Where did all these Pickelhauben go?

[drmessimer]

According to the caption that accompanied this photo, this pyramid of captured German helmets was displayed on Victory Way in New York City during the 1919 Victory Loan Drive. "Thousands of these showy but impractical helmets were taken in the stores captured by our boys after they broke through the Hindenburg Line." Wow! Thousands. Where did they all go? Is there a locked and abandoned warehouse somewhere on the NY waterfront or did they all go to the big barn in the sky? Dwight

[Panzer 3]

Hi Dwight,
A collectors dream lol no wonder we cant find any good ones now the U.s, has them all, wouldnt it be great to find the place they are stored.
Dave.

[Nitram]

I somehow doubt many of these are still in existence

Nitram

[davejb]

I would assume that a vast majority were bought up by the film studios for mere pennies and used in various films etc and have gone the way of the dodo

[stuka f]

My God !!
I see a Baden and Garde regiment helmets in the first row.
2 rows of drangonder helmets .
A Bayern top row.
:-(
|<ris

[SteveR]

They were given out as premiums to individuals that bought war bonds.
I have a Baden enlisted model 15 that was recieved for a war bond purchase.

[drmessimer]

Steve: Thanks for that post. That sounds like something that would have happened during the five bond drives. But rats, my fantasy of finding the lost Pikelhaube stash are down the tubes and there is no big barn in the sky. Dwight

[Gustaf B]

They were given out as premiums to individuals that bought war bonds.
I have a Baden enlisted model 15 that was recieved for a war bond purchase.

I would bet that many of these helmets are in collections around the world, boat loads were sent back to the US for War Bond Premiums and a large number of them have survived in decent condition. They show up at yard sales and estate sales all the time, some have suffered from being stored in the attic or basement, and a few have been played with rather hard.
Best
Gus

[Wagriff]

If I remember right, I seem to recall reading that these helmets were indeed distributed to the store chains and thus scattered amongst their customers-either sold outright or as has been said used for premiums for War Bond drives. What were left over-and I imagine it was a considerable number-were, no doubt, simply tossed in the dumps.....Back then, the only value people attached to these things was that of curios.