Flugzeugbeobachterabzeichen in Classifieds for Opinions.

**rbminis** · 08-06-2016, 06:42 AM

This item has been brought to my attention. I have an opinion but I will post a link to the sales thread here for others to voice theirs. I will bring this thread to the seller's attention.
Luftwaffe Observer's Badge - Militaria Collectibles buy - sell at War Relics
Thank you members for your time!

Ralph.

Flugzeugbeobachterabzeichen in Classifieds for Opinions.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-06-2016 06:42 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Wagriff** · 08-06-2016, 06:57 AM

If Schwerin ever made a Luftwaffe Observer's badge, I've certainly never heard of or seen one before....From the crudeness of the badge, I "rather doubt it is authentic"...

**Australia** · 08-06-2016, 07:08 AM

Agree , I don't see anything that would suggest it was genuine , very soft details ect ect .

**big ned** · 08-06-2016, 10:21 AM

A total fantasy badge, to the hole with it....!!!

**Kradmelder** · 08-06-2016, 02:08 PM

It´s a cast fake made from a Juncker J2 Beobachterabzeichen imo.

A fishing wight badge for sure...

Regards
Joe

**jculber** · 08-06-2016, 03:17 PM

I appreciate being informed by those more knowledgeable than I that the badge is a replica and have revised the text and price accordingly. I will also inform the expert I had appraise the pieces for me.
I have several more badges that I will list, but several are high quality post-war replicas I've been told. I'll put them up for auction instead of fixed price and see what the forum community thinks.
My area of expertise is actually WW1 and older U.S. weapons, military gear and uniforms. For some obscure reason I thought it would be a good idea to start a WWII German badge collection and had the unbridled temerity to think I had a clue about what I was looking at.
I truly appreciate all feedback.
Sincerely,
Jim

**rbminis** · 08-06-2016, 03:57 PM

Hello Jim,
I would suggest that you post them here separately for members to authenticate before posting them in the classifieds. If they are deemed authenticated, members here would possibly be more inclined to purchase from someone they do not know.
Ralph.

**jculber** · 08-06-2016, 04:18 PM

I sincerely appreciate the suggestion.
Jim

**jculber** · 08-06-2016, 06:27 PM

As may have been noticed I just went ahead and pulled the ad for the Observer's Badge.
Here's why.
I notified the very persnickety expert I had examine the badge (he actually handled it and examined it closely) that forum members said it was a fishing weight. He got a bit excited when I told him I had reduced the price to $100.00 as he was 100% confident the badge was good and worth quite a bit more.
I've been working militaria/gun/knife shows since the early 1970s and buying/selling/trading militaria and edged weapons since I was 7 years old (that was 1957). I don't profess to be an expert in anything except drinking beer, but I do know a lot of people who know a whole heck of a lot about Nazi badges, Nazi cuff titles, Nazi uniforms and so on. I have had three of these folks closely examine my badge collection, with loupes in good light, and i.d the good and the phony.
They were all confident in the authenticity of each of the items I currently have listed on this forum.
As soon as i can figure out how to do it I will post, not list for sale, detailed photos of the remaining items so that forum members can voice their opinions. I appreciate all feedback.
I must add that the overwhelming number of phony items that pervade the militaria field are destroying the market. The market for collectibles is already hurting from the sagging economy. If I for one second think a piece is phony I will list it as such. My reputation as a dealer is at stake and I absolutely refuse to participate in selling phony stuff as real. Another reason that I pulled the observer badge, doubt's have been voiced and so I'll just keep on taking it to the shows where folks can actually handle the item and make up their own minds.
Just this morning I read a discouraging account on this forum about a guy who bought an SS cap for $4,000.00 at the SOS, placed photos on this forum, was told the cap was a phony, sent it back to the dealer for a refund and got stiffed. This kind of stuff is murdering the business. I looked at the guy's detailed photos of the cap and failed to see exactly what it was that convinced the forum knowledge base that the cap was phony.
Some years back I was chatting with a friend at a MAX show and we were discussing the abundance of phony items in the field. He told me that he had attended one of the very first MAX shows with an older friend who had served in the Wehrmacht in WWII. Upon arriving and looking around his elderly friend said of the show "I don't know where all this German gear came from because we sure didn't have any of it in the war."
At any rate I figure it is up to each and every one of in the trade to be as honest as possible, the customer is always right, and to accept returns and offer refunds. If we see someone selling phony stuff as real we need to alert show officials or forum monitors or whoever.
I do appreciate the alert called on the observer badge I had listed.
I'll try and get the other badges posted in a thread for your perusal.
Sincerely,
Jim

**Wagriff** · 08-06-2016, 06:35 PM

Simply ask the very persnickety expert to show you another Schwerin Observer's badge. Schwerin mostly made Kriegsmarine badges and never produced Luftwaffe pieces like this. On this Forum, you'll find a gathering of some of the finest specialists in the World-literally. You can definitely be safe listening to their assessments.