M42 SD Heer

[Schwerpunkt]

If all goes to plan, I expect to have a budget of about £900 with which to go helmet hunting. I've earmarked a couple of sites with some likely purchases, and will be looking for the best example of an SD Heer helmet that I can find. With that budget and a greater deal of caution, I should be able to come up with one hell of a replacement for this one.

Regards, B.B.

Let us have a look at it before you purchase , ironclad in TR militaria collecting is a fable. I have seen them all sell fakes but some less than other , some do it better than others :-)
Guard yourself for the worst and use the resources here and you will have a helmet you will be happy with soon.

[TWS]

I've actually found that the prices in the US can be cheaper, but it depends on who you go to. Bill Shea, Ken N - they have some very nice helmets but at expensive prices.

Compare to Europe - some big names such a Lux Militaria, Ratisbons, Weitze can also have ridiculous prices. And the euro to pounds exchange rate is poor.

Nick

Nick, agree with nearly all you wrote. If you don't mind, shoot me a PM with a couple more reasonably priced but honest helmet dealers.
Bill Shea and Ken N are great guys. Very knowledgeable and very honest. I like everything about them except for their prices. I can't bring myself to pay what they are asking for helmets - and same goes for many other collectors that have vented their frustration to me. Thing is, though, those two have dedicated core groups of customers who are too scared to buy anywhere else so they get away with what they are charging. Woe be it to the collector that needs to re-sell a helmet obtained from those sources as they are going to take a loss on the "open market".

Lux is also a site where I just window shop. Have only bought one item from there. Weitze can be O.K. on prices sometimes and I've done a bit of business with Helmut but mostly in person when I lived in Germany. Ratisbon's is mostly auction except for the smaller direct sale area. Klaus is a great guy and his staff is very polite. At his auctions it's really luck of the draw. I've managed to get a number of lots for reasonable money (all in) when I didn't have to face off against other bidders that were determined to "win at all costs". Although, yes, I've been outbid, way outbid, on more lots than not.
The Euro to dollar exchange rate does suck for me right now. When I lived in Germany it was 1.10 Euro to 1 dollar!

[HoundsTooth]

Challenge accepted!
I'll try to find a few helmets in the US that are cheaper than EU. May take a bit of time though.
It is all about the sites though - reputation, whether warranted or not can really push up prices.
Bill Shea, Lux Militaria - not cheap at all but sometimes have some stunning helmets.
Nick

[TWS]

Challenge accepted!
I'll try to find a few helmets in the US that are cheaper than EU. May take a bit of time though.
It is all about the sites though - reputation, whether warranted or not can really push up prices.
Bill Shea, Lux Militaria - not cheap at all but sometimes have some stunning helmets.
Nick

Thanks! Yes, dealers like Bill and Lux have some primo stuff but at primo prices. I've seen (on-line) other collectors complaining that the prices of such dealers also cause mid-grade helmets to rise in price and also embolden other dealers to charge more. In short, I think they complain that such dealers push the helmet market up in price in a general sense across the board.

[Schwerpunkt]

Some names thrown in here are not so honest as people make them to be , just be wary of ANY dealer. It is the road to a decent collection.
Buying from a dealer and getting your stuff is a dealer his job , it does not make them better or stand out. As I said before some are better at staying under the radar , better at making more elaborate schemes. Some big names were involved in the champagne rune scandal.

[BlackCat1982]

Sorry you got burned BB. Flog the repro chinstrap online as such and get some money back, the living history brigade will make use of it even if you don't want it. Remember to listen to what your gut is telling you next time, and you will learn. An expensive lesson learnt but done so all the same.

[Wilko]

I'm also sorry that you got burned on this BB, I've bought a duff item or two in the last few years and it does hurt.
Chin up and keep collecting that's what I say.

Ken

[BrodieBartfast]

Thank you both. I'm still waiting for a response from the gentleman who sold it to me. If he gets back to me and says he can't refund it, I'll stick the whole thing on eBay to recoup some of my money. I'm sure the entire helmet would be of interest to a reenactor, not just the chinstrap. Getting back just half of what I paid for it will go a long way towards purchasing a decent helmet.

B.B.