Are you a Purist ?

[mpw]

I like minty, appreciate minty but cant often afford minty. I also like salty, appreciate salty and can afford salty. Collecting militaria is just one of many hobbies I enjoy. I enjoy old motorcycles (minty) and collect victorian brewery items (minty). I guess military items with condition issues often have a story attached and therefore to me are interesting. What I can't live with is a repro or copy.

Thank goodness we are all different as this means there is something for every ones taste and budget.

Cheers, Mark.

[robin morley]

For me it depends on what part of the collection I am buying for. For the PAB collection I prefer badges graded Extremely fine - mint as far as possible especially when it comes to the numbered badges. However even here when it comes to Junker manufactured I am happy with wear as I appreciate that this makers badges which are on the market were mostly issued and unlike JFS and GB not so much from un-issued stock. I do however have some that fall well below this condition and these are those that come as part of a grouping and which I am more than happy to have in the collection.

However when it comes to Panzer wrappers / Helmets etc I will buy what appears to be a worn, used example over a mint non issued one every time.

[UK Cousin]

I agree with many above that its a matter of economics. For example, one of my up coming projects is to restore a dke 38 radio back to working order. One of the vacuum tubes and varistors are missing. Will I buy expensive replacement parts that are waffen stamped in hopes that after 75 years they still function? Probably not. The trade off is I lose the originality but have something that will function for years.

[jamoros]

I think that the term purist is relative to each individual s needs and taste. To me this term associates with items that have been there and have the right amount of wear, but are not shattered. Nevertheless, there is no rule to be followed in my case. For example, I have eventually bought dug out ítems which told me a story. Most importantly is to avoid the fakes, I am alergic to them big time. So Larry, I would say, I include myself in options 2 and 3, Regards, Juan

[douglas2496]

Personally I'll have any old c**p in my collection as long as its original and interesting.

[bigmacglenn]

The only issue I have with "Purists" is when they insist that your "Impure" items aren't worthwhile collectibles...I see this especially with German Helmets...

Glenn

[bigmacglenn]

I used to ride my bicycle to the Patton Museum and go through their garbage dumpster looking for catalogs or anything useful...when I began collecting as a kid, almost all of my finds were from the garbage, lol ...
cheers, Glenn

[matty01]

For me Larry, I like to see fair use but unmessed with.

Preferably text book unmessed with, although transitionals do represent a process in history so equally as nice.

Never been one for mint me.

[harryamb2]

me like Gunny don't mind.

[jamoros]

Amazing how in the old times, not that old Glenn, people did not appreciate certain ítems and they were filed as garbage. As an example, my father got for free, many years ago a diving helmet from the 40s , belt and knife. The suit and boots did not get them, because my mother just did not allow it. Will post a picture next week by the way. If my father would not have got it, it would have been surely destroyed. One of these alone can go upto 6000 Euros

I used to ride my bicycle to the Patton Museum and go through their garbage dumpster looking for catalogs or anything useful...when I began collecting as a kid, almost all of my finds were from the garbage, lol ...
cheers, Glenn