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Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

Article about: Hello All, Just a quick question pertaining to the status of the overall medal buying/selling/trading market. With due respect to the current economy and our love of history, is this still a

  1. #1
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    Default Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    Hello All,

    Just a quick question pertaining to the status of the overall medal buying/selling/trading market. With due respect to the current economy and our love of history, is this still a market that's capable of making any money on the side?

    I mean this in all sincerity from the following points:

    1. I'm seeing quite a bit of medals and decorations, good prices (sometimes ridiculously high) where I currently live (none of them are fakes) but not a whole lot of product movement. These items have been sitting on dealers/sellers shelves for quite some time.
    2. The times are changing....new generations don't seem to have much of an interest in this other than collectors.
    3. There is more product out there than previously thought.
    4. Currency exchange. Okay, letting the cat out of the bag here: I'm living in Europe and looking at these prices folks are asking here, there is not much room to make a profit in the States with the exchange rate and cost of shipping, etc.

    Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

    Thank you!

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    Hello Husker and welcome to the forum.

    I guess to those who can, money is to be made anywhere from anything.

    Regarding your points:

    1. Without seeing the awards and knowing anything about your experience collecting these items, it's hard to say why they aren't being sold. Maybe they are fakes? Maybe the economy is biting at the moment. The time of year doesn't help as collectors have other things to spend their money on. The awards are simply priced beyond what the average person is willing to pay.

    2. The younger generation don't on the whole have the same interest in history as maybe some of us do. There are exceptions, we have several younger members here who enjoy their hobby.

    3. There is always the product, more of it than one might think as we know by seeing items sold on a regular basis as 'rare' when in fact the piece in question is very common. There is no current shortage of TR awards. Only the rare pieces which have always been rare.

    4. That is a factor. The pound vs the euro has been poor for a few years now and to a lesser extent against the dollar but then we don't have so much money to share in the current climate.

    I'm sure a few other members will add their thoughts too.

    Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....

  4. #3

    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    I think you just about summed it up adrian.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    I would also suggest that to make a quick buck or earn a living, you will find it hard in the TR awards and decorations market.

    Collectors are very fickle as to where the spend their money and how much of it they part with. If you don't get your prices right collectors won't come to you and if you have a high percentage of fakes in your inventory you will find a reputation very hard to earn. If your returns policy doesn't stand up either you're not going to win.

    You need to stike a balance between competitive pricing, decent shipping, a sound returns policy/guarantee and to understand that forums like this are in the habit of outing fakes and dodgy dealings so you need absolute integrity. Dealer reputations are hard won, take a long time to earn and can be lost in seconds if you don't play fair.

    Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    Thank you very much for all your quick replies. I think that sums up what I'm looking for fairly well...all excellent points. I guess, being fairly new to this market, and well in my first few months of exposure to these items first hand, I thought that TR awards were a bit more rare. They certainly are in the States to a large degree. Europe is a different matter altogether for obvious reasons. Cheers!

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    Quote by Husker View Post
    Thank you very much for all your quick replies. I think that sums up what I'm looking for fairly well...all excellent points. I guess, being fairly new to this market, and well in my first few months of exposure to these items first hand, I thought that TR awards were a bit more rare. They certainly are in the States to a large degree. Europe is a different matter altogether for obvious reasons. Cheers!
    I always though there was more in the States! The GI's shipped it back by the lorry load! You will probably find most of the high end, one off 'personality' pieces are in the U.S. not in Europe.

    Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Status of the Orders and Decorations Market

    So now that I think of it a bit more...is there a common consensus amongst collectors of what the rare and most coveted medals are? and the follow-on question..does the lack of shortage amongst TR items apply across the board to daggers, rifles, etc as well? Just trying to get a general idea.

    Thanks again..

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