Here is the link to a discussion on War Relics Forum.
Hitler Jugend forum at War relics forum
There is commentary from Bob Coleman where he quotes Bill Shea on the thread. Interestingly to me nowhere in the thread is it mentioned that anyone has period documentation or a catalog listing such as Jo has posted in his article on printed armbands. Many seem to associate them as "late war" items. The article by Jo shows this to be the opposite. A case of an opinion being mentioned that becomes "fact" later as we see over and over. So begs the question, Were the RZM regulations prohibiting printed armbands enacted to stop them from being worn, or to stop manufacturers from introducing them?
The catalog is older than 1933-4, just an updated older publication with a few new 1933 items added, as many makers did then, hence many pre 1933 items being found offered after 1934-5. Surly though this died out in Germany in 1935, BUT, these printed armbands, as mentioned, were the "cheap" version, so although after German standardization in 1933-1936, there were still other areas, Saarland, Austria and the Sudetenland, Böhmen und Möhren, Danzig, Luxembourg etc etc etc, areas that were subjected before annexation to NS-Propaganda, which would have certainly included cheap items, made quickly, by either local, or German, manufacturers for the moment, for the masses, so i dont think that Printed armbands ever "died out" or that we can say FROM THIS DATE on there were no more, but just to say that after German Standardization surely they were not allowed to be worn as the OFFICIAL armbands any more. I would image that even up until 1933, many printed armbands were being worn instead of the official armband by HJ and SA alike, these people were poor, and every Pfennig that could be saved, was! Just look at that HJ 1932 photo i uploaded a while ago, most of that stuff is not even cheap printed, its Home-Made.. that alone shows you how people would try and save every cent.
Late War? i dont agree with that at all, its the age old excuse for mass amounts of crap that turns up, a get-out-of-History clause to use as a quick Thumbs Up because of the war, and that materials were subject to rationing - after the war started, automatically attributing every POS item made in an inferior way to pre war items - is Boring, and old hat. I believe that surely the vast majority of printed armbands today are fake, Just look at ALL the House of Swords catalogs that span 20 years, they ALL show printed armbands .. so the post-war market has Purchased these in their thousands since 1945, yet where are they?? every single flipping
printed armband today seems to get a good thumbs up, and a direct to 1944-1945... as a means by which to say its definitely good.
The reason why until recently nobody showed the printed catalogs showing "printed armbands" is not because i am a superhero, but because nobody is cared... they all would rather believe the end-of-war story and make up other tales instead of doing any research... i guess because the Grand-Daddies of Rock and roll, that most collectors have been waiting on hand and Foot, once started a rumor that they were 1944-1945 made bands, thats why they are printed, so here, take a few box loads every week from my contact, and in a decade or two you can ask 100 each, because they have become accepted as what they are not, late war armbands....