From our special envoy to Sainte-Mère-Eglise (Manche),
He had initially come to find “a few trinkets” to enrich his collection, nothing more. But as is often the case, Patrick gave in and left with empty pockets. This Norman, who came as a neighbor on Tuesday to the Sainte-Mère-Eglise militaria exchange, this time took out the tickets for a rare object. “It’s an American load carrier dating from 1942,” he enthused. This was used to carry munitions during the Second World War.” For this period equipment, the retiree spent 300 euros. “I wanted to negotiate a little but the seller wouldn’t hear anything,” he laughs. It’s not a big deal, I had fun.”
Under the big marquee installed for the 80th anniversary of the Landing near the Norman village church, thousands of enthusiasts of military objects like Patrick came to unearth the rare pearl. The one that will enhance their collection before being replaced by another. “A collector is like a drug addict, he never knows how to stop,” confides Philippe, originally from Annecy. A “drug addict” himself, this time he put on the salesman’s hat. On his stand, lots of knives, military uniforms, but also vintage soda caps with corks.
“I once put 5,000 euros into a helmet”
On the stands next door, the entire American soldier’s kit is for sale with helmets, gas masks, vests and shovels for digging trenches. But also everyday objects such as toiletries, medical equipment or water bottles, bowls or cutlery. “Old stuff” according to some, but for which this khaki community is ready to pay crazy sums. “I once put 5,000 euros in a helmet worn by an American soldier of the 1st infantry division at Omaha Beach,” assures Patrick.
In recent years, prices have indeed soared in this niche market. “These objects interested a lot fewer people before and there were a lot fewer professionals,” explains Philippe, a Belgian collector. There are also fewer and fewer vintage objects on the market, and anything that is rare is therefore expensive.” Like these helmets or soldier’s badges which previously sold for a pittance, and for which you now have to drop several hundred or even thousands of euros. “It’s nonsense, it’s become a real business,” notes Francis, originally from Lorraine, who has been scouring the military stock markets for around twenty years.
Pale copies sold for period objects
This is without counting the crooks who have sniffed out the seam, particularly on the Internet, selling pale copies for period objects. With, for some, a well-established technique. “They bury them in the ground or use acid to age them,” says Rémy. On his stand, he guarantees buyers that “everything is from the period”, showing – when it exists – the date engraved on the object to certify that he experienced the war. “I’m wary of anything for sale on the Internet anyway,” assures Francis. I need to see the object and touch it to make sure it’s not fake.”
The Lorraine collector has nothing against copies of militaria, he actually has some. “There’s something for everyone, of course,” he says. But in this case the seller must specify it so as not to fool the buyer.” In the opinion of experts, the Sainte-Mère-Eglise stock exchange, one of the most important in the region, welcomes very few dishonest sellers. And not a lot of weapons, as we could see. In the aisles, two gendarmes in plain clothes carry out checks to ensure that weapons which are held illegally or which have not been neutralized are not sold.
It is the same with German uniforms or badges adorned with a Nazi symbol, the sale of which is however not prohibited. “You shouldn’t expose them to everyone’s view and paint the swastika, for example,” explains a seller who wishes to remain anonymous. In 2014, during a previous military exchange in Sainte-Mère-Eglise, around a hundred Nazi objects were seized by the police.