USSR Wrote:Hi all, I visited (surprisingly safe) Belarus this summer which was an amazing experience! Lots of Soviet memorabilia and very friendly people. In Minsk there even was a huge flee market with many Soviet orders and medals! Unfortunately they weren't really bargains although still cheaper than on E...
This what I saw for sale (for people who would like to visit Minsk and buy Soviet Orders):
ORS's: ~$50
OL: $1700
ORB's: ~$200
Order of the October R.: $350
OG's (3rd): ~$60
Defence and Capture Medals: ~$15-$35
hello, and how do you do to let them leave the country with all that friendly custom policemen?
Sebastien
"a spectre haunts Europe, the spectre of communism"
(a well-known german bearbed)
09-12-2013, 05:51 PM (This post was last modified: 09-12-2013, 08:15 PM by CtahhR.)
CtahhR Wrote:I hear OGIIIs go for $50 each in Melbourne, Australia.
What were the prices on documents? Recently a large wave of Minsk region awarded Jubilee Medal (1965-88) documents have come onto the market for 20 to 50 cents each.
I haven't seen that many and since the ones I saw were, as you say, for jubilee medals, I haven't asked for their price. Communication wasn't easy since I don't speak (White)Russian (yet).
You are absolutely right about the Internet which levels the prices but I thought they might be cheaper in Belarus since it isn't easy to sell medals internationally with the customs opening every package which leaves the country. By the way, I didn't realize it was so easy for Russians to travel to Belarus. This might have had an effect on the price as well?
charlet Wrote:hello, and how do you do to let them leave the country with all that friendly custom policemen?
You are right about customs in Belarus. They aren't friendly at all! (Althought not as bad as the custom employees in Kaliningrad, Russia)
That being said, they didn't check our luggage nor our car, so exporting medals and orders wouldn't have been a problem. Besides, Putin put a ban on trading Soviet orders and medals. As far as I know, Lukashenko didn't... (Yet) ;-)
Btw, CtahhR
Is there a reason why all these booklets came from Belarus al of a sudden?
09-12-2013, 06:46 PM (This post was last modified: 09-12-2013, 08:14 PM by CtahhR.)
CtahhR Wrote:I hear OGIIIs go for $50 each in Melbourne, Australia.
What were the prices on documents? Recently a large wave of Minsk region awarded Jubilee Medal (1965-88) documents have come onto the market for 20 to 50 cents each. Not the sexiest of high end items but not to be sniffed at for the price.
With the digital communication revolution prices will be very similar wherever there is internet. Long gone are the days where you can get a box full of awards down a back alley in some backwards nowhere for buttons then fly it to another nation and through middle men before finally arriving at the collector with profits all round. Now the marketplace is far more global and people far closer to the source can offer the items to the global market. This improvement in communication negates the need for middle men and has a large effect on prices. If a dealer has to purchase their stock in the same way as a collector as soon as the dealer has paid for postage to break even (let alone adding a profit) the item is already equal in cost to what the collector could have purchased the item for - then the dealer will want to add profit and probably postage again. Why would a collector want to have the item they want to buy go through an extra set of hands with extra mark up when they don't have to?
There's the internet being a real leveller.
The web inded changed the collector's life. But the ultimate leveller will always be the real quantity of awards avalaible... offer commands.
and middlemen are still a necessity for lazy collectors who can't jump above the barrier langage ou don't have the skills to authentificate the awards... and we still need the guy will pick up the awards in some unknown point of the REAL world to put it in front of the screen...
USSR Wrote:You are right about customs in Belarus. They aren't friendly at all! (Althought not as bad as the custom employees in Kaliningrad, Russia)
That being said, they didn't check our luggage nor our car, so exporting medals and orders wouldn't have been a problem. Besides, Putin put a ban on trading Soviet orders and medals. As far as I know, Lukashenko didn't... (Yet) ;-)
I believe this market is ythe private game zone of the russian collectors. But in the late good old days I received stuff from Belarus via Israel... from family to family!
To exporting some stuff, the car or buses aren't as risky as the airport...
Sebastien
"a spectre haunts Europe, the spectre of communism"
(a well-known german bearbed)
There is something rather unique to purchasing on the internet - there can be fly-by-night trends. One day (for whatever reason, say an international news event) everyone wants a certain item and prices go mad. A month later you might not be able to give the same item away.
Having dealt with dealers of many vastly different types of items from a very young age "real" and "not real" have their advantages and disadvantages. Different dealers and buyers are best suited to very different situations. Personally, I have had significant success and failure in haggling both online and face-to-face. Both dealers and buyers come in very different shades. I know some dealers that I wouldn't want an email from let alone a face-to-face encounter yet at the same time there are dealers I would happily invite to my home and welcome them as a guest.
When I was dealing the commodity I was dealing (face-to-face internationally) I was more interested in trading items to assimilate into my own collection rather than walking away with pockets full of cash. At various fairs and conventions where I offered items for sale I used varying techniques. I was very happy in giving items away if that was of benefit (as in I didn't have to transport the items home again) even if there were people or even a person out there willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars. Someone else can enjoy them.
As for the Belarussian awarded Soviet items flowing from Minsk I don't know why they are increasing in number but a route must have been established.
I've found that cooperation, friendliness and politeness can sometimes be as effective if not more so than the all mighty dollar.
All markets for all items do need to be observed and studied before jumping in blindly.
I'm not quite sure if this is the right place to post this. I just may be able to get away to Sofia for a week next month. Does anyone know of any antique / militaria shops or markets in the city where I might be able to satisfy my badge addiction?
Hello
I have been collecting Soviet Navy pins and badges for about 20 years and have run into an issue. There are a some pins and badges that I have located in Russia and could purchase but the seller(s) only take payment through a local method. For instance one seller will only accept payment by a fund transfer to his Sberbank of Russia savings card. Another seller will only take payment through Kontakt. I have looked at various methods to try and transfer funds from the U.S. to Sberbank and Kontakt but for one reason or another it won't work. Essentially what I need is an intermediary in Russia who could take payment from me via Paypal or Western Union or MoneyGram and then pay the seller.
If anyone can help with this or has another suggestion please let me know.
09-06-2018, 02:06 PM (This post was last modified: 09-06-2018, 02:13 PM by Christophe.)
Discover a top-secret Soviet bunker, the Pension, remained classified until 2003.
Its purpose? To welcome Latvia’s political and State leaders in case of a nuclear war. Located at Ligatne (70km from Riga, which is suite far!) under a medical rehabilitation center, hence the name.
Ch.
