Heini H and the 'crimped prongs'......stranger than fiction

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I totaly agree Lars, this "reality check" is something that no one wants to talk about and this is the reason why I distance myself more and more from collecting.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm pretty fed up with the constant advertisment of so called "untouched" items when the reality is that most are not.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with altered garements because, after 60 plus years, that's what most of them are, altered.

But the whole collecting industry seems to based on false appraisals by dealers and private collectors alike because the general consensus is that the buyer has to proove that maybe some things have been monkeyed with post war. That's just wrong IMO.

Well said. You well describe the emperor in his new clothes.

[BenVK]

Well, I will watch that just as soon as I decide on a new TV which is about the same difficult decision as buying WWII collectables.

In other words, a whole bunch of lies and smoke and mirrors.

[Datrus]

I am watching the film recommended by F-B at the moment. Very entertaining. Better than Hollywood

Regards, Lars

[BenVK]

Well said. You well describe the emperor in his new clothes.

I'm glad that you understand what I'm getting at.

I was sent pictures of a circa 1934 black hat recently and the sweatband was mostly detached, the owner, much to my relief decided that restoration wouldn't be the best option. I'm glad such collectors still exist despite the fact that I could have earned a decent amount of money to restore the hat.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I am watching the film recommended by F-B at the moment. Very entertaining. Better than Hollywood

Regards, Lars

I am glad you like it.

[M18922]

Very interesting photos and discussion. Sorry I cant contribute.

Cheers, Pat

[BenVK]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that after I obtained a reputation as being a skilled artisan, the dregs of society have tried to solicit my handwerk just as much as the legitimate collectors.

I dont think that most realise how much this practice goes on..

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that after I obtained a reputation as being a skilled artisan, the dregs of society have tried to solicit my handwerk just as much as the legitimate collectors.

I dont think that most realise how much this practice goes on..

I am hardly surprised.

[BenVK]

So are we going to do something about it?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This work was published here in the US when I was a sophomore in high school and getting into my stride as a collector.
I am not sure how many of you reading this know of this work, or if this document even exists in any numbers in the wider world. It began the whole genre of unveiling the faker.
In any case, it was the attempt by one familiar with the fakery scene of the time to uncover the rat finks and such.
None of us could have dreamed then of how this all would swell and explode in the years since. I certainly did not.
But the faking and fraud trade was in full swing in 1969, just at the time that the awful Manson person murdered Sharon Tate.
We now know that the fake and fraud thing was in full swing in 1933, as well.