Stahlhelm M 16 or M17 w. Camo

Vendémiaire

Vendémiaire

New member
Would be interested if anyone is selling a M 16/17 Stahlhelm with original camo. Weitze had a beautiful piece a few months ago but I was too slow to take it. LMK if you have anything.
 
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Hello,
Be very careful. The prices of Stahl "camo" helmets have doubled in recent years. As a result, some self-proclaimed "artists"—speculators, no less—have started creating masterpieces! Forty years ago, you could find far more Feldgrau than camo; today it's the other way around! Often, the helmet itself is authentic, but the camo is fake. On eBay, there's a Latvia man who's making a fortune reselling incredibly convincing reproductions... for a novice. The photos are taken in such a way that they can't be identified. And he sells them for exorbitant prices to avoid raising suspicion! Clever guy. Don't hesitate to do your research and get confirmation before buying.
 
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CLOVIS 57 said:
Hello,
Be very careful. The prices of Stahl "camo" helmets have doubled in recent years. As a result, some self-proclaimed "artists"—speculators, no less—have started creating masterpieces! Forty years ago, you could find far more Feldgrau than camo; today it's the other way around! Often, the helmet itself is authentic, but the camo is fake. On eBay, there's a Lithuanian man who's making a fortune reselling incredibly convincing reproductions... for a novice. The photos are taken in such a way that they can't be identified. And he sells them for exorbitant prices to avoid raising suspicion! Clever guy. Don't hesitate to do your research and get confirmation before buying.
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I bought from that guy and I knew they were fakes. I wanted to examine how great a job he has done and the fakes are really good. Even the leather is done very well. I then sold the fake to a dealer telling him that it's a fake, sadly this was not stated in his sales. The Ebay gentleman has many handles and he is from Latvia. He will tell you he sourced it from collectors, tell him what u want and he will do 'source' it for you. LOL
 
The same applies to reproductions of M91 roundels and chinstraps. Demand forced manufacturers to produce them again...and sell them as reproductions. But then, unscrupulous speculators patina and age them, reselling them as "authentic" for ten times the price!
0 Fake 22€ 24.GIFCopie passant M95-.jpgCopy Rheiny R75 HM23 clef~.jpg
These reproductions are sold for around €20 by professionals, as copies.
After being authenticated, they resell for €150-200.

The same goes for the cockades: Take the Lübeck cockade, for example, which cost €5 unpainted, and I found it again for €200 painted and weathered, with the description "authentic and rare"...Fake UK 16 €~.jpg3 100€x20,5€x1 MicheLecard.JPGSaxeKam -merbulle.jpgHansa Uff & troupe croix courte_LI.jpg
I have made very detailed files (several pages!!) on 2 French forums on this subject, but this has brought me a lot of trouble and cacophony, the demonstrations being difficult because they deal with micro-details.
 
This was my concern and my father/I have been passively looking (it's a shared passion project), but we're probably going to find an excellent example either from a known collector (here, for example) or, at one stage, on an established specialist retail or auction site. The hunt is the most fun part :)
 
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Amybellars said:
I bought from that guy and I knew they were fakes. I wanted to examine how great a job he has done and the fakes are really good. Even the leather is done very well. I then sold the fake to a dealer telling him that it's a fake, sadly this was not stated in his sales. The Ebay gentleman has many handles and he is from Latvia. He will tell you he sourced it from collectors, tell him what u want and he will do 'source' it for you. LOL
Click to expand...

Sadly a classic example of how fakes enter into the market. Also sad is that many dealers live by buyer beware.

Once put together, reworked or complete fakes start getting circulated amongst collectors it's only a matter of time.

Amy and forum friends just a little info and warning on our Latvian friend he now has a few people he is working with in the USA to help disguise his works because people were finally starting to wonder how he was finding 100's of camo helmets. :oops:

One is in South Carolina, if you've bought a liner, helmet or chinstrap on Ebay please please be careful 90% are fakes.
 
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