x-51 experimental Helmet - rare/value?

[ccyooper]

ALCON,

A fellow collector has offered up an experimental helmet (x-51?) as part of a possible trade or sale. I like the helmet but other than being mentioned in a book or forum (I cannot find it now) I've only seen once before. It looks like a souped up M-1. This is the rimmed version as I believe there were to models, the other has a straight profile around the skirt while this one flares out. I would appreciate any information/comments from the forum and any ball park value figures. The helmet is in excellent condition. I do not have any pics. I'm new to the forum. Thank you in advance for your time and info. CC

[Bugme]

ccyooper? Are you from the upper peninsula of Michigan? Anyhow, the prices for experimental helmets are based more on an individuals desire to have one than on their rarity. I've seen some of the early designs after WWI sell for only a thousand or so and even one for less than a thousand. On the other hand some identified M-1's with insignia can pull down much more money. Even though the experimentals and prototypes are rare, someone has got to want them first. The more that want it, the higher the value goes. Conversely, if no one wants it, then the price will reflect it. Frankly, very few collectors outside of the purists and book writers really want these things. Soooo, I said all that to say: What's it worth to you?

[Bob Hudson]

Not sure what kind of helmet this x-51 is, but we have a thread on an experimental Model 5 helmet at; http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...showtopic=12285 - this links to one that sold ebay for something like $760.

[BOLO]

here are some WWI experimental helmets with eye protection

[Bugme]

Not sure what kind of helmet this x-51 is...

The X-51 was an experimental helmet system that was worked on in the 1950's. Believe it or not, in the prototype design, they were constructed of a ballistic nylon material(long before the PASGT) The suspension system was built into the helmet itself. This prototype was never put into production. Later, there were several variations of the aluminum field tested version of the X-51. It had several benefits such as being lighter than the M-1 and having amazingly better shrapnel protection. But, it had many more bad qualities and was eventually dropped after field tests. Chris Armold used to have pictures of this one on his "Steel Pots" site but, since he took his site down, I have not been able to locate any pictures of it to post here.

[Bob Hudson]

Chris Armold used to have pictures of this one on his "Steel Pots" site but, since he took his site down, I have not been able to locate any pictures of it to post here.

 

 

You can find his old X-51 page archived here: http://web.archive.org/web/20030422114448/...m+pages/x51.htm

 

 

[ccyooper]

The X-51 was an experimental helmet system that was worked on in the 1950's. Believe it or not, in the prototype design, they were constructed of a ballistic nylon material(long before the PASGT) The suspension system was built into the helmet itself. This prototype was never put into production. Later, there were several variations of the aluminum field tested version of the X-51. It had several benefits such as being lighter than the M-1 and having amazingly better shrapnel protection. But, it had many more bad qualities and was eventually dropped after field tests. Chris Armold used to have pictures of this one on his "Steel Pots" site but, since he took his site down, I have not been able to locate any pictures of it to post here.

 

 

Thanks you for the information. That is the helmet. I appreciate your response and information as well as others who have contributed. I know that experimentals are normally valued by a select few in the collecting community but I would like to make a fair trade for both of us. Any ball park figures on what a fair price range would be for one of these traded in the helmet community would be appreciated. As always I understand opinions and would consider any info to be non-attribution. I am a Yooper and proud of it. However, I have been in the military for 28 years and do not get to spend as much time in the great white north as I would like. As a kid I'd be collecting sap right now and chasing snowshoes with the old hound on the weekend.

 

thanks again.

[Bob Hudson]

Thanks you for the information. That is the helmet. I appreciate your response and information as well as others who have contributed. I know that experimentals are normally valued by a select few in the collecting community but I would like to make a fair trade for both of us. Any ball park figures on what a fair price range would be for one of these traded in the helmet community would be appreciated.

 

I often say that some collectibles just don't trade often enough for them to have any sort of established value (or even a value range) and this is one of those cases. Even using other models of experimental helmets as a guide really does not work because.

 

But just to give you an idea of how much things can vary, on ebay recently there was a "EXTREMELY RARE T19E2 EXPERIMENTAL TANKER HELMET LINER." The highest bid it got was $38.77 but the seller said he knew of one that sold for $1,700 and that his reserve was less than half that amount. So here we have a seller who thinks it should be worth perhaps at least $700 or so, but the buying community at this time thinks $38.77 is what it's worth.

 

I know you want to do a fair trade, but really the fair trade is the one in which you pay a price comfortable to you and the seller is comfortable taking the money from you.

[Bugme]

ya der hey, I'm just a little South of the official "yooper" border myself. Anyhow, your asking for a ball park figure on something that doesn't have one. These helmets are very rare but, at the same time there is very little demand for these. Quite frankly, I wouldn't pay a lot for it because I'm not into these. Yet, I can't say that there is not an interest in having one. How great is your interest? For one person it may be $1000.00 to yet another it's worth only $100 bucks. There is no real market for these thus no real value standard for us to follow.

[ccyooper]

ya der hey, I'm just a little South of the official "yooper" border myself. Anyhow, your asking for a ball park figure on something that doesn't have one. These helmets are very rare but, at the same time there is very little demand for these. Quite frankly, I wouldn't pay a lot for it because I'm not into these. Yet, I can't say that there is not an interest in having one. How great is your interest? For one person it may be $1000.00 to yet another it's worth only $100 bucks. There is no real market for these thus no real value standard for us to follow.

 

Thanks for the feedback and info. If the radio announcement was true, I expect your not thinking about helmets now as I assume all the cheeseheads are starting their gloom period... without Farve..

[Bugme]

Thanks for the feedback and info. If the radio announcement was true, I expect your not thinking about helmets now as I assume all the cheeseheads are starting their gloom period... without Farve..

 

It was the right time for him to retire, right at the top of his game! We'll survive, the Packers were here before Farve and they will be here after him.

 

Hey, if you get that X-51, make sure to post some photo's of it here. It would be much more interesting than a certain other thread talking about helmet scrim designs(sarcasm intended).