Original Nazi Armband

Here is an original Nazi armband, I got it for $50. It has a slight stain in the circle and the original manufacturers tag on the inside.

Don't know mucha bout Nazi junk but the makers tag looks to be in a lot better shape then the piece it self, maybe just the photos.

I'm very suspicious of any armband where the fabric looks new. Even if there is a stain, as stains are commonly added by counterfeiters. This stain is extra suspicious because it is on the circle, but not on the red material. The tag looks very new and is another point which makes me suspicious. It says NSDAP. Also the price of $50 is very low for a real item. Almost all (if not all) standard NSDAP armbands were silkscreen printed on cotton or linen. The best examples of swastika armbands were made of multi piece construction (like this one), of heavy wool or light linen, with tape sewn in the construction of the swastika. It was done in silken tape and was constructed out of 6 different pieces of tape. I have also heard of the swastika being constructed out of bullion thread sewn on to the armband. There are also many embroidered and woven swastikas, they were embroidered in bullion thread on wool, embroidered in cotton thread on wool cotton or linen, or woven out of silk or cotton threads.

I would look at the thread. If its synthetic, it's a fake. Fakes are commonly embroidered on a felt armband. This one is not on a felt armband, so that is a good sign, but not definitive proof of authenticity. The armbands are so often faked that it is best to get documentation from the original owner, and to be wary of low prices. People who knows they have the genuine article are not usually willing to sell it for $50. Short of that, the general rule is if the material looks new, it probably is new.

I'm not saying that this is a fake, because I cant feel and see some of the details from a picture, and even fakes are commonly made from constructed from real period material so it's hard to tell. What I am saying is that it is best to be very very suspicious when buying Nazi military, government, civillian, and concentration camp (many fakes here) armbands.

Not calling it fake, just trying to offer helpful info for those considering getting into these types of relics.

Baji, thank you for confirming my concerns about this piece. Happy I am not the only one who look at that weird.