Soviet Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory - Present Day Market Realities

[Lapa]

...The ranking in Post # 1 above remains valid as of 17 July 2008. The distinct lack of Full Cavalier sets available for sale in the West continues...

Not many more available in the East either

Marc

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Currently available at a well known NYC-area dealer. The asking price for this Category 2 (missing official military commissariat stamp on photo) Full Cavalier set is $28,000.00.

FWIW, asking prices for Full Cavalier sets have doubled over the past two years.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited October 16, 2008 by slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Reverse

[Christian Zulus]

FWIW, asking prices for Full Cavalier sets have doubled over the past two years.

Dear Slava,

many thanks for your prompt information .

The fact is, that the price increase of Full Cavalier sets or Glory 1cl is really rather moderate in comparison to other awards .

The same is true for HSU.

So, the asked USD 28k look almost like "peanuts", if you look at the price tags of other groups or orders.

What's the reason for these "bargain" prices for true and authentic hero awards ?

Best regards

Christian

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Now available at a well-known NYC-area dealer. This would be a textbook example of a Category 1 Full Cavalier set were it not for the fact the Order of Glory 3rd Class is a substitute for the original and the Cavalier Booklet lacks a date for when it was presented to the winner. The S/N for the Glory 1st is #11. What is even more uncommon (as noted in post # 1 above) is that the grouping also includes his Ordenskaya Knizhka.

Asking Price: $13,500.

Regards,

slava1stclass

To all:

With the recently concluded auction in Italy seeing a documented Full Cavalier set sell for upwards of $40,000.00, we have now witnessed a 200% increase in Full Cavalier sets' value over the past two years. Certainly no deflationary trend here.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Ed_Haynes]

Well . . .

. . . the recent Morton & Eden "Russian Sale" on 26 November 2008 (and a rather strange sale it was) had:

323 - trio (1:1091, 2:27980, 3:66225), mounted but unattributed and undocumented - est. ?5000-6000, sold at ?12000 (around $18450.50)

321-single 1st class #1438, unattributed and undocumented - est. ?5000-6000, sold at ?5500 (around $8456.47)

322- single 1st class #1833, unattributed and undocumented - est. ?4000-5000, sold at ?6000 (around $9225.24)

All plus 15% buyer's premium, as normal.

These were among the FEW lots which sold at/near or above the estimate, most were much below or went unsold.

FYI and comment.

[Christian Zulus]

. . . the recent Morton & Eden "Russian Sale" on 26 November 2008 (and a rather strange sale it was) had:

323 - trio (1:1091, 2:27980, 3:66225), mounted but unattributed and undocumented - est. ?5000-6000, sold at ?12000 (around $18450.50)

321-single 1st class #1438, unattributed and undocumented - est. ?5000-6000, sold at ?5500 (around $8456.47)

322- single 1st class #1833, unattributed and undocumented - est. ?4000-5000, sold at ?6000 (around $9225.24)

All plus 15% buyer's premium, as normal.

These were among the FEW lots which sold at/near or above the estimate, most were much below or went unsold.

Dear Ed,

I checked all the s/n. of the full cavalier set and of the two sinlge Glory 1cl: All of them are listed and had been awarded.

Well, the market seems to be a bit strange at the moment:

A full cavalier set sold in Italy for USD 40.000,- and in the UK for a bit more than USD 21.000,- (and Igor is still waiting for a buyer for his outstanding cavalier set - fully researched and documented + some more medals & badges - for USD 28.000,-). O.K., in London the cavaliers booklet was missing ...

The hammer prices of the single Glories 1cl - around +/- USD 10.000,- - seem also to be rather a bargain.

It seems, that rare pieces still are selling, but there is a wide range of hammer prices .

The other fact might be, that the Russian Ruble is under heavy pressure - seems to be at least 25 % over the actual value .

Best regards

Christian

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Currently available at a well known NYC-area dealer. The asking price for this Category 2 (missing official military commissariat stamp on photo) Full Cavalier set is $28,000.00.

FWIW, asking prices for Full Cavalier sets have doubled over the past two years.

Regards,

slava1stclass

To all:

Fire Sale: price is now reduced to $25,000.00.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Fire Sale: price is now reduced to $25,000.00.

Regards,

slava1stclass

To all:

Fire Sale is getting hotter: price is now reduced to $22,000.00.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Christian Zulus]

Fire Sale is getting hotter: price is now reduced to $22,000.00.

Gentlemen,

that's a reduction of mere 21 %.

Igor reduced the price for his Labor Glory set for 45 % .

The fact is, that Igor reduced the price for quite a few of his items and groups (also for ultra rare top-items!), but not for all. So we face a situation, that you can either spend USD 17.500,- for a single Glory 1cl, or can invest USD 22.000,- into this outstanding Glory set + documents + research + extra medals & badges. I guess, that's somehow a disproportion now ...

Some weeks ago a full cavalier Glory set had been sold in Italy at an auction for USD 40.000,-. It seems that the atmosphere at an auction creates higher results, than checking the offers via internet .

Best regards

Christian

[Wild Card]

So we face a situation, that you can either spend USD 17.500,- for a single Glory 1cl, or can invest USD 22.000,- into this outstanding Glory set + documents + research + extra medals & badges. I guess, that's somehow a disproportion now ...

Some weeks ago a full cavalier Glory set had been sold in Italy at an auction for USD 40.000,-. It seems that the atmosphere at an auction creates higher results, than checking the offers via internet .

Best regards

Christian

Good points Christian.

There is one factor, not always obvious, that makes some seemingly similar pieces or groups worth more than others. Some collectors specialize in certain categories such as awards to air force personnel or awards related to Stalingrad.

One of the unique and attractive aspects of collecting Soviet is the documentation of awards. Except in rare cases, any Third Reich Iron Cross could have gone to a pilot for action at Stalingrad. Who knows? We do know, however, that a particular OPW was awarded to a pilot... for action at Stalingrad, no less.

Then we get into the multitude of variations of specific awards. When I started collecting Soviet fourteen years ago, there were two types of Red Banners - screw back and suspension. Oh yes, there were also those strange ?mirror back? pieces which were sort of special. Look at how many there are today. The point is that some collectors are willing to pay a premium, which may not make sense to most of the rest of us, for these unique (to them) pieces.

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

Sold for $50,000.00 at Dmitriy Markov's recently concluded NYC auction - a new record for the highest price paid for a Full Cavalier set (in the West).

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Ed_Haynes]

Wow! There sure seems to be a lot of "variability" in what is going on? Unless there are things happening that mere mortals do not understand.

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

A few words on this group and the Markov Auction.

With regard to this group, we are dealing with a documented group to a sniper who had 116 kills. In my opinion, this makes the vast majority of Cavalier groups that I have seen over the years comparatively mundane. Here we have a classic example of the added value because of the information which is available on Soviet awards and their recipients.

The auction itself was interesting in that the majority of items (especially at the high end) were purchased by one individual who made it clear, although bidding by telephone, that if he was interested in an item, he would pay any price for it. As a result, some results were, shall I say, a bit inflated.

Regards,

Wild Card

P.S. In rereading the above, by saying ?...some results were, shall I say, a bit inflated.?, I do not mean to imply any impropriety on the part of the auctioneer.

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks, "WC". When there is a dedicated bidder (or two) with deep pockets, prices can go high. I have seen it happen. Though I'd agree that, for this particular full cavilier set, $50 does not seem high. It is still a lot of money. Yet the nice thing about Soviet awards is that they are more than "things" or types, they come with a story attached, sometimes a rich and powerful story (like this one).

[slava1stclass]

Gentlemen,

A few words on this group and the Markov Auction.

With regard to this group, we are dealing with a documented group to a sniper who had 116 kills. In my opinion, this makes the vast majority of Cavalier groups that I have seen over the years comparatively mundane. Here we have a classic example of the added value because of the information which is available on Soviet awards and their recipients.

The auction itself was interesting in that the majority of items (especially at the high end) were purchased by one individual who made it clear, although bidding by telephone, that if he was interested in an item, he would pay any price for it. As a result, some results were, shall I say, a bit inflated.

Regards,

Wild Card

P.S. In rereading the above, by saying ?...some results were, shall I say, a bit inflated.?, I do not mean to imply any impropriety on the part of the auctioneer.

Gents,

FWIW, the other Full Cavalier set (which had limited documentation - Ordenskaya Knizhka) went unsold. The same held true for the single Order of Glory 1st Class.

Wild Card raises another good point. If I had the choice between a Full Cavalier set awarded to a member of a Guards formation or a standard line unit, I would always choose the Guards set. Guards formations were generally committed to the toughest areas of the fight.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited January 13, 2009 by slava1stclass

[Christian Zulus]

Fire Sale is getting hotter: price is now reduced to $22,000.00.

Gentlemen,

Igor exchanged the price tag:

Now again $25,000.00.

http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=19626

What's going on at the market today ?

Best regards

Christian

Edited January 16, 2009 by Christian Zulus

[Christian Zulus]

Sold for $50,000.00 at Dmitriy Markov's recently concluded NYC auction - a new record for the highest price paid for a Full Cavalier set (in the West).

Gentlemen,

including the 14 % buyer's premium the result is: $57,000.00 .

AND

If you add - as a non-US-resident - shipment, insurance, customs and taxes, then you might jump very easily over the $60,000.00-benchmark .

Well, 60k bucks is quite an impressive amount of money in the days of hard recession .

Gentlemen,

does anyone know, if this set is an authentic category 1 set - including all stamps, signitures etc. ?

Best regards

Christian

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

As I'm unaware of any public offerings of Full Cavalier sets over the past year, information on current pricing has been hard to come by.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

A very nice Category 1 Full Cavalier set currently offered by a well-known NYC-area dealer for $29,000.00 - http://collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=23076 This set to Senior Sergeant Mikhail Vovk also includes his Ordenskaya Knizhka - something one doesn't encounter all too often.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

A few images of above set.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Continued.

[slava1stclass]

Continued.

Edited May 19, 2010 by slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

A Category II Full Cavalier Set awarded to Senior Sergeant V. G. Nechushkin currently offered by the same dealer for $17,000.000. This one has an interesting back story - he was officially stripped of his decorations in 1949 (likely owing to a criminal conviction) only to have them reauthorized in 1975 after he was "rehabilitated." Note the official duplicate award Glory II.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Continued