Collecting values in the future

[mauser9]

I understand your concern and will add my two cents. I believe real World War 2 German items will always be a good investment due to decreasing availability in All matching Kar 98ks and daggers in good condition. I would suggest you purchase from gun shops instead of shows where to much faked crap is pawned off on newbies. I have seen marked go way down concerning baseball and Nascar die cast models because they make too many of them. Won't be making any more original kar98k rifles. I have two rifles and a SA dagger and will be happy with that.

[António Fragoeiro]

I dont collect because of possible money i will make in the future.
I collect because i love it and its also a way of making sure that items survive for another generation.
If i live until 90(i hope so) them my items will last at least 90 more years.
Cheers.
Nuno

[Wagriff]

Honestly? I know it sounds like Heresy, but I have to wonder just how much Higher some of the WWII collectables Can go. Already, you are seeing SS damascus daggers playing at the 6 figure end of the pool and SS officers hats at 20K or even more. Can a person Seriously expect to see...what? Black hats at 50K someday? 75K? SS cap skulls are routinely going for a thousand or more..really?? 10 years from now...25 years....you're talking-what? 2 grand? More?? Oh, the good pieces will Always have decent value, I think-at least for the next half a century or so, but when all of the vets are gone and Their kids are old...who can really say? Does anybody Really pay huge money for, say, Spanish American war relics now? When I was a kid, they did. British Victorian badges-always popular, but they look like they've hit their ceilings too. WWI spiked helmets have always been popular, but they Seem to have pretty much topped out now at where they're at today. That war's been over now for almost 100 years and all the vets are gone now-as are most of their families, so have spiked helmets kept on moving on up into the several thousands of dollar range? And I'm not talking about special Jager du Pferde's, etc. A Pour le Merite can be had today for less than a WWII Ritter. I never would have predicted that one. So, yes, the fancy eye dazzling prices on so much of the TR material is tempting to gamble on it increasing and someday retire in opulence, but let's face it, very few collectors will ever achieve such enormous heights and do just that.
So, before you light the torches and pick up the tar buckets and feather sacks, all I'm saying here is collect for the History and collect for the education. And, above all, collect because it's Fun and you Enjoy it! It's Really not practical to view this hobby as a future retirement fund investment. Half a century ago, yes, you Could find Knights crosses for a few bucks and if you'd hung onto them for Decades, you Could have made alot of money, but those days are as far gone as Der Fuhrer himself. And in the same light, neither will ever be back! Enjoy the hobby...soak in the History and have a Great time Doing it! Investments? Leave that to the stock market....

[Lowboy]

The best time to buy was 20 yrs ago...... the second best time is right now. I kinda like that little saying

[Feuerbach]

I have bought and sold many items, mainly German wwII items, and nearly always did I make a profit. Th eonly time I lost money, or sold way to cheap was when I was forced to sell items, or didn't have the knowledge of the correct price. One of my first German items was a MP40 found on a attic. I shot it a few times and sold it for 300 euros, not knowing it was worth a hell lot more. Won't make that mistake again!

[sam1chlt]

Hey Feuerbach.......please let me know when you come across another MP 40 you want to sell. Lol.

[Jayman]

Honestly? I know it sounds like Heresy, but I have to wonder just how much Higher some of the WWII collectables Can go. Already, you are seeing SS damascus daggers playing at the 6 figure end of the pool and SS officers hats at 20K or even more. Can a person Seriously expect to see...what? Black hats at 50K someday? 75K? SS cap skulls are routinely going for a thousand or more..really?? 10 years from now...25 years....you're talking-what? 2 grand? More?? Oh, the good pieces will Always have decent value, I think-at least for the next half a century or so, but when all of the vets are gone and Their kids are old...who can really say? Does anybody Really pay huge money for, say, Spanish American war relics now? When I was a kid, they did. British Victorian badges-always popular, but they look like they've hit their ceilings too. WWI spiked helmets have always been popular, but they Seem to have pretty much topped out now at where they're at today. That war's been over now for almost 100 years and all the vets are gone now-as are most of their families, so have spiked helmets kept on moving on up into the several thousands of dollar range? And I'm not talking about special Jager du Pferde's, etc. A Pour le Merite can be had today for less than a WWII Ritter. I never would have predicted that one. So, yes, the fancy eye dazzling prices on so much of the TR material is tempting to gamble on it increasing and someday retire in opulence, but let's face it, very few collectors will ever achieve such enormous heights and do just that.
So, before you light the torches and pick up the tar buckets and feather sacks, all I'm saying here is collect for the History and collect for the education. And, above all, collect because it's Fun and you Enjoy it! It's Really not practical to view this hobby as a future retirement fund investment. Half a century ago, yes, you Could find Knights crosses for a few bucks and if you'd hung onto them for Decades, you Could have made alot of money, but those days are as far gone as Der Fuhrer himself. And in the same light, neither will ever be back! Enjoy the hobby...soak in the History and have a Great time Doing it! Investments? Leave that to the stock market....

Wagriff well Said! Hey Feuerbach the bullet holes bring up the value in the helmet... it gives it character lol

[galvout]

One thing I have noticed at the military fairs is the lack of young people, this is where the future lays. Just an observation

[battle gear]

One thing I have noticed at the military fairs is the lack of young people, this is where the future lays. Just an observation

something I noticed on forums is young collectors age 15 - 19 buying numerous high dollar collectables, like $400 - $500 dollar helmets, they must be spoiled rich kids? when I was their age I was lucky to have enough to buy a hamburger or new shoes.

I would recommend only buying bargain priced collectables, thats one way I avoid the big ticket items, I enjoy collecting post war and foreign militaria that doesnt cost much, not paying much is more than half the fun, plus since you didnt pay much, it's no big loss.

[Sarge]

I started collecting WW 2 German about my Sr year of high school. Why? Because my real interest of Civil War Confederate was largely a dead end hobby. I could not find much of anything even tho I lived in the Kansas City area and there were a half dozen large battles within a hundred miles.
In those days there was no way to learn of or have contakt with other collectors anywhere, either close or far away. Later I discovered the new "Shotgun News" and found a source of contakt with other collectors.
I still have what few Confederate items I bought in the early 50s and have added some to the pile, but prices have long ago exceeded my interest level!
My WW2 German collection has steadily increased over the past 60+ yrs and when some items became hard to find I have gradually expanded into some GI and Brit items.
In addition i long ago - about 1965? - began to collect Viet Nam War items. The VN collection got a giant kick in the ass when I went to VN in 1969. I immediately began to mail home anything that I found of interest and when I came back I brought several war trophy firearms with me. I still collect items from RVN, both US & VC/NVA.
I Do Not collect anything because it "may some day" be of great value!!! I collect solely because I Want to collect those particular items!!! The Hell with what future values may be!!!
Sarge