Afrika korps

[Grafvol]

Hi!
This is my first message on the forum so please be patience

[Grafvol]

Hi!
This is my first message on the forum so please be patience
I hope this is the right forum for the topic.

I'm about to start collecting ww2 relics and I want to concentrate on Africa Korps, to start with.
To check if the item is original or not, is there any good books or sites on the internet to start with? I have googled a lot but the information differentiate.

Is there any good site there the relics is original? I've heard that there's a lot of scams on eBay.

Thank you!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Don't buy from E Bay would be my first advice if you are new to collecting.

An Afrikakorps cuff title would be a good start. I have written an article on the forum about these so you can learn about them and buy one with confidence.

Cheers, Ade.

[Grafvol]

Thank you Adrian, I have already read them is there any good tips for a pith helmet?

[Grafvol]

Don't buy from E Bay would be my first advice if you are new to collecting.

An Afrikakorps cuff title would be a good start. I have written an article on the forum about these so you can learn about them and buy one with confidence.

Cheers, Ade.

Is there any guide to the cuff title with palm trees and the text "Afrika"

Thank you!

[Vocht]

Daniel Fisher wrote a book about the Afrika Korps. It is not available on his website anymore though... Good start that would be.
A cufftitle and a pith helmet shouldnt cost too much shekels. I just the overseas cap with red cloth inside a lot as well.

[Grafvol]

What are your thoughts on this one? Is it real or fake? I don't known about the "germany" stamp.

[paulscoot]

Hi Grafvol, welcome to the forum, For each item you post you should really start a new thread, that said the Troppenhelm looks a good unissued type 2. The Germany stamp would have been applied postwar to export them as souvenirs. Regards, Paul

[Grafvol]

Oh, I'm sorry. I started a new thread instead. Thank you!

[NZMark]

Greetings, and welcome to the hobby of 'throwing money at it'.
Collecting tropical items is just one section of WWII German uniforms and equipment which is, in fact, a whole world of it's own. I would advise asking question after question after question, showing items you are considering buying to trusted collectors who won't duck in behind you and 'poach' what it is you are looking for, and simply learning what you can before spending any money.
You can learn a lot from the internet, and that can fast track your education on the subject but it's a long road to get experience on any subject of German militaria. I've been collecting German tropical items for decades and I'm still learning about it.
Visit military shows if you can and handle pieces - that will start giving you the 'eye' and feel for original items, and those little details that can't be passed on through a keyboard or a photograph. But trawl the internet and get as much information as you can before asking questions which could be answered by a simple search - there is so much information out there now as compared to the old days when we used to send a letter to another country and wait for another collectors opinion and a couple of out of focus photographs....
In the end, it will be persistence and love of the subject which will push you through to gaining real knowledge on the subject.
Good Luck!
Mark
NZ