Key Facts:
- - The Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) exposed listings by Oldies Collectables in Mount Evelyn offering approximately a dozen lots of Nazi memorabilia for auction, prompting ADC Chair Dr Dvir Abramovich to lodge a complaint with the Australian Federal Police. - The AFP visited the business, confirmed removal of the items and closed the matter without charges, despite owner Don Mahoney having publicly stated he would rather be locked up than stop selling the memorabilia and calling the prohibition a rotten law. - Whilst welcoming the removal of the items, Dr Abramovich expressed concern that the outcome could encourage other dealers to attempt similar unlawful sales, believing the threat of legal consequences must be stronger than the financial incentive. - Oldies Collectables had previously attracted national attention in January 2024 for auctioning Nazi artefacts the day before a Commonwealth prohibition on trading in goods bearing prohibited Nazi symbols came into force. - The ADC is calling on the federal Attorney-General to clarify how the prohibition is being enforced and how deliberate breaches will be deterred in future.
Dealer said he'd "rather be locked up". ADC welcomes removal of auction items but fears outcome will encourage other sellers to try their luck.
The Anti-Defamation Commission, Australia's leading civil rights organisation fighting antisemitism and all forms of hated, which broke the story about Oldies Collectables offering Nazi memorabilia for auction, has welcomed the removal of the items while expressing disappointment that owner Don Mahoney will face no charges.
The ADC exposed the listings ahead of the Herald Sun's coverage on 22 July 2026, which reported that bidding was underway and published the commission's call for police to intervene before the auction.
ADC Chair Dr Dvir Abramovich lodged a complaint with the Australian Federal Police after the commission exposed the listings. He said the AFP subsequently advised him that officers had visited the business, spoken with Mahoney about the law, confirmed the removal of the items and closed the matter without charges.
Mahoney had told the Herald Sun he would "rather be locked up" than stop selling the memorabilia and described the prohibition as a "rotten law".
Dr Abramovich, who led an eight-year campaign to prohibit the trade in Nazi symbols, thanked the AFP for responding to his complaint. He said his concern centred on the message the outcome could send to other dealers contemplating unlawful sales.
The ADC's complaint concerned approximately a dozen lots, including Nazi Party wall emblems, swastika-bearing pole tops and other regalia. The Herald Sun reported that bidding was underway and that smiley-face stickers covered swastikas on some items.
Mahoney defended the trade as the sale of wartime souvenirs, describing his business's approach as "we sell history not hatred".
Oldies Collectables, based in Mount Evelyn, previously attracted national attention in January 2024 for auctioning Nazi artefacts the day before the Commonwealth prohibition took effect.
Commonwealth law criminalises trading in goods containing prohibited Nazi symbols, subject to specified exceptions. The provisions also cover certain activities undertaken with the intention of selling such goods.
The ADC is calling on the federal Attorney-General to explain how the prohibition is being enforced and how deliberate breaches will be deterred.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, issued the following statement:
"I spent eight years fighting to stop people putting price tags on Hitler's emblems. Hearing that this case has closed without charges is disappointing. whiel I welcome the removal of the items, what sickens me is the thought that another dealer could read this outcome and decide the gamble is worth it.
I thank the AFP for responding to our complaint, visiting the business and confirming the removal. I respect its role in deciding charges. My anger is about what this outcome could encourage.
Mahoney's own published comments show that he knew about the ban. He discussed prison and called the law 'rotten'. His defiance was there for the country to read. That makes the question of consequences especially urgent. What troubles me is the lesson another seller might take from this: put Nazi Party emblems and insignia up for auction, wait for a complaint, pull the listings when challenged, and get back to business. I fear that could become the sales pitch for trying your luck.
For Holocaust survivors who lost their families in the death camps, and for their children and grandchildren, these blood-stained objects carry the symbols of persecution and murder. Putting a price beside them turns humanity's most evil and depraved period into a business opportunity. After eight years of campaigning, I wanted every dealer contemplating an unlawful sale to feel the full seriousness of what they were risking.
Now we need consequences that make the next dealer slam the auction catalogue shut before trying to turn mass murder into money. dealer weighing up an unlawful sale should be sweating over the consequences, rather than counting the bids. Attorney-General, what will make that dealer put the Nazi merchandise down? The fear of breaking this law must be stronger than the hunger for the money.
"I fought for this ban because the commercial appetite for Hitler's symbols had become intolerable. Every decision under it teaches something. I want that lesson to make the next dealer think about a courtroom before thinking about a customer."
About us:
The Anti-Defamation is Australia's leading civil rights organisation that since 1979 has been fighting antisemitism, Holocaust denial and all forms of hatred.
