An M55; opinions please

[Esteban_cool]

This is my trophy, an M55 "Zhukov" parade uniform. The awards were put by me(I alkays run out of budget to buy GOOD stuff), but...
Tell me if you find something suspicious.

The shouldeboards(are those silver stars correct?)

[Tretov]

Shouldn't the shoulderboards be sewn so that they go up under the collar?

/Patrick

[charlet]

Hi Esteban, you seem have a fine piece...I don't have a one like this! ;) (I'd like to!)
The only point disturbing me are the shoulder boards, they look like a bit too long...are they recent? did you bought the tunic with them? what is your source for this tunic? Check if the shoulder boards are correctly, nicely and strongly sewn, inside the shoulders (inside lining).
Otherwise, be patient...this tunic should not wear 1980' years medals. The Lenin medal of 1970 should not be here. Instead of 1985 jubilee medals, you could put common 50' and cheap medals like a victory over germany, a leningrad defense, 30 years of red army. The red star is perfect, maybe the OGW2 is 1985?

take a look to forvalor.com, Dave's website, or www.mondvor.narod.ru (cyrillic!!!), they have sections dedicated to official photos with good exeamples of M55 tunics with medals.

sebastien

oups! tretov is right, the shoulder boards should reach under the collar.

[Esteban_cool]

Well, these jubilee medals were the only stuff that I could "reach" with my short budget at Santiago: Victory medals and XX year RKKA is too much for me... U^_^

About the shoulderboards: I bought the uniform with them, and it was so stinky that my mother told me to send it to laundry(Otherwise, I´ll have to throw that #$%^ away from your room! told me). So I attached them off and when the uniform was clean, she sewn them again. Nevertheless, the initial position(when I bought it)was not so different than now...
However, here is a view of the lapel.

[Bone Collector]

Isn't that a navy collar?

[Tretov]

The collar is correct, but the shoulder boards should be adjusted a few centimetres "inwards"

/Patrick

ps. I forgot to say it earlier, but the uniform is beautiful. Just place some older medals on it, and it is a gem!

[charlet]

Esteban, the victory over germany and the 30 years jubilee aren't expensive...6-7 dollars!
can I ask you how much did you pay this nice tunic?

[Esteban_cool]

I paid(putting some "uhhh..."face to the seller)45,000 pesos(65 dollars approx) for it. I think it´s cheap.
And the Victory over Germany, here in Chile, costs 15,000 pesos(21 dollars, not 6-7).
And the XX year RKKA, how much does it cost?

[charlet]

I'd say you paid a very good price for the jacket...it's well worth 100euros (110-115usd) for a common red army officer m55...imagine for a tank officer.
But it's astounding for such common victory medals...these are prices of specialized shops, which must pay their fees and all...buy at one of our US friends seller (21 dollars: leningrad med or caucasus with doc!! aournd 20-25usd following dealer).

[Esteban_cool]

Well, Igor(my dealer) is the only "best" one who sells this stuff here. He does not sell his awards with docs, but he said to me that he could reduce the price, making me an offer. I have seen other dealers who are provided by Igor, and the prices are too high(a Red Star from the 80´s costed US$ 100 by others!)So this is the cheaper one, and the most friendly, so I can get very good offers and discounts from him.
And the inside lining pic. This is not the cleanest part...