Once again, Malvern Militaria Fair was a huge success. In spite of some smattering rain, everyone was out in force thoroughly enjoying browsing militaria to their heart’s content. As always, there were some amazing items on display from deacts to webbing, badges to helmets, from modern surplus to 1800s armour. That is the joy of getting yourself down to a militaria fair and handing these pieces of history we are all so obsessed with.
So, in this article we will have a look at a couple of the items that were on display at the Malvern Militaria Show.
WW2 German Opel Kadett
We start with what I think was the largest physical item on sale at Malvern. In the second hall you could see this fantastic Opel Kadett for sale. Each time I walked past, there was a group of people peering inside, examining the engine and wondering what it would be like to drive (so it took me a while to get clear photos!). Many of us dream of owning an original WW2 vehicle so it is always nice to get up close and personal with one.
The Opel Kadett was originally designed as a small family car, being produced between 1936 and 1940. However, many were then adopted by officers to use as a personal chauffeured vehicle. This particular example was up with a show price of £15,000. If you would like anymore information or would like to speak to the vendor, please get in touch and we can pass you along. It is located not too far from the Malvern Showground.
Wandering around the show.
One great thing about shows is wandering around and mingling with other collectors. I took this photo around 1pm and it was still very busy. At the time, I was standing next to D&B Militaria’s stall. As always, a wide selection of deactivated weapons on display and a lot of happy faces walking away with bags under their arms. One item that stood out to me was this sectioned Mk3 Bren gun. It had been a long time since I had seen one in person and they always stand out for me as a collectable.
The Bren was a modified version of a Czechoslovakian designed light machine gun, the ZB Vz26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. They were loved by the troops who used them as they rarely went wrong and withstood all conditions equally well. As a medium range weapon they were very accurate and because they could fire in semi auto, they were often used to pick off long range targets. It was such an effective design that in modified form, it served in the British armed forces until very recently. They can still be found in Africa and work perfectly well to this day. All deactivated weapons sold by D&B Militaria are deactivated in the United Kingdom and hold London or Birmingham proof marks and a certificate stating that the weapon has been deactivated correctly.
If you want to check out this piece in more detail and see more photos, it is available from D&B Militaria for £1,995 – CLICK HERE
Modern surplus
So, I will be the first to admit that I know nothing about modern surplus, but I see its appeal. More and more is coming to the market as new patterns of MTP camo comes out or old DPM patterns are dumped out of stores. It is ideal for so many purposes be that paintball or airsoft, or simply as a damn hardwearing jacket. It is also of course a collectable! Those early DPM jackets used in Northern Ireland are commanding serious value these days and those values will only increase with time.
Fighting Irish Militaria specialise in Irish items and as such, had some rare and interesting items on their stall from that troubled period in Irish history. One item I got to handle was this Mk4 turtle helmet with the riot visor attached. When the problems first arose in 1969, there was a lack of preparedness that meant a quick-fire production of these visors in Belfast to get them out to the front line. The rarity in them now was mostly caused by the majority being destroyed in the 1980s when they were taken out of service. By coincidence, I saw 2 at the show, one for £285 and then this example from Fighting Irish Militaria for £250. CLICK HERE for the direct link to the item.
Bargains Bargains Bargains
One of the best aspects of any militaria fair, and in particular the larger ones like Malvern, is the abundance of bargains on offer. Especially in hard times like all are suffering now, you have to be on the lookout for saving money where you can. At Malvern Militaria Fair this is always possible. Many traders take that extra bit of stock they wouldn’t normally take with them with the aim of clearing out. I myself picked up some lovely 1944 matching shoulder straps for £4 for the pair in a bit box under a stand. I needed them to complete a matching set which is always greatly satisfying! But it again, it brings me back to something I am always blabbing on about – there is no replacement for getting out to fairs.
Lots of traders also like to do “Show Prices”. These are cash only prices that you can only get from getting down to a show and chatting to the traders in person. Someone who is very big on this is John from Saracen Exports. Before the show, he posted a string of items onto the Malvern Militaria Fair Facebook page with bargain prices on items that he would only be offering at the show. (If you aren’t on the Malvern Facebook page – CLICK HERE – to join). These items appear to have been long-term stock items that he wanted to clear, and by lunchtime when I managed to chat with him, lots had gone already.
If you would like to check out these items and more from Saracen Exports then CLICK HERE.
The Interesting and Unusual
In case you haven’t guessed by now, we are big advocates of militaria fairs and getting yourself out and about to them. The list of reasons is bordering on endless, but a personal favourite of mine is seeing items you never expect. At every show I have ever attended – which is a lot – I spot something that makes me think. At Malvern it was this WW2 German M24 Grenade box from CS Militaria.
What made the box so interesting to me was how unique it was. We have all seen trench art, helmets with hand painted motifs / scenes and of course named items. But hand painting a Mickey Mouse look-alike, a football and fishing scene onto an M24 Grenade box. It begs the question – why? After handling the item, the paintwork is clearly of the period, by this I mean 60-70 years+; however, it is impossible to know if it is wartime or just post war. What is is for sure, that it is unique and interesting and that is what caught my eye. CLICK HERE to see the full item listing online.
Now the epic.
The final thing that caught my eye was actually first mentioned to me before the show, I then had to go and see it in person. Chelmsford Militaria had this stunning pair of aircraft Browning machine guns. They are marked with Portuguese stamps and dated 1937. Both were being sold with the armourer boxes and link chains, all for £6,000. Personally I am not that big on deacts, but it was a seriously impressive sight. Check out the video below.
Finally, a big thank you to Amanda, Graham and the team.
As always we must all say a big thank you to the team who put together this show. A lot of work goes into running a militaria fair, especially one of this size, and as always, they worked their socks off to provide for us. As always, I am looking forward to the next show in October so hopefully see you there!
CLICK HERE for more details on the next Malvern Militaria Fair.
Check out our worldwide militaria fairs list. We have an extensive worldwide list of shows on our website (CLICK HERE) on which you can even search by location. If Malvern is too far away or you are based outside the UK, check out the events calendar for your local events. If we have missed one, or there are new dates for a show we have previously had on our lists, please let us know. We provide our list for free and don’t charge the event organisers for the list so sometimes we miss the odd one!
