04-03-2003, 04:38 AM
redstar,
This is a great topic and its one that a lot of collectors over look. Strategies and focus of collections tend to change over the years. I know that this has been true in my case as with most collectors that I know, regardless of forum. The best advise I ever recieved in collecting was three lessons: 1) buy the rarest piece that was within my budget (i.e. if you have $100, buy one medal for $100 rather then four $25 medals, as rare items are always more desireable.): 2) Do not buy something in poor condition because crap is always crap; and 3) buy what makes you happy as you are the only person that needs to be happy with your collection. If you like it, the value is not important.
As far as my personal strategy evolved, I started with Third Reich medals. The fakes, lack of personality in un-named, un-numbered awards, and other reasons, pushed my in other directions, but this is what started my collecting addiction.
When I began collection Soviet awards, I would buy anything that I could find. Most items were single awards, and I didn't worry about type and variation as these really had not been defined at this time. As I became more familar with Soviet awards, I started to collect groups with the picture of the person in the book. This added "personality" to the awards that was lacking in German awards and was something that I personally desired as a historian. With the availabilty of archival research, I have continued to collect complete groups, but will take a group without the photo if it has a good story and is not redundent in my collection.
That being said, I am a sucker for Nevsky groups. I have 12 now and will probably add more even though my collecting focus has turned in a new direction to US, W.W.II. killed in action Purple Hearts. I guess the Soviet bug will never leave me. Every time I swear that I am not going to buy another Soviet group as I'm contint with my collection, another case full of Orders appear on my walls.
Just have fun and everything will be OK. Ask questions, read, study and do not be afraid to make a mistake. If anyone says they have not made a mistake, they are lying.
Take care,
Ed Maier
This is a great topic and its one that a lot of collectors over look. Strategies and focus of collections tend to change over the years. I know that this has been true in my case as with most collectors that I know, regardless of forum. The best advise I ever recieved in collecting was three lessons: 1) buy the rarest piece that was within my budget (i.e. if you have $100, buy one medal for $100 rather then four $25 medals, as rare items are always more desireable.): 2) Do not buy something in poor condition because crap is always crap; and 3) buy what makes you happy as you are the only person that needs to be happy with your collection. If you like it, the value is not important.
As far as my personal strategy evolved, I started with Third Reich medals. The fakes, lack of personality in un-named, un-numbered awards, and other reasons, pushed my in other directions, but this is what started my collecting addiction.
When I began collection Soviet awards, I would buy anything that I could find. Most items were single awards, and I didn't worry about type and variation as these really had not been defined at this time. As I became more familar with Soviet awards, I started to collect groups with the picture of the person in the book. This added "personality" to the awards that was lacking in German awards and was something that I personally desired as a historian. With the availabilty of archival research, I have continued to collect complete groups, but will take a group without the photo if it has a good story and is not redundent in my collection.
That being said, I am a sucker for Nevsky groups. I have 12 now and will probably add more even though my collecting focus has turned in a new direction to US, W.W.II. killed in action Purple Hearts. I guess the Soviet bug will never leave me. Every time I swear that I am not going to buy another Soviet group as I'm contint with my collection, another case full of Orders appear on my walls.
Just have fun and everything will be OK. Ask questions, read, study and do not be afraid to make a mistake. If anyone says they have not made a mistake, they are lying.
Take care,
Ed Maier
