My Soviet Patch Collection

[54Bty]

Thank you for your images of the fakes.

This black background Abn badge was brought back from Afghanistan by my Son. It has been worn.

[moskovite]

This black background Abn badge was brought back from Afghanistan by my Son. It has been worn.

Nice try. Besides being completely fantasy piece, it’s no more than 3 years old and Soviet Army left Afghanistan 19 years ago.

[DougD]

Moskovite,

Welcome to the Forum. While I agree with you that this is not a real Soviet issue patch, lets try to keep the tone civil; no real reason for 'nice try' as I doubt 54Bty was trying to fool anyone. I am sure his son brought it back from a local vendor who probably does well selling to US servicemen looking for something from the Soviet war era to bring home.

DougD

[desantnik]

Doug, I agree about the tone. Unfortunately, the Afghans have caught on with sellling stuff for GIs to bring back home, including medals, and now fantasy "Soviet" patches.

[pastfinder]

Honestly, I have three reference books on Soviet sleeve patches, and I continue to find several that are not modern fakes but apparently are not in the books, notably the Riverine forces and the Fisheries, for example. I'm talking with another person about perhaps making a nice PDF book with images of all the patch examples known.

Moskovite, do you have a collection or additional information to share on what are real and what are fakes?

[Commissar]

Not a bad patch I dont think!
Although fantasy I think it looks pretty cool, then again Im a newbie so I am suspect to the "looks cool" aspect of this hobby. :P

[centaur32]

G'day moskovite, DougD, & desantnik,

Guys.....Can we bring a little balance to this forum please? For someone to condemn a patch simply because he doesn't like the look of it, he hasn't seen a similar example before, or he hasn't got one in his collection, is simply speculation on the part of the one who has judged the piece "a fake"or a "fantasy piece". Of course, everyone has and is entitled to an opinion. If your comment is an opinion then, say so. If your proclamation that a piece is not genuine then you should be prepared to quote a reputable source of information, or other reference, to support your judgement. Just because a collector has been collecting in the same area for a long time does not mean that he "knows it all". So, can we all be a little more open minded and willing to learn from eachother? Thanks for listening.

[Lapa]

Centaur,

You seem to miss one minor point: you are getting access to collective knowledge [from possibly the best] long-time collectors and experts in the Soviet field.

If you do not like the answers that you are getting, simply do not ask such questions.

Marc

[centaur32]

G'day Marc,

I haven't missed any point, nor have I asked any question yet, but I probably will later. Of course, I value the experience of the long-time collectors, or I wouldn't be in this forum. You have obviously missed the point I was trying to make. It was simply this: If any member is going to declare that a piece of insignia is a "fake", "fantasy piece", or any other term meaning not genuine, strictly based on viewing a photo, then that person should be prepared to explain to the rest of us why he holds such an opinion. This way, the rest of us obviously less enlightened mortals might actually learn something about Soviet insignia.

Jump in here anytime Super Moderators. Tell us what you think.

Thanks,

Jim

[desantnik]

G'day Marc,

I haven't missed any point, nor have I asked any question yet, but I probably will later. Of course, I value the experience of the long-time collectors, or I wouldn't be in this forum. You have obviously missed the point I was trying to make. It was simply this: If any member is going to declare that a piece of insignia is a "fake", "fantasy piece", or any other term meaning not genuine, strictly based on viewing a photo, then that person should be prepared to explain to the rest of us why he holds such an opinion. This way, the rest of us obviously less enlightened mortals might actually learn something about Soviet insignia.

Jump in here anytime Super Moderators. Tell us what you think.

Thanks,

Jim

Jim, there are other experienced collectors here, but I will speak for myself. I've been collecting Soviet stuff since 1987 and lived in Soviet successor states for a number of years. I've published well-regarded references on Soviet collecting and spent much time in the best collecting clubs in the former USSR. I'm open to the ideal that there exist things I haven't seen and will admit if I know little about a certain topic (uniforms being one).

If you are going to present a patch as being original, the burden of proof is on you. I've jumped with Russian paratroopers and been collecting airborne insignia for a while. For someone to say a black, green, blue, or pink airborne patch is legitimate, I'd like to see period photos, a verified uniform, etc.