Ones That Got Away!!

b.loree

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Staff member
When I started collecting in the late 80's there was a Canadian militaria dealer named Brian Lawrance who had a shop in a small local town called Stayner in Ontario. This was a 30 min drive from me here in Barrie and as I was single at the time I used to visit the shop once a month and spent thousands $ there. As any dealer would once he realized that I was a serious collector he began to bring helmets from other sources/contacts to the store. I was told that he was selling off a collection for a widow woman in Toronto, who knows the truth of this though?? Lawrance died in his early 60's as he was a heavy smoker. Some of you may have met him, as he used to do the MAX Show in Pburgh every year. Anyway, here are some pics of helmets that turned up in the store and that I could not afford to buy at the time. Ones that got away:

My God why did I not buy the JR 115 officer??? :(






My apologies for the poor quality pics, I did not have a digital camera at this time. I also can not remember prices. However, as an indication, I paid Lawrance $1,600 CN for my Hessen Officer helme in 1992, a helmet that I still have. Some of the helmets pictured are probably in forum members collections as we speak.


This was ID'd at the time as a Flugle Adjutants helme to one of the Saxe Dutchies, Saxe Weimar. Silver fittings with gold stars BUT an OR's star on the wappen!!



MORE TO COME!

A reworked OR's Arty helme (converted to M15) with a great set of markings.

Fuss Arty Regt 9, 1902,03 1st Batterie, 1904 2nd Batterie. Brass grommets popped out and new steel ones put in place in a new set of holes.

Have to include a Bavarian for James of course.






I have sent this scan to Joe to add to our Regt Markings List

IR 68 IIB 1912 MGK II.....they don't get any better than that!


This is a very interesting helmet, obviously from the Nazi era with a great enameled wappen. Is there a Saxe connection here? Police-Fire? I guess that a WW2 NSDAP collector could ID the style of Adler? Note the officer Reichs kokarde being worn. On occasion Lawrance would allow me to take pieces home to photograph. I know I took more than just this one foto. I am going to search for these. Generally, anything here with an ugly red background was taken at the store. A different colour like the Nazi helmet means I took it home for a closer look.
Ok I did some searching through the foto archives and did find more of the NSDAP helme



And last for this thread, another picture I discovered of Brian Lawrance and I taken at a small local Legion militaria show where I was displaying my collection and he of course was selling things.

Yes I did have a pony tail back in the 90's and 20 lbs. lighter !
TO BE CONTIUED.......
 
I know what you mean Brian,
The ones that we let slip through our fingers are tormenting the mind of the collector for ever.
Worse than paying too much or buying a bogus piece, cause that you can fix, but you can never go back in time. :sad1:
 
Spoken like a true collector Ed, I could not agree with you more! However, there is always a limit to surplus cash!
 
Very taunting photos Brian!
I once had to choose between a CA$350 SS hand-camo M42 Stahlhelm and a near mint M1895 EM Pickelhauben, or at least that's what I think it was. Back then (early 90s) of course, I opted for the SS helmet which in later years I discovered to be all bogus except for the shell ](*,)
Going back to that mystery nazi pickelhauben, from what I can see, the adler is the earlier SA pattern. More photos would help when you find them.
 
Thanks Ronny, that gives me some push to look through all the photos I have of helmets.
 
b7h0zl.jpg

Only this picture...
:cry:

Francis
 
Surplus cash? Ah yes.... I seem to remember what that was. :wink: I think we've all let some go in the past that we wish we'd purchased. Personally, I can think of a Mecklenburg and Hessen that had to be passed up... not to mention a 6KR other ranks when I was in 3rd grade. (and an M3A3 Stuart tank.... )

Was that style spike acceptable on a Kuerassier helmet? Or would that be for somebody like a General officer? Yes or no, it certainly makes one's mouth water!

:D Ron
 
b.loree said:
I was told that he was selling off a collection for a widow woman in Toronto

Interesting....

I recently bought an EM DR19 helmet from a widow woman too. And she is located near Toronto too....
She was selling the last pieces of the collection of her released man....Same origin?

Philippe
:D
 
Those were the pony tail days James.....my late 30's/early 40's. By the time I met you, the hair had thinned out and it needed to be short and spiked. I don't think long grey hair looks very good on older men anyway. :)
 
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