Back in the 1970's when I was an antique dealer in NY, I attended an auction at a famous Manhattan gallery. Most of the attendees were fellow dealers who I knew well. Among the items for sale were some from the descendants of the doctor who had attended Napoleon when he died in exile on St. Helena in 1821. As I recall, there were a pair of silver mounted hairbrushes with the Napoleonic monogram, some campaign utensils similarly marked, and a silver casket which the auction house described, with great delicacy, as containing Napoleon's appendage. (If you think I'm kidding look it up on Wikipedia). Apparently the doctor had preserved the item as a keepsake. I don't know what it looked like in life, but 150 years after death it had shriveled down to the size of a cashew nut.
Bidding was brisk on the first two lots but when the casket came up for sale a hush descended on the room and we were all looking around to see who would bid on the item. Despite several attempts by the auctioneer to get the bidding started, no-one raised a hand and the item went unsold.
I think collecting Hitleriana is like that, no-one wants to be known as "the guy who bought Napoleon's appendage".
Norm
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