I am (somewhat) amazed at the # of minty SS tunics that have been popping up of late.
These things were rare as the proverbial hen's teeth in the 70s & 80s, and now I see them appearing on almost every dealer update:
SS Tunics Coming to Market of Late
I am (somewhat) amazed at the # of minty SS tunics that have been popping up of late.
These things were rare as the proverbial hen's teeth in the 70s & 80s, and now I see them appearing on almost every dealer update:
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
Can you please provide the seller?
They have been popping up. I think Wittman just sold one as well.
I believe this link is the same tunic.
WorldWarCollectibles | German Allgemeine-SS Totenkopf Standarte 3 'Thuringen' Buste
That's the one. I emailed him for the price out of curiosity - a pretty penny, though less than I imagined considering it comes with the shirt, tie, belt, cross-strap, and is a TKV piece to boot. I'm not sure photos are quite detailed enough to appraise the authenticity of tunic, insignia, arm-band, belt, buckle and cross-strap without getting it in hand...by Tim030
Indeed, the older collectors such as me that has these are slowly selling off their items. I have one of these in officers format, it has been in my collection for decades. Sometime in the near future I will be doing the same, letting a prized item or 2 go off into another collectors hands and hopefully that person will be able to enjoy it for as long as I have.
That is certainly occurring. My big item pieces were in my mentors collection for years. I would come over and clean his weapons and enjoy them with him. This would lead to wonderful conversations with him and I. This went on since I was a young child. Over those years he clearly observed my favorite the Allgemeine Hampsturmfurer. This was left to me and I used life savings to purchase others that not sit in display in my museum. I get emense joy and remember foundry the time spent with him when I walk in the room. I do my best to carry on the tradition of collecting.
For the younger collectors like me, is good these start to pop up. So we can enjoy those stuff in own collection, like older collectors did
When these kinds of tunics were sold back in the day, it was rarely, if ever, on the open market--it was almost always collector to collector.
Very unusual that complete, intact minty SS (both black and gray) are hitting the open market of late.
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
As someone who started at a very early age (8) and now 37, it's nice to see these pop up so that we have the opportunity to enjoy them in our collection as custodians until it's our turn to pass them on to another custodian. Sadly I can't afford anything like that. I probably never will, they go up faster than I can save. It's very disheartening sometimes.
Stonemint, with the economy in shambles and the stress of stretching money I think these days it is harder on collectors to make ends meet let alone spending the huge sum of money that these items are priced at. Health insurance alone gobbles up over $1000.00 a month for many, some less, but not by much. I am on Medicare/Medicaid, insurance for me costs less than $200.00 a month, for my wife and I it is a paltry $375.00 or there abouts. For a family of 4 in their 30's the cost of health insurance if their employers don't help runs more than a mortgage and I have heard costs of $3,500.00 a month that those independent people pay.
The cost of living had sky rocketed and all of it adds up to a noose on collecting as fewer can participate in this hobby for high end militaria.
You can see it in selling prices for a IC 2nd class. Back in late 80's I was buying them in their original blue manufacturer bags for $25.00 a piece. The fellow I was buying from had a hoard and he'd wheel and deal in quantities if you wanted to go that far. That same item today is over $200.00 as I've seen $250-$275.00 prices listed and they are selling.
I watch in amazement how fast what were once common items now being bought in short amount of time. Collectors want to participate, they are but in a way they can afford. these high end items, some will get to the point where they can afford to be in the high end game, but for many that possibility remains a dream.
So these higher end pieces, I think the desirability is there but the finances need are lacking to purchase these things.
The saying goes "one mans ceiling is another mans floor" but it seems the tower is a sharp narrow pyramid these days. Of course there will always be those who can purchase these things but I believe a sharper focus has been cast on overall costs of living, as in what's next that will be cast onto the backs of those struggling to get by while saving for the future.
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