Visiting And Shopping Inside And Outside The Former Soviet Union.

[Nack]

I've sorta lost touch with the Soviet collecting sphere as of late due to a confluence of circumstances (Nota Bene quit the business, I sucked up all of the Soviet stuff for sale at the shows around me, and DougD hasn't had much as of late either). While engrossed in a particularly horrible research project at work here today, I wandered off into some of the internet's Soviet-material stands to poke around. What I found was that most of the e-shops I know of were essentially boarded up or had virtually no items in stock. Even that New Jersey guy has about nothing on his shelves, and he always had a ton of stuff, including some super-high-end wares. So where did everything go? Are collectors hoarding everything? Are prices in Russia/the weak dollar keeping everything in Russia? What's the deal?

[slava1stclass]

Originally Posted by Nack

Even that New Jersey guy has about nothing on his shelves, and he always had a ton of stuff, including some super-high-end wares. So where did everything go? Are collectors hoarding everything? Are prices in Russia/the weak dollar keeping everything in Russia? What's the deal?

Nack,

1) Supply line of old (early to late '90s) from East to West has evaporated. New money in the East is keeping things in region. No financial incentive to move things "za granitsu" as was the case a few years back. Additionally, greater Russian governmental scrutiny/interest in this area has had a chilling effect.

2) Dealers in the West are unwilling to pay the prices Western collectors are asking for their items. Occasional high-end items do show up, but usually under consignment.

3) Western collectors with choice holdings in their collection see no need to liquidate given current market environment and future outlook.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[DougD]

nack,

actually, i have had in large amounts of stuff, really nice stuff, i just don't update my site,and I don't just post stuff on forums either (at least not much).

items sell so quickly that it just is not worth it to update the site (quite frankly I do not really need it, but hope to update it this summer)...i have had in quite a few Marshals, some superb wartime generals caps, etc, all in the past 30 days. I sold a superb 1935 'Flagman' tunic today (pre 1940 admiral), and have been crazy busy the last few weekends working on this stuff.

so, i can't speak for others ( and i just deal in cloth), but i have not dried up; i just stay undercover.

dougd

[Nack]

Ah-ha. I guess I've just been out of the loop on that...

[Jeffrey Meffert]

I wish Doug would update his site so that other people would see what he has on hand and buy it up.
As it is, he sends me pretty pictures and hounds me day and night until I agree to buy it. The man is a monster....

[DougD]

jeff,

I am guilty as charged! I do hound you...though it never seems to take that long until you want another nice WWII general, marshal, or admiral : )

dougd

[Kirchgoens]

I've got a ton of stuff that I may one day put on the market. I want to first sort out what I actually want to keep and also do a pile of research. I've been diligently collecting wartime awards of an affordable nature (ORS's, wartime OPW's and below mostly), and it has really piled up.

I've seen a significant dip in availability and a massive hike in prices within the non-Russian former Soviet Union over the past 18 months. It's striking. I could once find a dozen numbered awards each Saturday morning, but now I'm lucky to walk away with one or two at nearly double the price I would have paid in early 2007.

[ekclete]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Meffert

I wish Doug would update his site so that other people would see what he has on hand and buy it up.
As it is, he sends me pretty pictures and hounds me day and night until I agree to buy it. The man is a monster....

Jeff is right with Doug!!! Cloth right now seems to be where medals were a few years ago. Prices are going up but there are still great things to be had if you have a patient dealer like Doug.

I have had to turn down some super visors in the last month or two from Doug for lack of funds. (Before I got married I had plenty of free cash and would buy all the rare stuff Doug came up with but that ended last June 23rd when I said I do - and now she wants the hats out of the living room as well.) Doug is right that he does still get in some wonderful things but like the rest of the comments Doug a website update might be a nice thing!!!

[desantnik]

I don't have a website, but website holders have been kind enough to allow me to advertise my books and/or services.

[ANZAC]

Other than the 'Big Three', as I call them and my small site anyone stumbled on any other site selling quality Soviet Awards. i know things are getting tighter and tighter but surely in this big wide world there are other who might be wanting to move Soviet items

I also here on the grapevine that one of the big three may be scaling down due to lack of time etc etc

Brendan