If you want to sell a Nachlass (estate) of militaria — or simply want to find out what you've inherited or found while clearing a house —, the simplest way is this: photograph everything with your phone and send us the pictures via WhatsApp to +34 665 164 779. You'll receive a free assessment within 24 hours — what's original, what has value, and what we'll pay you for it. No obligation, and no one else needs to know.
Most people who write to us aren't collectors. They're clearing out their parents' house, open a box in the attic, and find a helmet, a few medals, a photo album, perhaps a uniform. No one in the family knows what's genuine or what it might be worth. This page is written exactly for that situation.
You Don't Need to Know What You Have
That's our job, not yours. You don't need to research anything, clean anything, or pre-sort anything. Please don't clean the pieces either — a well-meant polish can significantly reduce a medal's value. Leave everything exactly as you found it.
What typically turns up in a Nachlass like this: medals and decorations, helmets, uniform parts, bayonets and sabres, certificates, soldiers' pay books, photo albums, field post. Much of it is common and priced accordingly. Individual pieces, however, can be worth considerably more than they appear — and those are exactly the ones a layperson recognises worst. That's why, with us: photograph the entire lot, including the things that look unremarkable. Papers and photos belonging to a soldier often increase the value of the related pieces, because they document provenance.
How It Works
- Send photos. Lay everything out on a table, photograph it in daylight, and send it via WhatsApp. Two minutes of effort, no expertise required. Details on the photos can be found under Process.
- Valuation within 24 hours. We review the lot, separate the valuable from the ordinary, and tell you honestly what's genuine and what isn't. You'll receive a concrete offer — for the whole lot or piece by piece, as you prefer.
- Payment immediately. In cash, as soon as we've agreed on a price. For larger collections, we come to you in person — anywhere in Germany.
We buy for our own collection — with no dealer mark-up. In practical terms, that means we don't have to factor in shop rent or a resale margin, and that shows in the offer. Antique Militaria is a Spanish collectors' house based in Madrid; we buy historical pieces up to 1945, throughout Germany.
Discretion Goes Without Saying
Many heirs don't want neighbours, acquaintances, or even parts of their own family to learn of the find. We understand. The entire process runs privately via WhatsApp, with no public listings and without anyone taking notice. When we come in person to view a collection, we do so discreetly, at a time you choose. We treat photos of pieces with historical-era symbolism confidentially and document them exclusively in private — more on this under Is Selling Militaria Legal?.
For comparison: anyone who lists such pieces themselves on eBay or classified-ads sites makes the find public, has to deal with questions and haggling, and — for pieces with prohibited symbols — bears the legal risk of the public display alone. Selling to a collectors' house spares you all of that.
What We Don't Buy
We do not buy firearms or ammunition, as a matter of principle — if anything of that kind turns up in the Nachlass, please contact your local weapons authority or the police. We also don't buy replicas or reproductions; whether a piece is original we clarify free of charge from your photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sell the Nachlass through an auction house instead?
Auction houses are worthwhile mainly for high-value individual pieces — and take months to pay out. Selling directly to a collectors' house like ours is faster: send photos, get an offer within 24 hours, get paid immediately.
What are old medals worth?
That depends on type, condition, maker, and provenance. Common decorations are inexpensive; rare variants can fetch several times as much. You'll find concrete reference values per piece in our value tables — or send us a photo and get an assessment for your specific piece.
Who buys old East German (GDR) medals?
East German (GDR) medals and decorations also have their own collectors' market, though usually at a lower price level than pieces up to 1945. Just send them along with the rest — we'll assess the whole lot.
Do I need to sort or clean the Nachlass first?
No. Please don't clean anything — it can destroy value. Photograph everything unsorted; we'll take care of the rest.
Will someone come in person if there's too much to photograph?
Yes. For extensive collections and Nachlass, we come to you in person, anywhere in Germany. Just write to us briefly about roughly what's involved, and we'll arrange a time.
Send us photos of your find now — via WhatsApp to +34 665 164 779. Free valuation within 24 hours, payment immediately upon agreement.