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Strange steel helmet seen at flea market today - USAAF Flak Helmet


Tonomachi
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I'd be shocked if it gets anywhere close to that number. I'd guess $1500-$1600 at most if someone really wants it. I think it's already going for more than what it should really be worth, especially without a liner but we'll see.

 

I'm already tapped out on this one. I would have thrown my hat in the ring around $600-$700 but I guess someone really wants this helmet.

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I’m not surprised by the price at all. These are more rare than an M2. As examples go this is a very good one. The American Air museum here in England has a nice example.

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$150.00 Yesterday... at present over $1500..

With over 8 days to go.... To me its goofy really but I bet it goes higher....

Im standing with my guess.

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I'd be shocked if it gets anywhere close to that number. I'd guess $1500-$1600 at most if someone really wants it. I think it's already going for more than what it should really be worth, especially without a liner but we'll see.

 

I'm already tapped out on this one. I would have thrown my hat in the ring around $600-$700 but I guess someone really wants this helmet.

Somewhat of a patronizing statement, I would like to know how you arrived at the worth of this particular flak helmet and why it should be less than the current bid? 12+ years ago, an example sold for around $570. 10 years ago, another example sold for around $800. A few years after that, another sold for ~$1,100. High prices when most people were unaware of them or collecting 101st AB only, :blink: Those experienced in the 8th AF/WWII Flak helmet collecting community are always on the search for these helmets and I won't even throw out some of the numbers I have been offered for some of mine. As far as the importance put on the liner being absent in this sale, irrelevant. I have never seen a liner actually sold with any of these of the ones I personally watched at auction (5 total). They do exist in 1 or 2 isolated (and fancy) examples in a book, but we have no evidence that they were used in every modified shell. We simply do not know a lot given the scarce examples and lack of info. If one was present and the originality confirmed, just jack up the price a lot more. Especially in 2019, when more people are knowledgeable about them and as Rich said, they are harder to find than a M2 helmet.

 

Happy Thanksgiving :D

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Somewhat of a patronizing statement, I would like to know how you arrived at the worth of this particular flak helmet and why it should be less than the current bid? 12+ years ago, an example sold for around $570. 10 years ago, another example sold for around $800. A few years after that, another sold for ~$1,100. High prices when most people were unaware of them or collecting 101st AB only, :blink: Those experienced in the 8th AF/WWII Flak helmet collecting community are always on the search for these helmets and I won't even throw out some of the numbers I have been offered for some of mine. As far as the importance put on the liner being absent in this sale, irrelevant. I have never seen a liner actually sold with any of these of the ones I personally watched at auction (5 total). They do exist in 1 or 2 isolated (and fancy) examples in a book, but we have no evidence that they were used in every modified shell. We simply do not know a lot given the scarce examples and lack of info. If one was present and the originality confirmed, just jack up the price a lot more. Especially in 2019, when more people are knowledgeable about them and as Rich said, they are harder to find than a M2 helmet.

 

Happy Thanksgiving :D

Totally not my intention to be patronizing, I've just seen plenty of auctions on eBay where the item goes for way more than it's worth due to one or two bidders really going after it. I figured the same may be happening here. My numbers were based on the price Costa suggested earlier in the thread. That being said I'm far from an expert on these helmets so I may be well off the mark. I've been wrong before about values in the past and I'm sure I'll be wrong about something in the future. It's a very nice helmet for sure but seeing as I don't focus on USAAF items I don't think I could personally justify the price based on how this auction is trending.

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stealthytyler

I did a quick search of the name on the chinstrap. Looks like a Navy stencil to me. I found only 1 match in the musters for an L.T. Freeman (Levi T. Freeman). Turns out he served in Patrol Squadron 32 during most of WWII in the Panama Canal area. They were attached to the Army Air Corps during that time. Coincidence or is that the guy???

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yes-- a very rear lid but, in not that nice of condition. very little green left on front and back and surfaced rusted inside. a plus-- chin straps and name. this thing is up to 2000.00 now and will climb. as for a liner, I have 1 with it and in a excellent shape and named. bought from a dealer/member on this site. I have stated this before and often----------- it is a BUYERS MARKET. no one can put an exact price on any military item. its what one is willing to pay and how bad one wants it. as simple as that. this is a prime example. they do command a good price for which I have been offered.

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USMC-RECON0321

Wow, that's insane. I never understood why people bid outside of the last few minutes

 

 

The best reason to bid early on is to stop a back door deal from happening. A seller will most likely let the auction run it's course if he receives early bidding and a steady increase in value, but may end the auction early for a back door offer if his item is getting little attention.

 

We've all had auctions where you have little bidding but many watchers, thinking it will be a bidding frenzy in the last seconds and then nothing.

 

So my advise if you really like something, bid early, hope a few others do also so the price goes up enough to keep the seller committed to the auction and throw your best bid in at the end.

 

Troy

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

I do not understand waiting to the last second to bid on ebay. I just think, what is the maximum price I'm willing to pay for this item, put it in, and leave.

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I do not understand waiting to the last second to bid on ebay. I just think, what is the maximum price I'm willing to pay for this item, put it in, and leave.

I agree but it rarely works that way. Thats usually how a bidding frenzy starts. You bid x dollars the underbidding keeps bidding in $ increments until they are not outbid. I remember hearing about a guy who on any patch he wanted hed bid $12345 and if it went for double he still paid it

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I agree but it rarely works that way. Thats usually how a bidding frenzy starts. You bid x dollars the underbidding keeps bidding in $ increments until they are not outbid. I remember hearing about a guy who on any patch he wanted hed bid $12345 and if it went for double he still paid it

Exactly why I wait until the end to throw my best offer in. I've seen too many auctions where people keep trying to outbid each other and end up driving the price up higher than an item should be worth.

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I do not understand waiting to the last second to bid on ebay. I just think, what is the maximum price I'm willing to pay for this item, put it in, and leave.

You bid at the last second on Ebay so that others don't have time to react and potentially outbid you. When you bid during the course of the auction, all you are doing is allowing other bidders to raise the price on you. I enter my highest price in the last 5 seconds of the auction and let the chips fall where they may...

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You bid at the last second on Ebay so that others don't have time to react and potentially outbid you. When you bid during the course of the auction, all you are doing is allowing other bidders to raise the price on you. I enter my highest price in the last 5 seconds of the auction and let the chips fall where they may...

 

Same here. Bought all my items that way. Then you actually have a chance at getting the thing at a reasonable price. Last

4-5 seconds and let the chips fall. Thats how I do it too.

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ITS NOT CUT OUT--- THE SIDES ARE SPREAD TO THE CONTOUR

 

 

 

I can see the iner is pushed out into the sides.. They must have heated it up and pushed it into the space?

 

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It's gonna sell for over 2k regardless when the bids are placed.

 

If I really want something I wait it out and toss in a bid in the closing seconds, if I kinda want something I toss in a I think it's what its worth/what I'll pay bid and move on. I've also won many items this way.

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you just gave away your hand

You bid at the last second on Ebay so that others don't have time to react and potentially outbid you. When you bid during the course of the auction, all you are doing is allowing other bidders to raise the price on you. I enter my highest price in the last 5 seconds of the auction and let the chips fall where they may...

 

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