Antique store offer

[Dane Jensen]

Howdy all!

I just got a neat phone call from a local antique store offering me this helm they’ve had. apparently they’ve heard of me and wanted to see if I was interested in this,



They said price was not firm and could be worked with.

Personally I see a few flaws, no spike plate, rear spine looks too big, cockades looks repainted and the Wappen seems to be a swapped one.

I’m not planning on purchasing it but I’d love to hear yours guys thoughts!

All the best!

 

[Dane Jensen]

Liner also looks refurbished

 

[911car]

Liner also looks refurbished

No, it is not.

 

[b.loree]

Isn’t the spike support disc simply on the outside of the helmet?? The liner is in awesome condition! Bavarian kokarde looks good. If original the chin strap alone is worth $3-400. At least go and see it!

 

[Bobted]

Looks like the regiment number is stamped inside , if it matches Bavaria then that’s a good thing. Looks very nice except for the strange circular scratches to the top. Rob

 

[Bobted]

Also sometimes it’s good to stay friends with antique shops who give you a heads up, the next helmet could be a GDC!

 

[Sandmann]

Looks good in my eyes. Nice helmet

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

I like it, worth going in to take a look!!

James

 

[Steve Nick]

Looks good to me. It appears to be all original with the exception of the mis-assembled spike base plate. I'm guessing the rear spine is original but the solder securing the attachment prongs to the shell has let go as the shell shrunk slightly over the years,

If these store owners are calling you and you can come to an amicable agreement on a price I'd go for it. It would be in your interest to be on their "go to" list when they come across these kinds of items.

Years ago there was a fellow in my area by the name of Ken; his wife was an estate appraiser. He managed to pick up some amazing pieces which. he offered at reasonable prices. The thing was, if Ken offered you something you didn't say No if you wanted to stay at the top of his list.

 

[John Josef]

What was the name of that Antique Shop again.

 

[ww1czechlegion]

Looks good to me. It appears to be all original with the exception of the mis-assembled spike base plate. I'm guessing the rear spine is original but the solder securing the attachment prongs to the shell has let go as the shell shrunk slightly over the years,

If these store owners are calling you and you can come to an amicable agreement on a price I'd go for it. It would be in your interest to be on their "go to" list when they come across these kinds of items.

Years ago there was a fellow in my area by the name of Ken; his wife was an estate appraiser. He managed to pick up some amazing pieces which. he offered at reasonable prices. The thing was, if Ken offered you something you didn't say No if you wanted to stay at the top of his list.

I agree with everything Steve has said.

The helmet is all original, including the National & Bavarian Kokardes. Chinstrap appears original from what I can see from the photos. As Steve notes, the spike support plate is located under the spike base, on the outside of the helmet. This is something that we collectors see frequently.

They may be able to come down from the current price of 850.

Best Wishes,

Alan

 

[Pontiac9999]

No, it is not.

911 is right, that's probably the original liner...

 

[Dane Jensen]

So should I go for it? Dealer said best offer they can give is $750 before tax.

Would this be the right move? Based off what I’m reading this is a pretty stellar example

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

I would buy it!

 

[b.loree]

Give me their phone number and I will buy it! Seize the Day young man! Go for it!

 

[ww1czechlegion]

So should I go for it? Dealer said best offer they can give is $750 before tax.

Would this be the right move? Based off what I’m reading this is a pretty stellar example

Well, you have an original chinstrap worth at least $300. And you have a pair of original kokardes: (Bavarian & National) that are worth at least $200 or more for the pair. That makes $500 for just those 3-parts.

$750 plus tax is a very good deal, in my humble opinion.

Best Wishes,

Alan

 

[Dane Jensen]

Then it’s decided.

I’m gonna take a trip to this place on Saturday and go take a look at in person, I’ll post more photos as I get them. My biggest concern, the liner, I know mint items do exist but are insanely rare, I just worry that perhaps it’s not all original. The Reichs cockade also looks very, very colorful.

Also, would I be able to fix the spike plate, put it inside the helm where it should be? and if so, how would I go about it?

 

[stuka f]

I would leave it as it is.
And ring the guy, telling him it is sold!

 

[911car]

Then it’s decided.

I’m gonna take a trip to this place on Saturday and go take a look at in person, I’ll post more photos as I get them. My biggest concern, the liner, I know mint items do exist but are insanely rare, I just worry that perhaps it’s not all original. The Reichs cockade also looks very, very colorful.

Also, would I be able to fix the spike plate, put it inside the helm where it should be? and if so, how would I go about it?

Dane, why ask for advice if you do not believe what you are told?..
The liner is original. Not the shadow of a doubt. If you cannot recognize it from the photo - which I can understand - how would it help to see it in the flesh anyway??
As of the spike basis plate, you do of course what you want if you buy it but I would strongly discourage you to touch it. This is not rarely seen on EM spiked helmets, notably M95s, and it is a period modification. If you look inside the shell you see strictly no trace that a plate was ever present. If done more recently you would see a different colour of the leather where the round plate used to be. On the other hand, if you remove the plate from where it is now you will probably expose a mark on the shellac that will look odd and make the helmet more questionable, let alone the risk of misshaping and breaking the prongs when dismantling the spike.
Ask Brian; he is the expert helmet restorer.
Good luck,

 

[CLOVIS 57]

I agree with what is said above.
Very nice condition, good Bavarian M96 helmet. Good price, in France it would cost more.
Two defects:
---The middle read spine mounting lug is unsoldered and missing.
---As mentioned, the Teller has been removed from the underside and placed between the tip and the shell. This is a mistake. This finding has been discussed several times in France. We know that these reassemblies are the work of the poilus and allies who brought back these spiked helmets as “trophies”. To facilitate transport, the tip was removed and replaced in the shell. And when reassembled at home, the Teller was mistakenly misplaced.
This helmet was not used at the front during the war. But it was indeed a “trophy”, even though it hadn't been worn much.,I received one or two of these. ,If you operate carefully, you can replace the Teller in its correct position, but a slight circle may still be visible at the top of the helmet, 1cm from the tip.