Moonraker Posted 18 August , 2007 Share Posted 18 August , 2007 I don't want to risk this offending the mods (having already sailed close to the wind today by pointing someone to a dealer's website offering a card of interest to him) but one is now being offered the chance to buy some fabric from von Richthofen's aeroplane. (Guess where!) The vendor provides quite a detailed history of the item - quite convincing, really - and I am not doubting the information given. But at the end of the day, can one be sure? (The number of wood splinters said to come from the Cross comes to mind.) A few years ago, a respected postcard dealer was offering a bit of fabric said to come from one of the first aeroplanes to crash on Salisbury Plain, attached to a postcard of the wreckage. I think he was asking something like £65, the card on its own being worth £15 or so. It hung around in his stock for a year or so, then presumably it was sold. But where was the provenance? Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegreatwar Posted 18 August , 2007 Share Posted 18 August , 2007 Been following this with interest. I bid a whole pound, but see the bidding has gone up to £10.49. It has 'reputed'... How can you tell if its genuine? Still, I suppose some of the fabrics red though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitzee Posted 19 August , 2007 Share Posted 19 August , 2007 It is virtually impossible to authenticate the piece of fabric as having come from DR1 415/17 You must research the source of the artifact and even than, there will always be some doubt as to its authenticity. Theres a good chance that the fabric came from a WW1 aircraft, Is it from Richthofen's...I'm willing to bid as high as $11.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 26 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 26 August , 2007 Phew! It went for £966.99, and there were several bidders who were willing to pay several hundreds of pounds. The fragment measured 2.5 by 4 inches, which must make it one of the most expensive bits of fabric ever. I wasn't for one second interested in buying it (it came to my attention only because "Salisbury" is one of my search terms and the word came up in the general blurb) but the provenance is already a bit thin. It appears that the item may have owned at one time by "Lt. L.K. Baker D.F.C. CdG, who served with 2nd Squadron R.F.C. and was in 80 Squadron 1918 by the end of the war". I suppose one could check to see if he was likely to have been in the vicinity when von Richthofen's plane fell to the ground... The vendor's description is fair enough but... Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 2 September , 2007 Share Posted 2 September , 2007 The vendor's description is fair enough but... no one forced to buyer to bid. If the provinance was stronger the bid would have been higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothic69 Posted 2 September , 2007 Share Posted 2 September , 2007 Perhaps it also comes with a free signed copy of the Hitler Diaries !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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