DPRK Prices "How Much To Pay".

[CtahhR]

Here is a list I have compiled of prices you should be expecting to pay to be able to include DPRK items into your ever growing collections. I have spent a considerable time studying and participating in the market and I believe the prices I have put to items are very reasonable. Sometimes things will sell for more than the price I have stated and some times far less but these are what I believe to be very sound prices for the items. The prices I have put on as what I have paid are all prices within the last 10 months, it would be easy for me to say "you could get a double digit Hero star for 3 Mars bars and a carton of smokes in Pusan in 1952" but the market is a changing beast. These prices as also taking in to consideration that the DPRK currently has an isolated market, when (and I don't mean if) the market of northern Korea is open to the whole world and can freely trade with all nations most prices will collapse. Photographs and Films of DPRK parades certainly suggest that there are considerable numbers of awards out there - just not on the open market yet. Currently most DPRK awards and other items finding their way onto the market come from the northern North Pyongan Province as this province shares a border with China. Of all the 900+ DPRK items in my collection nearly everything has come from addresses in the People's Republic Of China within an hour's travel from the Yalu river. Less than two dozen of the items have come from elsewhere in the world. I have obtained a large sum of knowledge on the trade of items out of the DPRK which I am keeping under my hat but I know that many people would not be so happy with their DPRK items if they knew their history. As with the rest of the world, the right money can buy you anything you want as long as you don't ask questions. As discussed before animal blood on the awards is maybe one of the least "troubling" concerns.
I have not listed prices for everything as I either don't feel the need to put a price or I have not experienced the item on the open market and therefore am not in a place to make comments on prices. Middle men can REALLY hike prices up and if you are not vigilant you can be taken for a ride. There are also fakes out there and where I have noticed fakes on the market of a particular item I have mentioned it by the price. I'm always looking to buy DPRK items for FUN and not only do I never buy any awards for "investments" (as I don't sell anything), I also strongly advise everyone to NOT make "investments" in DPRK items as it will not end well. There are lots and lots of DPRK awards locked up to keep prices inflated - Buyer Beware!


Hero Stars,
Hero Of The Republic Numbered $400 (Gold plated silver)
Hero Of The Republic Unnumbered $120 (None are for combat) (Fakes on market)
Hero Of Labour Numbered $350 (Gold plated silver)
Hero Of Labour Unnumbered $110 (Fakes on market)

Orders,
Order Of Kim Il-Sung Type 1 $300
Order Of Kim Il-Sung Type 2 $200
Order Of The National Flag 1st Class Screwback Soviet production $200
Order Of The National Flag 1st Class Screwback Non-Soviet production $100
Order Of The National Flag 1st Class Pinback Numbered $25 $30
Order Of The National Flag 1st Class Pinback Unnumbered $12 $20
Order Of The National Flag 2nd Class Screwback Soviet production $120
Order Of The National Flag 2nd Class Screwback Non-Soviet production $80
Order Of The National Flag 2nd Class Horizontal Pinback $50
Order Of The National Flag 2nd Class Vertical Pinback Numbered $7 $12
Order Of The National Flag 2nd Class Vertical Pinback Unnumbered $4 $7
Order Of The National Flag 3rd Class Screwback Soviet production $30
Order Of The National Flag 3rd Class Screwback Non-Soviet production $20
Order Of The National Flag 3rd Class Horizontal Pinback $6 $8
Order Of The National Flag 3rd Class Vertical Pinback Numbered $3 $3.50
Order Of The National Flag 3rd Class Vertical Pinback Unnumbered $1.50 $3
Order Of Korean Labour (Soviet Design) Soviet production $120
Order Of Korean Labour (Soviet Design) Non-Soviet production $75
Order Of Korean Labour (Korean Design) $4 $7
Order Of Freedom And Independence 1st Class Soviet Production $300
Order Of Freedom And Independence 1st Class Non-Soviet Production $200
Order Of Freedom And Independence 2nd Class Soviet Production $120
Order Of Freedom And Independence 2nd Class Non-Soviet production $25
Order Of Soldier's Honour 1st Class Soviet production $80
Order Of Soldier's Honour 1st Class Non-Soviet production $8
Order Of Soldier's Honour 2nd Class Soviet production $40
Order Of Soldier's Honour 2nd Class Non-Soviet production $2 $3.50
Order Of Military Service Honour 1st Class $12 $18
Order Of Military Service Honour 2nd Class $5 $8
Order Of Military Service Honour 3rd Class $1 $2.50
Order Of Military Engineering Service Honour 10 Years $4 $8
Order Of Military Engineering Service Honour 20 Years $6 $12
Order Of Military Engineering Service Honour 30 Years $8 $15
Order Of Fishery Service Honour 1st Class $18
Order Of Fishery Service Honour 2nd Class $12
Order Of Colliery Service Honour 1st Class $6 $8
Order Of Colliery Service Honour 2nd Class $5 $7
Order Of Colliery Service Honour 3rd Class $4 $5
Order Of The Banner Of The Three Great Revolutions $2.50 $4
Order Of Railway Service Honour 1st Class $30
Order Of Railway Service Honour 2nd Class $25
Order Of Railway Service Honour 3rd Class $20
Order Of DPRK Friendship 1st Class (Complete with neck and breast stars and cased) $300 $500
Order Of DPRK Friendship 2nd Class (Complete with neck and breast stars and cased) $200 $300
Order Of Education Service Honour 1st Class $30
Order Of Education Service Honour 2nd Class $25
Order Of Education Service Honour 3rd Class $20

Commemorative Orders,
"Anniversary Of The People's Army" Screwback $18
"Anniversary Of The People's Army" Pinback $10 $12
"20th Anniversary Of The Foundation Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea" Numbered $12 $14
"Foundation Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea" $6 $8
"40th Anniversary Of Fatherland Liberation War Victory" $4 $5
"5th March" $30 $40
"Capital Construction" $20
"30th Anniversary Of The Agricultural Presentation" $60 $80
"60th Anniversary Of The People's Army" $7 $10
"50th Anniversary Of The Foundation Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea" $12
"60th Anniversary Of The Foundation Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea" $30

Medals,
Medal For Military Merits Numbered $12
Medal For Military Merits (Standing Soldier with flag type) unnumbered $2 (Fakes on market)
Medal For Military Merits (Top half of soldier type) $1 $2
Medal For Merits $1 $2
Medal For Military Service Honour $3 $5
Medal For Agricultural Merits $5 $7
Medal Of DPRK Friendship $40 $70

Commemorative Medals,
"For The Liberation Of Korea" $30
"Great Fatherland War 1950-1953" $12 (Fakes on market)
"Participation In The Fatherland Liberation War 1950-1953" $7 $12 (Fakes on market)
"20th Anniversary Of The General Association Of Korean Residents In Japan" $30 $80
"The Foundation Of The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea" $2 $4
"Fatherland Liberation" $2 $4
"40th Anniversary Of Korean Liberation War Victory" $30
"Capital Construction" $8 $12
"Pyongyang-Nampho Highway Construction" $8 $12
"60th Anniversary Of The People's Army" $12 $15
"Kumgang Power Plant Dam Construction" $14 $20
"Military Parade" $12

Sports Medals (Such as the 65th Birthday Of Kim Il-Sung race etc.) $7 each

Badges,
Guards Badge Type 1 $15
Guards Badge Type 2 Screwback $6 $8
Guards Badge Type 2 Vertical Pinback $5 $6
Guards Badge Type 2 Horizontal Pinback $4
Cholima Honour Badge $30
Cholima Badge Numbered $8
Cholima Badge Unnumbered $1
Kim Il-Sung Universary Graduation Badge Rhomb $1
Korean People's Army Paratrooper Badge $6
The DPRK Central People's Committee Kim Il-Sung Guard Badge $5
"Exemplary Soldier/Police" Badges $4 each
"Kim" Badges (Flags, circles, etc.) $8 each
"Banner Unit" Screwback $7
"Banner Unit" Pinback $2 $4
"Flower" Badges $1

Cases,
Basic plastic cases $2 each
Custom fit cases (wood or plastic) 10% of the value of the award to a minimum of $8.

Award Documents,
Any document with any sort of modification $1
Unmodified documents without photograph $5
Unmodified documents with photograph $8

Uniforms,
Army Enlisted $15
Army Officer (Up to and including Major) $20
Navy Enlisted $25
Navy Officer (Up to and including Commander) $30
Belt Buckles $5 $8
Cap Badges $1 $3
Collar/Shoulder Insignia Badges $1 (Pair)
DPRK Helmet (Different rivets to the Soviet helmet) $25
Order/Medal ribbon bars $1 $2 per ribbon.
DPRK Award watches $25 (Fakes on market)

Any items not mentioned, feel welcome to ask in this thread.