Glory.

[andrew6767]

Originally Posted by Alfred

Oh, I have Order of Glory III - 677. 646. Very close to Andrews. Maybe the same Front?

regards
Andreas

I am curious whether you got around to having your piece researched ? If so , I would be very interested in seeing the citation.

[ELVTARS]

This is an interesting thread to read. Many people have made many valid points. The trend that I see - and hope to not make any enemies by saying so - is that the market seems to be follwing the patter that I saw when I began collecting Imperial German and then 3rd Reich ten years ago. Prices were rising then on those items as movies came out and new collectors entered the market. Demand went up and so did the prices. What I have seen happen here in Hungary is that many collectors could not compete with the prices, they could not afford them internationaly or domesticaly. As a result they shifted to Russian and Hungarian communist ODMs. So what I have seen here at least is supply is still good, but prices are climbing quickly as the dealers need to make some profit, if nothing else to stay in business within the framework of the communist items. (seven years ago folks were throwing away Hungarian communist items, or they could be bought cased for about 50 cents! Today they are hoarded and sold for $15 to $1500)
However - just as ten years ago with imperial EKs - deals could still be found and at times that is part of the fun - the hunt...

Economicaly this is all just a flavor of the hobby - but I will say that its a hobby
1) Buy what you like - if its German - then German, US then US, Soviet - Soivet, etc...
2) Buy what you can afford - credit is a stupid way of having a hobby, you cant drive any ODMs to work and you certainly cant eat one.
3) Enjoy the hobby - if prices drive you away from the enjoyment, ask yourself why? I will never have a HSU or even one of the other various high end items that shine and have beautiful enamel - but I find enjoyment in a Stalingrad Medal or even better yet a OGIII of what was certainly a ground pounder!

Just my five minutes on the soap box :thumbsup

[andrew6767]

Originally Posted by ANZAC

Example being that by cruising the Australian E site I came across a OGIII for a buy it now price of $50, being sceptical at such a price I bought it anyhow expecting it to be a fake. As it turned out I was able to pick it up and the guy lived 10 minutes from where I work. I picked it up and surprised to see it was genuine and I rated it a 8 out of 10 for condition.

The gentleman and I got talking and I revealed that I only collect Glories. He asked me did I want any more:rolleyes: I went inside and he produced 9 OGIIIs that I rate 9 out of 10. I walked away from the meeting with 10 OGIIIS for $500AUD.

So the deals are there you just need to look and be lucky at times:)

I wish I would have some sort of similar luck. Good score.

[ANZAC]

Originally Posted by ELVTARS

3) Enjoy the hobby - if prices drive you away from the enjoyment, ask yourself why? I will never have a HSU or even one of the other various high end items that shine and have beautiful enamel - but I find enjoyment in a Stalingrad Medal or even better yet a OGIII of what was certainly a ground pounder!

I agree 100%. I personally collect a piece for the 'story' it can tell. There are those that I will sell on so I can get another piece and there are those that I will keep. Those pieces that I keep I will always keep as part of my collection and will be handed on through my family as 'MY' collection. I look at it as though I am just the custodian of the award of someone who, for whatever reason had to give it up.

Each piece has it's own history and character. I specifically collect Glories for the fact they tell a story. Money comes into it as it does with everyone that collects things but should I wish to expand my collection or find a piece I must have, I will do what I can to add it to my collection.

I guess it's how each of us percieve collecting Soviet awards. Some do it for investment, some for collecting sake, others do it just for an interest. I do it out of enjoyment. Does money or the price of an item effect that enjoyment? To some extent it does, especially when you find a piece that you want but you and the family wouldn't eat for a year if you got it.

Recently I viewed on a well know sellers site, a Cavalier Group for over 20k. Of course I want it if it were authentic, but I am no millionaire so all I can do is enjoy the pictures and read the story. In most cases I suggest that is the case for most of us.

As mentioned before, if I want a piece and that piece is within my means even though the price is over the top I would likely get it. Each of us has their own reasons for buying or not buying pieces.

Me, I just enjoy the whole deal, I can't get enough and only money stops me from having the largest collection of Glories in the world:D

Do I sound like a mad scientist:chuckle

More thoughts for you all.

Brendan:thumbsup

[slava1stclass]

Originally Posted by ELVTARS

This is an interesting thread to read. Many people have made many valid points. The trend that I see - and hope to not make any enemies by saying so - is that the market seems to be follwing the patter that I saw when I began collecting Imperial German and then 3rd Reich ten years ago. Prices were rising then on those items as movies came out and new collectors entered the market. Demand went up and so did the prices. What I have seen happen here in Hungary is that many collectors could not compete with the prices, they could not afford them internationaly or domesticaly. As a result they shifted to Russian and Hungarian communist ODMs. So what I have seen here at least is supply is still good, but prices are climbing quickly as the dealers need to make some profit, if nothing else to stay in business within the framework of the communist items. (seven years ago folks were throwing away Hungarian communist items, or they could be bought cased for about 50 cents! Today they are hoarded and sold for $15 to $1500)
However - just as ten years ago with imperial EKs - deals could still be found and at times that is part of the fun - the hunt...

Economicaly this is all just a flavor of the hobby - but I will say that its a hobby
1) Buy what you like - if its German - then German, US then US, Soviet - Soivet, etc...
2) Buy what you can afford - credit is a stupid way of having a hobby, you cant drive any ODMs to work and you certainly cant eat one.
3) Enjoy the hobby - if prices drive you away from the enjoyment, ask yourself why? I will never have a HSU or even one of the other various high end items that shine and have beautiful enamel - but I find enjoyment in a Stalingrad Medal or even better yet a OGIII of what was certainly a ground pounder!

Just my five minutes on the soap box :thumbsup

ELVTARS,

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm happy you enjoy the thread I started.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[ANZAC]

#6390 This one I got off of Alexei a while ago. Happy that it one of my first and my lowest at this stage. A nice salty piece that has obviously been worn a great deal and probably worn in action.

Brendan:thumbsup

[Jeffrey Meffert]

A screwback ORB with SN around 60K with some typical enamel damage for the type just closed on ebay for just over a $1000. Jeez....I think I'm done and will concentrate on cloth.

[Lapa]

Jeffrey,

Don't forget that auctions are an indication, but are not necessarily the reality.

If 2 crazy people decide that they must have a specific piece, no matter what, they will outbid each other into the stratosphere. It is an aberation, and that does not mean that this piece is now worth so much.

Marc

[medals73]

The question of "value" is always a difficult one. While, intrinsically, many of these awards do have value (silver, gold, platinum), they -- like any collector's item -- have only the value of what some damn fool is willing to pay for them on any specific day. Two bidders with very deep pockets chasing the same toy can drive prices very high (what I'd wager will happen on the good items in the upcoming NYC auction, for example). Does that mean that is what the item is "worth"? Well, on that day, to those people, it was. Bidding on eBay has so many additional complexities (the common shill bidding for example) that it is hard to know what lessons to draw from results there.

[jefflgarrison]

Oh, if only other dealers understood that these were two fools. They see something like that as a sign to raise their prices.

Example, ORS #81.665 ended yesterday with a final price of $310.00. The ORS #42.343 I purchased last year was for a bit more than half that and also in perfect condition.

Guarantee you that my insurance salesman will not price my collection anywhere near what dealers are selling for.