Investing in Soviet medals - weighing pro's & cons.

[Ed_Haynes]

The whole issue of "investment" is complex and fraught with danger, especially in the current economic climate.

Many (both in and out of Russia) have tried, in recent years, to turn a quick profit from Soviet awards and not only has this helped create the recent "bubble" but has sucked many items off the market (whether into short-term collections, back to the Motherland forever, or into Swiss bank valuts). Now, there is some evidence the bubble has burst. Mainly, as others have said, the wide range of items that were available (at reasonable prices) just a few years ago is now a distant age that the grey- or no-hairs bemoan so often: "Ah, back when you could get Red Banners for $10, harumphf, harumphf."

I doubt that Soviet awards as a good short-term investment works any more. But personally, I have no intent to sell my guests, my family can do that when I am recycled and reap what they can.

Research -- a bumpy road of late -- has the potential of adding significant interest to any award. It might add value as well, or it might not, it is a gamble and, frankly, some dealers and collectors just don't care (as they don't care enough to keep groups together -- how many nice groups have been ripped apart to service the "type collector" market?). And, if your goal is investment, then you need to wonder whether spending $100 for an award and then spending another $100 for research is such a good investment? Your solitary orphaned Red Star might be one of those (unfairly?) denigrated long service awards or it might be (as one of mine is) an award for the 1968 Czechoslovakia operations. You never know until you research. And, unless you have extraordinary Russian language skills, time and money, sophisticated interpersonal schmoozing skills, and the years it takes to develop contacts, research on Soviet awards is not something one does for themselves -- it is something you get the professionals to do.

Moreover, once you get your first Soviet award (in my case it was a $20 Glory 3 -- did I just date myself?), and once you pay for the research (much more than the medal cost me), and once you discover the history behind the thing (in this example it was awarded to a nurse for bringing wounbded from the battlefield) you will be HOOKED and you'll never sell it along merely for profit.

Sorry for the long wandering rant -- and in my first post too!!!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Ed, welcome to the forum. Nice to see you here. Thanks for an interesting first post.

You are like me I will die owning all my stuff.

Cheers, Ade.

[Koba64]

I think i had more or less arrived at your conclusions Ed, I really needed to hear that I was barking up the right tree from the collecting veterans

I think my major concerns revolved around the accepted idea that the market has deflated somewhat, I don't want to get started now and find that in 12 months I'd paid way over the odds.

I'm not looking to make money in the short term, I doubt I would ever sell. I just want my collection to be worth more or less what I paid for it so when I depart this world and my son gets to pick over my goodies there is some value for him to use.

With regard to the research question i am lucky enough to have a Russian friend who could do the required delving around archives for me, i would of course show her my gratitude but that would undoubtedly be less than current market price