......... these were $1400! Bought this Chain in 1989 in Baltimore @ MAX IV. The dealer was Bob Hale, a cable TV guy out of Kansas at the time. After studying Witty tape on SS daggers, I was determined to buy my first M36 that year. I looked at 25 Chain Daggers that day, and settled on this one of the 6 that Bob had at his table. I thought that I was springing for the moon that day......... in retrospect, I should have found a way to buy them all at that price.
I saw Bob at the next years MAX and he didn't have a single Chain for sale.
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
Very nice! Lucky guy.
I'll give you $1500 for it!
Lewis
That was quite a bit of cash back then and even today.
Those really were the days, but as JR says it was still quite a bit of cash back then and for me as a student it was really hard getting any money together - best I could manage was the odd army dagger and red cross hewer, I have of course made up for it since
Lovely dagger you have there, how many chained pieces do you reckon you've had through your hands since that first purchase ?
Jonathan
Not that many Jonathan, as they continued to escalate considerable ahead of 33's and other 3rd Reich daggers. In the last few years I've had about a dozen total. While there are about 25 Chains being offered on sites presently, the condition is as always reflects the price. M36 will continue the trend of the SS Himmler dagger and SA High Leaders/Honor. They will reach a point where they will basically flatten out and that point will limit many who wish to own one of these.
Very true!
Many yrs ago SS chained daggers were about
1800.00.
Tom W stated they would go up big!
But I had the choice to buy 3 but like a dummy
I bought a great 67 Impala rag top and enjoyed
it for yrs.
Thought value would go up!
Used it for yrs and made a little!
$7,000.00 was alot!
But look at the chain daggers now!
Big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PVON
Bought my M36 in 1991 for $1200 at a gunshow. This is how I bought most of my stuff at the the time. You could find lots of good deals then. Nowadays the good deals are on the side of the sellers. So I'm not buyin' nothin' no mo.
Where have all the suckers gone?
Long time passes.
Where have all the suckers gone?
......
Couldn't agree more, I've only had 7 through my hands and kept 2, both lovely early painted pieces with solid nickle fittings. One of them cost me more than usd 7,000 only three years ago, seemed extortionate then but very well priced now, certainly one of the best I've seen and I bet it would be priced over usd 10,000 now - if I can sort my camera out I'll take some pics next week!
Jonathan
JR You sure picked out a beautiful Chained SS Dagger for your first. You have had several Since then
The first one is should always stay the first one and therefore a bit more special. My first one was the B1 that I posted in the ABC.
I started collecting in 1982 I was 17 I turned down my first RZM SS dagger that year for $100 bought an infantry NCO visor for $125 instead hat can be found mint today for about $375 ouch maker marked M33 were $500 at that time chained $750 to $1000 we up here in Toronto had few shows and sources pawn shops mostly and a few small militaria shops remember my first Max in 1994 like I had died and gone to heaven bought my first transitional mint from Chuck Scaglione mint un issued in 1994 for $900 first small oval Boker with early vertical in 1995 for $1500 near mint only owned two chained both from Paul Hogle about 10 SS daggers and I didnt start as a dagger guy back in the 1980s Feldgendarme gorgets were $100 and no one wanted them, or anything police, railway eagles were $150 to $175 no one wanted them Red cross hewers were $150 and SA and Heer were about the same those were the days No one wanted waffenrocks or political tunics or headgear CHEAP cheers, Ryan
You old timers are killing me, I'd hate to hear stories from the 1960's.
I guess most everything goes like that, guitars for instance that you could have picked up in 1965 for $300 might be worth $15K today ... But TR has its own special niche for sure.
Not to forget that at these days the average condition has been much better. Even the common "worn" edged weapons have been in remarkable condition. I hardly can remeber having seen rust or a cracked grip at daggers and as good as NO cracked grip or broken grip wire at sabers and swords.
And here it was NOt usual to change parts between edged weapons to get nicer conditions. It simply was not necessary.
BTW my first M 36 did cost (converted) 400 USD....
Regards,
I started collecting in 1968. At that time the stuff was everywhere.My first chained SS dagger I bought for $125.00, bought a m 33 early maker for $85.00.SS Himmler $450.00
In the early 1970s chain SS daggers were $400 - $500 at the military shows
But of course everything else was pretty cheap at the time
If I had a crystal ball, I would have bought all the SS daggers that I could afford, would have been
A great investment.I have kept two chained daggers and four m 33 daggers,with one being a Himmler
Even people who do not collect daggers, still want at least one SS dagger
I have yet to own an SS, seems like I am waiting for one to fall into my lap but not likely to happen.
Did own a chained NSKK, then someone made an offer I couldn't resist.
and Hitler Youth daggers could not be given away at 20 dollars apiece, piles of them !
At one time the SA daggers were over a $1000 for some makers.Now you are lucky to sell for $400-$500.But some of the dealers have not received the "email" yet, those high dollar days are over,and they will never return
Yeah SA's took a dive, about time too.
EK's took a hit too, even an average EK2 you rarely saw under $100 5 years ago, now good luck trying to get that unless its stone mint.
You probably know long term trends about as well or better than anyone here thats for sure.
Not sure about the "never return" part, given the right global financial circumstances, I think they could well return [not that I want them to].
Figure, what brought on the last upwards spike in pricing ? As I understand it, largely a large volume of Russian and other [non US] buyers becoming increasingly wealthy, thus increasing demand. When global markets generally tanked and finances became stagnant, the militaria market tanked right along with it.
Sound about right or close to it ?
Doug,
You are correct, the European buyers,especially the Russians drove the prices up.But not many Russians are coming to the shows anymore.
I know personally full time dealers who are selling off their collections before the prices go any lower.
Back when SA daggers were $35 I bought my first M-33 SS for $100, RZM if I remember correctly, back then I had to sell something to get anything new so never kept it. I've owned 4 M-33's and almost one chained, most from vets or garage sales. Last one was garage sale for $220, about 25 years ago. Sure wish I would have kept all of them.
Terry--I'm 76 years old and I can remember when M-33's were $60.00 and SA's were $35.00! Thank heavens I still have 3 fine M-33s (one with exclamation point) and a fine SS NCO sword with some SS armbands --etc .Fun to see your post.Goo
d luck-Hugh.
I bought my first RZM SS for $150 in 1982 in 1995 you could still find SA maker marked for $150 I bought a nice clean Malsch and Ambronn for that. bought my Boker ground Rohm SS with early vertical in 1996 for $1000 Red Cross hewers were $200 and you couldn't give them away...no one wanted them Police Gorgets, reflective type were $150 and railway eagles were $200 again NO one wanted them ahhhh.... if you could just read the market cheers, Ryan
Well.. It brings a tear to my eye honestly. To the above , I agree to that, but no one thought they would sell anything they had either. I spent 500 on a perfect Boker and certified my addiction.