Thoughts On This Kriegsberichter der Luftwaffe cuff?

[Aiur]

I'm thinking about buying this, but I have some reservations. The dealer is a very reputable guy. He's liquidating his collection and I've already purchased several pieces from him, all authentic (as sure as one can be without COA's). Most of his pieces were acquired in the 90's, however, and he had a very scattergun approach to collecting, not really specializing in anything. He said this piece was acquired in Germany in the 90's. I would just like to get some other thoughts on it before making a decision, as it is a little pricey.




The two issues I have with it are:

1. The lettering seems kind of weak to me, and slightly off from the many examples I have seen.
2. No piece of cloth on the back for support.
Basically, it seems like a late, "standardized" version you see with most other Luftwaffe cuffs. I'm just not sure if there would be enough of these made to warrant a "standardization" like the others.

[BlackCat1982]

I'm sure the armelband gang will be along shortly but it doesn't look old to me and these are freely available for the reenactor folk.

[Bob Lyons]

It is one of the harder to find cuff titles.... and this one looks OK to me....

Here is my example as a comparison....

Bob

[Kohima]

In all honesty, if you are having to try to convince yourself of any item’s originality, then so would another buyer.
If in doubt, always ask yourself, ‘Could I sell this on?”.

I know it’s tempting, but do not be too hasty; there are other examples out there. It will be worth the wait and (probably) extra money.

Bob, yours is an absolute corker (naturally)!
I’ve always favoured the ‘thick (and slightly scruffy) stuff’.

[Aiur]

I'm sure the armelband gang will be along shortly but it doesn't look old to me and these are freely available for the reenactor folk.

I don't really put much stock into if something "looks old" or not. It all depends on how an item was stored over the years. If this particular example is a reproduction, I'd bet a lot of money on it being made in the 70's or 80's, which is when the best repros were made. An item 40-50 years old is "old" to me. BTW, IDK if you've ever looked at repros made today. Most of them look horrible.

It is one of the harder to find cuff titles.... and this one looks OK to me....

Here is my example as a comparison....

Bob

What about the differences in lettering between yours and the one I posted? Or the lack of any reinforcement on the back?

In all honesty, if you are having to try to convince yourself of any item’s originality, then so would another buyer.
If in doubt, always ask yourself, ‘Could I sell this on?”.

I know it’s tempting, but do not be too hasty; there are other examples out there. It will be worth the wait and (probably) extra money.

Bob, yours is an absolute corker (naturally)!
I’ve always favoured the ‘thick (and slightly scruffy) stuff’.

I'm not trying to convince myself of anything. In fact, I did the complete opposite, and gave two reasons as to why I don't think it's legitimate. As for the question about selling it on, "a fool and his money are easily parted." I've seen completed listings on eBay of tartan weave Afrika Korps cufftitles that sold for $300. I've seen reproduction cufftitles being sold at full price at gun shows by grizzled old guys who you would think are trustworthy at first glance, and especially after you talk to them. There's no doubt in my mind I could sell this to someone. 99% of people don't even know what it is. All you have to do is have some charisma and find someone remotely interested and it's sold.

[Kohima]

Ok then, buy it.
Why ask for advice and opinions if you’ve already made up your mind?

[Aiur]

Ok then, buy it.
Why ask for advice and opinions if you’ve already made up your mind?

I don't know why you're so hostile, but I'll answer your question anyway.

1. I don't buy items like this with resale value in mind. I buy these items for their historical value, not their monetary value. I'm not selling a single piece from my collection, and my historical collection goes far beyond German cufftitles. I have specific instructions for my loved ones with regards to my collection should something happen to me. Selling anything is a last resort.

2. Again, I don't know how I can say this more plainly: I have not made my mind up on this piece. To me, this is a luxury piece. Nothing more. I'm looking to collect all of the Luftwaffe squadron cufftitles. This is obviously not one of them. As such, it has a very low priority on my list. I'm only considering it because I've purchased several items from the seller already, and he's offering me a discount on it. That's it.

I don't know why you're getting so upset. It seems like you want me to be all-in on this piece (for whatever reason), when I'm the furthest thing from it. If that's the case, help me prove it's validity, and I'll gladly buy it.

[BlackCat1982]

I was hoping you would see this one Bob Lyons and have one to compare it with.