Its a tough field, German WWII material. Recycled garbage sold through the 'big guys', the 'reliable dealers'. The trusted ones. Lifetime guarantees. Certificates of authenticity. Dealers who show up at conventions in ties and on segways. Important enough to have a line form just to talk to them! How silly. If this was the setup you encountered on buying a used car, you would surely be looking for the exit. DO NOT DEPEND ON THE WORD OF PRIMA-DONNA's. If you end up with one fake in a bunch of old Nazi stuff you consider an investment, you have lost money. A savings account at 4% would have been better. Here are some guidelines I have found to be true in 25+ years of dealing:
1. Insisiting on 'mint' or 'unissued' makes you a target for 'new' and 'repro' and 'damned good fake, hard to tell from the real thing'. It should look like its 70 years old...and for the best reason on earth...because it IS!!! If it looks like it was made yesterday, do not look on in wonderment...look on in suspicion.
2. Buy from estates or from a dealer who can verify where the material came from...someone who you trust. Your own instinct tells you things, trust it. No matter who it telling you about it, if it sounds wrong, walk away. If you want it too much, your internal warning systems will be squelched.
3. Don't be in a hurry or have an inflexible agenda. It makes you a target.
4. Avoid buing from the big guys...they also have big prices and big egos. Not good for anyone. They are not experts...this is not rocket science, and its not nuclear physics. Its antiques. Its not that hard. The self promoters make it into a complex thing, and its really not. This makes them look like experts...very nice, if you are them.
5. Avoid 'deals'. A $1000 item being offered to you for $500 or $700 is a sucker price...high enough to make you think they know its real and desirable...but low enough for your love for a deal to overrule your good sense.
6. Learn your material before you buy...from museums, old collections (old means MANY years old, not 10 years old). You have to HANDLE it, hold it, smell it, examine it in detail. Its like school...you have to do homework before you are ready for the big test. Lazy collectors are also targets (I like this term 'targets' because the sharks see you like that...avoid it!)
These are just a few ideas...I speak of German WWII items but its true of ALL militaria...I do not know everything, nor will I ever know it all, but these are rules I have found to be true across the board. Good luck!
Right On Friend, or should I say Write On! Very accurate and applicable to most collectibles. If you let greed get the best of you, you will be burned. Count on it. There is no Santa Claus in numismatics goes the saying, and I guess the corollary would be there is no Easter Bunny in militaria.
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