Anyone Familiar With This Site?

bmoore01 · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject: Anyone Familiar With This Site?

Has anyone had any dealings with these guys?

http://www.germanmilitaria.com/

http://www.germanmilitaria.com/Galleries/Uniforms.html

Does anyone have any reccomendations or any dealings with them? Their stuff looks pretty good ..if a little high..but I a firm believer in the old addage..."you get what you pay for" ..most of the time!

Thanks!

Combat Relics · Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 225

All in all that site is a very good resource. As you say, items can at times seem a bit pricey. It is well known that every reasonable effort is taken to be certain the items offered there are genuine.

It is my understanding that relic owners set the sale price they will accept, and submit the item for listing. The item is evaluated and presented with an additional fee amount added to the original price, by the site owner.

The additional amounts are unknown to me, but I am sure Peter will inform any seller what the mark up amounts are. I believe it used to be 10%, but I have heard people mention higher percentages.

I believe you can trust Peter's honesty. I am not positive that any individual or group, no matter how much they do this, is 100% expert.

The Thicket · Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 134 Location: Right Here.

Let me add a few things, first off the sight Collectors Guild has many fine items to be for sure.

As well many of the exact same things can be found right here on GMC. As well many times for less money, being sold by people that know just as much as Peter knows, as well in some cases we have folks that know even more, as well we even have a few sellers that get items that you the collector will be the very first to ever own.

Thats not an option on 99.9% of the dealers sights on line today

Just a bit of food for thought.

Combat Relics · Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 225

Well said Bruce.

It is not a case of if one site is 'Better' than the other, they are each viable resources.

Some similarities;
GMC (German Militaria Collectibles) and Peter's site, both host sales items of other collectors.
Both sites try very industriously, to keep bad items from being posted and sold.
Both sites have a wide variety of militaria for sale at any time.

My understanding of the important differences is:
a. On TMG (The Militaria Guild) there is a percentage fee added to every item. Items must be mailed registered mail to Canada, and declared at full value. (This was my understanding of an email I received a few years back, when I was thinking of selling some items there.) The amounts those costs add up to, make it unattractive to me as a seller.
On this website, if you are a paid member there are no fees of any type. $20 a year, that is it. Then buy and sell as much as you wish.

b. TMG represents and sells the items for the owner. You never get to meet or know who you are dealing with. It also keeps the seller/owner of the item anonymous (whether they desire it or not.)

c. TMG has no forums, or a blog, to create community and inform, as this website has. (Though we see precious little participation other than buying and selling here!)

d. TMG operates similar to an auction house, except the items are all fixed price listings, can be sold at any time, and there is no bidder registration etc. Most other functions resemble a mail order or online auction.

e. TMG prices are simply the price of the owner plus the fee of the site. High or low they are the ticket price. I cannot justify or criticize prices. They exist, and if a person does not wish to pay, they should move on without complaint.
I have bought some great items here, and unfortunately, not one item from TMG.

f. TMG seems to leave items marked as 'SOLD' , listed for an extended period of time, even months. They also remove the prices displayed on those sold listings.

f. TMG Tends to do a MUCH better job of photographing and describing the items for sale, than the individuals on GMC. They are a paid professional team. Still members here should make a better effort and represent items with at least good photographs.

In my sales listings, I ask people to request any additional info, and I try to put up very revealing pictures. This has led to productive dialogue in many instances. Buyers feel better knowing they can contact you anytime about anything.

It has also led to many other successful sales that did not require a listing!

GMC is Very Democratic. The only thing that is proprietary, is the $20 per year membership fee. That little outlay, likely keeps out many cheapskates, crooks, and time wasters.

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