-
Re: helmet prices
It demand i believe, i mean compare collectors who collect just German to Just American or British. There # of German collectors probably greater or = to American, British/Commenwealth, Russian, Japenese combined.
Look at ALL the forums most collectoers are interested in German stuff they comment on German related threads, reason why varies greatly.... Style, icon, investment, historical value.
Minority comment are on other threads.
Also note this forum and others, that Western Allies are one forum and not seperated by country. Like how German is bigest and it own fourm, with every section dedicated to it.
There is also manufacturing stuff but that different story.
Kinda bad to pay twice as much or sume cases many times more on German stuff, then on American stuff. but that life
cricketchris i know what you mean, the demand is like SS helmets
-
03-01-2012 08:13 AM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
-
-
-
Re: helmet prices
The issue has been covered pretty much in the previous posts.
I will just agree that the reasons are
a) much nicer looking therefore more desirable which means higher demand
and
b) piles of German lids were destroyed after the war making them more rare. Their number is much smaller than the allied ones. Especially the SS or Fallschirmjager helmets.
Looking for the photo albums of Leutnant Emil Freitag, 3. / G.R. 377
-
Re: helmet prices
Looking for the photo albums of Leutnant Emil Freitag, 3. / G.R. 377
-
Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....
-
Re: helmet prices
In my opinion, the US market dictated the value of German lids. Immediately post war, German helmets fetched a premium compared to those of other nations. Reason being, Americans, even those who did not serve, wanted one as trophy of Germany's defeat. The M1 was readily available in the US as most GI's bright their's home.
Many U S collectors can attest to the fact that the M 1 was considered surplus, and not collectible for the reason I mention above. Therefore, those who did buy them could obtain them for cheap. Prices continued to rise exponentially on German lids, whereas US lids didn't see a real spike in value until recent years.
US lids are selling for the price of German lids from years ago, and because of that stall in value, may never be equal in value, however are increasing similar to German lids. There is a caveat, as already mentioned, as the more rarer M1 are selling for big money (a M1C sold for $18k at the SOS this year).
Anothe factor is unauthentic lids, which are abundant with German lids, therefore, you pay a premium for an un-messed with lid. You're however now seeing the trend with the M1 so collectors are paying more and setting the value higher and higher every day.
-
Re: helmet prices
by
DougB
LOL. RonR owns most of them actually!
OK, I don't know him, but we'll throw him in there with you, LOL
-
Re: helmet prices
I just haft to say, just look at it, a german helmet really is a piece of art, a truely iconic symbol, and unlike the M1, there are so many varieties, models,decals, and paint jobs, you can collect a lifetime and not complete a collection, it's the thrill of the hunt. Craig
-
Re: helmet prices
Well, people are obsessive by nature and the stahlhelm is a very easy thing to get obsessed over. I know that a lot of us here are, inclding Doug, Frank, myself, etc.
Unfortunately our obsessions are a lot more expensive. I think most collectors develop the obsession first, then look up the prices. Adrian, if the average EKII cost $500, would you still buy them?
Anyway there is a difference between explaining why we like them so much and why the prices are so high. The price will always be controlled by demand. Some guy is willing to pay $800 for a helmet, he has the money, a dealer who has the helmet knows he can get that $800 from him, and voila...
I say we go on a collector's strike so that prices drop, and so that I can finally afford them.
Bookmarks