Advice on an M42

[Seanreisk]

Howdy everyone. First time poster, I have the opposite problem from most of the users on this thread: I have a helmet, and I'd like to sell it, and I need opinions on how to sell and how to authenticate. I have an extensive collection of stuff (junk), but I don't really collect WWII. I'm moving, and the things I'll have to store are larger than the amount I'm actually moving. I've already taken seventeen file boxes of paperbacks to the used book store. It's time to pare down, and since the money would be handy, I'm going to sell this helmet.


HISTORY OF THE HELMET:

I don't have much provenance. I purchased the helmet in 1994 from the estate sale of a deceased widow in Post Falls, Idaho. I do know her husband was retired Air Force (last posting Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, WA) who passed away in the 1980s. He would have been in his 30s during WWII, and the estate had some Vietnam-era Air Force uniforms. If more information is needed about the estate I could try to research it.

I paid $120 for the helmet without knowing if it was authentic (or even German.) I can verify / provide affidavit that the helmet has been in my possession since 1994, has not been modified or cleaned by me, and is, to the best of my knowledge, authentic. My nephews put some small white scuffs on it while they were playing with it. Yes, I let them play with it - it's a helmet! What kid wouldn't want to ride their bikes while wearing a real German helmet? Especially one that fit?

Last month, when I decided to sell it, I took it to a local pawnshop owned by a collector. He thought it was authentic and offered to buy it, provided I agreed to buy it back if it turned out to be a forgery. His offer was really small (less than what I paid for it 20 years ago) and I declined. Since he was in the business of making money he didn't offer much help. He did say the decal was, "80%, with good presentation." He also told me not to sell it on eBay.

True story: When I first handed him the helmet he turned it over and looked at it, and then he started running his nose over the outside. He finished by burying his face in the liner. That behavior seemed a little exotic, and when I asked what he was doing, he said, "I'm smelling it."

Truth!

If the smell is important, I can only say that the liner sort of smells like your grandmother's closet, and the outside doesn't smell like anything at all. I spent years in the military, but I'm not an expert on helmet smell. If "Grandma's Closet Smell" had been an awesome military technology, I'm sure we would have lost the war.


THE HELMET:

It's an M42 size small from Emaillierwerke AG with a single Heer decal. From the scuffing it appears to have a reddish-brown undercoat, and it has some very faint scuffs of light green. There are also two very small brown/tan 'drips' on the lower-right side. To be honest, in my eyes, these 'drips' appear modern, but I just can't account for them. I have no idea how they could have gotten there, or if they were always there. They're really tiny.

I was thinking about untieing the knot on the liner cord and looking for an inspector's stamp, but the knot looks untouched and I decided that the buyer should have the honor of undoing it. How often do you get a helmet with the original cord and the original knot?


PICTURES:


Front View


Left Side


Rear View


Right Front


Right Rear


Liner


Liner with cord exposed


Decal


Manufacturer and size (note: this stamp isn't noticeable from the exterior, unlike the lot number)
It looks like a raised stamp in this picture, but it's not. It's clearly a 'stamp'.


Lot number


Reverse of lot number as seen from outer rear


Liner stamp (not a very good stamp)


Buckle


D-ring opposite buckle


The two tan 'drips' that I said looked modern. I just don't know what I think of them.


Right front white scuffing left by my nephew. In the lower right of the image you can also see the two drips.


Left top white scuffing, also left by my nephew. To the left you can see some of the green scuffing and the red-brown undercoat (I think it's undercoat.) The scuffing is scuffing - it's not a spot where the paint has been scratched away and metal is exposed.


Another view of the white scuffing on the left top.


A look at some of the red-brown.

Sorry about the image quality. All images were taken with a Motorola Droid X2. I don't take professional pictures, so I've never felt the urge to buy a better camera. I can probably scrounge a good camera from friends and get some better shots.

So, I'm coming to you guys - I have this thing, what do I do with it? And advice, suggestions, questions or even concerns are welcome.

-- Seanreisk

[Walkwolf]

Hi and welcome to the Forum. We do have a 'Classifieds'
section for sales of all types of militaria.........

[Seanreisk]

Hi and welcome to the Forum. We do have a 'Classifieds'
section for sales of all types of militaria.........

Sorry, I should have been more explicit. Although I am looking to sell it eventually, what I wanted right now is opinions on the helmet, an idea of what I should ask, and maybe who the reputable consignment dealers are (or if that is even the way to go.) I'm gunshy about going to one of the dealers right off the bat, and I thought I'd come here and hear some opinions from the people who like these items.

I'm not trying to rush a sale. I don't have a burning need for the money, or even a burning need to get rid of the helmet.

[KradSpam]

Nice lid, it looks like a good unmolested EF Heer to me. Value, somewhere around $800 usd I would say.

As a new member, and do not take this personally, I would post a pic of the helmet with a handwritten note stating your name on the forum 'Seanreisk' and the date, especially since you intend to sell it. We often get people showing up out of the blue with things to sell, sometimes it turns out they don't have the item etc.

PS there should be no undercoat, I think you are seeing rust bleed through the paint.

[Walkwolf]

Well, a dealer will be a bit better than a pawn shop, in that he will
try to buy it as cheaply as possible, and sell it for as much
as possible. I wouldn't take ANYTHING to a pawn broker
- unless you want nothing in return.

Between collectors, it should be sold for somewhat less than
a dealer would ask. I wouldn't have guessed the decal
would bring another $350-$400.........

[davejb]

Hi and welcome to the forum , a pretty standard M42 with a good liner and c hin strap , the act of smelling a helmet is quite common , its to discern if there is a 'newer ' paint odour , which can last for a couple of yrs and also the smell of old leather le ' grandmothers closet smell, in effect a musty odour , your helmets decal does slightly worry me but wait for more opinions , you were wise not to sell it for less than was paid an this 'dealer collector ' knew exactly what he was looking at and stood to make a very healthy profit , a M42 over here , without decal and in that condition would cost in the region of 250 - 300 pounds imo

[Seanreisk]

As a new member, and do not take this personally, I would post a pic of the helmet with a handwritten note stating your name on the forum 'Seanreisk' and the date, especially since you intend to sell it.

Sure! Hell, I'll give you a picture of me wearing it!



Yes, that's me, and I wear a 67cm hat size. I have the helmet because some of my friends call me "Schultz", and when we were at the estate sale I tried it on as a joke, and all my friends felt I needed to have it so they would always be able to laugh at me.

I joined the Army when we still used the WWII style steel pot, and to make it fit I would remove the leather liner and the nylon scalp band. When the Kevlar 'Fritz' helmets came out, I didn't get one. I was bummed at first, but then I found out the Kevlar helmets were a lot heavier, and since I didn't have a Darth Vader helmet I didn't have to participate in any of their 'combat dress' parades.

[Mark K]

Sure! Hell, I'll give you a picture of me wearing it!



Yes, that's me, and I wear a 67cm hat size. I have the helmet because some of my friends call me "Schultz", and when we were at the estate sale I tried it on as a joke, and all my friends felt I needed to have it so they would always be able to laugh at me.

I joined the Army when we still used the WWII style steel pot, and to make it fit I would remove the leather liner and the nylon scalp band. When the Kevlar 'Fritz' helmets came out, I didn't get one. I was bummed at first, but then I found out the Kevlar helmets were a lot heavier, and since I didn't have one of the Darth Vader helmets I didn't have to participate in any 'combat dress' parades.

Looks to be a nice Heer M42 the picture you posted with the date made me lol would make a hell of an army recruitment poster or your Avatar picture.

Regards Mark K

[MD Helmets]

I like it. nice complete helmet. I can see Dave's concern about the decal. I'm going to look at it closet on a computer later on.

[Walkwolf]

Lol - Size '62' is a rather small lid. I have a M40 Luft helmet
in 62 that is too small for me as well.........!