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Joined: Jun 2002
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Gaspare Offline OP
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Met a guy at the MAX. I wasn't going to post this and it has been weighing in on my mind,,,,, but its now going to print and don't want anyone to maybe waste their money,,,,

I hate to criticize this book but I talk with the writer for 30 min. or so.. It is a book for those who have never even thought of the idea of a military theme ring.


I took some photos of the rings that will be featured in the book. I would say that half,,maybe more were reproductions and or fantasies.. after talking to him I mentioned about the couple/few sites that have ring forums on them and what he thought. He mentioned he heard of them but never even thought of checking in to have a look see!

His main interest seems to be the Condor Legion era / campaign.. Seems like he did no research on how the rings were made. His main idea it seems is to get people interested in or have the knowledge that there were such pieces. Which is great.. BUT, what is dangerous is that those who buy and do get the 'bug' for collecting them will think the rings he has featured are authentic patterns.. Many will be wasting money, many will be defrauded by rip off sellers who will use the book to legitimize their fakes/counterfeits/fantasies. ..

Will the book be good to get those interested in collecting them??,,OR, is this a dangerous piece that will hurt many an turn off those who start to collect.??.

Look, I'm not bragging,,,but, we,,us , collectors here, are light years ahead of what is being offered in this book..
So,, I'll do it.. I warn those who might be interested in collecting 3rd reich era military these rings this is not the book for you.. It has a place maybe showing the 'kitsch', the oddity of such things but thats it..

- * Shown here is the advert for the book. As seen is a G.I. Victory Ring. Complete with their story about them how many were found and for different arms or the service. Also C.L. rings that are cast, fantasy, home made. Campaign made,,,there are just a couple here that are authentic!

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Last edited by Gaspare; 10/02/2021 04:52 AM.
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Gaspare Offline OP
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Some more: I consider the rings in red authentic. The rest,,,,,,,,sadly no.

Even when I explained about how some WW1 Gold for Iron rings were originally made here in the US for Germany he seem disinterested [?!]

I showed him the 2 ring dies I had found at the show and same thing,, no interest. He seemed to know his history,,,but nothing about how any of the rings were made. didn't think that they could have been faked. He's interest in the rings seem to be real,,he didn't write it to make money [God knows nazi regalia books are not a money making thing]

The 'Ladies ring has nothing to do with the SS. The wedding band was a horrible cast fake full of faults and only half the design visible.. Out of the Luftwaffe ring only the 2 shown are authentic...
Really,,the guy was a very nice guy,,interesting to talk to about rings. But just doesn't seem to care that most are fakes, fantasies, counterfeits. Guys,, hate to say it,, I do not recommend this book when it comes out for any collector, even a beginning collector...

What do you guys make of this??

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Last edited by Gaspare; 10/01/2021 11:33 PM.
1 member likes this: Stephen
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Thanks for posting and the heads-up Gaspare. Books like this, written be amateur enthusiasts - for whatever reasons - are dangerous, as you say. Many people will believe something is authentic just because they see it in print in an ‘expert’ book. I won’t be buying this.

Of course, now there is another reason to hope that your own book about rings will be published soon… 😉

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Looks like it was written and/or published almost 3 years ago

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Gaspare Offline OP
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yeah,, he had all sorts of trouble.. Said everything was ready and he learned all his photos were bad and had to hire a photog to take the shots of the rings... Something we here all know about here,,jewelry is one of the most difficult to photograph,, that it is being printed as we were talking!

- had problems with editing,,, with the publisher.,,etc. etc.... Its very hard.. He had a sign up sheet for those who wanted the book,,,sort of like a pre order type thing... On the last day I was number 3 to preorder........... There is no danger with having to worry about people counterfeiting these rings.. The problem will be those spending their money on pattern that never existed siting 'they are in the book'! - I know I promised Andy,,,but it might be the first time I ever promised to him something that I wouldn't do and just go ahead with it........

Last edited by Gaspare; 10/03/2021 05:36 AM.
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Originally Posted by Gaspare
…The problem will be those spending their money on pattern that never existed siting 'they are in the book'! - I know I promised Andy,,,but it might be the first time I ever promised to him something that I wouldn't do and just go ahead with it........

Ok, I’ll bite. So, why would a dealer of rings not want (a very accurate) ring book published? And why would the hobby expert agree to that in a promise?

Last edited by Mike (aka Byzanti); 10/03/2021 03:04 PM.
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Gaspare Offline OP
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There is nothing to bite Mike,,,,,Andy collected longer than we were alive.... I saw him 2 months before he passed and talked for hours. He said every time a book came out the counterfeits became better and better. . That todays day and age all it would take is someone on u-tube to show a famous fantasy ring being dug up [which we have seen already with the Wiking SS ring] and them saying 'he doesn't have a clue whats he's doing'.. That after a few times It would bother me. Andy knew me very well, because it would............
- How do you defend something like that. On another forum there is a ring that would not, does not, could never have a chance of ever being made.... With as gentle explanation as possible, examples shown,the history of the insignia itself, even the law against it being made the answer was 'he has a gigantic collection of a few hundred rings,,he is a expert he must be right'..
- Shit like that bothers me, how do you defend a situation like that after the book is published?. It is something I have to learn to get over.
- Mike its like your students saying after graduation 'teacher Mike was full of it. Half the stuff he taught us wasn't even true, what a waste' .'. Some it would bother,, some I guess wouldn't bother them..
- Andy was so very sure the HR was made from a single die. I explained to him the science that went behind it the findings is it wasn't from a single die etc.etc.. He just refused to believe it,,how could Don be wrong all these years?.... - Anyway, we're getting off topic.... It is something I have to get over, be secure and say f**k it... after talking to this well meaning author it is helping me.. My coming here years ago was to keep guys from buying nonsense , fantasy, copy rings... I am going to ground I guess.. This ring book will have many spending much money on these nonsense rings and that bothers me very much.. I will get there. My family helped me with a program that will make things easier with the little that has to be done. I will get there.......

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Thank you, G.....for your warning.

We sincerely had no need to have a book plenty of junk !

Ric


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