RFC Wings

[Camel Charge]

I'm looking for some RFC Wings in both patch and badge form. Unfortunately, I don't see the point in having a reproduction. Feel free to advise me on the subject.

Are these wings on ebay original?
Patch

I've looked at other similar discussions on these forums (Pilot's wings, "Original" RFC Wing..., R.F.C. wings).

I have also found a link which displays many wings supposed to be from WWI. One photo shows some RAF wings from 1918 still on the tunic!
World War I Wings

I would get Eagles Recalled as recommended in a previous thread, but it's much too expensive, considering that I don't want to collect all the wings.

What prices do definite WWI RFC wings go for?

By the way, I started a topic a long time earlier in which "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War" was recommended to me. I now have it. It's great! I'm gonna get the others in the series!

Hi,

RFC Wings are very collectable and most you will see on ebay and the like are copies, some better than others, teh occaision real piece, watchf or experience ebay collectors bidding like nuts for them. A reputable dealer is a good place to start - Please never trim things from uniforms....

However, that said prepare to part with $500 USD and up, so if you feel that Warren Carrols book is too expensive and you still want RFC wings, buy a repro as a represenation piece.

Now, I would never reccomend you buy anything from this dealer as he is a very highly priced jerk, but his stuff is usually top notch. I have bought decetn items form him in the past but eh process of dealing with him is one of teh worst experiences you coudl ever ask for. Scroll down and you'll see some RFC wings, note the prices, optimistic but he'll eventually find someone to buy it, a year a go these were $350 over the counter in his shop. http://www.britishmilitaria.com/17_early_aviation.htm

Part of the problem is that a few years ago Peter Jackson of 'Lord of the rings' fame got into WW I and RFC Collecting in a major way, sucked up everything on the planet for any price a vendor placed on it, prices soared, items dried up.

[Aerowallah]

Ah, yes. Good old Ivan Hiller. A pirate of the first rank. Fail to buy something within twenty minutes and he will run you out of his shop. And PLEASE know what you are looking at or he will treat you as mercilessly as he does the decorators for Hollywood types he occasionally puts his fake helmets into. BE VERY AFRAID!

You know, while I was perusing the photos of the helmets Aerowallah mentioned on the Britisher's site I wondered whether they looked too good..... Are they reconstituted helmets or out-and-out "non-vintage?" There I go being polite again.... They reminded me of some of the helmets I have examined that a few Imperial German dealers have been selling for awhile. Many are put together with parts, some of which are vintage. Sniffle, sniffle, uh hum there goes that post nasal drip again. HF

[Aerowallah]

HF, we've got to get you some allergy meds, or prune that ragweed bed in your backyard! Actually, I believe a lot of the "early aviation" uniform items he shows are probably okay, but it's all moot...if you go to Santa Monica to see his stuff you will have mere minutes before he starts to harass you and, should you buy something and need to return it, well, I'd rather roll in your ragweed patch. His real stingers are his pricey Victorian helmets, which are mostly repros. The aviation stuff he's had for years, and probably bought it all in one collection. Everything is wrapped and bagged in suitbags like an antiseptic morgue. Customers to him (unless you are a movie star) are like stains or toxic contaminants. You better be serious if you ask him to remove something from its sterile suitbag and put your thunmbprints all over it. One of this hobbies genuine nuts. But he has a great cockney accent. Occasionally one of his celebrity clients shows his collection to someone knowledgeable and Ivan has to write a very FAT telephone number refund check...

Right-o Aerowallah. I loved the reply! It is always nice to know what kind of a personality one is dealing with and better yet, who to avoid. It's tough enough trying to do business with some of the sane dealers. ....and speaking of sinus' it must be the ragweed. I think the "snowbirds" bring it with them when they come to Florida in the fall!!! HF

I have it on good authority that a number of years back he got furstrated with someone he determined to be a 'time waster' and pulled a gun out from under the counter and started waving it in the customers face, bad news as the customer happened to be an off duty LA county detective, Mr. H was arrested. I don't think he is that brazen anymore. There must be a mug shot of hime somewhere in cyberspace.

He does have a lot of suspect items, but the air force stuff is mostly legit. He bought piles of it back int he 70's & 80's when it was still pretty much considered surplus or collected by a few people. And well before middle aged men deceided it was a great idea to play dress up in original stuff and wreck it. He just sat on it until prices went up and cashed in. But what has happend is he has no source for cheap stuff anymore and has had to branch out into 'other countries' to keep his hand in.

One of the more distinct factes of his operation is that he is one of the few who 'does up' stuff that isn't 3 rd reich as a high dollar 'mint rarity' wink wink, nudge nudge - must be careful about libel etc.

[Aerowallah]

Bart, I can corroborate the gun story...it's absolutely true. Ivan's also good friends with Eddie Kenton, who is a maestro when it comes to Waterloo shakos and Rev war Tarletons. He has a box of two century old dust that he buries everything in before he springs it on some unsuspecting collector, especially an American who will be several thousand miles away by the end of the week. I hear Eddie had to skip the UK for Portugal after he sold some bad merch to someone who got heavy on him, but I can't attest to that. I also hear the way to Ivan's heart is to stand him a few lap dances at the local strip club, then he might let you examine something before you buy it. Just remember the safety comes off after 20 minutes or so. Oh, by the way, Ivan measures about 5 feet one with his boots on...

How do Snowbirds carry ragweed? I thought they travelled light only packing Speedos and sunblock!

Originally Posted by Aerowallah

I also hear the way to Ivan's heart is to stand him a few lap dances at the local strip club, then he might let you examine something before you buy it.

Well, it would need to be one named chippendales that's for sure. His shop makes me laugh, he has this Assitant from Hong Kong I think - it is all a lot like the old Peter Sellers 'Pink Panther' routines with Cato...

Oh, by the way, Ivan measures about 5 feet one with his boots on...

Yes, and the boots are 12 inches tall! mighty small foundation for such a pile of B.S. This is fun, I think an entire webforum could be devoted to Ivan stories. There are a number of dealers in the UK that when I mention how much I hate dealing with Ivan I'll get a discount from them.

How do Snowbirds carry ragweed? I thought they travelled light only packing Speedos and sunblock![/QUOTE] You must mean the Quebec ones, out here in Arizona it's all golf gear and zinc oxide. My favourite bumper sticker is "helen keller is alive ...and driving in Tucson"

Aerowallah - I believe we have some mutual collecting friends up in Canada, Calgary, initials V.T.??

[Aerowallah]

Calgary? I thought only whores and hockey players come from Calgary...sorry, bad joke. If so it's thru the magic of eBayland and they might as well be on Venus. Calgary?