Threetoughtrucks wrote:Just as there are U.S, reenactor groups there are also German reenactor groups and Brit and Canadian, Italian and whatever floats your boat groups.
The German groups do a lot of shows with military vechicle groups. The South Jersey German group has a collector who bought a Tiger mock up (a T-34 with a Tiger superstructure). The collector is also a 1/6 collector, and has posted pics..
Reaction to the German groups? Mixed I would say. Not as bad as the reaction of eBay to any item with a Nazi symbol on it. I mean I haven't seen any reenactors doing anything outrageous. That wouldn't help the historical collectors from getting popular suport for his private collection.
TTT
That would be me, TTT, and thanks for the kudos.
Reaction to us? Surprisingly, it is almost overwhelmingly positive. I would not have thought it when I first started reenacting about 7 years ago or so. But, the public is incredibly fascinated by our uniforms, equipment, ordnance, vehicles, and such. We have have very, very few times where someone came at us with an attitude, and even then, once you explain to them that you are NOT a modern day Nazi, this is a hobby, etc. they usually calm down and understand. Its all how you present yourself and conduct yourself. For every 1 person that has an issue with us, there are thousands who don't, and that is a very favorable ratio that I never would have thought would be possible, especially doing a Waffen-SS unit.
As for vehicles, you are absolutely correct. US jeeps, 2.5 tons, etc. are much more plentiful and cheaper then German vehicles. If you are doing German, you better have deep pockets. There are some cheaper German vehicles out there, such as converted Chaing Jing motorcycles made to look like BMW's, KoobelKars that are Kubel replicas, and the 1941 3 ton Ford Truck, which was the 2nd most used truck in the German military in WWII. Fords are still around, but starting to get up there in price, a good example will run you about $7000 or so. Chaing Jings, to properly convert, you better budget at least $10,000. Koobel Kars run from about $10,000 to $20,000 depending on if you buy a kit vs. a turn key example, and how much you want to trick it out.
For armor, well, now you are talking big bucks. I just purchased a Czech OT-810 halftrack to convert into a 251/1 track. I got a real solid deal on it ($25,000) and will probably spend another $5,000 to $7,500 to convert it. The Tiger was significantly more then that, well into the 6-figures, but that is because of the pedigree involved with it (Being the "Sticky Bomb" tank from Saving Private Ryan). Replica armor is really the only way to go, using surplussed armor chassis to build off of, as existing pieces are so expensive (MK III's and Stug III's, when you can find one for sale, are usually well over $500,000 and most top over $1,000,000). Then you run into the hassle of spare parts and fixing/maintaining them. It is quite a challenge. My unit has one of the largest collections of vehicles and ordnance found in reenacting, and I can tell you, it requires a LOT of work to keep these machines functioning. It is not for the feint of heart, but rather a labor of love.
Overall, if you are interested in the hobby of WWII reenacting, it is a GREAT way to learn about WWII. I highly recommend it. Just be prepared for the costs, and remember to have fun.
Best,
Rolo
9th SS
www.9thsspanzer.com
