a voting poll between m1/52 skull and a tiger I part. PLEASE HELP.

[rusted180]

hello fellas!

i know i dont post much on this forum, but ive always enjoyed reading threads and posts! very informative site! i love it!

anyways im thinking of purchasing my very first totenkopf skull! my favorite variation is the m1/52!!! i finally found one that fits my budget but before i agree to make the purchase, i just wanted some opinions about this piece.

i also have a dilemma..... i hope some of you guys can help me make a decision so i decided to post some other pics not related to ss insignia. besides this totenkopf, im thinking of buying a tiger I part from jevgenijss who is supposedly a well known digger from latvia. he has a good rep on this site, however he has no rep power and only posted 6 times (btw im not much better in my rep power), but couple of members vouch for him so i assume he's ok.... well the part im thinking of buying from him is the loaders turret hatch. jevgenijss states that he dug it from an area where several tigers belonging to heavy tank battalion 510 were destroyed. i researched the loaders hatch and from looking at authentic examples at the bovington tank museum, it looks authentic. my concern about this piece is, are tank parts replicated just like ss items? i know a lot of german militaria can be authenticated such as totenkopf insignias, but tank parts??? hard to say right? well, i guess i have to take the gamble. by the way, both items are the same price, so making a decision is that much harder!

anyways, i just wanted to take a voting poll on what you guys think i should invest my money in..... the 1/52 skull or the tiger I part? i love both pieces but cant make up my mind! LOL!!!

So who wants to vote!!!???!!

here are the m1/52 pics:




here are the tiger tank pics:

[ToxicGas]

You can guess my vote, can't you? Haha


I'd go for the Totenkopf (surprise!) if given the choice, as in my opinion the insignia display nicely as 'stand-alone' items, even if arguably as abstracted from context as the piece of tank. To me, the tank part is just a piece of scrap metal without any aesthetic appeal... if I found it myself and knew what it belonged to, I'd keep it, but I would never buy it. I understand that for some, just knowing it was literally a 'part' of history is interesting, but personally it doesn't interest me. I can't say how much that piece would be worth either, but I do know these skulls are good investments. I think that all cap insignia is interesting, and by the very nature of insignia, it retains identity and meaning when removed from it's uniform- The Totenkopf in particular has always drawn me in, as I've always liked skulls, and I agree that the M1/52 Deschler is the best-looking type! I think this one is original.

May I ask how much these items are?

Mat

[Bochmann]

I would vote for the TK as it is easily identified as a "known" cap badge, even amongst non collectors.

If you buy the tiger part on the other hand you will have to keep a diagram of the tank handy to show people what it is...........
Whatever you decide, happy collecting.

[talltom]

buy both
i too would go with the TK its easily recognisable and has so far being steadily been going up in price also how would you display a tiger tank part

[rusted180]

thanks for the responses guys!
both prices are about $450.00
to be hones, im torn..... I absolutely love TIger tanks! its always been a favorite of mine since way before i knew about the dark chapters surrounding germany during the war. i would like to thank tamiya model kit company for creating an interest in these awesome tanks! i was naturally drawn to these tanks 30 years ago when i bought my first tiger model kit at a hobby store during my childhood years.... so this piece has a lot of meaning to me...... on the other hand, the totenkopf skulls are also a passion for me as well! again 30 years ago.... before i learned all the negative connotations surrounding nazi germany i loved looking at pictures of ss soldiers in history books at my local library. i was drawn to the visor cap insignias and thought they were so cool......

i love both but cant make up my mind.... dang! you guys are making me lean toward the skull! hahahaha! oh boy... anymore votes? any votes for the tank piece??? lol!

[talltom]

to be honest if you have a love of tigers get the tiger part because they aren't for sale very often wereas there are usually always one tk available
now ive confused you even more

[ObKrieger]

I hate to tear you even more, but I would go for the Tiger part. Skulls will always be available and bought and sold amongst collectors, but how often do you find pieces of Tigers?

[rusted180]

hmmm... good question..... display it next to my tiger model? or my poster of the tiger? hmm......yeah i see what you mean.

[stekker]

Follow your heart is the best thing to do, so i would buy the Tiger part.
I don't know much about Tiger tanks, but can you identify where this Tiger part is was placed on the tank? (I mean make sure it isn't from another panzer)

Gr. Theo.

Just saw your other posting, so my suspicion wasn't right about the authenticity of this Tiger part.

[rusted180]

thanks for the quick responses guys! well, i am officially confused! hahahahhaha!!!!!!!!! stressful but enjoyable decision making! wait...... does that make sense!?!

anymore replies would be greatly appreciated! thanks to all!

-rusted