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Dave,

With all due respect, nothing is really wrong with any dealer but it is to there best interest to make us think that everything is fine and that it is business as usual.
When you read such things as "investment potential" in the descriptive text, it makes you wonder if the dealer is really "all there" or if he is living on another planet.
Have you notice that every SOS and Max show is always THE best ???? I mean seriously, I must be blind then 'cause I'm not seeing the same thing as what the dealers are seeing, jeeeeeeez !

Who is saying "Investment potential" ?

Dave

Hey Pat my friend and all dealers in militaria or whatever:
In your opinion; Which company makes the best cars??
Does any dealer on this forum want to state whose the best militaria dealer??
I think you're all going to have to shift modes to answer this.
I'll be glad to tell everyone who shoots the best video in Arizona!!
Jim

Dave,

I can easily get you a dozen of examples such as this one !

dave you seem to be missing the point of the whole post.I think there is a big thing going on with the dealers they are nervous and not sure how to save the golden goose .,So when backed up to the wall they will say anything.Will it ever change no i don;t think so the only thing that can change it or lack of it

Here's one that I really like about a very common dagger and "not in a so great of a condition", I tell you, some people should definitively go back to business school to learn the basics.

I don't think these any real disagreement here that dealers have used and continue to use the "investment angle" as a selling point for militaria. We,as collectors, have continued to foster this particularly during the early years of this Century when prices seemed to be on an ever increasing upward spiral. I believe this all began to change aroud 2008 when prices at best just leveled off. IMO: These would have been a major "price correction" by now if militaria was a widely purchased commodity. I believe this hasn't happened YET for a couple of reasones:

1.Most of the bigger dealers,at least those that profess to be full time, have fairly deep pockets and have been able to ride out what many of them probably believe is just a transition period.

2.Many of the more active collectors exercised some prudence and didn't overextend themselves to the point of putting them into a position where they Have to sell. They,like the dealers, will attempt to ride the market out rather than take a loss.

I personally count myself as one of the fortunate ones who have always treated militaria collectiong as a hobby. Whether prices regain their upward momentum or drop perciptiously is of no major financial concern to me.
Again and IMO
This is a HOBBY and one I entered for the enjoyment of collecting and the history associated with what I collect.
Jim

Pat, you are correct.

Reichstall,

I know some of those guys reasonably well and I don't sense nervousness when talking to them. The last MAX and SOS were very good for them both in terms of their sales and items they were able to buy from walk-ins.

Shows, though, are not as reliable an indicator as they were 20 years ago or event 10 years ago. With digital photography, the Internet, and much cheaper phone plans, a lot of transactions pass unnoticed.

Our own "For Sales" area seems to be active and it is very interesting to see what sells and what does not and at what price.

Dave

well it is a hobby but also a hobby that some of us have made some pretty good money in so how do you classify that is it a hobby or an investment.Lets look at just a simple sa that not to long ago i bought for less than 200. now that same dagger can sell for 600. so is that a hobby i look in the safe i don't see a collection i see an x amount of cash. I do love the art of collect and sell.But in the end we all do it for the money if not than i do not feel you are very honest to yourself.I think if you got lets say a nice boker ss that you bought for lets say 3000. Now you can sell it for 4000 to purchase the diffrence for lets say a himmler would you do it not saying you will find one for that.Is that an investment or collecting .Have any one out there sold anything for a loss or does everyone have everything that they ever bought.i never did a loss unless i got burned in which case i still have.
Dave; I do not know the dealers as such you do so my point is my aspect of view but you must admit they are not selling like they did .View in case invintory sitting month after month .any one in business will tell you anything does not sell makes them nervous and they start to think what can i do to move this item.

I have not tried to analyze dealer websites because I think practices vary a lot as far as marking items when sold or on lay away. Same applies to adding stock.

Also, some of the best items never make it to the websites - the dealers have clients waiting for items.

Lastly, one thing needs to taken into count - consignment items. Some dealers list them as such but most do not. The problem is that the seller wants an unrealistic amount for the item so it sits and sits and sits until the seller lowers his expectations or the market price rises. This is why some stock looks stagnant.

i give up

well I bought an "investment grade" TK ring from a dealer for the price that it sold for back in 1995. I then added a $3000 ring box and 4 months later was forced to sell back to the dealer due to a personal situation. I lost $7000!!!!! (70%) so much for an investment...I know it was short term but no one should have to loose that badly on a highly desireable, collectible and investment grade item. I have collected German vigorously since 1982. I have sold off the last of my SS collection at a great loss and can now state that for the first time in 29 years I own no German items...cheers, Ryan

Anyone that bought a HR from a dealer in the late 90s , or even the last few years would take a beating on it if they had to sell now..
Really,,unless you stumble upon a great deal yourself,,anytime you buy anything from a dealer for 'investment' purposes your going to lose if you sell when times are bad..
Also, items have their popularity,,some years ago Soldbuchs were sky high,,a few years ago SS buckles were high, then infantry badges , etc.,everything has its turn,,,and IF you buy when popular you paid too much.

For 'us' it's a hobby,,for a dealer of course it's a business. As far as daggers,,I'd say the 2 Toms have sold enough thru out the years their not worried about a little stagnated stock or slow sales. These are their golden years and its no sweat for them, they'll do what they have too, or don't care and will write up adverts like what Pat posted.
But who will take their place when they're gone? Who will explain and vouch for all these personalized, specialized, minty mint daggers?. There are always losers in the future. Don't get mixed up buying for investment. Buy either in the best of condition,,or what you truely like..

Yes, mainly Russian customers, but today a dagger to Sweden and a good number of rarer daggers to GA, so business is going on everywhere. Good condition and solid originals are not hard to sell, even today.

And to this I say AMEN!!
However I will add one more point:
IMO: We are very close to the inception of virtually undetectible fake daggers being made in the former Commie Bloc Countries. Once this occurs just imagine the effect this will have on the hobby.
Jim

hey maybe we all will get an rohm ss for once and not have to sell a house to get them or a sa ferd.or????????????????

AARP magazine had an article ,two groups of people are seperated. One group is asked how much they would buy a coffee mug for ,average price $4.00. Second group was asked how much they would sell the mug for,$8.00 the preception is once we own something it becomes more valuable to US and we don't want to let it go.
My gal is always telling me to sell some of my items as I don't look at them that much but they don't in a sense owe me anything so I keep holding on to them.

Unfortunately Ed:
AARP Magazine is probably das meiste allgemeine Lesematerial for most of the membership here!!
Jim

nope not yet i am the young one left holoding every thing in the future so everyone put me in your will ok ill take good care of it.

Ok Guys the markets a little slow at the moment & so theres a lack of enthusiasm to post much on the dagger & knife front these days, But please someone tell me what has happend to all the useful information we had on the old site that doesnt appear to be transferred over to this new site???, was this info saved or is it gone forever??

What a curious reply this will be . . .

[What a curious reply this will be . . . [/quote]

An honest question deserves an honest answer

At the bottom of this page [and all others] you will see there are 2 pages of old topic.. BUT, there are many more.. ..Go to bottom left--see 'Display Options',,Change to 'From all dates'..then you will see many pages.. This works on all the other forum subjects here.......

Gaspare, many thanks for this very helpful info, this have solved my problem

Regards Scott.