How to Wreck good Helmets!!!!!

[TOBRUK]

Hello. There seem to be a few of these chrome helmets about. These 2 were found at markets. They were not very dear, but what a waste of good helmets. Does anyone know when this trend started, and why?

[Panzer 3]

Hi,
Christ what a shame they have done that to them, they prob, were bikers helmets they did a lot of that years ago. If only you could take that crap off them !,
dave.

[Masonk]

Applying chrome to such items (helmets, bayonets, firearms, etc) actually started right after the war and was fairly popular. It was sometimes done by the vet to preserve and or display their spoils of war.

No way of course to tell when this was done. These could have been done by a biker as Dave has suggested or it very well could have been done by a vet.

It is a shame but at least if you decide to purchase one, you're buying it for what it is. I think what fakers are doing nowadays is far worse, though as they ruin helmets to prey on the unsuspecting.

[helmet2id]

Those are elite Afrika Korps helmets! I love the palm tree decals on the sides in the bottom pic... Oh, those are reflections? Never mind. Jim G.

[ObKrieger]

I once found a guy selling a chromed shell without a liner for $1000. I tried to tell him that he wouldn't sell it at that price but he refused to listen to me. It's a shame that people do these things.

[theduke635]

In the 1960's this was a popular thing to do to german helmets . At that time they where not worth what they are now in fact there where tons of german helmets at that time ..My uncle worked at a hot rod shop back in the 60's and he told me the guy who owned the shop (Ed"Big Daddy"Roth) had stacks of german helmets that he would chrome and pin stripe and sell them to surfers and bikers . They may have taken the value out of them but you gotta remember that they weren't as collectable back then.

[relicz]

An Ed"Big Daddy"Roth chromed and pin striped helmet - with proven lineage - would be a valuable collectors item in its own right. Perhaps not to TR collectors, but very collectible just the same.

[alikat]

I spoke with a guy today who has a 1913 Luger his dad acquired during WW2. After the end of hostilities he had it chromed for a packet of cigarettes. Although the value is greatly diminished, he has no plans to sell it.

[davejb]

A great deal of helmets and bayonets were chromed after the war and you could buy them by the dozen at petticoat market in the late 60s early 70s but the biker boys mainly bought them, but they mostly had all the original liners and chin straps

[Berthier92]

It would be fine if they just used replica helmets to chrome. but originals?? its like taking an original viking helmet and chroming that. yes its a little extreeme, but im sure you get the picture. Chroming them in the 60's are understandable. but still doing it today to artifacts which get rarer to find everyday? very sad indeed....