How do you find local sellers?

Bungo

Bungo

Active member
I've read a few posts about fellow forum members finding sellers of those elusive pickelhauben which are sitting unloved in family attics - unwanted family heirlooms.

How do you people source these gems? Do you advertise in local papers, or online, or attend every garage sale in your city and ask? Or do you have a network of contacts and acquaintances with their ears open?

Just curious as to how you get to hear about these. I'm in Australia, so you can share with me without fear I'll start to cannibalise your own hunting grounds! ;)

Cheers,

bungo
 
Or do you have a network of contacts and acquaintances with their ears open?
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This is what I do – always useful to have a "want list" that other people understand so that when they see that they think – hey doesn't Joe want one of those?
 
How do you people source these gems? Do you advertise in local papers, or online, or attend every garage sale in your city and ask? Or do you have a network of contacts and acquaintances with their ears open?
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Hello Bungo,

I do some of all of the above that you mention, except for garage sales, as I don't have the time to do that anymore because of alternative things I do on weekends to hunt for helmets that are more effective for me. In the course of a year I also talk to literally thousands of people by attending 15 or more shows a year. I get names & contact information if they're willing to give that information out. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they just take my information, and then you have to wait for them to contact you. That's the hard part, waiting when they aren't ready to sell yet, and when they won't reveal their contact information... :(

All in all it takes a whole lot of time, energy, and effort..... (and also some money invested)

And sometimes you just plain and simple get really lucky, by being in the right spot at the right time. :D :wink: \:D/ That happened to me a couple of years ago, when I was at a show full of other collectors, and I was the lucky person who was approached and was able to buy 5-helmets, a very nice M-17 camo helmet, and a wartime Prussian steel bugle all in one shot from a family. Here's the link to that thread posting: http://pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6440&p=42362#p42362" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps!

Best Wishes,

Alan
 
Yes, you need to talk to people, anyone you come in contact with, bring up the fact that you collect militaria in general, not just hauben. Other militaria can be sold for a profit so you have money to buy a helmet from a legit dealer or anyone else. This also gives you trade items that you can offer non haube collectors and get what you do want. I have bought and sold hundreds of non haube militaria. The phrase "wheeling and dealing" sums it up.
 
I may be wrong, but trying for that elusive local bargain from a private seller sounds like a big effort for little or no reward. I think you're much better off scouring ebay and dealer websites, as that's where most militaria ends up today. I used to maintain links with many part-time dealers who were also collectors, but with so many other collectors competing, that is no longer the rich vein it once was. I have several collector friends and some good kit has come from deals with them. I still attend shows now and then, but I live in the middle of nowhere and it's usually too far to go to be worthwhile. Here in England only the really big shows seem to turn anything up, and then you've got to fight for it.

I used to go religiously through various BIN ebay categories every morning in the hope of snagging a bargain. It worked now and again, but in the end the ratio of effort to reward was just too great. Ebay had its glory days about ten years ago, when more people began using it but not many of them had the laboriously-acquired knowledge of what to look for. That knowledge no longer benefits me nearly as much, as it's now public property on any number of forums.

If you really want people to bring the kit to you, there are two ways. Either go to shows and run a stall of your own selling the kind of thing you want to buy, or set up your own website. You then have the really hard work of finding enough good-quality stock, but that's what I'd do if I were as committed as I used to be. Luckily for me I built up most of my collection (British WW1) in the days when - with an effort - it was possible to do so.

Looking back over this, I'm not sure it's going to help you very much! But here you are anyway. To sum up, collecting was always hard work. There was an ebay blip, but now it's hard work again, only a different kind of hard work.

Good luck! :)
 
Scratch said:
I think you're much better off scouring ebay and dealer websites, as that's where most militaria ends up today. Good luck! :)
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I agree, that´s also typically what I do because I also live in the middle of nowhere far away from interesting shows. By using google extensively over the past few years, I have compiled a nice inventory of relevant dealers both locally and abroad. I used to spent evenings on ebay in order to find the ultimate deal. However, I hardly use ebay nowadays because its getting more difficult to find reasonably priced haubes.

Regards,

Edwin
 
I think it is all relative on where you live and whether or not you want the fun of the hunt.

I place ads in local newspapers etc. several times a year for many years. Only turned up one Picklehaube, however, they always turn up Third Reich and Japanese items, almost every time. So I like Brian try and get a good deal on these items and sell them to fund my Spike habit...

IMO

James
 
J.LeBrasseur said:
I think it is all relative on where you live and whether or not you want the fun of the hunt.

I place ads in local newspapers etc. several times a year for many years. Only turned up one Picklehaube, however, they always turn up Third Reich and Japanese items, almost every time. So I like Brian try and get a good deal on these items and sell them to fund my Spike habit...

IMO

James
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Bungo, to add to previous comments, and notably James', do not forget that serendipity is sometimes on your side...
I placed an ad only once, in a local newspaper in the Reunion island, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, where I was spending a few days. Assumably the last place in the world to unearth WW1 memorabilia (don't ask me why I had this stupid idea...). Well, believe it or not, a local called me the day after the ad was published and offered a complete, intact and excellent felt Prussian spike helmet, which he sold me for $ 200,00...
 
911car said:
Bungo, to add to previous comments, and notably James', do not forget that serendipity is sometimes on your side...
I placed an ad only once, in a local newspaper in the Reunion island, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, where I was spending a few days. Assumably the last place in the world to unearth WW1 memorabilia (don't ask me why I had this stupid idea...). Well, believe it or not, a local called me the day after the ad was published and offered a complete, intact and excellent felt Prussian spike helmet, which he sold me for $ 200,00...
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That's the kind of gold I'm interested in! Unrealistic, once in a lifetime brilliance! ;)
 
I just stand on a corner and yell, "Does anybody have any old Pickelhaube???" No, it's never worked, but I did get a jar of old pickles once.
But seriously.... Some good suggestions here. I agree that the best way is to let your friends know you're looking for helmets. I had a tip from a friend this summer and found the 'old spiked helmet' to be an M15, Prussian. The price was good, but not on my list any longer. Still, it was nice of him to think of me and give me the lead! I used to network with other collectors in the area, but alas, I'm the only one left at the moment. I'm sure more will show up.

:D Ron
 
I hit the flea markets, estate sales, stop at garage sales. I've never turned up a pickelhaube but I found a nice M16 stell helmet this spring. I also talk to friends who don't collect and I tend to get offered every old militaria item.

If there is one complaint now it is that friends bring me junk, but they saw Pawn Stars or American Pickers and think that old pair of leather flight pants MUST be worth $1000 because they saw something "like it" on TV. Then I say, "it is worth $100 at a show and offer $50. One friend was really insulted as I think he expected if it was worth $100 then I should pay $100. I told him to take it to a show.
 
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