SS Totenkopf Officers Tunic and Service Cap

[Christian56789]

Fake visor and I am quite sure there are a few more fakes in this book

[DMS]

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe he was hoping some poor guy would want to buy it off of him not knowing any better.

[Watchdog]

I wonder if we'll ever hear from the original poster again?

Well, with three posts of three howlers and no reply I think not which is a shame as all the feedback is really good tuition for a beginner. We have all had experience of buying a duck-egg that we initially though was a diamond and had to "suck it up" as part of our education.

Sadly, this looks like a very expensive case of trying to "run before you can walk". The words of caution against this resonate constantly through all the boards on this forum for all, novice or sage to note

Regards

Mark

[CBH]

I'd say the OP is gone like a Fart in the Wind.
SS collecting isn't a place for new collectors.
Another case of buying beyond your knowledge, could have bought a nice car for what he probably spent.
A fool and their money are soon parted.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Better off buying fake SS to begin with... that way you already know what you have!

[Jerry B]

A very expensive introduction to collecting SS items I assume, ouch that has got to hurt, no wonder he has apparently left.

I assume we have all made mistakes in the past, but thankfully I never made one this big.

[Rakkasan187]

Don't be surprised if this one surfaces at an auction house or other selling venue..

His two helmets that were vetted as fakes are now on Ebay,, sadly..

I believe this is a case of us vetting an item either good or bad and then for the OP it's off to the market to get rid of the junk on someone unsuspecting like he was...when he bought this stuff...

Unfortunately we can't know everyone's intent when they join...

Smitty

[panzer2]

i am clad you said it first i was thinking the same

[captain20052019]

Fakes ending up in books is just another example of the extent of the liabilities that come with this hobby. I am not the least bit surprised that some books contain fakes not only because it would be a -very- easy mistake to make & of course a very easy thing to do purposefully especially back before the internet age.

I can absolutely see why people get frustrated with this hobby & move on. I have grown increasingly more pessimistic since I started. That's why I have cut back on my purchases & have started going after more obscure, lower priced items versus highly sought after items. Obscure items are not immune to being faked of course but the fakers are going to put far more effort into the highly sought after items. Why waste time & money faking something that sits on Ebay or dealer shelves forever when you can fake SS insignia or something that sells quickly and for big bucks?

What's worse is how many people sell/buy these items and refuse to accept the facts when their item is proven fake. Sellers want to justify their sale & buyers want to justify their purchase. Ironically, I saw a repro Totenkopf cuff title on Ebay a few weeks back listed for $350. I messaged the seller, told them exactly why their cuff was fake, links to this forum, photos of original Totenkopf cuffs, & pointed out that the cuff would be worth far more than $350 if it was legit. The seller politely told me to f*** off.

[rbminis]

The seller politely told me to f*** off.

That is the standard reply from sellers who know they are selling fakes.
Ralph.