With camo helmets being sold standard at 3 to 4K prices it pays to be extremely careful. Only 5 to 10% of camo’s for sale are worth such a high price. So you will have to make sure you select the right camo worthy of the price tag.
And if you decide to break the bank make sure what you buy is real and advertised correctly.
Example 1 : The concocted one
This camo shell without liner turned up at Lux militaria with liner and wire camo for a spectacular price which they are known for.
Turned into this… A helmet no collector wants.
Example 2 : The fake one
Still in 2025 we see camo helmets with rather easy to see fake decals. This dealer IMCS has notoriously small photos and no close-ups on his website but even then the fake Big foot decal is easy to see.
Fake big foot on a SE shell
Example 3 : The run of the mill fake one
For only 1800 euros surely this must be a good deal ? It’s cheaper because of the damaged liner right ? Nope.
This is a typical case of where the interior patina on the inside absolutely does not match that of the outside. Always a huge red flag and the pristine camo paint with orange rust doesn’t help. One from Weitze.
Example 4 : The auction fake
Buying camouflaged helmets from auctions is probably the most dangerous thing you can do as Auctions houses do not give refunds.
The helmet listed below is part of the auction listed above. Luckily someone posted detailed photos on the Wehrmacht awards forum.
It’s a fake Luftwaffe decal with post war camo paint.
Conclusion
There is a lot to learn about camo’s so it is best not to be naive. There’s only one category of camo helmets worth your money and collectors call those one lookers.
Patina, honest wear and tear, decals that can be authenticated even when partially overpainted all play a big role in authenticating camo’s.
Forget about dealers advertising camo helmets as SS camo, Kriegsmarine camo and other highly sought offered examples when there is no trace of decal visible. Remember even lot number matches with SS or Kriegsmarine do not necessarily mean the camo helmet is of the same branch.
Especially with Kriegsmarine camo helmets I see there is a trend when a small paint speck over the decal is missing showing a hint of gold (more often it is toned) dealers call it a Kriegsmarine camo like the example below.
Just looking through a loupe at such a small piece of the decal you can never call it as Kriegsmarine. It’s a gamble.
Case in point is this M40 ET light camo overpaint with heavily toned Heer decal.
Stick to what you can see for yourself and don’t get too caught up in brazen descriptions.
Happy hunting
Frank