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Starting a WW1 military collection is not as straightforward
as it might look. It involves careful planning and studying. The
vast terrain of military items, ranging from weaponry to uniforms
and individual equipment can easily confuse the starting collector.
It might be very useful to narrow the scope of the collection
immediately. Therefore, if you decide to start collecting , the
collection boundaries can be limited by :
| Example of a German pre-war artillery tunic |
Starting from the mid 80 ties an increased number of collectors
discovered the interesting and immense variation of especially
German military - produced between the 1910 - 1918 years. The
still primitive weaponry, often made in the field from very basic
material , the trench fighting techniques, medieval equipment
like breast and helmet plates and face masks, the shift from the
traditional spiked helmet or Shako to the first steel helmet,
the used of poison gas and the first attempts of armies on both
sides to protect there men against the 'odour of death' , etc.
fascinates many military enthusiast. Indeed, the history of the
first world war is exciting. The respective age of the uniforms
and equipment (80 to 90 years), the scarcity of the material and
the difficulty to find good quality pieces are making these objects
wanted and desirable collector items.
Needless to say that the prices are constantly increasing and
one might wonder if or when this will stop.
Depending the country you are living in, the accent of the collection
might differ. In Germany for instance, a lot of collectors focus
upon insignia or medals. In other parts of Europe, equipment used
at the front line for close combat fighting is heavingly searched
for. This material had no use after the war and was often left
behind when the troops returned home. This makes these object
extremely rare.
Some more examples :
Medieval-like protection devices, like breast plates (Grabenpanzer)
, steel helmet plates (Stirnpanzer) and face mask (Gesichtsmaske)
are very scarce items. These devices were not popular during the
war and were manufactured in limited quantity. Only 5% of the
steel helmets were issued with a helmet plate and were only worn
by sentinels or other exposed soldiers. A lot of this equipment
was disposed after the war.
German field-grey enlisted men/ NCO tunics and trousers. German
officers tunics or trousers were private purchased items. Mostly
officers took great care of there uniforms and a lot of them were
kept behind the front lines or at home. Also, officer tunics were
less exposed to dust, ... than enlisted men tunics, explaining
why they often can be found in good or mind condition. Enlisted
men or NCO tunics - issued or private purchased - were heavingly
worn off. After the war, these uniforms were often the only garment
these men had. They were demilitarised and continued to be used
in civilian life. Other tunics went back to the army depots, destroyed
or reused in the newly formed Reichswehr. Many tunics were modified
and adapted in the 20'ties.
Although enlisted men and NCOs outnumbered the officers corps
significantly, today these uniforms are rarely found, especially
in good condition. Other German formations, like Cavalry units
(Husars, Cheveauleger, Dragoons, etc.), Colonial troops, Marine
infantry, Gebrigsjäger (mountain troops) who formed only
relatively small units compared with the Infantry corps, worn
equipment which is today very scarce.
Because their are many enthusiast willing to pay a lot of money
for certain pieces and the scarcity of the objects themselves,
prices are climbing. It can be said that - although no one can
be 100% sure - that interesting , genuine pieces in good or very
good condition are a good investment today.
Many pieces offered by 'serious' collectors or dealers, are of
doubtful origin or are recent remakes or adjusted post-war pieces.
These objects are usually offered for the same price as a genuine
piece. Mostly, it is extremely difficult to identify these and
it might take years of experience in the subject to be able to
identify them. Fake objects are constantly penetrating the market
and one should be kept informed continuously about these 'productions'.
The problem for the starting collector is that he (or she ?) has
little knowledge in the subject, is badly or wrongly informed
by others and can find it difficult to find good reference documents
and material to start a World War I collection. He will be a ideal
target to sell fake pieces to. The militaria buyer should take
following precautions :
