My first purchase and disaster

[Osdum]

Hello all!

I'm a young collector form France and I discovered this forum searching information about the M1 helmets and liners.

 

I present you the liner and she'll purchased this week (my first M1)

 

I received the helmet and various points are very negatives.

 

Good shell with a low number 149C but repainted.

 

The liner I think that is a production of 1943, but the sweatband and chinstraps aren't ww2 (possibly post war)

 

Could you help me with your opinions?!

Thanks a lot!

[Burning Hazard]

Not a disaster helmet.

 

A nice WWII production fixed bail with original WWII factory chinstraps still sewn on. Yes, it has been repainted at some point (likely post-war) but there is still original WWII cork underneath the overpaint.

The liner is a mid WWII production with OD A-washers - are you able to see the liner maker stamped inside the dome?

 

The leather liner chinstrap is Euro Clone. Can't tell the sweatband but it looks to be missing the leather strip.

 

Overall a nice starter set - just get a WWII helmet net and you're good to go.

 

Pat

[Osdum]

Thanks a lot for your response! The liner it's a Westinghouse model

[bigschuss]

Yes, I guess it all depends on what you mean by a disaster and what you thought you were buying.  If you thought you were buying a nice, original, unmessed-with WWII M1 then yes...you did not get what you paid for.  It's not a terrible helmet.  But it's clearly been repainted.  All depends on what you're looking to put on your shelf.  

[Osdum]

The problem is that the seller said 100% WW2, and in the photos he played with the angles and color to avoid showing those details.

[manayunkman]

How much was it?

[Osdum]

22 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

How much was it?

380

[manayunkman]

Can you return it?

[Gear Fanatic]

6 hours ago, Osdum said:

380

wow, that's a scam, This kinda stuff happens from time to time. especially when your starting out, this would've been a good buy for maybe 100? buying online always is a gamble, really not cool the seller did this to you. Hope you can return it.

[Osdum]

The seller says he wasn't aware of the repainting and post-ww2 items.

But he doesn't mention anything about refunds.

I'll probably use eBay/PayPal.

Although I'm thinking of keeping it as proof that I need to do more research before buying.

[manayunkman]

Ask the buyer if they will take it back.

 

If they don’t open a not as described case against them.

[Gear Fanatic]

yah, best case you get your money back. Definetly a messed up situation...

[JohnK83882]

18 hours ago, Osdum said:

The problem is that the seller said 100% WW2, and in the photos he played with the angles and color to avoid showing those details.

That's suspicious in itself. You'd have to really know about that stuff to be able to say that and probably have some kind of provenance on it. And that paint job it too fine for me to be comfortable about it. 

 

[bigschuss]

22 hours ago, Osdum said:

380

 

Yeah, that's A LOT of money for what you got.  You bought it on Ebay and paid via Paypal?  Both have policies that typically favor the buyer.  Ask for a refund first.  If the seller says no, I think I'd be opening a case against him if I were you.   

[Blacksmith]

I have a somewhat ambivalent view I guess - not on the helmet, it’s an obvious repaint.

 

I’m talking about returning it.

 

If you are new to collecting, your first purchases should be reference books - or, for free, just take the time to research and learn before you buy.

 

At minimum, why not post these pictures and get opinions before you bought it?  
 

It “takes two to tango”, as the saying goes, and buying something that you aren’t knowledgeable about will eventually get you burnt.  I actually respect your idea of keeping it as a reminder of “caveat emptor”.  I don’t view that as carte blanche for sellers to deceive buyers, but it was obvious that this helmet was repainted.  
 

I view that differently than something that was hidden / only discoverable once you had it in-hand.  Pictures should be viewed as part of the description.  

 

This is all just my opinion.  Happy (and careful) collecting.   
 

 

[JohnK83882]

And sooner or later, a much nicer helmet's gonna fall in your lap probably for much less money.