I am still a buyer and always a Yorkshireman. I have been getting requests or should I say begging letters....
I am offered items on a sliding scale, especially if I commit now. I would say some items are falling 8-12% a week, others by the month but it is almost universal.
Orders of Lenin are once again selling for under metal content.
If people aren't watching the market on a weekly basis they may be shocked, especially if they are trying to sell.
I've seen them go for around $400-$450 too but who has the funds to pick up all of them? I think many of them will end up being melted down again unfortunately. At least the silver price dropped enough that we don't have to worry about the silver items going the same way.
Mainly Ukraine. Prices in Ukraine are low due to the banning of Communist symbolism plus the rather poor situation has caused some desperation.
The economic issues faced by Russia has also caused a huge glut of awards to surface onto the market. Prices just keep getting better and better but the fakes are still out there too.
I've also noticed many US based "collectors" liquidating their collections because speculation is no longer profitable. Even "well know over priced dealers" have slashed prices.
As I'm only interested in the historical value, it wouldn't matter to me if the monetary value fell to zero, I'm not in this for a profit.
CtahhR Wrote:As I'm only interested in the historical value, it wouldn't matter to me if the monetary value fell to zero, I'm not in this for a profit.
Neither am I - I've only extremely rarely sold something from my collection and only then really an item or two which I should have never bought as it didn't fit in the collection - more a spur of the moment error.
What's the end game though? I can't see a museum taking my collection (nor would I trust them), currently no family member / children with an interest to carry on the hobby if i'd 'fall under a bus'. Liquidating it (if not death then e.g. due to a (medical) emergency for instance requiring funds) is something that may be an inevitable option for many of us. It is nice to know that at that point in time it's still worth something (or worth more).
Bob Wrote:Neither am I - I've only extremely rarely sold something from my collection and only then really an item or two which I should have never bought as it didn't fit in the collection - more a spur of the moment error.
What's the end game though? I can't see a museum taking my collection (nor would I trust them), currently no family member / children with an interest to carry on the hobby if i'd 'fall under a bus'. Liquidating it (if not death then e.g. due to a (medical) emergency for instance requiring funds) is something that may be an inevitable option for many of us. It is nice to know that at that point in time it's still worth something (or worth more).
Bob Wrote:What's the end game though? I can't see a museum taking my collection (nor would I trust them), currently no family member / children with an interest to carry on the hobby if i'd 'fall under a bus'. Liquidating it (if not death then e.g. due to a (medical) emergency for instance requiring funds) is something that may be an inevitable option for many of us. It is nice to know that at that point in time it's still worth something (or worth more).
I don't think there is an end game. We are in the game, I buy my awards to enjoy the history, to look at them, "feel" the history. Few of my girlfriends so far has shown any interest in awards, my brother and sister even less. I doubt my children will be interested. What is important is that I am interested. Looking ahead and back at the same time, people still collect old awards from bygone eras, question is if the Soviet Union will be interesting enough for coming generations or just be considered a "brief period of socialism".
The collections do not need to be continued by institutions or family members. Placing whole collections into a "pledge" and leaving them to a next generation collector is the best way to ensure the collection continues to grow and expand on the work already done.
Many items in my collections have been inherited, not just from family but from others who were absolutely certain that I would continue their work. Some might say "but the items are still worth a lot of money!" but you can't take the collection nor the money with you.
I already have instructions in place that will ensure many of my collections (I collect far more than awards, militaria etc) will be able to continue to grow unhindered beyond my death. Looking at the far bigger picture though, we are all made out of stars and the universe and human race will only be small finite period. Nothing lasts forever.
Now on the subject of other collections, changing markets and stars. This clear vinyl Blackstar (and not the Red Star) can go for up to 4000% what I paid for it in November (with the Lithographs, that I'm not digging out right now). Sometimes we just can't plan on what will happen but we can all be subject to luck, good or bad. This may be one of the desirable pieces of music in the world right now but I'd rather that wasn't the case and the reason why it is so desirable hadn't happened.
CtahhR Wrote:Mainly Ukraine. Prices in Ukraine are low due to the banning of Communist symbolism plus the rather poor situation has caused some desperation.
The economic issues faced by Russia has also caused a huge glut of awards to surface onto the market. Prices just keep getting better and better but the fakes are still out there too.
I've also noticed many US based "collectors" liquidating their collections because speculation is no longer profitable. Even "well know over priced dealers" have slashed prices.
As I'm only interested in the historical value, it wouldn't matter to me if the monetary value fell to zero, I'm not in this for a profit.
I, for one, am so very happy to see this development. I started collecting Soviet Orders and Medals back in 1992. I picked up some really nice items. I still have every order I ever picked up. I ended up taking a break when I married in 1994. Fortunately, I never sold any of them, as by the time I wanted to restart in the mid 2000s, the prices had exploded to the point to where I could not afford them. It blew my mind to see common ORS that were going for 5-10 dollars close to 100 dollars.
I hope that we see days to where the ORS go for about 10 dollars and ORBs for 20... but I think those days are long gone.
