Low activity among Soviet awards collectors

[new world]

I can't help but to notice interesting phenomenon in the collectors community.

The collecting pace of Soviet awards seemed to slow down significantly. Several indicators point to this:

1) On this forum we don't discuss Soviet orders / medals anymore (there were few threads recently, but nothing major).

2) instead Communist block awards seem to steal all the action, especially Yugoslavian and Bulgarian ones.

3) looking at major dealers web sites - they seem to be frozen in time - the same selection as 2-3 months ago, the same prices.

4) talking to collectors - very few bought anything Soviet recently (high prices are major obstacle, but still - decent deals are possible to find. The interest is gone.)

Is this an indication that Soviet awards market is beginning to cool off? The prices definitely seem to stop increasing, in some instances they even seem to come down a bit.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

William

[DutchBoy]

I have been buying almost exclusively other communist countries for a while now. I have most of the Soviet awards that I can afford, and I can't justify spending hundreds on different variations to orders I already own. But there are some Soviet pieces that I still want, and if the price drops like you said, then I'd get back into the game.

At any rate, I still thoroughly enjoy reading and posting about Soviet awards, and it's great to see my Soviet stuff on the walls of my house. Knowing how much they've appreciated in value over the last few years is also gratifying...

[medalklector]

I also have noticed that the number of threads relating to orders/medals/authenticity etc have dropped off. Perhaps we are all becoming experts!!

I for one am still spending all my spare cash on Soviet Medals/Awards. But, just today I was tempted to buy a bulgarian order..and managed to stop myself (for the time being). Price is deffinitely a consideration, I coud spend $5000 on a Suvarov, or I could spend a few hundred on Bulgarian items and have many more items to show for it.

I can't see items reducing too much in price, unless, the exportation laws in the USSR are suddenly relaxed...If that happened I wouldnt know if I was happy or sad...At the end of the day I try not to think about the cost. I tell myself I purchased a bit of history, and no matter what the cost, the history is what got most of us into this hobby...

[Tal Inbar]

Regarding the activity level in the forum, one has to remember the HUGE database on fakes and other awards-related information we already have.

As for prices, I am not optimistic....and on ebay for example, I see a lot of very common stuff, and fakes. The last Soviet item I bought there was over a year ago.

T

[new world]

Originally Posted by Tal Inbar

... The last Soviet item I bought there was over a year ago.

T

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

The last Soviet item that I acquired was about 1/2 year ago - from a fellow collector. The last one before that - it was over a year for me as well.

I just can't justify the prices dealers are asking these days, I guess the same goes for most of collectors, leaving dealers sitting there with large stockpiles not be able to move them.

William

[HuliganRS]

I don't think it's a slow down as much as availability is not there.

Let's take eBay as an example. It's the same dealers pushing the same fakes and the real stuff is far and few in between.

Dealers: I had the pleasure of speaking with several dealers that have and are getting inventory but are reluctant to put it for sale seeing the prices jump every few months.

I personally hope the prices will drop dramamtically! This way I'll be able to fill in the holes in my collection. I don't think it's going to but I can always hope.

I do agree with the statements that the prices are astronomical. I paid a tad over $2,000 for my Suvorov 2 and now major dealers are asking $13,000 +
I just can't bring myself to spend $7,500 on Kutuzov 3 to complete the set of my polkovodskie orders of 2nd & 3rd class.

I don't see any prices dropping, maybe just slight adjustments.

Rusty.

[dannybou]

Well I'm still buying on a weekly basis, but badges. Medals and Orders that I am missing are out of my price league.

[Riley1965]

It's been a couple of months since I bought a Soviet ODM. The higher priced ODMs are next. Prices have been the problem for me financially. I have been investing in books fo reference. Lots of books!!!

[ericlida]

My situation is different. Since last May I spent on Soviet orders (Order of Red Banner - different types and variations) so much , that I am not planning to buy anything expensive in the next 50 years.
Eric

[Tretov]

Originally Posted by dannybou

Well I'm still buying on a weekly basis, but badges. Medals and Orders that I am missing are out of my price league.

About the same for me. What's missing is too expensive to buy. I am about to recieve a new crown jewel in my collection this week (HSL) but apart from that, the only major purchases I do is reinforcements of the current collection (my goal is to have at least 5 of each of the "common" orders).