Before I issue out a wanted post I am curious as to how much it would cost for a salty German infantry tunic?

for m43 or m40 or m41? What would be the cheapest option about under 200 which I doubt I can get, is it still possible to get a TR uniform for that much? Even one that isn’t desirable?thanks for your thoughts, if I did find one this would be one of my first TR items and uniforms😁 thanks for any input!

 

-Gear Fanatic 

Or a Luftwaffe m40…

Get ready to spend close to or over $1000. I’ve been watching combat tunics at auction and on websites because I’m in the market for an M36.

Yah that’s a no, what would you say is the cheapest one I could get?

A reproduction is the only thing close to your budget

Sadly combat tunics are the rarest and most sought after of the uniforms.  part of the problem is that even the insignia on one would be worth almost what your budget is.  There was a time when you could get a tunic for $250, but that was back in the 1980s.  Even some of the East German tunics are going for more than that now.

Even the 'less sought after' tunics like DAF or fire police are bringing good money 500-600-800. You might be able to find a stripped out moth eaten, clumsily repaired ratty one, but I'd think it would still be a bit more than the 200.

 

My advice- save that 200 - and then work on saving more.  Its hard, I get it, but keep saving-  you will find a tunic you like and then you will have the money for one.

some dealers also offer layaway programs as well.

 

I am too young still to have a job, so that would not be a good option. I was hoping for an exception with there being a not so expensive one or one that is like you said moth eaten and ratty, I don’t need a mint one, just an example, the money I would be spending would be allowance money and money from helping neighbors, nothing that’s sustainable, one day maybe. I guess I’ll just stick to making my cardboard panzerfausts. lol. Thanks for your help, I will keep saving and maybe one day I will be able to afford one.

 

-Gear Fanatic 

It's nice to make that leap, but its kind of like buying a sports car before you have your license.

Maybe start small- start collecting insignia- or medals-

 

You will get there, but just don't grow up too fast.

 

As a kid I would walk the woods by the local (county) golf courses, find lost golf balls, wash them and sell them for a few $ a dozen. I would also go to the parks and look for aluminum cans to turn in and loose metal for scrap money.  (I know CA has the deposit on cans, so maybe that harder to do - but they are also worth more)  I also did a lot of grass cutting and manure shoveling (some would say I still do) I was lucky my Dad gave me my first Saturday job when I was 12 at $1/hr. cleaning off machines and sweeping floors at his pattern shop, But it was money! (and I bought military stuff with it!)

 

Others are giving you good advice...don't bite off more than you can chew. TR is a very expensive field for anyone to enter, especially a young collector.
 

Don't be too eager. There are plenty of shark TR dealers and collectors who won't think twice about scamming you the moment they smell blood in the water. Some may try to sell you your dream pieces at a steal of a price and claim they're doing it to help out a young budding collector. If you're going to collect TR, you're going to get burned some day. This is almost a certainty...even the oldest and most knowledgeable collectors still get fooled from time to time. Don't make yourself a mark by being impatient.

 

If you're insistent on collecting TR I suggest one of two things:

 

1. Start small. Plenty of affordable, common things out there that are great to start collections with. Tinnies, some medals, insignias, etc.

 

2. Save your money until you can buy that nice piece you want...even if it's only one item a year, you'll be happy with that item.

 

I would recommend NOT collecting SS until you are well established in the hobby. Nothing will burn a new collector than SS. It is a minefield of fakes and cutthroat collectors

I thank you all for your expertise and advice, I just got a job building a bike trail for a friend for $200, maybe that will give me a little more motivation, manual labor for money in the heat, I will do anything to buy some new military stuff!I wasn’t looking for SS or anything maybe I could save up for a zeltbahn and some gear to make a display. I definitely should not bite off more than I can chew thanks for your advice I will keep this in mind for the coming years.😁

 

-Gear Fanatic 

35 minutes ago, Gear Fanatic said:

I thank you all for your expertise and advice, I just got a job building a bike trail for a friend for $200, maybe that will give me a little more motivation, manual labor for money in the heat, I will do anything to buy some new military stuff!I wasn’t looking for SS or anything maybe I could save up for a zeltbahn and some gear to make a display. I definitely should not bite off more than I can chew thanks for your advice I will keep this in mind for the coming years.😁

 

-Gear Fanatic 

I would say a standard Heer infantry gear kit would be a great way to start. It can be bought in pieces and they're all relatively affordable. That will keep you busy for a couple of years until you can afford the tunic to display them on at the end

Agreed, thanks for the advice👍

Depending on what you want to pursue in the Third Reich realm there are quite a few affordable areas. When I was younger (50+ years ago) I was in the same situation as you, not having too much money to purchase items so I started out with affordable Third Reich items, (Stamps and some coins and Reichsmarks). My father would take me to stamp shows and we knew some dealers who would give us a shoe box of US and Foreign stamps to take home. We would pick out what we wanted as far as the stamps and the dealer would charge us $.02 cents per stamp. I would get quite a few German Third Reich stamps and when I was older, I was able to purchase the Third Reich Stamp album and I was able to fill most of the album with what I collected as a kid. I also was able to pick up German Post Cards and cancelled envelopes with German Stamps and Feldpost markings on them for fairly cheap as well.. 

 

So, this is an area that is still collectible and reasonably inexpensive. I think I still have a few hundred extra Third Reich stamps floating around somewhere...

 

Don't worry, you'll grow up soon enough and be able to afford a Feldblouse, remember the guys who have been collecting for years (myself included) will soon be looking to pass the torch to younger folks who have a particular interest in the hobby. 

 

Leigh 

If it makes you feel any better, I've wanted an infantry feldblouse for 23 years and still haven't picked one up. No real good excuse at this point except other opportunities kept popping up

Me and a friend I have grown up with are the only 2 people we know that have a serious interest in the collecting world. We both started at the same time and are always in the same situations. This is like a safe haven for us, with a lot of likeminded people that can see the value in these precious historical items, that if left to people who don’t care about them (great grandchildren etc.) they will throw them away and the memories of the men and women who served for our country will be lost. I do collect small things to, I really enjoy collecting German coins and especially Notgeld coins which are more rare and most people donn’t know what they are. Also US Pennie’s from 1900-1945.

I’m a patient person, I haven’t bought a single item in about 3 years, I’ve gotten a bunch of free items from bargains and trades, and people that want to pass on the torch. I hope one day you find a tunic👍

In 22 years of collecting, I have yet to get a German Uniform. I would recommend waiting until the right one appears. Don't buy someone else's problem(s) because you're only buying one for yourself.

As a young collector, the biggest mistakes I ever made in collecting were simply not knowing enough at the time. Great stuff comes out of the wild all the time, but 90% of the battle is recognizing that which is in front of you. The other 10% is being at the right place at the right time. Many of my biggest successes were out knowing everyone around me who had already passed on the item. To this extent one of my all time favorite quotes... there are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. Know your limits. You should do everything in your power to get as much knowledge under your belt as soon as you can. ABN