As some of you might know, I’m a collector and admirer of militaria. I am, for the most part, mostly concerned with the Second World War and Cold War. Berlin has always been my treasure chest. Every weekend I head down to the flea markets, and like a child in a candy store, I ogle and peel over medals, helmets, gasmasks, photos, written work, fieldguides and the likes. I have to exercise the point that I am in no way a “Nazi-Sympathizer”. It’s history, you dolt.  Anyways, I toooootally scored this Sunday afternoon, at the Ostbanhof flea market. Pictured is an SS hat pin. Here in Germany, it’s illegal to display certain icons and actions related to the 3rd Reich; this includes the SS skull, swastikas and the Nazi salute. How do vendors of such historic relics avoid getting in trouble for setting up shop with a table covered in metallic swasticas??? Stickers. The symbol of Nazi brutality, obscured by a smiley face. Ominous?

As some of you might know, I’m a collector and admirer of militaria. I am, for the most part, mostly concerned with the Second World War and Cold War. Berlin has always been my treasure chest. Every weekend I head down to the flea markets, and like a child in a candy store, I ogle and peel over medals, helmets, gasmasks, photos, written work, fieldguides and the likes. I have to exercise the point that I am in no way a “Nazi-Sympathizer”. It’s history, you dolt. 

Anyways, I toooootally scored this Sunday afternoon, at the Ostbanhof flea market. Pictured is an SS hat pin. Here in Germany, it’s illegal to display certain icons and actions related to the 3rd Reich; this includes the SS skull, swastikas and the Nazi salute. How do vendors of such historic relics avoid getting in trouble for setting up shop with a table covered in metallic swasticas???

Stickers.

The symbol of Nazi brutality, obscured by a smiley face.

Ominous?

I made my own display cases for some of the East German and Nazi/ Wehrmacht items I’ve collected from my travels, out of crap that was prepped for the recycling bin. Cotton and plastic ftw.

I made my own display cases for some of the East German and Nazi/ Wehrmacht items I’ve collected from my travels, out of crap that was prepped for the recycling bin. Cotton and plastic ftw.

My hope to one day be able to find and afford a Wehrmacht stahlhelm tickles me pink, but not as much as the thought of owning a Luftschutz stahlhelm. goodGRAVY they’re so sleek. The beaded variant of the “gladiator”-style stahlhelm is my preferred design; always has been.  Oh empty wallet, how you make the militaria-collector in me cry .___.

My hope to one day be able to find and afford a Wehrmacht stahlhelm tickles me pink, but not as much as the thought of owning a Luftschutz stahlhelm. goodGRAVY they’re so sleek. The beaded variant of the “gladiator”-style stahlhelm is my preferred design; always has been. 

Oh empty wallet, how you make the militaria-collector in me cry .___.

Probably one of my favorite sidearms ever, the cute sweet Kampfpistole. With a range of 100m, this little guy was designed to be an anti-armor p i s t o l. As in, pewpew goes BOOM.

Probably one of my favorite sidearms ever, the cute sweet Kampfpistole.

With a range of 100m, this little guy was designed to be an anti-armor p i s t o l.
As in, pewpew goes BOOM.