New collector asking for sources

[SmokeEagleEye]

As the title says i'm quite new into the hobby with a small collection but I would like to expand. I have read a handful of the forums here and have seen people mention books and websites are good refence materials. I was curious however if anyone would be willing to share some good sources from their library as I want to make sure I get something trustworthy. 

[Mr.Jerry]

What kind of things are you into collecting?

[SmokeEagleEye]

6 minutes ago, Mr.Jerry said:

What kind of things are you into collecting?

Currently I don't have a specialty but I'm thinking I would like to get into medal/patches, bladed, firearms, and/or helmets. 

[Rakkasan187]

You will have to be more specific about what you are wanting to collect. US, German, Japanese, etc.

 

There are hundreds of reference books for a multitude of areas but also keep in mind that reference books constantly change as new information becomes available or new sources or resources find long lost data that has taken years to research. There are no "one specific" reference books for specific areas, some have better information than others, so it is really dependent upon what you wish to collect. For example: Shoulder Sleeve insignia, Uniforms, equipment, helmets, knives, weapons, distinctive unit insignia (Unit Crests), Homefront collectibles, flight gear, the list can go on and on as there have been many reference books written on these areas as well as many more I have mentioned...

 

For the Third Reich collecting arena there are again hundreds of books on all the various organizations within the NSDAP, German Armed Forces, etc. The World Militaria Forum would be the best place to find information about NON-US items and areas of interest.

 

I started collecting 50 plus years ago and many of the books at that time were the only ones on particular topics and now in a sense these are also collectible in their own ways. Since then, multiple books have been written on those areas of collecting and to keep up with all the different books is a challenge at times. I have well over 10,000 reference books in my library now and I still on occasion pick up books.  Black and white photos and line drawings from the 1950 and 1960s and 70's have now given way to high resolution photography and scanning and other methods of imagery. 

 

Some of my earliest colorized books were the WW2 era National Geographics that had some great color details of the ribbons, medals and insignia of the US Armed Forces and it is still a go to reference to this day. Other books that were in the reference collection of our local library were my go-to books until I was old enough to seek them out at used books stores and purchase them. 

 

Tell us a little about what you wish to focus on and collect and perhaps we may be able to guide you in the right direction as far as reference books and other sources.

 

Leigh 

 

 

 

 

[SmokeEagleEye]

4 minutes ago, Rakkasan187 said:

Tell us a little about what you wish to focus on and collect and perhaps we may be able to guide you in the right direction as far as reference books and other sources.

I'm thinking of trying to focus on American/German but as this is the American Forum we will stick to US.

 

The items I would like to try and focus on are bladed, firearms, and/or helmets all seem to be the most interesting to me. If that makes sense

[iron bender]

34 minutes ago, SmokeEagleEye said:

I'm thinking of trying to focus on American/German but as this is the American Forum we will stick to US.

 

The items I would like to try and focus on are bladed, firearms, and/or helmets all seem to be the most interesting to me. If that makes sense

There's an endless supply of reference materials ranging from old to new regarding all three. I'd suggest hitting those sub-topics of this forum for a start.

[SmokeEagleEye]

15 minutes ago, iron bender said:

There's an endless supply of reference materials ranging from old to new regarding all three. I'd suggest hitting those sub-topics of this forum for a start.

Ok makes sense, Thank you! search thought those posts and check to see if they have posted anything on sources

[Brian Dentino]

4 hours ago, SmokeEagleEye said:

I'm thinking of trying to focus on American/German but as this is the American Forum we will stick to US.

 

The items I would like to try and focus on are bladed, firearms, and/or helmets all seem to be the most interesting to me. If that makes sense

Well I will take a stab at this comment and hopefully give you some good advice.  If you are just starting out then forget about TR stuff until you have some time to season yourself and educate yourself on that subject matter.  WAY too many fakes on all sorts of TR items out there for a newbie to step into that minefield and decide that is where you want to start the race.  The easiest way to gain some knowledge on the TR side is to join the Wehrmacht Awards Forum (WAF) and do a lot of screen time to learn some basics and get an idea of exactly what you want to collect (medals, badges, helmets, uniforms, insignia, daggers, Luft/Heer/Kreigs/SS/etc.) and decide before jumping into that swamp with narrowing what area/type of item you want to collect.  Don't cast a broad net going into this area as it is full of more junk than good stuff.

 

As for the US items I would also recommend doing the same, with a LITTLE LESS worry than the TR world.  The edged weapons forum on here is FANTASTIC for vetting items you are considering.  Lots of great and honest experienced people on here to help you with the "I would like your thoughts on this knife/bayo/sword/etc. and the best part is you are drawing on hundreds of years of collective experience that will not guide you wrong and they know their stuff.  Same with the helmet forum as well as the firearms forum.  Lots of good people willing to help.  The best thing to do is decide what your next must have item is and study looking at already posted items here.  For instance, if you decide you want a 1911a1 or M1/carbine then look at and read post already on the forum to get a general idea on what you are looking for so that you know when the time comes you know what you are looking at.  Try to vet items here with good detailed pictures before you buy them, or in the return period and let some of these members give their input, to ensure you don't end up buying a bunch of "questionable" items to have in your collection that will leave you with doubts in the future.  Save yourself some heartbreak and wasted cash early and you will be better in the long run.....trust me, I learned the hard way with a newbie like yourself getting into the deep end of the pool with WWII German items.  Ask questions and solicit the help of those here on the forum for the US stuff.  Hang around a while here before you plunk down a wad of cash and you will quickly see who the "knowledgeable" guys are in each specific area and you will know who you can ask and who you shouldn't.

 

Most of all, take YOUR TIME TO LEARN, before jumping into the wrong end of the pool.  Otherwise you may find yourself regretting lots and being much poorer for it!  I am speaking from hard lessons learned early on 20+ years ago when I was new and wanted to cast a broad net to build a collection.  Don't do what I did and jump in with more cash than knowledge and buy anything and everything that comes your way.  If you do you will end up with a bunch of random stuff, mostly common and hard to get rid of even for what you paid for it, and no focus or interest in your collection as a whole.  I have wasted more money than I care to think about until I decided I wanted to narrow to reasonable items.  Hope this helps from a new collector (25+ years) and saves you from some of the same pitfalls that I fell into years ago.

Good luck and welcome to the best hobby in the world IMO.

Brian

[Nack]

Just to add to what has already been said, go to shows if you can.  Actually seeing and handling stuff is really helpful for getting your sea legs.  You’ll also meet other collectors and dealers, and some will become friends and allies.  Also, there’s usually a guy or two at every show who is selling stuff he doesn’t want on the cheap - this can be a good way to get authentic stuff for the collection to study on the cheap.  Look for bargain bins/boxes, often under a table.  

[Mr.Jerry]

Many really good points and suggestions were already brought up- This forum is obviously a great resource that you have found already- it is a "living reference" that can give you the up to the minute information from a global member base-  the search function here is invaluable- you can search through years of collector knowledge with just a few clicks.

 

There are many good books out there on every topic as well- and some good general ones as well - read as many as you can- go to shows- handle pieces.

Networking with other collectors is crucial. I know some people can collect in a vacuum, but to me the joy comes form sharing your passion.

 

YouTube is also a surprisingly good place to find information-

 

In fact we even have a series (Military Collecting 101) where we talk on topics to help newer collectors- here I am talking about helmets: