I HAVE BEEN A W.W.II COLLECTOR SINCE I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, WHEN I GOT MY FIRST GERMAN HELMET OFF OF A VETERAN.  I AM NOW 51 YEARS OLD, OWN QUITE A BUNCH OF GERMAN TUNICS, OVER 75 OF THEM.  AND SEEING  AND OWNING QUITE A MANY SAMPLES OF GERMAN RELICS.  SOME THINGS ON E-BAY MAKE ME FEEL A LITTLE WEIRD.  I CAN'T BELEIVE THAT SO MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE NOTHING BUT SCAM ARTISTS. FIRST-- I NEVER HEARD OF A ''NORMANDY'' CAMO?  THERE IS NO SUCH THING!!!!!!.  THERE WAS NO ORDER GIVEN FROM HIGHER COMMAND TO PAINT YOUR HELMET IN A CERTAIN PATTERN. THIS WAS DONE BY INDIVIDUAL SOLDIERS.  AS A FACT, BY 1944, THERE WAS NO PAINT TO PAINT THESE HELMETS. THE PAINT HAD TO BE MIXED WITH GASOLINE WHICH WAS IN SHORT SUPPLY.  THE OTHER THING THAT CRACKS ME UP IS WHEN SOMEONE STATES A REAL HELMET HAS BEEN ''RESTORED''.  AGAIN FOLKS, NO SUCH THING!!!!!! A REAL SHELL REPAINTED WITH MODERN PAINT, REPRO DECALS, AND A REPRO LINER.  THE FACT AGAIN IS, THAT GERMAN HELMETS WERE PAINTED IN A LEAD BASED, SEMI-GLOSS PAINT.  SO DOES THAT INDIVIDUAL HAVE THE ORIGINAL LEAD BASED, SEMI-GLOSS PAINT?  LEAD PAINT IS NOT EVEN MADE ANYMORE.  THE DECAL'S WERE MADE WITH A THIN METAL FOIL, THAT WAS APPLIED WHEN THE HELMET WAS FIRST PAINTED, AND THEN BAKED ON.  MODERN DECALS ARE PLASTIC.  AND A REPRO LINER IS BASICALLY WORTHLESS.  BUT I SEE THESE HELMETS GOING FOR $375.00 OR MORE.  THE HELMET IS WORTH THE SHELL VALUE.  ABOUT $125-$150 DOLLARS.  PLEASE--- AND I DO MEAN PLEASE---- BUY SOME REFERENCE BOOKS.  THERE ARE PLENTY OUT THERE!!!!. DON'T BE FOOLED. THE ONLY BOOK THAT WE HAD, THAT WAS THE BIBLE OF UNIFORMS WAS THE BRIAN DAVIS BOOK ON GERMAN UNIFORMS.  THIS USE TO BE A HOBBY.  NOW IT TURNED OUT TO BE, A SHYSTERS PARADISE.       THE GUY IN THE MIDDLE IS ME.    RICHARD BIERUTA