Value of caps today

[RTH]

Good day,

I was wondering if any of the native experts could help me on this question. I hope it comes across in the intended way, otherwise it sounds like a 'how much is it worth' question.

The question:

I wonder if anyone could possibly please tell me the rough value of a cap like this one (saddle shape, half bullion insignia, officers etc) today? Note, I do not own this cap, nor is it on the market. This cap I think is currently in the collection of Mike H (it was in 2013 at least) and was posted on the WH-OFFICER Infantry Visors thread by stonemint (I hope I haven't infringed in using the photo). The reason I ask is because currently this is what I am looking out for, but then after sending emails to two or three different dealers attaching this visor suddenly thought, "What if this is above my price range?" What I do not want is embarrassing emails with a dealer when they have sourced a cap like this when I discover that it is beyond me. I'm afraid at 15 years of age, I have not the capital to indulge in this marvelous hobby as I would wish. I stretched myself to buy my NCO's visor and am planning to sell this to afford the other should one come up. Alas, my price range is £800/$1106.80/€936.80. Such is life



I hope this post reads as intended, and thank you very much in advance.

EDIT: I do apologise for the duplicate picture.

[stonemint]

RTH--excellent question. I thought the market for TR militaria was never going reach the levels it was at in 2007 (right before the Great Recession hit).
However, with Covid, many people had extra cash (and time) on their hands, and prices are currently at levels above those 2007 "glory days".

The hat you display in your photos has several attributes going for it, so it is not the best harbinger of pricing.
It is a high-quality pre-war doeskin example in mint condition by one of the most desired makers, Wilhelm Welhausen.
As such, I believe that hat (if it were to come on the market today) would run $2000.

Infantry officer doeskin visors are common, you just have to settle for one that is not be a prestige maker, and not in mint condition, and you should be able to find one in your price range.
Just keep checking dealer sites, auctions, and the various e-stands.

[MAP]

As much as we all hate it, the name of the game is "patience". Took me longer than you are old to finally find/afford my M35 DD SS helmet.

[RTH]

Thank you very much stonemint and MAP. I had an idea that it might be that expensive - it really is a beautiful cap and obviously the maker etc. MAP - pleased to hear that you got there in the end, to me it seems like an age, but time really does fly especially when you are young! I have just realised that it is only 2 and a bit years until I get flung into the world of work!

[RTH]

Surely the market has to crash at some point. I mean, is it possible for things to just keep going up or will it come crashing back down? I'm afraid I know very little about economics.

[AndyM35]

RTH, not my area, but sounds like you have a very nice cap! Congratulations! As MAP said, “patience is the name of the game”, and IMO builds great collections.

Andy

[Kohima]

Sadly, I remember the same conversations with friends some ten years ago..
Things will (nearly) always go up, and that is as it should be. It’s nice to see the value of your collection grow, though that is not really why we do it, but on the other hand, it tends to slow down its growth.

That said, the state of prices today is not just high, but (in many cases), obscene. For example, I have seen British Army cutlery knives at £100, a fork at £150 (still essentially £1 items)! Certainly ridiculous and driven by greed, rather than any perceived ‘rarity’. It is, of course, demand that drives prices.
However, it is one thing to ask such a price, quite another to actually get it.

The only way to force prices down to a reasonable level is for every collector, the world over, to stop buying..
Clearly not going to happen.

[SHEMP H]

Thank you very much stonemint and MAP. I had an idea that it might be that expensive - it really is a beautiful cap and obviously the maker etc. MAP - pleased to hear that you got there in the end, to me it seems like an age, but time really does fly especially when you are young! I have just realised that it is only 2 and a bit years until I get flung into the world of work!

The guys are right, good things usually come along if you wait, and time will go by even faster as you age

[RTH]

Alas, this one isn't mine

[TWS]

The only way to force prices down to a reasonable level is for every collector, the world over, to stop buying..
Clearly not going to happen.

I've slowed down my purchasing and have focused more on collector to collector transactions. The prices demanded by dealers for some categories of items I simply cannot stomach.