1 Canadian Parachute Battalion repro titles - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Bill A · #1 21-10-08, 12:56 PM

Tidying up my computer files, I came across these images of 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion flashes. These do not glow and are "wooly" smelling. As well, the thread test indcates that the material burns, not melts. However on the other side of the equation, the lettering is horrible, uneven and different sized. The embroidery does not come through the backing material, and the colours are a bit off. (Note the backing guideline is not an absolute. There are authentic WW2 titles that have the backing fixed over the title, but the embroidery was not sewn through the material.)
This is one of the recent (late 90's or early 2000's) repros out of Pakistan.

Bill A · #2 21-01-10, 01:15 PM

Found a note on these. It indicates that they showed up on the market circa 2004. They were supposedly made in Pakistan, and are reproductions.

James S · #3 23-01-10, 04:16 AM

Thanks for this post Bill. I was wondering about these titles. There is one up on Ebay right now. My instinct was that they were reproductions but the recent bidding on the title had me wondering.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Bill A · #4 23-01-10, 12:50 PM

To paraphrase an old saying: the uneducated and their money are soon parted.

Bill A · #5 24-01-10, 01:19 PM

To the tune of $128 US.
This has been said so many times, that one has to feel like they are spitting into the wind, but an investment in a good reference book or source, or time spent at some shows examining and handling items would be prudent before buying items for a collection. An error on a $20 repro is a lesson, an error on a $128 repro is a loss.
And this time it is not the vendor who was misleading. It was clearly stated that there are questions about that pattern. More research would be my first step. Not throwing out a big bid.

edstorey · #6 24-01-10, 03:21 PM

I think the demand to 'own' the item outstrips any common sense or logic. Who buys a book these days, the information is suppose to be free on the internet....

Bill A · #7 24-01-10, 03:35 PM

Hi Ed, There is something to the "own it at any cost" psychology. Auctions are one of the worst ways to buy anything, as they are loaded with emotional responses rather than rational considerations.
As far as "free" information goes, you still have to spend the time to seek it out, read it, (I am flabbergasted by the number of people who do not "scroll down" and read a whole page or entry), then process the info so that they can make informed decisions using what they have researched. And, there are still individuals who check one source and say, well that makes it right (or wrong), as the case may be. I have seen the same with book research. Some of these erroneous sources are in print. They acquire a source and it becomes the bible. Once written it is very difficult to change information in the public arena.
When questions are asked about why there are so many repro's being marketed, the answer in part has to lie with collectors as well as the vendors.

edstorey · #8 24-01-10, 04:46 PM

I think as well that there are some people who do not care if the item is original or not, they just want to own the item.

For sure the question lies with both collectors and vendors and I do not see the situation improving. The demand for this material just seems to keep growing.