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Helmet collecting future?


644td
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The question may have been discussed here before but I was not able to find it. The question is: helmet collecting future and has it run its course?

I ask this question maybe due to fact to I will turn 50 in June and in 1968 and through out my life the words World war 2 has been apart of my life with movies, army surplus stores, vets walking around, etc.... Well time passes and times change or so does the collecting taste of young collectors.

Vietnam era helmets are big now, that is a sharp change in the last 5-7 years, so I know fields of collecting is fluid. But, will the value of a common helmet decrease in value due to slow demand and please do not say I never think about the resell value, I just like my helmets if we are all honest we do think about what the helmet will be worth in the future, no one likes to lose money. Or will we as collectors focus on hard to find and exceptional helmets.

Sorry for the jumbled up thoughts and I have a lot more to say but for the moment I will stop.

 

Marty

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manayunkman

I plan to buy helmets in the future, if there is one.

 

Helmet or future which ever comes first.

 

Spending an arm and a leg is not part of the plan.

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iron bender

I intend on keeping all of my helmet rigs for life. They're part of my house and I like them. My kids can garage sale them for a dollar a piece once I'm gone. As far as value, I don't see quality ever going down in price. As mentioned hobbies go up and down, but even then, the really excellent condition, unique items, always bring good money. Look at auction houses and some of the dealer websites. Astronomical pricing and the stuff still sells. WW2 "stuff" will, in my opinion, always have more of an allure, or a larger audience, than other militaria collecting areas. In short, buy another M1.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

I don't think the value will go down much, maybe there will be a few less 506th or Ranger fakes as those movies fade from pop culture but overall I think demand will stay up.

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It seems there are more and more helmets being called out as fakes. Whether they are real or not there will always be someone who questions the authenticity. This does not seem to be as prevalent with WWI helmets. Will this affect value and interest in the future?

 

Regarding the statement about not caring what your children do with your collection, shouldn't collector's care about what they are leaving for their families in the way of inheritance? If a collector has a collection worth thousands, do they really want their children to sell them for pennies on the dollar?

 

Has the value of WWI helmets gone down in recent years? It may have spiked again this year because of the 100 year anniversary but overall has it steadily gone up or has it fluctuated?

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Really good points and comments to the question what is the average age of most collectors on the forum 10-20,20-30,30-40 etc.

It does my heart good to hear that young collectors care and want to learn about history.

Marty 40-50 age

For one ones who have posted can you edit your post with a average age?

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The age of collectors posting about collecting WWII helmets is a very valid point. If there is little interest from collectors under the age of 40, then what will the value be in 25-30 years?

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iron bender

Regarding the statement about not caring what your children do with your collection, shouldn't collector's care about what they are leaving for their families in the way of inheritance? If a collector has a collection worth thousands, do they really want their children to sell them for pennies on the dollar?

 

 

I understand your point, but I collect for me, not my kids. I'm also not going to saddle my kids with a job just because I move on. Believe me, when that day comes, the right people will be at the door step inquiring. Jordan, 42

 

I have a 12 year old son and an 8 year old son. I also have hundreds of books on US history, the Civil War, some WW1, and lots of WW2. I probably have close to 200 books on WW2 US and German collecting alone. I consider my small collection to be substantial. My kids, no matter how interested I am, have no interest in collecting. If it's not a football, baseball, or hunting, they have no interest. I can't force them to like something that I like.

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Collecting ww2 M1 helmets is one of my favorite collecting. I'm not even 30 yet, but me and a few of my younger brothers are all very interested in WW2 history (and other eras war history as well) and have been collecting for a while.

 

I think helmet values don't really fluctuate that much, just the condition/value of the specific helmets that show up on eBay. It seems that when a real good one sells a lot of others seem to come out of the woodwork.

My .02

 

It would be nice to make a poll for age range here to get a better idea.

 

Andrew

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Collecting ww2 M1 helmets is one of my favorite collecting. I'm not even 30 yet, but me and a few of my younger brothers are all very interested in WW2 history (and other eras war history as well) and have been collecting for a while.

 

It would be nice to make a poll for age range here to get a better idea.

 

Andrew

Andrew it is nice reading about young collectors and your age is noted. It is posted asking for members age range when they post on this subject.

Martu

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

I'm 17, WWII M1s are interesting to me but I only have one and am not actively looking for them, they are just too expensive. For $200 I could get a complete plain fixed loop, or I could buy an named ACH worn in Iraq or Afghanistan from the vet who wore it.

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I'm 17, WWII M1s are interesting to me but I only have one and am not actively looking for them, they are just too expensive. For $200 I could get a complete plain fixed loop, or I could buy an named ACH worn in Iraq or Afghanistan from the vet who wore it.

This is the information that I was wondering from young collectors. Are they interested in m1s or going for the PASGT and ACH.

Marty

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manayunkman

There are a ton of places to get a WW2 M1 cheaper than 200.

 

A military show for one.

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stealthytyler

There are a ton of places to get a WW2 M1 cheaper than 200.

 

A military show for one.

 

 

I disagree based on my last experience at a show. I went to the west coast show the other weekend in Pomona and the prices on helmets were very very high. You couldn't find an average condition swivel bail for under $200. Then again, it was California prices...

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

There are a ton of places to get a WW2 M1 cheaper than 200.

 

A military show for one.

I don't know the prices of M1s because I'm not looking for them so I might be a little off. But keep in mind that for well under $200 you can get a named, ranked, graffitied, unit marked, or even velcroed or camoed ACH or PASGT helmet, I know you can't get an named, ranked, unit marked, or camoed WWII m1 for that price.

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stealthytyler

I don't know the prices of M1s because I'm not looking for them so I might be a little off. But keep in mind that for well under $200 you can get a named, ranked, graffitied, unit marked, or even velcroed or camoed ACH or PASGT helmet, I know you can't get an named, ranked, unit marked, or camoed WWII m1 for that price.

 

So true. But we romanticize WWII much much more than any modern war for some strange reason. War is war is war is war.

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So will the values hold or have they peaked? As we get farther from WWII, will the interest keep the price up or will the value drop because people are more interested in the post WWII items?

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normaninvasion

I'm 17, WWII M1s are interesting to me but I only have one and am not actively looking for them, they are just too expensive. For $200 I could get a complete plain fixed loop, or I could buy an named ACH worn in Iraq or Afghanistan from the vet who wore it.

I think this is a very telling statement. Younger collectors don't have the disposable income to purchase better quality WW2 helmets, they go for modern with all the bells and whistles, pretty savy! I bet that a large number of these collectors, when income permits, will eventually branch out into quality M1s. I only question what the future holds for painted M1s with no solid provenance, as these are big ticket items and the proliferation of fakes.

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I think this is a very telling statement. Younger collectors don't have the disposable income to purchase better quality WW2 helmets, they go for modern with all the bells and whistles, pretty savy! I bet that a large number of these collectors, when income permits, will eventually branch out into quality M1s. I only question what the future holds for painted M1s with no solid provenance, as these are big ticket items and the proliferation of fakes.

Valid points but I wonder if they will branch out into quality M1s or will their interest stay with modern helmets because they relate more to those items?

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The concern that is always in the back of my mind IS/ARE the camo and painted helmets. I would agree the ones with provenance will demand higher price but agree that with the really good fakes they scare people away from such helmets. Will the fakes one day become real helmets?

Marty

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manayunkman

Maybe it's because I'm in my 60s but none of this stuff bothers me.

 

What bothers me is that preserving history has to cost anything at all.

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normaninvasion

Valid points but I wonder if they will branch out into quality M1s or will their interest stay with modern helmets because they relate more to those items?

I would say both. In response to your other post, as a collector of many different things, collectibles will always hold a value. Value and demand are never static nor does the value always increase with age. Top of the line stuff is always a safer investment. Will a beat up fixed bail that sells for $100 today be worth $300 in 20yrs, very hard to say. But the documented painted Beach Battalion lid, will always have a high demand and come with a premium price tag to get it.

 

Marty, I don't think fakes will become real. Younger collectors have a lot of information at there hands. They may just stay away altogether.

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thecandyman0838

Im 19 and I have been collecting mainly world war 2 militaria for about 4 years, but over the past year I have gotten more interested in helmets. Ww2 and korean war era m1 helmets interest me way more than any other era. I don't see my interest in American world war two militaria dwindling anytime soon.

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

 

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This has happened many times in the history of modern helmet collecting. In the 60's there were all those kids collecting TR helmets brought back the previous decade. They got older, more knowledgeable and the prices went up. By the mid-70's, most were saying the prices would drop as interest faded. 40+ years later, fakes being called out every day and still, the interest hasn't faded. Oh, the doom and gloom guys say it has but, it'll come back.

Now that was TR helmet collecting. M-1's had very little interest until the late 70's when young guys started saying: "Hey, look at all these cool helmets showing up at the surplus store!" And a new group of helmet collectors were born. They got older, more knowledgeable and guess what? The prices went up. The ebb's and flow's will always be there when it comes to prices and peaks of interest but, there will always be militaria collectors. I've been collecting since the early 70's... nothing shocking me right now.

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