Do you hide your Third Reich stuff when guests come over?

**sweersz** · 10-07-2020, 03:47 AM

I don't have a dedicated war room as I live in a one bedroom apartment with my soon-to-be kicked out girlfriend (I hope she doesn't read this).

I use the bedroom as my office and I have some Third Reich stuff in there, including a 1st model Luftwaffe dagger hanging on the wall.

We're having some guests over soon that will be in my office and she wants me to take down the dagger. As a joke, I suggested that I put sticky notes covering up the swastikas instead but she was not having it (can you imagine the extra attention that would bring? lol).

She doesn't want the guests to think we are Neo-Nazis and is afraid of being labeled as such because we are conservative and the guests are liberal. I really don't care what anyone believes in, but do you think it would be more appropriate to swap my displayed Third Reich stuff with the Soviet stuff I have packed away in my closet?

What do you do before you have people over? Hide your whole collection? I don't want to do this... I think it'd be a great opportunity to explain why I collect it if that question is ever brought up. Who knows! It may spark their interest in collecting authentic WW2 memorabilia themselves someday.

My girlfriend agrees that the Luftwaffe dagger is awesome but just doesn't want to deal with how others may perceive its presence. What would you do?

**reneblacky** · 10-07-2020, 03:51 AM

Don't show obvious Nazi stuff mate it's not a good look! If they want to see it then show. Not a good look for people not expecting it!

**rbminis** · 10-07-2020, 03:55 AM

Other than actual family items, all of my other collections are in a room with a door.
Kept closed most of the time if anybody else is here, unless I know them well.
Ralph.

**sweersz** · 10-07-2020, 04:14 AM

Wise words, thanks guys!

**MAP** · 10-07-2020, 04:19 AM

A long thread on this years ago.........

I have most of my stuff in a room with a door. But where it spills over to other rooms, I display my non-TR items. Funny though...when I do have guests (liberal or not) they usually ask to see it all and understand that it is not the ideology. All have left with a greater knowledge of history.

**Wally6** · 10-07-2020, 04:20 AM

I don't have a true "War room" like others, as my collection is displayed in my bedroom. But because it's in my bedroom guests don't see it unless I invite them to view it or if they request to see it.

**reneblacky** · 10-07-2020, 04:34 AM

Hopefully yer girlfriend will be ok!!????

**Kateri** · 10-07-2020, 04:35 AM

Most importantly If I were you I would not kick out my girlfriend.
Any woman that can accommodate a hobby like ours is a gem.
My beloved partner of 11+ years drew a silly face on my mannequin but whatever.
Kick out your dagger and focus your attention on this forum's photo rotation problem or even better on your Girlfriend.
Best wishes.

**sweersz** · 10-07-2020, 04:38 AM

Haha hilarious!!

by reneblacky

Hopefully yer girlfriend will be ok!!????

Yes, I'm going to respect her wishes! ...Especially because of one little detail I forgot to add -- one of the guests is actually her boss LOL.

**Vocht** · 10-07-2020, 08:26 AM

Great thread. And that is a very important detail about the boss! I want to chip in as well.
I live in a small house with my girlfriend. My father used to be a longtime collector during his life but sadly he passed away.
I have been interested in 3rd Reich militaria and history for over 25 years now but due to study and being young I never had any money to buy. Sometimes he gave me some small things here and there but now I received some items as an inheritance.

I display some of it non too obvious in my living room. If I have certain guests around I turn my A.Hitler bust and SS stuff around and cover up my medal display cases with a newspaper. However most guests who come over know me and what I collect.

I do have a story from my dad. His collection was an enormous war room which piled out all over the house. The living room had a large library/bookcases filled with 3rd Reich books etc. Also the dining area had a huge display case with mosly painted models and little stuff. Once a colleague of my mom came over with her new Jewish boyfriend. After being invited over he looked at the bookcase and whispered "we are not welcome here", took the woman and walked out after a few minutes.

Later the pair separated and the woman apologized for her mans behaviour and went and became good friends again with my mother. Long story short: I don't like strangers in my house and I don't go out of my way to hide my stuff. However for your gf's boss I would make an exception.

Let us know how it went.