I recently picked up these 4 sleave eagles. I think they are good but would like to hear from my fellow collectors. If they turn out to be bad I'll have no problem returning them.

1st one is a Schutzpolizei Berlin.

Close up of eagle.

Berlin.

Back side.

Next is the Wasserschutzpolizei. The 'i' is covered by the eagles wing.

Eagle. I noticed the body is shapped like a football. I don't think I've seen that before.

Wasserschutzpolizei. I didn't find any of these eagles with the lettering over the eagle. Is this even a correct pattern?

Back.

Next is the 1st officers.

Close up of eagle. This one doesn't have the bullion around the swastika. Most of the ones I've seen do have the bullion outline.

Back of officers.

Officers #2.

Close up. Both of the officers have bullion that is cold to the touch, which is usually a good sign.

Same type of backing as the other one.

how much is the return postage??..i dont like any of them,,

Dear Raymond,

I'm sorry, but in my opinion these are all reproductions currently being sold in Germany. None appears to be of period manufacture. You may want to take a look at this thread on reproduction eagles for some additional comments.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t...=reproduction+police

My similar thread on this forum seems to have disappeared with so many others!

Regards,
William Unland

Thank you gentlemen. Bill that thread answered alot of questions, thanks for posting it. I had thought you had posted one like it here but couldn't find it. It seems all the old informative threads are the ones to disappear and not the filler ones. I'll return them to the dealer at the next show.

Raymond,

For what it is worth, I agree completely that they are all bad eagles.

I agree with the other three opinions, all bad. It's a shame a dealer is passing them off as good, although this seems to happen all to often. This segment of collecting has really become saturated with junk.

Dear Raymond,

I have no idea what is happening to threads. It isn't the moderators, it seems to be "groupee". After some unknown period of inactivity they are just dumped. Even "pinning" threads does not protect them.

Regarding police sleeve eagles, the big problem is, is that there are no more good ones available on the market. Because of the huge recent surge in interest in an area of collecting that had until 2 years ago been a sleepy, cheap, and not sexy corner of the community, everything on the open market has been snapped up. Consequently, almost everything in the sleeve eagle area for sale now is reproduction, and those new to the field just don't know it.

As an eagle collector I find it VERY frustrating. Eagles that cost $75 two years ago are now $300, and selling at that price. When prices go up repros are sure to follow. I haven't found an interesting bird to add to my collection in over a YEAR! For all intents and purposes the collection is closed!

Police as the new SS will kill this area of collecting like it has SS. 99% of SS cloth is bunk, and soon it will be the same with police. Too bad it couldn't have stayed the "un-sexy" corner of the collecting world.

Unfortunately there was no RZM for police so no standards and 100's of different makers so it will become impossible to tell good from bad if the reproers get serious, like at least one has.

Rant over.

Regards,
Bill Unland

Orpo and Dave, thanks for weighing in. I know all you guys study these eagles and are well versed in what to look for.
The dealer is a collector who sells off the items he doesn't collect when he picks up a collection. I'll show him the few things I've learned about these eagles so he doesn't get burned in the future.
Bill, your right with it being "groupee". Problem is it's been going on for way too long. All the great threads by Bill Stump are gone forever. I just wish I understood computers so I could save the info. Unfortunantly I'm barely more than able to just turn it on.

Dear Raymond,

I save them by highlighting the whole page, or clicking the mouse and "select all" and then saving as html by clicking the file menu at the top of your browser. You have to save each page seperately, but it works.

Bill Unland

Thanks Bill, will give it a try.