Seeking opinions on Mecklenburg Strelitz Tschako

SkipperJohn

SkipperJohn

Well-known member
Please give me your opinions on this Mecklenburg Strelitz Tschako. I am considering going all in on this one, but I want a fresh set of eyes to make sure that I am not missing anything:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GERMAN-WWI-IMPERIAL-TSCHAKO-HELMET-MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN-SHAKO-1916-GERMANY-WW1/124006654198?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

None of the sticks appear to be broken and the cloth cover looks intact. The stitching on the Feldzeichen looks hand sewn and it is the proper type. This unit did not use the yellow cross on the center field. The leather looks worn and shows the proper age. It would be very difficult to determine the age of the horsehair plume, but it seems proper. The silver center of the Wappen is mounted upside down; however, since it should be mounted to the gilded star with screw fasteners it should be easy enough to correct. The Wappen is the larger type (this is somewhat concerning) but it seems to fit correctly and be of the proper manufacture. The screw posts for the chinstrap look like an officer's type and I really have no idea if this is correct for an enlisted man's Tschako.

I am probably wasting my time since this will likely go way over my budget, but I plan on giving it a shot.
What do you think?

Some of you may be asking --- "What the hell is that!?"
More on this unit can be found here:

https://www.wikiwand.com/de/Mecklenburg-Strelitzsche_Districts-Husaren#/Uniform

John [-o< [-o< [-o<
 
Looks good to me John, good luck! I have never heard of this unit or seen anything like that Shako and uniform.
 
aicusv said:
I have seen a few shakos from Mecklenburg, but nothing like this, what is the unit?
Click to expand...

The unit is Mecklenburg-Strelitzsche Districts-Hussars (Mecklenburg-Strelitz district hussars). They were formed by Duke Charles II. They were definitely a multipurpose unit formed as a sovereign military. Over the unit's history they served as Hussars, gendarmes, tax collectors, custom agents, border guards, light cavalry dragoons, light infantry, and field police. In WWI they served primarily as Feldgendarmerie beginning in 1914. It was a very small and unique unit that was initiated to serve as Mecklenburg-Strelitz's sole army. This Tschako, though mis-labelled on Ebay, is likely from 1889 to 1905.

John :)
 
No Coert, I didn't win it.
That's okay. I went as high as I thought reasonable for an early bid, but was unavailable to "spike" it in the last few seconds.
It is unfortunate that, in order to actually win anything, you have to spike the bid in the last seconds.
You win some and lose some --- actually you lose most of them!

Merry Christmas!
Enjoy your Holidays,

John :santa:
 
Sorry to hear that John, I really had the hope it went to you..
But you are right, you win some and lose some. Unfortunately.
You have a nice Christmas too, enjoy the seasons holiday.

Merry Christmas! :santa:

Greetings, Coert. :)
 
Arran said:
Two words: "Auction Sniper"!
Click to expand...

That is usually the way it goes. If I see something on Ebay that I am interested in, I normally bid my max and then just see what happens. I was very interested in this item, primarily because it was from such an unusual unit. This unit was essentially Gendarmes, but enlisted and trained like soldiers. This remained the case since the Napoleonic Wars, in which they served as Uhlans. This Tschako didn't really "fit" the rest of my collection, but I placed a max bid anyway. I lost. Such is life.
I wouldn't make a very good "auction sniper". I can see myself easily getting carried away.
A recent example is a gift that I bought my wife for Christmas. I really wanted it so I placed a very large bid on it. I won, but I noticed that there were (if I remember correctly) 22 bids in the last 20 seconds!

John :santa:
 
People are using an auction sniper app available online. At least that is what I have been told.
 
Yes, that's what I use when I really want something, or when the auction is ending at an inconvenient time. It will automatically place your bid down to the last second if that's what you specify...

https://www.auctionsniper.com
 
I agree with what Arran has said.

I use it quite frequently, even on small items. Too many people bid now in the last few seconds, even on smaller priced items. I wouldn't have most of what I have in my collection that came via eBay without my having used auctionsniper.com over the last 15 or more years.

I personally see far too many newer eBay members with big egos that simply drive the price up if you do leave an initial hidden proxy bid with eBay. I've personally experienced this phenomena with newer eBay bidders (say for example those with 50 or less feedback) where they keep bumping you up over and over again, sitting at the keyboard and bidding over and over again in the smallest increment until they push over the hidden proxy bid I've left. I stopped that nonsense by marking the item on one of my follow lists, and then just putting in a last 6-second Snipe bid with auctionsniper.com.

There is just this example going on right now with a newbie eBay member who has a feedback of "11" score, and he's driving up the price trying to be the "leader" on the current Baden 19th/20th/21st enlisted Dragoon incomplete relic helmet on eBay. He's placed 18 "ego" bids on the helmet. He's had a Whopping 12-bid retractions in the past 6-months, and 1-bid retraction in the past 30-days, all of which is very bad. (Who knows, maybe he is a shill bidder for the seller of the helmet). He's also bid on Lexus, Mercedes, and Porsche cars/equipment, women's and men's clothing, a vietnam war item, and a wide variety of WW2 items, and only 1-other WW1 item in the past 30-days.

Best Regards,

Alan
 
Hmmm.. That explains why that baden relic helmet has so many bids. I have never used auction snippers, not very computer savvy lol
 
Amy, it really is so easy- just follow the link and they will walk you through it. Its also a very reasonably priced service. Once registered, placing a "snipe" is as simple as placing an eBay bid. I don't work for them, honest! :)
 
Hmmmm....not sure that I want Amy to be educated as an auction sniper, perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut :? She scores too many wins as it is!! :D
 
haha, Brian, I started late so have a lot to read and catch up.

Imagine having to switch from collecting luxury modern leather bags to precious old pickelhaubes.

I sold part of my bags collection to fund my haubes collection. When my hubby saw the number of bags that I owned, he called me a bloody octopus and asked me how many bags can I hang on my arms when I get out. I figured that he was right and now I realised that at least for bags, I can bring one out. But who would wear a haube and go out??

](*,) ](*,) ](*,)
 
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