Although I was only able to attend Friday, I thought this was a great show. The Wilmington Ohio Robert's Center hall is wonderful, wide aisles, good lighting, new 8 foot tables. I was glad to see many of the well know dealers there, although some were only there to buy. >>>>

>>>I found some nice items for the collection, plus was able to sell quite a bit of stuff. It seems the really great near mint stuff sold well if the price wasn't too outrageous. The lower end beater stuff was being snatched up by the Russians! They bought 4 HJ's and two rough SS daggers from me for decent prices.

Anyone else with a report?

John

DON'T GET ME WRONG I LOVE THE SOS. BUT I FOUND MORE STUFF FOR MY PERSONAL COLLECTION THAN I DID AT THE SOS.
IT WAS GOOD MEETING YOU JOHN.

Then this was a good show for you too! Yes Bob, I was glad to meet you too. It would be nice to share some collecting finds at the show, but I wasn't at my table much. Sorry about that. I'll be going again to the fall OVMS show. Best Wishes, John

This was a great show with all tables being sold and with many serious buyers. As said before, the Russian buyers were there-buying up large lots of edged weapons. I would estimate they spent at least $25,000.00 and probably a lot more. They were in and out of the show all day-both days carrying bags of daggers and swords back to their rooms. They will be back in November having already bought a table to make sure they can get in early.
I believe this show will be one of the best three military shows in the US, growing each year. As we grow, the hall can be expanded as needed. As this show was a sellout I advise getting your table and hotel reservations in now for November. Many tables are already sold and advance hotel reservations made. Just go to our website at sosovms.com for full information.
Just as we do with the SOS the OVMS staff is working hard to bring you the best shows at affordable prices so a good time can be had by all. Come and see us--you will be glad you did.

Anybody got pics?

Tom, I meant to bring a camera and forgot in the commotion of having a table....I'll try again at the show in November, 2nd and 3rd.

Where are the pix's of "The Russians" buying "up" the show?
I saw them at the SOS....you guys with the "sleds" that nobody wanted before....Give Houston or Tom W. a gingle for a table. Everything under 6 bones is going to the Ruskie's.
-wagner-

you guys are at the shows, and see the russians buying up the stuff in the quantity described. do you think this will drive up prices on it`s own?. surely, if they are clearing tables at shows in the states, then taking the stuff back to mother russia with them, this can only lead to a gradual slow shortage of daggers out there in circulation?.

I think it has driven up some prices, like the Red cross EM's. Luckily, in my case, they only bought the low end condition items, in HJ, and SS em's. I was happy to sell it to them, as most advance collectors(myself included) want near mint condition!

john

hmmm, but as the supply of `low end` stuff dries up, which will take time, then, won`t what is currently considered mid-range, condition-wise become the new `low-end`?. and so on and so on....

The Russians are over here in the U.K at the bigger shows buying up anything they can lay there hands on,most of there buying is done before we get into the show.

Gary

i don`t doubt that gary,but in terms of volume, the u.s. shows dwarf what we have over here. what are they doing with this stuff anyway, the russians that is?. if they`re just scooping it up and hardly even looking at what they`re buying, then they are hardly serious collectors. there seems to be an ulterior motive to me, don`t know what it is, but i somehow doubt that collecting will benefit from this recent trend.

I agree with you whole heartedly, I see them at the Max and SOS, they hardly look at what there buying and just seem to want the stuff thats cheap, I believe there's a market back in Russia for this type dagger, I bet it's not cheap to buy from these guys either. As to what it's going to do to the market I have no idea, if they have any other motive I don't know either, I like most collectors will deal with it if or when it happens whatever that may be.

Gary

Actually they are not just buying things under $600. They will buy most anything in german edged weapons-- if the price is cheap. Got a Postschutz for around $2500 or less? They will buy it.They are not keeping this stuff--they are selling it in Eastern Europe.

I have some contacts in the East, and they tell me that a lot of the daggers being sold to Russia, come back to Europe as "veteran bringbacks", or they sell on the Russian underground Nazi collectables circuit for big bucks..

e.g. HJ knife..tough shape $500.00 U.S
Army w/o hangers tough..$800-1200 U.S.
Average SA's $900-1400.00 U.S.
Police bayos...$900.00-1200 U.S.

Your best price on these dogs is a bargain when you are tripling the price on the retail.None of these daggers are ever leaving again, due to export restrictions as well.

Russia is awash in U.S. cash by the bucket full and i don't see any of this changing soon..imagine what they ask for the high end pieces?

If the Russians quibble over price, tell them no, they will do just fine at your asking price.

quote:

Originally posted by blueboyukb:
what are they doing with this stuff anyway, the russians that is?. if they`re just scooping it up and hardly even looking at what they`re buying, then they are hardly serious collectors. there seems to be an ulterior motive to me, don`t know what it is, but i somehow doubt that collecting will benefit from this recent trend.

Money laundering - the easy way!

Brad

It would probably not surprise most of you to hear that the Russian mob is heavily involved in all aspects of this...

Brad, you are dead on, it is defacto money laundering...

It's no surprise to me.

Where is Borse with that great photo of Russian thug? " JR! Put down dagger I vant!"

-wagner-

In my conversations with the Russians I find that there is no price determined market in Russia. Whatever they buy it for is what they base their asking price on at the end. They tend to at least double and mostly triple the price. Johnson and Wittmann books in Russia sell for four times the price here.
Money is in the hands of the few and no where to spend it, so collectibles are HOT.
YES, this will eventually force the price up across the board. Supply is decreasing and demand is going up: plain old American system.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

I've been going to East Europe now for 10 years.. Since about 2000 military collectibles have been scarce there. They ALL ask me for pieces I had bought over the years to buy them back,,just name my price! They of course hate the 'Fascists' with a passion and its the 'in thing' with the new rich there to have a few pieces from the 'Great Patriotic War' hanging on the wall..
I know a few old timer vets with some nice pieces but they are not selling! Its usually the families that sell once the family member has passed on.
Soviet collectibles are also hot with young and old collectors too..

It seems that the ones that are actually going to the shows around the world rich as they may seem are actually just the mildly rich,,they pick up multiples in sometimes bad condition, have them fixed up a little and then unload at very high prices to the super rich over there...

Eventually this fad of collecting WW2 stuff will wear off there or at least taper down greatly..Also ,don't be surprised that if in a couple years these beater daggers re-appear on the market as super nice minty examples.They have their magicians over there too.

One gent i talk with has a dagger inventory of over 2000 pieces! he sells to the Russian new rich and "buzinessman"