At least that's what it seems like everyone wants to tell you, especially if they're trying to sell you something. It sounds ridiculous, but trust me, I'm sure this story has been repeated somewhere, at some time, to get some schmuck to buy an overpriced reproduction. While I hate to admit it, knowledge really is power, and it can save you tons of heartache and grief when dealing with collecting militaria (or Precious Moments or Furbies or whatever your poison).
It's true.
Now, I'm not saying everyone who tells you a crazy unbelievable tale is lying, but for your own sake, it's best to err on the side of caution...and sensibility. If someone is trying to sell you a genuine SS knife, and it has "Made in Germany" printed on the blade, it is not real. I'm sorry, I know you really want to believe everyone in the world speaks and labels their things in english, but it just doesn't happen--especially in a country where english is not a primary language. This sounds like an absurd thing to disregard, but it happens. Next thing you know, a dude is lighting up messageboards trying to see if anyone can give him good information on this genuine German knife he bought for $500. "But it says 'Made in Germany'! What do I tell my wife?!" What, indeed.
There will always be instances where you come across an item that you have never seen before or know anything about, and it's just so tempting to trust everything a seller is telling you. However, there are certain particular subjects/stories seller's often use that they know will bring in big money. I'll break these up into US and German topics, since that is what I am most familiar with. These are instant red flags:
U.S.----
1. Anything D-Day, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, or Battle of the Bulge related. Collectors can't help themselves if they think they have a chance to own something that was at one of these battles. Obviously there are tons of other known battles, but these are the Big 4 that the general public can remember (and really only if there was a movie) and therefore make them the easiest bait.
fork used to raise the flag on Iwo Jima: $5,000,000
2. Paratrooper items. Thanks to Band of Brothers, suddenly a plethora of 101st and 82nd Divisions equipment appeared, and the prices for every tiny thing deemed paratrooper-able has skyrocketed. If you are interested in paratrooper items, do some serious research. Anyone can take an ordinary M1 helmet, paint an ace of spade on the side, switch the chinstrap, and say it jumped into France.
a paratrooper vet bring-back? Commence mass stroke-out
3. "Vet Bring-Back." This is a constant grey area. On one hand, you have the legitimate items that were brought back from returning vets that have been sitting in a closet or attic untouched for 60 years, and only recently found (usually after their death). These are the things collectors dream of: a real item with a real provenance that no one else has messed with, and other than the guy who actually brought it home, you're the only one who has owned it. It isn't an uncommon occurrence, but with the advent of collecting and pawn television shows, many family members see this stuff and only see dollar signs; however there are also those that don't care at all, and just want to get rid of their dad's "old army stuff." On the other hand, there are the unscrupulous sellers that find an item and claim it's "estate fresh" (which, by the way, is the creepiest term to me), that it was owned by a B-24 pilot or POW or Pearl Harbor survivor and you're just supposed to believe it's true because "His widow told me." They'll pull at your heartstrings, or worse, your patriotism, like you're some flag-burner if you show the least amount of skepticism.
"Everybody say, 'Future grandchildren's smart car fund'!"
4. Leather flight jackets. When you think of a WWII pilots and bomber crews, what do you imagine them wearing? A leather jacket, painted with nose art and kill marks. Original painted A-2 jackets sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars, and the odds of getting your hands on one cheaper than that is slim to none. Sellers will take original jackets and paint insignia on them, passing them off as originals, and swear it's genuine. Unless it has some sort of documentation (or in the rare case, pictures), it is highly suspect.
"I'm sorry, how much did you say inflation is going to be?"
5. Medals for Valor. This is the area of collecting in any era of militaria that demands the most respect, but lines become very blurred among collectors. The Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart are, like the Big 4 Battles, the ones most likely to catch the attention of the general public, and therefore get "WWII" easily slapped on to sell at a premium. Medals, to an unfortunate extent, glamorize and romanticize war to those who have not experienced it, and get the starry-eyed jonesing to own a "medal of a real war hero." And so, sellers will attribute a particular medal they're selling as belonging to soldiers killed in action, or veterans of major battles, and may add a "V" device to the ribbon (for Valor, meaning it was awarded for combat-related reasons). Many people believe selling and purchasing Purple Heart medals is illegal (including eBay)---it is not. The only medal that is illegal to sell, purchase, or reproduce is the Medal of Honor. Which, do I even have to mention that? Yes, because there are dopes out there that would buy a Medal of Honor in a heartbeat. Well, FYI, its a federal offense, and the feds will track you, and all the selfies you posted on Facebook wearing it, down.
Audie Murphy's profile pic
There are scads of other ridiculously untrue histories given to WWII collectibles, but I think these are the most common ones you will come across in the average antique store or online. I'll continue the absurdity with German items in the next post, as the shenanigans get more pumped up than your grandpa wielding two flamethrowers and waving an American flag in his teeth, running head-on into machine gun fire on Omaha Beach.
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