What do you mean, "what are they think?" Are you referring to the price of $160? Thats not bad at all for a real OGPW 1st Class right now. I'm a dealer and with all of my contacts (including posting a WANTED post on the forum) I could not find one for sale under $145. And that took several weeks to find.
If you're not refering to the price, sorry for the rant. :-)
I realize that somehow our collective market became a sellers market, that is why we say to ourselves that it is OK to pay $160+ for an OGPW1 T2...
I am forced to live this reality, because I love my hobby. However I still believe that if "Collectors of All Countries Unite" (sorry for the pun) we CAN control the market. If a dealer lists OGPW1 T2 for $200, we should not buy it from him... Let's not be lazy and keep looking for a better deal...
I hate when I have to get on the soap box...
Eric
Soviet Union is the only country with an unpredictable ... past!
That would be fine if we did not live in a capitalistic world. The law of supply and demand is not resistable. It is market driven. Many times people have gotten together to try to artifically drive down market prices and everytime it has failed as at a certain level, someone will sell and someone will buy. I wish we could all get together and say that we would only pay $100 for a OGPW 1st Class, but its not going to happen and is not realistic.
One of the reason I was driven to Soviet Orders, and I believe that I am not alone in this, is that there is a limited, varifiable number of each award made and issued. It is a rairity in the world of medal collecting that you run into to this. As the popularity grows of Soviet awards (which is something we all want to happen), and the supply deminishes (as the new collectors add to their collections) the price will go up. This rise will be even more evident when you factor in the gold, silver and platnium prices which form a bottom market for the medals.
Fortunatly, we have a very well informed group of collectors who will share infomration about fakes, and several other methods to varify the reality of the awards, which other countries' decorations do not. We might be able to keep the fakers at bay, but by doing this, we must alow for the natural increase of prices.
I for one, do know want Soviet awards to go the way of Third Reich Knight's Crosses where the fakes are so good that you can nevwer be sure that you have an original.
Now I'm off my soap box, (until the next time), :-)
There are variations with different spokes positions. I think this piece is OK.
Alexei
Quote:Originally posted by yolkin OGPW 1st class T2V1 (looks like something is just not right. i.e. the inside gold rays are not aligned at 10, 2, and 6?!)
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