What's up with all the Nazi stuff?

[DSA_FAL]

I went to the Crossroads gun show with my girlfriend over the weekend. She remarked to me that there was a lot of Nazi paraphernalia being sold. It got me wondering about why there was so much nazi stuff being sold.

Some of it I saw as obviously being militaria, such as old Nazi uniforms, since it was sold next to other historical military equipment. But there was also a fair amount of nazi stuff being sold in no other context than being sold because it's nazi related. Is there really a market for this stuff? I don't recall seeing this much Nazi related stuff at the last Crossroads in Del Mar.

Does anyone have any insight into this?

[CalNRA]

as long as the peole going there aren't buying the stuff and start wearing it, why not?

[SemiAutoSam]

Supply and demand. People collect those things after all it is a part of world history. Banning the buying and selling of it would be controlling and would not be part of the so called freedom that this country thinks it has.

I went to the Crossroads gun show with my girlfriend over the weekend. She remarked to me that there was a lot of Nazi paraphernalia being sold. It got me wondering about why there was so much Nazi stuff being sold.

Some of it I saw as obviously being militaria, such as old Nazi uniforms, since it was sold next to other historical military equipment. But there was also a fair amount of Nazi stuff being sold in no other context than being sold because it's Nazi related. Is there really a market for this stuff? I don't recall seeing this much Nazi related stuff at the last Crossroads in Del Mar.

Does anyone have any insight into this?

[The Soup Nazi]

Remember Godwin's Law. As the size of an internet discussion grows, the probability of references or comparisons to Hitler or the Nazis approaches 1. I personally own a German Heer Office Visor cap as well as an SS field cap. My biology teacher from Freshmen year wants to unload a genuine Luftwaffe Officer Dagger on me for 50 dollars because he looks like a skinhead and his wife wants him to get rid of it.

WW2 is the new cowboys and indians of my generation. (well, I still enjoy the cowboys and indians a lot anyways) I was Hitler in a historical re-enactment at my school. I also own Soviet stuff like a Red Navy Ushanka (Hunt for Red October), a Vodka flask with the KGB insignia on it, and of course, my beloved Russian SKS. So what if I enjoy having the things of past tyrannical governments? Just because someone owns a German Stanhelm or a K98 doesn't make him a Nazi or mean that he embodies what the party belived in. Besides, the SS had really cool uniforms.

[hoffmang]

I tend to treat my Russian SKS as a war trophy. I remember seeing the wall come down as a teen and thinking - ahhh... there will be a long full life.

-Gene

[luvtolean]

It's been that way since forever.

When I was a much younger kid it used to kinda scare me actually. I started learning German very young, and did a report on a Hitler propaganda video. I couldn't believe normal people would buy that stuff. (though now I have a couple of packs of Nazi ammo to go with a K98 as a collector)

The Nazi stuff at gun shows is real bad for the already poor image they have, but I agree it shouldn't be controlled or banned...

[grammaton76]

Some of it I saw as obviously being militaria, such as old Nazi uniforms, since it was sold next to other historical military equipment. But there was also a fair amount of nazi stuff being sold in no other context than being sold because it's nazi related. Is there really a market for this stuff? I don't recall seeing this much Nazi related stuff at the last Crossroads in Del Mar.

Back when Del Mar had two buildings, there was one building that was almost nothing but nazi memorabilia. When they moved to one building, I think they must've bumped the table prices a little and the nazi-stuff sellers stopped coming.

However, I will point out that San Diego county has a very active white nationalist community. Last I kept tabs on them (in '03 or so), Socal was one of their #1 growth regions. Probably has to do with effectively exploiting ethnic tensions... in areas where everyone speaks English, there's not going to be as many cranky high schoolers and young adults, which makes up their core demographic.

I used to keep tabs on what the nationalists looked like, simply because back when I worked at mp3.com, I had to be very careful to make sure I didn't even partially resemble one... the libs kept trying to get me fired for being a gun owner, but that didn't work too well - if they'd been able to say, "LOOK! This guy happens to wear Doc Martens, and that's a big skinhead thing!", then they might've been able to make something stick better on a racism angle...

That having been said, I do have some nazi memorabilia - NONE of it bought, all of it brought back from WW2 by my grandfather.

Whoever brought up the cowboys and indians thing got it right, though. Look at the military FPSes out there... WW2 outnumbers all the other scenarios for console FPSes by a vast margin, even more so if you count out the few sci-fi's. If it ain't WW2, it's Vietnam... I'd love to see some more WW1 games though, as well as a better presentation of the Pacific Front of WW2. "MOH: Rising Sun" frankly sucked... towards the latter end of the game, all the Japanese soldiers have cyborg skulls that require multiple headshots to drop, but they go down after a single buttstroke from your rifle. *boggle*

[50 Freak]

I've actually noticed a increase of WWII Japanese stuff too. Just nostalgia for the "good'ole days" I guess.

Personally I like the currently military stuff, but sometimes do have a fondness for "unique" weapons like the Le-mat Pistol, various squeeze pistols, grave robber guns etc.

[Stanze]

Protected under the first amendment, enjoy.

[daskraut]

since my first gun show in 1973, there has always been tons of nazi stuff, why?, it is the most valuble and collectable!. It is not a political statement to collect it, is is just kinda.....like buying roman stuff would be. Remember, germany was a little country that kicked butt till the "whole world" had to chase them back to their borders and then disarm them. I bet the romans used to collect greek stuff too

[Michael303]

I’ve noticed a bit more of it too. Especially an increase in the amount of reproduction stuff. It boils down to forbidden fruit. Nazi gear is taboo, so people want it more. I don’t like it, especially seeing as the Swastika is the the first thing the media portrays when they go on an anti-gunshow crusade. Still, it falls under the first amendment. I’d rather have it around than live under the the fascist European laws controling what you can view, read, and buy.

[TheMan]

since my first gun show in 1973, there has always been tons of nazi stuff, why?, it is the most valuble and collectable!. It is not a political statement to collect it, is is just kinda...

But how much of it is real, and how much of it is reproduction? I thought there was a good bit of reproduction stuff at that gun show. I wouldn't mind getting a few genuine items(Nazi, Commie, Japanese, NK, VC, Chinese, etc), although bring backs like grammaton has would be a lot more interesting. I'd just want to make sure I wasn't getting a Chinese knockoff, even if it was of an originally Chinese item.

[grammaton76]

bring backs like grammaton has would be a lot more interesting.

Definitely are... a Nazi officer's bayonet, a flag, and a helmet with the swastika on it.

Unfortunately, my grandfather's garage was broken into back in the 70's and most of the more interesting stuff was stolen.

Apparently he had some MG's at one point...

[Aluisious]

I’ve noticed a bit more of it too. Especially an increase in the amount of reproduction stuff. It boils down to forbidden fruit. Nazi gear is taboo, so people want it more. I don’t like it, especially seeing as the Swastika is the the first thing the media portrays when they go on an anti-gunshow crusade. Still, it falls under the first amendment. I’d rather have it around than live under the the fascist European laws controling what you can view, read, and buy.

You wanna cite some of those fascist European laws?

BTW, if you're into Nazi crap, a short stroll in the Ukraine will yield buckets full of the stuff. No need to reproduce anything.

[The Soup Nazi]

German law forbids the use of swastikas except in strictly educational uses. Thats why when they released Medal of Honor Allied Assault they didn't have any swastikas. Germany has also wanted to pass a law which would give REAL jail time to anyone who basically committed an act of violence against a VIDEO GAME character which resembled a human being. Many European nations refuse to give more violent games ratings in an attempt to bar their main stream sale. Its a real shame, they've really become a protectionist nanny state. I've killed my own legion of zombies, nazis, virtual pedestrians, and Doom 3 abominations and I turend out ok.