 isn't--yet--a goal for that one, eh Daniel?

Probably WON'T ever be published--

7) Sachsen-Meiningen: Kriegverdienstmedaille (SMM): all done, amzing personaal details (occupation bck home, residence town) not found in any other non-officer Roll... but who is willing to pay for a 23,000 "every Meininger got one" medals book? "Done."

That's where our YEARS of labour hit the hard cold facts of reality. There was all but universal lack of interest in our five 2008 Autengruber

"Blaubänder" because of the cost in €/$--and that exchange rate has only gotten worse since. Now, however, we see some of the EXTREMELY limited run appearing "after market" on Amazon etc at HIGHER "rare and collectible reference books" prices-- when Michael, Daniel, and I all still have a few left on our sides of the ocean. AND WE'RE NOT EVEN DEAD YET!!!!!!!!

As Gordon Williamson did warn us--nobody in our line makes money doing militaria books. About $ 2 / 1.5 € (?) went to us downtrodden scrivener-transcribers, each volume. Postage cost far more than what we "made" per book. Well, maybe the people re-selling our books for more they paid for them ARE making money-- a great reason to buy our NEXT ones?

Non- Great War related--

Prussian Orders with Swords 1848-1871: Andy's got those transcribed and is getting them into book form, with all the extras we RGs do: first names, vitals years--and in this case (phenomenally important in medal bars identifications for this period!) Andy's been adding 1866 Cross-type, 1870 Medakl bars data etc.

Have I forgotten any? (What ever happened to 1914-1918 Württemberg awards to Württembergers, Daniel?)

So: merely to float the idea amongst you--who are the most dedicated Imperial collectors online (as well as witty, handsome, and lucky in love)--

a) knowing that whatever gets published 2013/2014 is--like the 2008 volumes--going to be "it" forevermore, and

b) that the centennial of the Great War will produce an upswing in interest-slash-"competition" (and higher prices for Things), and

c) knowing as you should that collector knowledge beats dealer ignorance every time, and

d) seeing how rapidly OUR "painfully high" recovering-printing-costs for our effort work is become rare Collectible Books...

how much interest is there for specific volumes of the above?

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, yes, I meant "Centennial 1914-2014"-- Kind Moderational beings PLEASE change thread title dates!!!!!!

Edited August 17, 2013 by Rick Research

[Dave Danner]

Schwarzburg too.

[Guest Rick Research]

Sorry Dave! Can you fix the title of this thread to "1914-2014" I forgot what century this is....

[Dave Danner]

Not in this forum.

[Guest Rick Research]

Agh.

Not forgotten, but in an EPIC category all its own, is our brother RG seeheld's monumental MULTI-VOLUMES work on Mecklenburg-Schwerin's awards. That would take at LEAST three if not FOUR volumes: the WW1 MVKs, MVKs for all previous wars, Griffin Order, and Wend Crown....with the "other stuff" being fitted in wherever. There is no larger task--nor when completed wuill there be a MORE COMPLETE registry of Imperial German awards than Schwerin's.

Appearing one at a time throughout the centenary years?.........

[OTTER76]

I am in for Baden