| Collecting military badges can be very different to | | | | true, it usually is! |
| most other forms of collecting. A British cap badge | | | | Military Badges that have a slider fixing, when that |
| can offer so much of unique insight into the regiment | | | | particular cap badge was only ever made with lugs. |
| it represents, its past, the traditions, battle honors, | | | | Sellers who always seem to be selling British military |
| regimental motto, history and so with all this will | | | | badges from an old, or their late father collection, go |
| come a certain rarity. | | | | through their feedback and see if they have sold the |
| This rarity and shortage of original military badges has | | | | same badge before and ask yourself why do they |
| created a demand, which has needed to be met. So | | | | always have an almost endless supply of cap badges. |
| with British cap badges, this has resulted in the | | | | Sellers who hide the listing number, they have to do |
| production of copies or re strikes. | | | | this to hide the fact that they will have sold that |
| This has over the years flooded the market with re | | | | same "rare" cap badge over and over again. |
| strikes and the main problem being that a large | | | | Personally as a collector I accept that any collection |
| proportion of these modern copies are now being | | | | will have some of these re strikes and am happy to |
| sold on eBay by certain sellers as originals. Very often | | | | have one that fills a gap of one of the rarer cap |
| these cap badges will have gone through an "aging | | | | badges. But I do not want to be mislead into buying |
| process" by chemicals, then maybe polished up give | | | | a £25 cap badge only to find that its a |
| the impression of years of wear and tear. | | | | £5 copy. So if you feel that you have bought |
| So if you are considering buying a British military | | | | an expensive military badge sold to you as original, |
| badge on eBay, here are a few obvious things to | | | | and it turns out to be a re strike, why not ask for |
| watch for: | | | | your money back and consider reporting it to eBay, |
| The very rare, and desirable cap badge at auction for | | | | as a possible case of fraud. |
| a fraction of its real value, if it looks too good to be | | | | |