When did fakes get started?

[Gunnett]

I picked up a lot of CCCP badges from 1990 to early 1993. I'm wondering, when did fakes start hitting the market? I don't have any high dollar stuff.

[Nota Bene]

Gunnett,

The fakes started appearing in the US longe before genuine Soviet items. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help you.

Alexei

[otlichnik]

The first items of "Soviet" militaria I ever bought were purchased in West Germany in 1986 - a pair of VDV (airborne) sleeve patches and a red star cap badge. Both were Western-made fakes and I knew this even then - they were the exact same construction as the western items. I bought the sleeve patches for the equivalent of about $4. At that time you could sell an original pair of Soviet VDV sleeve patches for at least $50 if not $100.

Shawn

[Nota Bene]

Shawn,

Do you still have them? Would love to see some scans.

If anyone else has any old Western or Soviet made fakes please post them here. I think it would be interesting.

Alexei

[otlichnik]

Sorry Alexei they are gone long ago.

They were very much like the original in design but totally different in construction - embroidered cloth.

You'll laugh about what I did with it though. I sewed the pair onto a set of "Red Dawn" pseudo-VDV coveralls (they looked good at the time) and I used to wear them to paintball/splatball games along with a brown Chinese civilian ushanka with that fake red star cap badge on it cap badge.

Shawn

[Nota Bene]

Shawn,

Yeah, I know the type. They are much like early "Soviet" KGB patches. Did you actually put two on the same coveralls?

Alexei

[otlichnik]

Yes. ;)

We all know that VDV wore two patches, especially on their camoflage firld uniform!!! At least that's what I "knew" then! ;)

I wish I knew where the photo of me wearing this kit was!

Shawn

[k3rvmfusa]

I was in Moscow from 1992 - 1994. There were some fakes out as early as 1992. From my experience, the faked orders/medals were the harder to obtain items: Gold Star medal (always advertised as a "wearer's copy", the Order of Lenin, the Partisan medals, the Nakhimov medal, the borderguard medal, and Tsarist medals/orders. Of course, the "polkovodets" orders -- Suvorov, Kutuzov, etc. were available as fakes as well.