Prices/Value Discussion.

[Keith]

Sergei,

I agree with you also, I gave up on all union awards and medals about four years ago, and now get much more satisfaction collecting to a very narrow niche. There are many interesting awards related to events (Chernobyl, Afganistan, Agricultural Exhibitions), battles (Stalingrad, Leningrad, Kursk), geographic areas (Tadjik SSR, Komi ASSR, Karelian ASSR), organizations (Komsomol, Dosaaf, Red Cross, local councils), professions (medical, farming, border guard), eras (pick a year), there are literally hundreds of niches to choose from. You will learn a tremendous amount about your small niche and get tremendous satisfaction from finding that rare item that only you (or very few people) are looking for. You will also meet very interesting people along the way, probably including the original recipients who earned the awards and would love to discuss the award with someone who is actually interested. If others share your narrow niche, you will meet a few others who have the same interest. Also, you might become an expert in your tiny niche, someone to whom people go to with questions. You will never have the best collection in the world of soviet military awards, but with some effort and patience you could probably accumulate the most extensive collection anyehere of, for example, awards to members of agricultural exhibitions from Lithuania, or awards to participants of the soviet "liberation" of Chisinau.

Hang in there!
Keith

[Sergei]

Originally Posted by Keith

Sergei,
Hang in there!
Keith

Keith, and everybody, thanks for your understanding.
I am hanging in there, the majority of those few Soviet orders and medals I picked up are staying with me, hopefully for a very long time.
Niche collecting and diversification, this seems to be the way forward.
I've already got my first experience of Mongolian medals and feel that it was a good decision. Yugoslavian? Could be, but I don't even know who sells them. Besides, the closer to Moscow, the higher chances of fakes?
Thanks again,
Sergei

[Riley1965]

Sergei,
You might want to consider getting your Soviet orders and serial numbered medals researched. That's what I'm working on. I'll still add to my collection but, there is nothing like reading the story behind the Order or Medal!!

Doc

[Sergei]

Doc, thanks,
I was being terribly depressed but not suicidal
The problem for me was that my own (tiny!) collection was growing in dollar terms at 20 per cent a month. This is not right. Looking at those figures I did forget for an instant that, as someone put it, we are temporary custodians of the awards earned by other guys' lives and blood.
Thanks for your support. As a Doc, you certainly know how to talk to a human in distress. I owe you one!
Sergei

[Riley1965]

Sergei,
you are welcome, my friend!!! And Hey, at least I didn't tell Ya to take two aspirins and see me in the morning!! Think about ordering at least one set of research just to see if it sparks an interest.

Doc

[EricFG]

Originally Posted by riley1965

Think about ordering at least one set of research just to see if it sparks an interest. Doc

Is ordering research still a behind the scenes, secret, expensive endevour?
I've never done it 'cuz it was such a "bootleg" thing to do. I'd love to know what's behind my Nevsky though.

[Riley1965]

Eric,
We still protect the name of our researcher but I'll PM the info to you. He's a Great Guy and i got to meet him at last years OMSA Convention. The price for a full package (Award card, citation(s), Service record and translation) is around $200-$250. Believe me it's worth every penny!!!

Doc

[desantnik]

Sergei, if you're still interested PM me with specifically what you're looking for - it's unclear from the post. I might be able to help.

Also, have you considered Soviet veteran znachki? They are very inexpensive and MUCH harder to find.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Also, have you considered Soviet veteran znachki? They are very inexpensive and MUCH harder to find.

You know, I've never even thought about collecting those, but I bet that would be fascinating! I think just about every division had one, and then each Army had one, each Corps had one... Some are incredible, some are so-so, but I think one could be challenged for years to create a complete collection and probably assemble it for less than even a Nevsky. If I had the patience, time and room, I might just get into collecting those myself!

Dave

[Lapa]

Dave,

I doubt that you'd ever be able to put together a complete collection, as a same unit (global name for each different level) had not one, but usually many commemorating so many years from victory, so many years of existance, and whatever else.
At every club meeting, I see litterally hundreds of these, but that only the emerged part of the iceberg. And pricewise, they are going up quite fast as people start realizing that they are rare and usually interesting.

Marc