Espenlaub Militaria - Top
Display your banner here
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

March of time, piles of dough....

Article about: I agree with A. Stevenson that an undue emphasis on money hereabouts is in bad taste and corrosive. What follows is a query of the others as regards trends at the macro level. I see a perfec

  1. #1

    Default March of time, black head wear, piles of dough....

    I agree with A. Stevenson that an undue emphasis on money hereabouts is in bad taste and corrosive. What follows is a query of the others as regards trends at the macro level. I see a perfectly nice 08/15 (i.e. normal) C Wagner black SS peaked cap on the Canadian prestige site for a princely sum. I note the intervention of a Baltic colleague as to the Russian prices of this regalia. I also register that the prestige US site in Massachusetts recently sold a similar cap (Lubstein) for what I think is an extraordinary price. Is this trend general, also in Europe or elsewhere? I do not get around much to militaria shows, so I can only judge what I see in the firmament. Is this speculation or the real impact of the market, as it were? Speculation has come in for a bad press in the US nowadays. Do these caps really sell at these prices, especially when they are not as rare as say Mr. Hritz's colored cap with the affixed badges? Or as with oil/dollar mechanism, has the decline of the dollar made dealers in No. America extract more Euros into dollars, and hence raise prices en suite? I wonder, since my background is in the humanities. These caps seem to have appreciated nearly 600% in less than a decade. I also note that the quality of fake caps of this genre has also improved with the internet pictures and surely with the market demand. All too droll. Might I also note that I earn my daily bread through something other than the purchase and sale of old militaria.
    Last edited by Friedrich-Berthold; 07-12-2008 at 03:58 AM.

  2. # ADS
    Circuit advertisement March of time, piles of dough....
    Join Date
    Always
    P
    Many
     

  3. #2

    Default Re: March of time, black head wear, piles of dough....

    By way of illustration, it is this type of cap that has apparently appreciated in excess of 600% in less than a decade. It is of a type introduced after 1935 or so, with a tag that dates more or less to 1937/8. It was referred to at the time as an SS cap with a cap spring, in contrast to the earlier models without a rigid crown and the prominent cap spring. Like army Tellermuetzen, I believe that this kind of headwear survived in depots or elsewhere, in addition to being left at home once Allgemeine SS men were drafted into the armed forces. I do not wish to demean this kind of cap at all. I think they are marvelous, I just wonder what they really sell for in the real world and if the prices of the past six or so months are an accurate depiction of reality? Of course, this kind of cap came in at least two versions, "einfach," for everyday service, and a Sonderanfertigung version with a silk or rayon interior. The latter are more rare than the former. However, the pieces that seem to be on sale for princely sums are the einfache model with the water proof rust brown chintz liner. Much good fortune in your collecting.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture March of time, piles of dough....   March of time, piles of dough....  

    March of time, piles of dough....   March of time, piles of dough....  

    March of time, piles of dough....   March of time, piles of dough....  

    March of time, piles of dough....  
    Attached Images Attached Images March of time, piles of dough....  March of time, piles of dough....  March of time, piles of dough....  March of time, piles of dough....  March of time, piles of dough.... 
    Last edited by Friedrich-Berthold; 07-12-2008 at 07:46 PM.

  4. #3

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Now that I have made such a pile of the things with the infernal clicker, they are impressive. And, of course, the cap badges themselves, especially the extra variety of Cupal or buntmetall are a theme in themselves. However, the question has endured in my feeble mind...my apologies to those whose images are reproduced here without due credit. The pieces are very handsome, to be sure and endure in their appeal. I guess a full talk of gas is also not uncommon, but also much more dear than it was at the start of the decade....so there.

  5. #4

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Another hobby of mine is economics. I studied economics until my personal economy led to leaving university at the gracious invitation of my Uncle Sam.

    If one looks at US Government inflation statistics at 3.2% per annum for the last 2 years, a deeper search reveals that food, housing, fuel and all adjustable fuel costs (ie; transportation) of any entity are removed from those statistics. By adding all these costs, the actual inflation rate is just shy of 22%, for the last 2 accounting years. Combining this, with the loss of value of the US Dollar, against other global currencies, excepting the Zimbabwe Dollar; the value of the US Dollar, against the Euro, has been nearly 40% in the past three years.

    That 40%, combined with global demand for Allgemeine-SS NCO visor hats, has led to the increased cost. I see that some collectors have been buying, en masse, these visor hats, when at the $5000.00, or less, prices. I do not know if that is the lust to obtain every maker, or the possible speculation of the market.

    As for speculation, I see this almost every week, when buying gasoline. People topping off their gas tanks, when prices are more favorable and also filling extra gasoline cans, speculating that prices will rise, before they will fall. So speculation is not evil, and it does affect markets. Ours is an emotional market, without the physical need for regalia, so it can certainly become more upwardly volitile with a new surge of interest or new market.

    Bob Hritz

  6. #5

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Hi,

    First of all, let me apologize if I had misunderstood anything that you've written Mr. Friedrich-Berthold,
    English isn't my first language and you're not exactly writing in ordenary school English that I was taught in
    school.

    I believe a part of this has do do with the weak US dollar. As far as I have understood, the prices haven't rose
    so much here in Europe, as they have in North America. Of course they have risen, but again, not so much as in the US.
    (They have always been more expensive here compared to the US.)

    A couple of years ago the value of $100 USD was approx. 925 Swedish Crowns (which I will write as SEK, we don't have the Euro in Sweden)..
    Today $100 USD is less than 600 SEK. (594 SEK) A month ago it was 560 SEK.

    The dollar is much weaker against the Euro aswell if you compare a few years back, however, I don't know how much.

    If the hats you're refering to are being sold, I believe that Europeans are buying them. I've bought items from the US
    even if the prices (in USD) have risen with 30-40% the last couple of years. It's still cheaper for me than it was a few years ago.
    The US (and Canadian) dealers aren't stupid, they know this and rises their prices... Unfortunately.

    Also, with the Internet, more and more intrested collectors get access to these sites and the demand for these items increases.

    The fall of Communism in Eastern Europe gave the people in these countries the opportunity to make money aswell.
    Today some of them has a lot of it and are spending it on TR-items too.

    The weak dollar, Internet and wealthy people in the Eastern Europe, there you have three causes to the price explosion.

    All this is of course just my own humble opinion.

  7. #6

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Quote by Bob Hritz View Post
    Another hobby of mine is economics. I studied economics until my personal economy led to leaving university at the gracious invitation of my Uncle Sam.

    If one looks at US Government inflation statistics at 3.2% per annum for the last 2 years, a deeper search reveals that food, housing, fuel and all adjustable fuel costs (ie; transportation) of any entity are removed from those statistics. By adding all these costs, the actual inflation rate is just shy of 22%, for the last 2 accounting years. Combining this, with the loss of value of the US Dollar, against other global currencies, excepting the Zimbabwe Dollar; the value of the US Dollar, against the Euro, has been nearly 40% in the past three years.

    That 40%, combined with global demand for Allgemeine-SS NCO visor hats, has led to the increased cost. I see that some collectors have been buying, en masse, these visor hats, when at the $5000.00, or less, prices. I do not know if that is the lust to obtain every maker, or the possible speculation of the market.

    As for speculation, I see this almost every week, when buying gasoline. People topping off their gas tanks, when prices are more favorable and also filling extra gasoline cans, speculating that prices will rise, before they will fall. So speculation is not evil, and it does affect markets. Ours is an emotional market, without the physical need for regalia, so it can certainly become more upwardly volitile with a new surge of interest or new market.

    Bob Hritz
    Thank you, dear colleague. I am your eager pupil and find this lesson pleasing in its clarity and concise nature. I do not wish to damn speculators. They are a part of markets, and such is our fate. The sleight of hand in extracting so many vital things from the index of inflation might have been a tolerable feat in the relative low inflation that obtained from the mid-1980s, onward, once the dollar recovered from the Carter years, but such will not endure in the wider world. The political explosion from inflated food and fuel awaits us, especially in the US. Many warm thanks. FB

  8. #7

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Quote by Anders S View Post
    Hi,

    First of all, let me apologize if I had misunderstood anything that you've written Mr. Friedrich-Berthold,
    English isn't my first language and you're not exactly writing in ordenary school English that I was taught in
    school.

    I believe a part of this has do do with the weak US dollar. As far as I have understood, the prices haven't rose
    so much here in Europe, as they have in North America. Of course they have risen, but again, not so much as in the US.
    (They have always been more expensive here compared to the US.)

    A couple of years ago the value of $100 USD was approx. 925 Swedish Crowns (which I will write as SEK, we don't have the Euro in Sweden)..
    Today $100 USD is less than 600 SEK. (594 SEK) A month ago it was 560 SEK.

    The dollar is much weaker against the Euro aswell if you compare a few years back, however, I don't know how much.

    If the hats you're refering to are being sold, I believe that Europeans are buying them. I've bought items from the US
    even if the prices (in USD) have risen with 30-40% the last couple of years. It's still cheaper for me than it was a few years ago.
    The US (and Canadian) dealers aren't stupid, they know this and rises their prices... Unfortunately.

    Also, with the Internet, more and more intrested collectors get access to these sites and the demand for these items increases.

    The fall of Communism in Eastern Europe gave the people in these countries the opportunity to make money aswell.
    Today some of them has a lot of it and are spending it on TR-items too.

    The weak dollar, Internet and wealthy people in the Eastern Europe, there you have three causes to the price explosion.

    All this is of course just my own humble opinion.
    Dear Colleague, thank you, indeed. Your opinion has great merit. I am all too aware of the collapse of the dollar in my own personal life, as well, to say nothing of the prosperity in the wider, more open Europe. While I decry the collapse of the dollar, I know that war and economic recklessness take their toll. I celebrate the freedom of more Europeans to buy this material, since it belongs to them as much or more than it does to some of the older owners. Many thanks for your fine response and for your excellent English.

  9. #8

    Cool Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    WHAT EVER ABOUT THE MONEY,I KNOW WITH THIS HOBBY I ENJOY GETTING A BLACK HAT,DAGGERS,JUST AS MUCH OR MORE THAN,FISHING BOATS,GOLF CLUBS, A SECOND HOUSE I DON'T NEED.WITH WISE BUYING WHEN I WANT TO SELL A ITEM,I CAN GET AT LEAST MY MONEY BACK AND A FEW DOLLARS MORE.WHEN GAS GETS TO BE $10.00 A GAL IN AMERICA,YES THIS HOBBY WILL SLOW DOWN.I AM RETIRED,EVERY DAY I DON'T START MY TRUCK I HAVE MADE MONEY.IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS GAS IS $4.05 A GAL.I HAVE BEEN IN THIS FOR 6 YEARS ONLY.I WISH I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT EVERY SS DAGGER I SAW FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS.

  10. #9

    Default Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    Hi FB, I do get to many shows within the UK and now and again some in mainland Europe. I think prices tend to be a little bit lower in "real life" in a face to face envoiroment where people can haggle and trade more easily than throught a keyboard. But the Internet has certainly pushed prices up, no doubt about it.

    I also collect items pertaining to the wartime British Airborne Forces. Within this field a small clique of new collectors have pushed up prices virtually three fold in as many years. What makes me smile is some now bemoan the price tags they have helped to create.

    Ah, well such is life!

    Cheers, Ade.

    Hi Jim, our gas is about $11 to $12 a gallon. Not that we have gallons now

  11. #10

    Thumbs up Re: March of time, piles of dough....

    I HEAR IN ENGLAND IT IS THAT HIGH.DO YOU HAVE IMPERAL GALLONS? THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE IN CANADA.ALSO IN JAMAICA IT IS SOLD BY THE LITER.LAST FEB.IT WAS A $1.15 A LITER IT THE ICON THAT IS GAS ,NOT ALCOHOL

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Steyer Militaria - Down
Display your banner here