[stephen f. polyak]

Roger,

As you probably know, when it comes to cloth (and many other kinds of) militaria items, particularly German WW2, extreme care must be taken. Your questions and caution are the right approach.



Cloth items are easy to reproduce, are in demand and command relatively high prices. So there are many fakes about. Even knowledgeable, experienced collectors can be fooled.



Your best bet is to find an item that comes from a VERY reliable source. Ideally, this is a veteran or an established dealer or collector with a reputation for honesty. There is no better approach than to compare the details of a known original item with an item you are considering. In most cases, this is easier said than done of course!



Good luck,

Steve