M-16 Stahlhelm on Antiques Road Show

poniatowski

poniatowski

Well-known member
I hope I don't offend any members here.... but.... did anybody see the M-16 Stahlhelm on Antiques Road Show from Kansas? It was a 'basement find'. An M16 with liner and strap, a bullet or shrapnel hole in the side and about 70% or less camo. It looked pretty rusty to me and may even have been moldy as well judging by its looks (????).

Appraised value: $1,400. Seemed a bit high to me. Ten years ago, I purchased an M16, small shrapnel holes in the back and front (after the soldier had fallen, judging by the angle of the holes) Family provenance, soldier who picked it up after the Second Battle of the Marne and German soldier's name inside. Complete with liner (a bit torn). I paid $80 for it at a fairly competitive auction against other collectors. Dumb luck? OR is my investment really that good? :)

Like I said, don't want to offend anybody, but $1,400 for a rusty helmet seemed a bit high to me.

:D Ron
 
I thought the value was high as well, but when the show is rerun in a few years, it should be right. I do not like examples with "battle damage" as much of the damage was done after the fact. My thought is that such damage reduces the value, rather than increasing it. After all, you would not pay more for a rifle with a shattered stock than you would for one in excelent condition.
Best
Gus
 
I agree with Gus; the more damaged, the least interesting to me...
A very good to excellent full option M16 w/o camo should be worth about $500-$750.
The same with camo should fetch up to $1,000 but not more unless you're a dealer selling on consignment and provided the camo is original.

$80 was definitely an excellent deal even 10 years ago. I remember paying about CA$200 for a complete single-decal Wehrmacht M35 with a bullet hole right above the right temple (the decal is on the left) some 16 years ago at a gun show...
 
Some of the apraisers give values to insure items, and these values are usually high. I believe that insurance is a waste of resources. For example, one of a kind items should not be insured, it would be better to go to Las Vegas, and put the money on the crap table. The best insurance is propper care and security, because there is no point in paying money to a company to insure an item that can not be replaced. You are just betting it is going to be lost or distroyed.
 
I agree about 'battle damaged' helmets and display them only with good examples. I don't see a bullet hole as being a plus either, but that's the appraiser's personal opinion, so I'm okay with that.
I have an M35 with a compression crack (probably from bombing or artillery) $10... an Austrian WWI (not a Berndorfer) that was shot up in the Brenner Pass and picked up by the aunt of John Batten, a friend who was reliable as a source of its provenance $10 too. By picked up, I mean she was on the battlefield in 1919 an actually picked it up.
The M16 that was battle damaged was just nice looking, a good camo pattern and an iron clad provenance from the estate of a family whose business it is to document local history. A true vet bring-back helmet.
Interesting to look at true battle damaged helmets? Yup. Worth more? Not in my book, unless there's something truly unique about it. Not that I know what that would be right off hand.

:D Ron
 
German helmet on Antiques Roadshow, I'll have to alert Tom Wittman for sure. He complains that these shows never have anything German - of course they never have much militaria anyway! :D
 
Peter_Suciu said:
German helmet on Antiques Roadshow, I'll have to alert Tom Wittman for sure. He complains that these shows never have anything German - of course they never have much militaria anyway! :D
Click to expand...

Agreed. Makes me think there could be an entire series dedicated to the military collector. Not a bad idea.. hmmm... appraisals, lessons on spotting fakes, where to get good reenactor repro's, etc. Anybody want to produce that puppy!? :)

:D Ron
 
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