Goggle Advice/Questions

[kiltie]

I've got a line on a pair of AN6530 goggles at a local antiques dealer. For the condition, the price seems to line up with most of what is actually selling on ebay; the usual cracking, etc..., but the lenses are in good shape, minimal oxidation, and no separation at the padding from the hardware.

What I'm wondering, though, is:

Is this the kind of thing I should consider trying to restore, over time, especially regarding the pads?
After looking around a bit, I find that replacement pads run up into the $100 range; two thirds of what the goggles run to start with. I'd be sitting on a $250 set of goggles when all was said and done. Still considerably less than a minty pair of originals, but a bill over a decent repro.
I know that typically, restorations can have an adverse effect on the collectibility of many things, but I haven't seen any AN6530s being offered up as being restored, so I don't have a sounding board.
I had been leaning heavily towards picking up a set of the reproductions, but this gear just gets more scarce every day and prices go up, up, and up. Plus, you cant beat owning a bit of history, but I prefer my bits of history to be in practical, useful condition ( winky smiley ).

Finally, with ebay being my only real gauge ( not counting the more extravagant offerings, i.e. NOS boxed goggles at Flying Tiger, or wherever...), am I correct in believing that $150 is what I'm going to have to pay for even a nominally serviceable set of these?

Thanks for whatever y'all have got for me.

 

[unclegrumpy]

I think it depends what you are going to do with them. If you are going to wear them for reenactment, then I would go the reproduction route. No matter how nice a pair of originals are, the original rubber is old and fragile and will not hold up to use. The stretch in the elastic straps doesn't hold up well either.

If you are going for a collectable to go on a flight helmet, then I would get a pair of originals that fit the condition of the helmet.

I have not been tracking the prices the big boys are asking, but I still see nice pairs of AN 6530's going for $250 to $300....maybe $350 for something really nice with dark green lenses. Decent original pairs with failing rubber, but still serviceable enough to look OK on a flight helmet, are about $200.

I don't follow the reproduction prices either, maybe you can post what you are seeing. I will say, that the reproductions I have seen are not as nice as the originals. Finding original frames and lenses is not that tough, so getting a replacement rubber and strap might be a good way to go.

 

[kiltie]

Thanks for that -

The repros I'd been most seriously considering are from WPG at about 150USD.
I don't reenact: primarily they'd be for display on an A-9, along with some other junk I've slowly been scraping together.

Your description of the pricing seems to be commensurate with what I'm seeing around.
I think I'll run down and grab those things and post a picture here, then you can tell me what you think. If they stink, judging from what I'm seeing around, I shouldn't have any trouble getting back what I pay.

Thanks again.

 

[kiltie]

Okay:

$140 - Here they are:

Money well spent, or rooked? What say you, forum?
As an aside, while I was there, I also picked up this Meyer NY stamped jumbo cap badge -

 

[unclegrumpy]

I think you did fine!

If the rubber is still attached, I would leave them alone. You live in a really dry climate, and those goggles look pretty typical for ones that have suffered though many years of hot summers.

As an FYI, AN 6530 goggles easily come apart, but when the rubbers are baked, they don't....or at least they don't always go back together well.

 

[dmar836]

Not bad. It's an earlier version. Who wants to see a repro on display? Looks good to me! Replacing the cushion would also be a waste of money IMO. If I was looking for a pair, I would certainly not pay for anything restored with replica parts. Historical things can be original only once.
Now you need an A-8 helmet!

Dave

 

[kiltie]

Thanks, fellas. Words of encouragement and validation that should keep any buyer's remorse at bay until the goggles become a regular fixture.

I wish I'd had my camera with me while I was there, as I saw a few other gems. A lot of wings, including a couple of Air Corps sets, a couple of nice CBI bullion patches ( air crew wings, CBI shield...), assorted other AAF patches. Also, a really minty Ike jacket with 15th AF patching. They have a fair amount of German kit as well: Luftwaffe badges and the "mustache" patches... Nazi junk, too.

It's so doggone hard these days, though, to get a good read on what's a fair price. I'm old enough to remember going to the army surplus store and actually being able to get American Army surplus from WWII and Korea like they couldn't wait to get rid of it. It's sad what shows like American Pickers, Antiques Road Show, Pawn Stars, etc... are doing to casual collectors ( and serious ones, at that ). Everybuddy thinks they're sitting on a flipping gold mine now, with their dime a dozen little pieces of crap.
It's crazy to think that once upon a time, there were literally millions of these kinds of things ( I'm thinking of A11 watches, too. The B7 goggles, helmets, and so on. )...

 

[unclegrumpy]

I'm old enough to remember going to the army surplus store and actually being able to get American Army surplus from WWII and Korea like they couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Yes, I remember as a kid going into a surplus store that had NOS AN 6530's still in their original boxes....they were $5 each.....but I did not buy any, because that was way too much....and I did not have the $5

As an FYI, the same place had A-11 flight helmets in a big cardboard barrel that were 50 cents each, most had something wrong with them, but I went through them all to find a "nice" one....

 

[Steve H]

Let me tell you from experience- 70 year old rubber will hold up better than the rubber on WPGs repros- they split with the minimal of handling. I would NOT recommend them. I paid $225 for a nice set of original 6530s with green lenses and good rubber and they are holding up well- just talcum powder anything rubber to keep it soft and supple.

 

[dujardin]

nice catch

personnally i will keep those goggles as they are

 

[bazelot]

Altogether I have around 100 pairs of AN6530, MKI and MKII goggles. I tried replacement pads once and they are utter crap. DO NOT go down that path. They are slightly smaller in size, rubber does not look right and they are really really fragile. They were so bad I could not use them. Just keep the original pad on the set you got, it is fine for display.

 

[kiltie]

Thanks for all the input, especially regarding the replacement pads, as I had been considering getting another set to try my hand at a full restoration. I'll stay away from that.