Seems you really have to know your stuff to tell the real from the repro. While in England a few years back my cousin got me an Iron Cross. Looks real but what do I know. More recently, my grandson was rummaging through an old shed on one of the family farms. He found a WWI German helmet. No lining but you can definitely see the field applied camo paint. He'll keep it forever. A good friends father was in Artillery during WWII in Europe. He brought back a German helmet in great shape. The name " O. Gerf Oswald " is printed on the liner. We figure his father picked it up on the battlefield.
I have a German WW2 dagger with its metal scabbard. It is authentic, and I have seen some priced from $750 to $1500. It's missing one little piece with a swastika that was inlaid in the wooden handle. From what I've read a lot of owners would pry that out because of what it meant.
Well my buddy has a big collection of German stuff from WW2. He was recently diagnosed with inoperable cancer and is worried about how he will get rid of this stuff he has collected in his life. He has uniforms, helmets, gas masks, bayonets, and a lot of it has SS and swastika emblems.....which makes it hard to find buyers and places to sell it. He has badges, ammo with insignia, all kinds of stuff. Just trying to help him find someone who might be interested or who can point him to a collector. Thanks for the input guys.
Yep, WW II double decal 1943 Herr helmet, some badges, pictures of family members in uniform and Luftwaffe stamped and US inspection stamped letters from family members in Germany to family members in the US. Best letter is regarding one German family member who was a POW in Russia during the German invasion. He never returned.