ACHTUNG ! -'R' Word Alert-Newbie Needs Help

B

bosko

New member
I am brand new to Pickelhaube collecting (so new I don't even own one yet !).Can anyone suggest reputable Dealers of quality haubes on Ebay-that is,ie:will honestly state-'Original','Replica','Reproduction'.
I would dearly love to limit Myself to ONLY mint,original,unusual officers haubes-unfortunately,My Wife,My Kids,the Mortgage,the HMO,Pets,the Auto Mechanic and the IRS always seem to be pestering me for a ducat or two for some insignificant trifle...like food.
I come to You,humbly,currently unable to save,stash or steal enough pennies for an authentic Prussian Dragoons Helmet (cruciform base with the scale chinstrap 'dealie') or one of those Wizard of Oz crazy 1855 Crimean War Pickelcones-just cant bring myself to put down a couple of the pooches for the Pickel (@#%*!).
So very,very sorry to bring-up the 'R' word,but who,in anyone out there's opinion makes a great (passable,decent,don't suck) Pickelhabe Replica for $300-$400 ? The Grey,beat to a smashed pulp EM origs are boring IMHO.In the meanwhile,i will keep checkin Ebay for the real thing (or find a way back to 1965) Thanks Very Much-Bosko
 
Hi Bosko welcome to the forum. There are companies in Germany making repro helmets but they are not cheap. I do not have any names or sites to direct you to but just do a net search and you will hit upon them. As far as original helmets go, we have a market place section on this site where members list "stuff" for sale. I addition, the section "helmets on Ebay" is designed so that if you want to bid on something members will scope it out and give advice if that is what you need. I would also recommend that you to go to any militaria shows in your area and check out helmets. The more you handle, smell and look at, the better. In addition if you can contact forum members in your area and perhaps get an invite to their home you can learn a great deal from looking at a collection and again handling (carefully) each helmet. In this game, once you have handled numerous originals you get a real "feel" for what is real and what is not. You also need to buy some helmet reference books and arm yourself with some knowledge. Remember, all of us here had to start at square one and we have made mistakes and got burned but that is all part of the learning curve. Anyway, we are all here to help so above all do not be afraid to ask questions or seek advice. All the best, Brian
 
Hey Bosko
No one needs to apologize for wanting what they want, although, a replica will not appriciate in value much if any. A poor quality original will. But if you are wanting something that the kids can play with and can be handled knocked around, then it would be better to have a repro. A beat up M15 might be boring, but it does have history, something that a reproduction can never have, and to me, the history is what makes a helmet interesting. To me, the M15s are the most interesting, they made hundreds of thousands of them, and they saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war, and there is probably less than a few percent of them left, where as the officier's helmets have a very high survival rate, and many of the pretty helmets never saw the fighting.
Best wishes
and welcome to the forum
Gus
 
I agree with Gus here... A replica stays a replica and will never represent the real thing...
When you already have $300 - $400 to spend on a replica, just save a little bit longer and wait for the right helmet to cross your way... But hey, that"s only my opinion...

Adler
 
Hey Bosko
Do not let our opinions push you away from the group, we are all a bunch of opinionated nut jobs. There are some very good makers of reproduction helmets out there, some of them do a job that is almost too good, but the better ones are almost as expensive as the originals. Re enactors have made a market for the reproductions, many use a reproduction so they do not damage an original, but most need a reproduction to have a helmet that is large enough to wear, as most originals are very small sizes. The original helmets in 58 or larger always bring a premium at auction because of the size.
Best wishes
Gus
 
Bosko, welcome and please, stay away from replicas! What is the point unless you are a reenactor, as Gus wrote, or a movie producer?
Bruno
 
Maybe I'll just keep hunting for an original...Ebay may have run it's course as a site for bargain Haubes (some of the prices 'beaters' are going for ! ,course maybe they have a rarer plate,etc that an amateur like me can't recognize.
I wish there were more Militaria Swapmeets in Portland,OR.
 
Good for you Russ, as I suggested Bosko needs to hook up with an established collector and scope out some militaria shows. Brian
 
Hallo, I am also new to this forum. I agree that repros retain no value. However, as a WWI reenactor I bought a repo from Prussian glory.com. They are high quality reproductions for such purpose. I also have an original Preussen model 1915 and hope to buy more Pickelhauben at the upcoming SOS.

I would suggest that before you buy a Pickelhaube, invest in good reference books. A good book will save you hundreds of dollars. There are some original Pickelhauben that are just parts and may be put together incorrectly. Mentors are also nice when you can find them, but book it up first.
 
http://www.repro-online-shop.de/

Personally, I'd rather pass up the repros and get an original every so often. Officer's helmets demand a pretty penny, but save a little at a time and sooner or later, you'll get one.

I also agree with Gustav. The M15's can be awesome helmets. I've ones with visors sewn on crooked at the arsenal and all kinds of craziness. That's what makes them interesting. Each one has a personality, history and its own looks.... Including the Liberty Loan helmets!

Also, try local antique stores and malls. Once in a while you luck out, but as everybody said, go to shows and get a feel for what's real and what's not. AND as mentioned, you can tell a LOT about a helmet from its smell. Not only age, but condition.

Ron
 
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