The best of my German steel helmets collection.

While not spikes ;
Born in 1940 and I grew up watching WWII newsreel footage of the war ,
I fell in love with the German WWII steel combat helmet .
From that time on all I ever wanted was a German WWII steel combat helmet
Living in the rural country and having no contacts it took me until my high school
years to finally get 1 helmet
Then I met my mentor in Memphis Robert M. Ledbetter .
Helmets back then were $ 25.00 each
a paratrooper helmet with cover jumped to $50.00
After part of my 3rd Reich collection was stolen back in the 1960's
I sold out and quit collecting for a while
Since I started to collect spikes about 1970
I have never been able to shake away from my interest in the
German WWII steel combat Hemet
I have gone back and added a few to my collection
I also like the WWI helmets that were converted into
the new army with liners , chin straps changed and decals added
The prices paid today are somewhat more than back in the 1960's
Thanks for the photos
Great collection .I love them
Steve
 
Great display
I switched from steels to spikes.
I do miss them.

I remember back in the day WW2 steels could be had mail order from the back of comic books for $19
You could also order personal submarines.
 
Well, I have an M16 which was reused in the later war. I bought it somewere in 1993, for only €25.
we didn't have the euro then, but this is about the amount I paid. (for the dutchy's here, I paid Fl 25.)
It is not in the best shape, somebody painted it over, a little rusty, and the M31 liner is far from perfect.

But I can still remember how happy I was when I bought it. In a second hand shop in my own village by the way.
 
Ed It’s nice to see that somebody else has a side collection of German helmets. Just a few years ago, it was common knowledge that many collectors had large Third Reich collection. No one cared. One guy collects stamps, next guy collects Militaria, next guy suspiciously collects Barbie dolls. Who cares?

Now the sentiment is: if your neighbours find out you collect Militaria, especially Third Reich artefacts (originally taken as souvenirs by Allied soldiers) you are immediately labeled by what you collect and your neighbors will march to your home at night with pitchforks and torches.

So I have a small but respectable Stahlhelme display as well. I have to employ Elle as my Stahlhelme guard. Helmet is an M40 single decal SE66 by the way.

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Great picture Tony :giggle: (y) and very nice helmet.

The helmets that did not get a second or third coat of camouflage during WWII are getting scares.
Collecting third Reich items does not make anyone a Nazi , But I stopped caring about people’s opinions a long time ago.;)
 
I share your attitude Ed. What people think about me is irrelevant. But I still don’t advertise my Third Reich collecting, as small and specialized as it is (mostly Totenkopf). Collecting something does not make you that which you collect. Trying to explain that to some people is like trying to explain physics to a potato.

I recently obtained a wonderful WWI US Marine uniform and cap from Skipper John.

Does that make me a US Marine now? No.
 
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Now the sentiment is: if your neighbours find out you collect Militaria, especially Third Reich artefacts (originally taken as souvenirs by Allied soldiers) you are immediately labeled by what you collect and your neighbors will march to your home at night with pitchforks and torches.

Tony, it was always more or less like that in Europe (at least where I know of) regarding memories from the nazi era, and rejection may be getting even stronger nowadays. Almost everything related to the Third Reich makes a very sensitive issue. In France there are now private people digging through militaria auction catalogues online. If they find anything looking like rhunes or a swastika they will sue the auction house and obtain that the auction be cancelled, or at least that all suspicious items be removed. It happened several times lately, notably last year at Aines Encheres, where this WW1 auction took place two weeks ago. Moreover, they always win, being broadly supported over there. When you hear reactions in the public, many believe anything related to the nazi era should be destroyed or hidden. Very different from the perception of these objects as mere historic artefacts in America (or at least as it used to be, but I am surprised you write it is changing…).
 
It is funny how people perceive things. A friend mentioned to his wife about "Pete's Nazi fascination" because I have some WWII era German stuff. My point is that I also have Canadian, American, French, British, Italian, Japanese etc. etc. Not to mention that some people cannot distinguish between a Pickelhaube and an SS steel helmet...

Peter
 
Also in military collecting , you will find that it is never the stuff of the victor that has the most value, mainly because the winning force kept on existing. But yea … the potato will get physics sooner than most people common sense.
 
Too often German = Nazi, even some of the so called history programs of TV will use the two terms interchangeably.
 
The first helmet on the shelf is one with provenance.

It was found by explorer and author Colonel John Blashford-Snell.

He found the helmet while exploring the German tunnels in Jersey , an isle of the coast of occupied France.

With the helmet came a letter explaining how he found it.

I don’t have a better helmet worthy of the title “untouched”.

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Nice helmets Spiker, really nice!

Fortunately living way down here people are not so controversial about what one collects.....actually most appreciate the education when I show some of what I collect. I collect mainly from an artistic aesthetic and the picklehaube wins hand down for the ultimate design IMO but love all camos which I too have many.

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Real nice camos DoneDoing ! So , where is down here ?
I also need an object to look good before it enters my collection , a pickelhaube without perfect shaped dome is a no-no for me.
 
Sydney, Australia where the pickings are extremely slim.
Same except part of my learning and education is to repair and fortunately there are these forums which have helped me conserve and doubly the pleasure of viewing others beauties!
 
Ah down here is down under :) with every year added the further we move from places where the pickings are plenty, so I don’t think you need to live on the old frontline like I do, to collect WW stuff.
 
No you're right but it helps......oh the day when I can actually find a helmet in an untouched state in some barn or attic would be my euphoria, it's not going to happen here :)
 
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