Just got this "offer"...
I hope you take a minute to read it through. I will not comment further on this issue...
Best,
Jan
Question:
“I have a question about battlefield relics. Any tips on who to buy from & what to look for?
I'm all for preserving these artifacts with museums & for getting them back to the family of the fallen if possible but I would like to acquire some items that are already on the market. I know you're an expert in this field (great work w/ Iron Cross magazine by the way!) so I figured you were the man to ask.
I would really like to acquire a ground dug Heer or Luftwaffe helmet & a Wound Badge. While I have collected numerous Third Reich items over the last year I have grown a bit pessimistic due to all of the fakes present on the market and that's what has drawn me to ground dug relics. I would rather have a legitimate battlefield relic in horrendous condition than a fake in pristine condition. All of my non-ground dug items thus far match reference books but I have no doubts some fakes have accidentally made their way into the reference books. A battlefield relic dug by a reputable person is a sure fire way to know your item is 100% real.
I am sure there are plenty of fake ground dug items as well but I figured you would personally know the best people to source these items from given your background.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!”
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Answer:
Born in 1962 and having seen things develop into the mayhem it is today I hope you stop to read the following sentences very carefully…
The untouched and still mostly undocumented WW2 conflict archaeology heritage over here in Europe and the material culture of the 2nd World War is just years away from being totally lost to the greed of detectorists and traders of these mostly illegally dug relics.
I ask you, please do not support this industry.
Best,
Jan
WW2 conflict archaeologist
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