German Helmet Vault

Dedicated to the victims of the infamous fake Big foot decal.

How this decal can still feature on so many helmets on dealer websites is unbelievable. We know already for 20 years that a good Big foot decal is only found on Quist helmets. Still dealers present us with a plethora of shells with this cheap fake plastic knock off.

GUNSTAR.CO.UK

Type in German helmet in the search box and some hideous fakes will appear from the likes of Antiques storehouse.

A typical and common abuse of such platforms by people that lack knowledge on the subject or that have downright criminal intentions to rip someone off.

Yes the below shell is sold as an authentic DD SS for 1100 GBP , they are serious.

• 

• 

• 

The next one a Heer with that typical cheap fake Big foot decal and a horrible fake liner. The shell is SE.

• 

• 

• 

They sure like their SE’s with fake Big foot decal.

• 

• 

ANTIQUES.CO.UK

This website provides a similar service or disservice depending on the way you look at it like the Gunstar website that started this blog article. Scam or clueless seller of that website seems to be Breedon antiques.

Here he is selling some Chinese fake commercial M18 looking contraption for 995 GBP.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The next one is kind of funny taking his sales pitch into account :

Good condition and liner, complete nothing missing, some slight rust but would clean off and make good, large sized, rare helmet, offering free worldwide delivery reference OSS

I’m sure a kid in Asia painted this one thinking that German paratroopers were present when Jesus was born which may explain the comet symbol.

Yours for 1250 GBP.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Any seller that knows all about German helmets must have the iconic Afrika Korps palmtree helmet for sale ? And of course it’s the rare DD M40 kind that don’t exist. He is kind with the price on this one though he only ask 795 GBP.

• 

• 

• 

JC MILITARIA

I found this NS M42 for sale as a Kriegsmarine and I am sure you recognize our friend the fake Big foot decal.

• 

PARADE MILITARY ANTIQUES

A no decal with a decal. CKL lot number 4462. The wire of course is someone’s hobby project and a rubbed off fake decal.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Strachan Militaria

Another UK based dealer with a serious crappy helmet inventory and while his flavour texts don’t tell you what he’s selling is fake his prices seem to say ‘hey I know it is crap that is why I price a Normandy SS camo for 30% the value of what an original would cost’. (which is still 95% too much)

n M35 single decal Waffen SS helmet in Normandy camo. Large size helmet shell has screw-in vents and is stamped with serial number 6033 on inner skirt. Camouflage paint has a rough cork-grit texture. A large darker patch on the crown suggests the helmet has been standing in water at some time in its life. SS decal has a margin of original paint around it which is brown in colour. Decal is 50 per cent present with some flaking but the runes are clear. Eisenhuttenwerke maker and size stamp ET66. Tan hide liner, and black chinstrap. This helmet can laid aside and paid for in interest-free instalments.

Strachan militaria

1495 GBP

• 

• 

• 

AX MILITARIA

Let’s close with this fake TENO M42 , for sale for 1295 GBP.

• 

• 

• 

• 

NO EFFORT ONLY SALES

If you just look at the poor quality of the fakes I posted here it seems that most of these dealers with their fancy names can’t seem to be bothered to do any kind of research. They just throw it online and hope to sell at a high price. It does not seem to matter to them if their descriptions are completely wrong. Easy money of course unless they themselves bought the fake helmets believing them to be original. But dealers have large networks and should know what they are selling and if you do the job do it right.

Happy hunting everybody , the real stuff is out there !

Frank