Help ; Elite collar tabs

[connor]

Hi I,m a new Member looking advice on authenticity of Totenkopf collar tabs,
which i am thinking of buying. I have been stung in the passed by someone
who was supposed to be a reputable dealer and have learnt the hard way.
can anybody Help?

[G Hanson]

Hi Connor,

My advise to you would be to leave these tabs well alone....or you will get stung again!

Rgds

G

[connor]

thanks for that i,m new to collecting ss items and they looked ok to me.
Connor

[bulto]

Hi Connor
I have just joined the forum as well. I would agree with you I would also have assumed they where ok they look the part to me. i am new to collecting ss items, and wish to improve my knowledge. can anyone point out whats the problem with the tabs for future reference.

[Greg Domian]

I would suggest that anyone deciding they want to take the plunge in collecting SS cloth insignia pick up a copy of Angolia's book "Cloth insignia of the SS". It is out of print but copies can be had.

The first and most significant reason these tabs are bad is that there were never any collar tabs mounted with cap skulls! Which this one has. Tabs with skulls were either machine embroidered in thread or hand embroidered in bullion(alluminum wrapped thread). The pipping is also the wrong type.

Greg

[John Brandon]

I would suggest that anyone deciding they want to take the plunge in collecting SS cloth insignia pick up a copy of Angolia's book "Cloth insignia of the SS". Greg

Good sound advice Greg but I would also like to add that unless you are a prolific collector/dealer, with years of "hands on" experience stay away from SS items.any items! Too many people out there will take your money. Everyone has something SS and i would say a good 80% is fake! I was offered, very recently a very convincing table flag. The workmanship was superb, the stitching was correct, and it did not "black light" If it wasn't for the fact that i knew who made them in the early 70's i would have been caught. Then, of course, they were sold as fakes, but with 30 years "age" to them, its not difficult to take someone's money, and the buyer ends up with a fake, no matter how good it is...... a fake is a fake

[Greg Domian]

John,
I would say this about any area of TR collectibles. be it medals, tunics, hats, flags etc. When it comes to medals I am reasonably lost unless I do my due diligance first. If I did not study IAB's, I could not tell one maker from another nor a good fake from an original. It just comes down to learning your venue of collecting. And continue learning as new information comes to light and the fakes just get better.

Greg

[connor]

Cheers good sound advice i will take on board and may be save myself a fortune.

Connor.........

[bwanek1]

Hi Connor
I have just joined the forum as well. I would agree with you I would also have assumed they where ok they look the part to me. i am new to collecting ss items, and wish to improve my knowledge. can anyone point out whats the problem with the tabs for future reference.

Wow, that would take quite a while, since there is SO much wrong with this set. Truly, these look absolutely nothing like any originals. If you are a complete novice, it would be more harmful than helpful to try to tell you in a brief answer what is wrong with this set, because it would give you the false impression that you could use those simple points to determine whether other items are original. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

SS insignia is the most dangerous area of TR collecting, in my opinion. The vast majority of what you see for sale is fake and much of it is far better than this obviously bogus set. Some fakes are good enough to fool even very experienced collectors. Considering the prices, you don't need to make too many mistakes to get really hurt.

If, despite that warning, you still want to jump into the deep waters of SS collecting, I recommend that, before you buy a single item for your collection, you invest in a few reference books. Study them and the older threads on this and other forums until you begin to see the differences between good and bad for yourself (like I said, these aren't even close!).

Because it is a broad field, rather than trying to take it all in at once, I suggest that you identify one or two particular items you want to find to start your collection and try to learn all you can about those items first. Once you have a good sense for those couple items, you may be ready to take the plunge and buy one. Still, even then, if at all possible, I recommend that you consult with others before making a purchase.

By the way, you should also never buy anything based on a seller's "guarantee" of originality. A LOT of dealers are outright crooks, looking to prey on the inexperienced; their guarantees are worthless. You should also not rely on a seller's reputation alone; even the most honest and respected dealers make mistakes.

[John Brandon]

John,
I would say this about any area of TR collectibles. be it medals, tunics, hats, flags etc. When it comes to medals I am reasonably lost unless I do my due diligance first. If I did not study IAB's, I could not tell one maker from another nor a good fake from an original. It just comes down to learning your venue of collecting. And continue learning as new information comes to light and the fakes just get better.

Greg

Greg. Good sound advice.........but you know this game, everyone is an expert, only there are really only a few. The hobby is all about opinions. 4 people in a room, you end up with 5 opinions As you say,diligence prevails. It just pains me when i hear stories about some folks getting ripped off. It happened to me, and no doubt has happened to everyone at some stage, but you learn by your mistakes. As for those tabs posted....................so bad, it hurts