What is militaria? #

Militaria /ˌmiləˈterēə/ (n.) : “Objects that are connected with warfare or military service and are usually collected for their historical interest.”

It includes any articles from any nation, ranging from military uniforms, medals, and firearms to weapons, flags, and helmets.

Where do I start? #

Ask yourself these questions first:

What sparked your interest in collecting militaria? The first military item, that someone bought/got gifted/inherited, usually becomes the main collecting area.
What kind of collection do you want to start? There are many ways one can set up a collection, e.g. US canteens. Here are a few examples:
- Only US produced canteens starting from point X in history up until today.
- Only a certain canteen model, but from all different producers in the US.
- One US canteen model, but from every (NATO) country that produced this model for their own military.
Possibilities are nearly infinite, so a clear plan of what you want your collection to look like is very important.

The most important question: How much spare time and most importantly money can you invest into your hobby per month? Once you start to go down the rabbit hole of serious collecting, it’s wise to set away a certain amount of money every week/month, according to your monetary situation, in case a desirable item pops up that you want to buy/bid on.

It’s easier to start and get proficient in one area of collecting than starting out broad ( e.g. collecting only bayonets instead of going full ham and buying a WW2 uniform with all accessories and appropiate medals/badges). Chances are way higher to get scammed or unknowingly buy fakes.

After you’ve staked out your frame for your collecting area(s) and your budget, visit the Reference Books section (or, if you don’t find the subject you are interested in, comment in the Weekly Discussion Thread and we will help you find what you need!) and order a book for some basic knowledge/overview, (at least two books for some deeper knowledge) before you buy your first item. Personally, we don’t recommend (antique) out-of-print books for beginners because they are often very expensive and sometimes contain details a new collector might not understand if they are not familiar with the basics.

Why Should I Get Reference Books? #

Why Should I Get Reference Books?

Before you even think about buying your first piece of militaria, invest into books! They’re the reference for your purchases and help you identify fakes easier, thus saving you money in the long run.

We recommend concentrating on one area/item when you first start collecting.

If you want to buy a complete uniform with helmet, bayonet, rifle, medals, badges, etc.; you may need a few hundred/thousand bucks just for multiple reference books.

One book about uniforms doesn’t tell you everything, you’ll always need a minimum of two different reference books in order to find out other small details the first book didn’t tell you. Now multiply that by the number of things you want to collect/buy…

I’m Still Unsure of What Items to Start With #

I’m Still Unsure of What Items to Start With

If you don’t know where to start with your collecting, Soviet stuff isn’t bad. There is a heap of it out there which means it is often cheaper and isn’t faked. Always, always, always, use EXTREME CAUTION around anything German! It goes without saying that German stuff is the most commonly faked militaria out there. People are putting out fakes now that folks who have been collecting for 50 years struggle to tell apart from the real deal. We’ve seen way too many people get burned out of the hobby because they purchased a $2000 helmet that turned out to be fake. This applies to painted M1 helmets too. Reference books and forums are your friend!

Where Can I Buy Militaria? #

Where Can I Buy Militaria?

After you acquired some knowledge from your books, we recommend sticking with well-known, good reputation dealers (that ideally have a money-back option). You might pay a little bit more than on the “open internet/gun show/militaria show market”, but it’s better to be thrown in a swimming pool than into the deep, dark ocean where huge financial losses await the uninformed collectors. Start out with more common, cheaper items before you seriously get into collecting. Chances of fakes are becoming exponentially higher, the rarer (and more expensive!) something is.

Thrift shops, antique shops, second-hand stores, your local militaria shops are all great options if shipping and handling costs are something you’d like to avoid.

Go to estate/garage sales! You can find some real treasures at them and half the time, the people selling the stuff have no idea what it is. It doesn’t hurt to ask if they have any military stuff lying around if you don’t see any.

Ask (or join) your local militaria club for where to buy items locally.

Gun shows/militaria shows are also options.

eBay is a blessing and a curse. It is absolutely loaded with fakes but if you know where to look and have the time you can find some good items. We don’t recommend beginners to buy items from here unless it is something very common or unlikely to be faked.

Always ask about the item if you’re unsure! We are here to help!

Should I Buy This Item? #

I’ve found an item, should I buy it?

Research, research, research!

Research, research and research some more and when you go to buy something research one last time.

Make Google your friend.

Google any and all writing/markings/etc. on an unknown item. Chances are somebody else on the web has asked about it before.

Don’t be afraid to consult others for authenticity and identification before you buy!

Our sub is always more than willing to help, just submit a post.

There are tons of great and specialized forums for almost every aspect of militaria collecting (which in many cases have 15+ years worth of posts and information on them) that would love to be of assistance!

Always ask for multiple opinions and use caution, remember that often those that yell the loudest are not usually the ones that know the most.

Make use of good reference books.

A good item speaks for itself. If a seller is pushy about how “totally real it is, bro”, it probably isn’t.

If it a super rare/expensive item, a 20k+ Knight’s Cross for example, and the seller can’t be arsed to take a clear picture with a neutral background, it is not gonna be real.

When in doubt, ask for more detail pictures. If they can’t or won’t provide them, move on immediately.

When you’re really proficient, you can even tell by pictures if a seller is trying to hide something from you. If small, important details are missing, in 80% of the cases it’s a person that doesn’t collect those things and just thought “Meh, I’ll make a few snapshots with my phone and put it online; I just want to get rid of it fast”, the other 10% might be another collector that got “burned” with a fake and tries to “burn” you with the fake in order to get some lost money back. The last 10% are real scammers that just sell repros/fakes.

I got burned with a fake Demag crank handle bayonet, but I learned my lesson and looked up more info for this type of bayonet to avoid more “burning sensations”. I still own my fake one (to help me identify other fakes and point out differences with a real one so I can help others!) and now know what certain characteristics a real one has. A big contributor to getting burned is a really good price.

Don’t be afraid to walk away if your gut tells you “It’s fake!”. Other chances to buy an original will arise!

The more sought after and the more rare a certain item is (in most cases german/japanese WW2 items!), the higher the chances of fakes circulating around are.

This Item Looks Old/Is My Item Fake? #

This item looks old, it must be real, right?

When in doubt, ask. Never buy items in the heat of the moment.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Ground dug items are also faked. Be wary.

Real ground dug items are often the result of grave robbery.

Check how the source of the item handles finding human remains. The good diggers work with agencies to have them returned, and are open about it, too.

Patina (a gloss or sheen on a surface resulting from age or polishing) doesn’t mean it is real. There are old fakes, and fake patina.

The more swastikas are on an item, the lower the chance of it being real. It was never used like a fashion brand logo.

Remember there are fakes out there that are now 40+ years old that have the age of old but are not real.

Things to Keep in Mind #

Things to Keep in Mind

Don’t get angry/depressed/sad if you get “burned” by a fake item. It happens to every collector when they’re still young in their collecting career.

Buy the item not the story. Just because some guy says “my friend’s uncle’s grandfather brought this back from Berlin” doesn’t mean the item is authentic or original.

Certificates of authenticity mean nothing. What matters is if the shop has a good lifetime return policy or not. Even reputable dealers make mistakes and you should always thoroughly check out items when you receive them.

Never spend more than you are willing to lose if it is a fake.

Don’t walk into a gun show etc with no idea what you’re looking for. Obviously if you see something cool at the right price, awesome, but ideally you should know what you’re after and what it is worth.

Heat of the moment decisions/purchases are never good. Don’t just buy things at a gun show because you are at a gun show.

Almost always, an item is worth what someone is willing to pay. This means that often stuff is more expensive because it is just more well known for some reason. As such, sometimes you get cool items cheaper simply because a lot of people just don’t know what it is.

Don’t buy things from tourist places (eg. Normandy).

They charge extra for the location.

Most items they sell are usually not originally from the region.

Deal with reputable dealers until you know what you are doing.

Should I Restore/Repaint/Polish My Items? #

Should I Restore/Repaint/Polish My Items?

The general consensus is no, as restoration, repainting, and polishing jobs diminish the quality and historical (and thus, also monetary) value and interest of items. However, in the end, it is up to personal preference.

Where are the best places to buy/sell militaria? #

Where are the best places to buy/sell militaria?

We have a list of shops as recommended by members of the sub.

How to move/pack my militaria collection? #

How do I move/pack my militaria collection for moving?

/u/Berlinbattlefiend has written a wonderful guide with tips on how to safely package your collection for moving.

Information on Militaria #

Information on Militaria

Basic Guide to Composite Helmets for a lot of Countries

Bayonet Identification Guide

Dai Nippon Military Antiques – a comprehensive archive of Japanese medals and badges

German dress dagger makers marks from ~1900 to 1945.

German Tinnies of the Second World War

Guide to US Army Sleeve Insignia & Patches – requires a Scribd subscription

How to Identify M1 Helmets

Nick Komiya’s Index of Reference Articles about Japanese Militaria – a required reading for everybody thinking about buying anything Japanese

Introduction to Spotting Fakes

Japanese Military Markings Guide

Kelly’s Badges Beginner’s Guide

Military Items Reference Guide – American – German – Japanese – Russian – Misc – Iraqi

Reference Books #

Reference Books

These are by no means, must-haves, but understand that a good book/reference collection can help you save thousands. Please understand that militaria collecting books are often published in small runs/self-published and can get quite expensive.

We have a list of recommended reference books available here (good for mobile) and in a table here (computers only).