Boy Scout Memorabilia Collecting

What's it worth?

2008-04-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

I get asked all the time what something is worth and thought I would try to share soem of my experiece regarding the subject here.

As the old adage goes, "it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it". This has always been the case with anything someone is trying to sell. If you have the time and expertise, you can get the maximum value for just about anything. If you have to sell quickly or without all the facts, you will not realize the absolute highest value.

Having said that, here are some facts you should know if you will be selling any scouting collectibles:

1. Age does not necessarily mean value. Most of the boy scout related books from the early 1900's while very old are not worth more than $5 - $10. However, there are early handbooks that could be worth several hundred dollars. Same for most of the National Jamborees. Aside from 1935 and 1937, most Jamboree stuff is very common. I had someone contact me with a group of 1964 National Jamboree stuff recently that included all the standard items: Jacket Patch, Pocket Patch, Neckerchief, Leather, etc. This person thought the group should be worth several hundred dollars as it was 40+ years old. I tried to explain that 1964 and the other Jamborees from that era were very well attended and everyone purchased 2 or 3 of all these items so they were easy to find and hence not worth more than maybe $50.

2. Coffee Mugs are almost worthless. I tell anyone who asks to either drink coffee out of them or use them for target practice. (I know that's kind of harsh, but it's true)

3. Equipment has a limited audience. Canteens, Backpacks, Messkits, First Aid Kits, Belts, Firestarting Kits, etc. While interesting, these items are also numerous and unless they are in perfect Mint condition, have a relatively low value. One exception is Pocket Knives and Axes/Hatchets. As these were made by several different makers, some are highly collectible and very hard to find. I once sold an Axe with a Philmont logo on it for $600. Another exception would be things that are still in their original box. These are worth considerably more than those without a box.

4. The Boy Scouts are great marketers and have put the BSA logo and emblem on just about everything over the past 90+ years. This means there is literally tons of stuff out there. Something can be very plain and innocuous, but be very collectible. An example in my collection is a pair of official Boy Scout Gloves. I've never seen a pair of these forsale so I have no idea what kind of price these would bring. I'm chossing to keep them in my collection for now and actually have them on display in my office. Another item I came across recently is a boy scout lightbulb. A regular lightbulb with a large first class emblem embossed on it. Very cool and probably very collectible. I would bet it's worth at least $50.

5. The Internet has actually brought the value down on some items. For a variety of reasons, some items have actually gone down in value in the past 10 years. Take a look at eBay and watch what stuff sells for. A Philmont arrowhead can be had now for as little as $15. These used to sell for at least $30. Many Order of the Arrow items are also down from their peak a few years ago. A few more reasons might be: Several large collections have hit the market, all the serious collectors have completed their collections, new collectors don't have the funds to spend, and there aren't as many new collectors as old ones selling things off.

6. Earned vs. Attended vs. Awarded. This is another conversation I have on a regular basis about various items. Things you earn like rank or merit badges are much more common than say items you get for attending a Camporee or Summer Camp. Even rarer are those items that are Awarded like the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, or Lifesaving Medals. As with most things there are plenty of exceptions. For example, a Square Aviation merit badge from the 1920's is a rare item that should be worth around $200. A square Cooking merit badge from the same timeperiod might be worth $5. Not as many people chose to earn Aviation while most everyone had to earn Cooking. While everyone who went to summer camp in a given year was eligible for that years camp patch, many were sewn or lost so a given year's camp patch might be worth alot of money. Now if your camp had thousands of campers, then there are obviously more available so the value would be less. Those items that are awarded (which means no matter how bad you want them, you have to be recognized by someone else) are also highly collectible. The Silver Beaver which is one of the most common awards can range from as little as $50 to several hundred depending on which variety it is. In this case, the older ones are worth more.

7. Variety is the spice of life and can also be the difference between a common item and a really rare item. An example is the Tenderfoot rank pin. There are at least a billion of these in existence (ok, maybe not a billion, but certainly millions). For the most part, this pin has not changed over the past 90+ years so it has relatively little value. One exception is the one that was made by the T.H. Foley company of New York, New York. T.H. Foley only made the Tenderfoot pin for a few years in the teens. This variation is worth around $100. The rest might bring a buck.

8. Condition is everything. It goes without saying that an item that has been glued, stapled, sewn, washed, or damaged in any way will be worth less than one that is in excellent condition. An example might be a nice Order of the Arrow pocket flap from a small lodge in the 1950's. Some of these could be worth $1000 in excellent condition while one that has been sewn and washed might only be worth $100.

9. I will pay sky high prices for something I really want. I believe this is true for most collectors. Regardless of what the market might say something is worth, if it is something I really really want, price is not an issue. A recent example would be a Kaw Council neckerchief that recently showed up on eBay from the 1960 Jamboree Contingent. As I collect all things from Kansas and had never seen this item before, I was determined to add this item to my collection. It started out at $20. I won it for just over $100 and was ready and willing to pay double that if I had to. What does this mean? If you have something from the state of Kansas, you should call me :)

10. Priceguides are just a guide. There are numerous price guides that have been published and I buy them all. They are great references and will help in indentification and for the most part give you a general idea of values. However, they are usually one or two peoples opinion of value and should be taken with a grain of salt.

There are exceptions to every rule, but I hope this might help you a little when you decide to sell your scouting collectibles.

What to Keep?

2008-03-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by someone who inherited their grandfather's scout stuff and while talking to them about it, they asked if they should keep anything. I pondered this a moment as I haven't given that topic much thought until now.

My response to this person was that I would keep those items that clearly meant something to their loved one.

In my own collection, I have most all of my grandfather's and father's stuff, but if it came down to only keeping certain items, I would probably choose things such as:

My grandfather's scoutmaster collar brass from the 1950's. He was Scoutmaster for Troop 95 in Roeland Park, Kansas for many years.

I have both of their official shirts that are pretty well decorated. I could never part with them.

There are some photo's of my dad as a scout that I feel need to be kept.

Most of their patches are fairly common so if I had to get rid of them, I could without losing much sleep. Same goes for the neckerchief slides, coffee mugs, handbooks, and equipment.

I'm a collector and probably have a different viewpoint than someone who isn't. I guess anything could be meaningful to anyone?

Mt. Baden Powell ?

2008-02-29T13:54:00.001-08:00

I've never heard of this mountain until today when I found a Dedication ribbon and button for the naming of Mt. Baden Powell on May 30, 1931.

There is a nice Wiki page here

A great example of a local council badge from California.

Thoughts on eBay

2008-02-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

I received an email recently from eBay about their upcoming price changes that caused me to pause. For a number of reasons, I have cut way back on listing items on eBay over the past couple of years, but now I'm thinking about cutting back even more. Their fees for lower dollar items just don't make sense anymore and the whole feedback system is a mess. Now sellers won't be able to leave a negative feedback for a bad buyer. Frankly, I've been concerned with the number of listings in some categories as being too many. Buyers have to wade through pages and pages of stuff that takes too much valuable time. I might add that I'm only speaking about the collectibles categories as they are the ones I have the most experiece with.

As a seller, eBay hasn't been producing the kind of results I've been used to in the past. Don't get me wrong, I will still list items on eBay from time to time, but it will primarily be a marketing venue for me.

The majority of items I decide to sell will be on http://www.manions.com or the List It Yourself site at http://auctions.manions.com both of which I happen to own. While we have been primarily a military collectibles auction in the past, I hope to grow some other collectible categories as sellers (myself included) become increasingly frustrated with eBay.

Prototype OA Flap

2008-01-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

I recently acquired a cool Order of the Arrow flap from Owasippe Lodge 7 out of Chicago that appears to be a Prototype made in Japan. This comes directly from Osaka where someone recently bought out Hashimoto & Co. Ltd a family owned business that was started in the 1940's.

It appears to be a F3 or F4 but has different Fingernails than either of those. When I initially saw a digital picture of this patch, I thought it was nothing special, but upon viewing it in person, I immediately noticed the asian style embroidery of all the letters. The back is also unusual.

The flap comes with the original sample tag but unfortunately, there is no date.

If anyone has any information on why this patch might have been made, please feel free to post a response.

Dallas TOR

2008-01-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

Just returned from the 2008 Dallas TOR. Another great event put on by Ron Aldridge and Dave Thomas. I apologize if I'm leaving anyone out here.

Although I didn't buy much this year, my sales were very good. The best part was without question, seeing other collectors, learning what they collect, seeing some very cool items, and conversing about the hobby. If you haven't been to a TOR, I would suggest you find one close and make an effort to go. Dallas has always been a positive experience for me. (Even with the theft I experienced last year)

While I didn't get a chance to attend any of the seminars, I'm sure they were informative as well.

St. Louis Trade-O-Ree

2007-11-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Just returned from the St. Louis TOR. I haven't made it to St. Louis in a few years and was glad to get back.

I was able to pickup a nice little pile of items for my collection including:

Several St. Louis camp and activity items
1950 Los Angeles Area Council JCP Troop 8
2 Shawneee Lodge Activity patches
Some new 429 Dzie-Hauk Neckerchiefs
A nice 1967 World Jamboree Pennant
The highlight was a 1953 Kansas City Area Council Contingent Jacket

John Remelius puts on a great show and if you get the chance to go next year, I would highly reccommend it.

The location was a little catholic church hall that was a perfect TOR location.

Boy Scout Memorabilia Collecting: Whatzit?

2007-10-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Boy Scout Memorabilia Collecting: Whatzit?

Whatzit?

2007-10-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Looking for info on this patch???

Jimmy Patches Collection

2007-10-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

From the Book "Only In Louisiana" by Keith Odom 1994:

When Boy Scout patches began to overrun his Minden home, Jimmy Rogers did the only sensible thing: he built a museum in his back yard.

There, curious travelers can see over 2,500 Boy Scout patches spanning four continents and six decades. Mr. Rogers (known as Jimmy "Patches" to collectors) boasts one of the largest collections of Boy Scout patches and memorabilia in the United States, larger even that the National Museum of Scouting in Kentucky.

Mr. Rogers has been involved in scouting for 57 years. A local pastor invited him to be a scoutmaster, and he's served in a volunteer capacity ever since. He began collecting patches in 1961. His oldest piece is a 1940 patch from nearby Camp Caddo. Among his more striking holdings are patches from Camp Yatasi, Caney Lake, Puerto Rico, and Japan. He has souvenir patches from virtually every American Jamboree and many international ones. Glass cases covering the walls are filled with merit badges (American and Canadian), sashes, neck slides, neckerchiefs, pins, and buttons. A head-to-toe 1949 uniform is on display. Another attention grabber is a "Scouting in Space" patch which was carried aboard the Apollo-Soyuz Mission in 1975.

But scouting memorabilia isn't the only thing to see: Mr. Rogers also collects law enforcement patches, ancient arrowheads, foreign currency (especially occupation currency), and autographs. A World War II veteran who stays active in church and Civitan, he's rubbed shoulders with the likes of Suzy Boguss, Marie Osmond, and former world heavy weight champion Archie Moore. Photographs of Mr. Rogers with these celebrities are sanwiched into the already crowded glass cases.

During the 1950's, Mr. Rogers played center field for Minden's semi-pro team, the Redbirds. His uniform from 1951 - the year the Redbirds won the Big 8 Championship - is on permanent display, along with numerous major league team-autographed baseballs.

Mr. Rogers estimates the total value of his museum at $15,000. But it's worth far more to anyone who loves scouting, as Mr. Rogers evidently does. Not a square inch of his 19' x 19' museum is wasted. Furthermore, it's no static collection. Mr. Rogers's motto is, "Have Patches, Will Trade." If you own a valuable patch and would like to swap for it, give Mr. Rogers a call.

He's also very informative about hisorical sites in the northwest part of the state, so ask for a few travel tips, too.

I was recently contacted by the family of Jimmy "Patches" Rogers regarding his very large patch collection. After driving down to northern Louisiana and looking at this little museum, we both agreed that consignment to my auction would be the best way to sell the large amount of material. Here are a few pictures I took last week:

The collection consists of order of the arrow, council strips, camp patches, jamboree items, activity patches, and lots of cool miscellaneous stuff. The collection is heavily focused on Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, but also contains items from all over the country.

The collection will be auctioned off at www.manions.com sometime in November 2007. I will run a few pieces between now and then on eBay as well.

If anyone has any fun stories about Jimmy, feel free to post them here.

Cool Camp Patches

2007-09-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

This recently came into the auction house. Belive it is from New Jersey. Can anyone identify these camp patches?

Early Patrol Flag & Patrol Patch

2007-09-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

This group came from a scout who went to Camp Yawgoog in Rhode Island in the 1930's. It looks like a home made patrol flag and patrol medallion, but I could be wrong.

Out of the Woodwork

2007-09-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

I just returned from California and found this beauty. The previous owner told me it was given to him by the daughter of a scouter who earned his eagle in 1915. I'm not a merit badge expert, but there do appear to be some early badges on here. It is a single piece of what looks like a WWI army uniform material with 45 merit badges hand sewn on. I am a little skeptical of the date since some of the badges were not available until the early 1920's. If you have any info on these, please let me know.

FYI, there are still great finds out there!

Austin TOR Report

2007-09-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Made it to Austin for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I found the TOR without much trouble in a local VFW hall along I-35. It was very convienent to several hotels and restauarants. However, I ended up eating most of my meals at the TOR where the local troop was providing good old fashioned home cooking at a price that could not be beat.

The event itself was very well run with lots of help from the local troop and Jim Sylvester deserves credit for great organization. Unlike my last TOR in Texas there were no thefts that I heard about. Maybe because Jim works for the Sheriff's office!

I found a few items from St. Louis for my Missouri collection, but didn't pickup all that much else. Enjoyed the fellowship and will probably go back.

ISCA (International Scouters Collecting Association) Survey

2007-09-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to a survey that has been created regarding the ISCA
International Scout Collectors Association). I built it using a
third party called Survey Monkey. Don't let the name scare you, they
are a legitimate company. I've used them for several years.

Please give us your feedback at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4rX1baO_2beoKmdek6RqBsGg_3d_3d

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Jody Tucker

Trade-O-Rees

2007-08-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Heading to the Austin Labor Day TOR at the end of the month. I've never been to this one before and am looking forward to it. Will report back how it goes.

For a complete list of TOR's around the country, please visit the International Scouting Collector's Association website at http://www.scouttrader.org

Competing Organizations

2007-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

The American Boy Scouts Shoulder Patch

I found this patch on eBay a couple of years ago and have no idea what it is.

Collecting Resources

2007-02-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me today that while there are a number of excellent collecting guides out there, many collectors are not aware of them. These include books and websites. I'm going to try and keep a list here. Please feel free to comment if I'm missing anything.

A Complete Guide to Scouting Collectibles With Value by Rolland Sayers 1992

A Comprehensive Guide to the Eagle Scout Award by Terry Grove

A Guide to Dating & Identifying Boy Scouts of America Badges, Uniforms & Insignia by Mitch Reis 2000

An Aid To Collecting Selected Council Shoulder Patches With Valuation Guide by Steve Austin, James Ellis, & Tom Jones 2005

Arapaho

BSA National Jamboree Shoulder Insignia A History in Color by John R. Hice 1997

Collecting Boy Scout Rank Badges by Paul Myers 1999

Collecting Scout Literature A Collector's Guide to Boy Scout Fiction and Non-Fiction by Chuck Fisk & Doug Bearce 1990

Collecting The Original 12 Regions by Paul Myers

Comprehensive RED & WHITE COUNCIL STRIPS CHECKLIST by Bruce Raver 2000

First Flaps In Color by Jeffrey Morley, Bill Topkis, Dave Thomas, & Thomas Gould 1998

Local Council Identification of the BSA by Prince Watkins 1981

National Jamboree Memorabilia Guide Book by Chris Jensen & Jim Ellis 1995

National Scout Jamboree Memorabilia 1935-1993 by Patrick Geary 1994

Patches and Memorabilia of The ORDER OF THE ARROW at National Events Volume 1 & 2 by Ron Aldridge 1998

Philmont Millennium 1 Volume 1 1938-2000 The Memorabilia of Philmont Scout Ranch by Chip Elliott, Mike McAdams, and John Conley Willilams

The BSA During World War I and II by Mitch Reis 1984

The Boy Scout Council Shoulder Patch Guide - A Tour of Councils Through Their Patches by Steven & Elisa Delman 1997

The History of the Boy Scouts of America Uniforms by Mitch Reis 2006

The Blue Book Standard Order of the Arrow Insignia Catalog by Bill Topkis & Many Many others 2006

The Camp Book A Listing of BSA Camps by Dave Minnihan & Bob Sherman 1993

The Merit Badge Price Guide A Guide to the Identification and Valuation of Merit Badges Issued by the Boy Scouts of America 1910-1994 by Chris Jensen

Ribbon Bars & Knot Awards of the BSA by Gary E. Whitman 2005

Scouting Exonumia by Rudy Dioszegi 1985

Scouting History Through Memorabilia: The Bernie Miller Collection Volume 1 & 2 by Roy More 1997

Standard Price Guide to U.S. Scouting Collectibles by George Cuhaj 2001

World Jamboree Guide by Neil Larsen 1999

International Scouting Collectors Association - ISCA

2007-02-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

If you are not a member, I would encourage all collectors to join and support our hobby. For more information click here.

Monterey Bay Area Council Items For Trade

2007-02-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up a small collection from the MBAC in California. I'm looking to trade these items for anything from Kansas or Missouri, items from my Order of the Arrow Needs List, Jamboree Council Patches from 1973 and before, felt camp patches, or other interesting items you might have.

Great Scouting Book

2007-01-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up the book "Legacy of Honor" The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts by Alvin Townley. The book has several great stories and is a must read for any Scouting enthusiast.

You can view more information about the project here.

Insuring Your Collections

2007-01-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that my patch that was stolen will be covered by my insurance policy which is through Collectibles Insurance. You can read more about them on their website at www.collectinsure.com.

I use them for my business and have nothing but positive things to say about them. They are the only agency that I know of the specifically covers collectibles of all kinds.

January 2007 News

2007-01-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

I attended the Dallas Trade O Ree again this year. As always, it was a good event. Many thanks to the organizers for making it happen as I know its alot of hard work to pull off an event like this.

Unfortunately, myself and several others had some patches stolen near the end of the day on Saturday. I lost a 370 S1, another lost a 154 F1, both of which are worth $1000 or more. We filed a police report, but the chances of recovery are slim. If anyone should run into these two pieces, please contact me.

At the annual ISCA board meeting, I was appointed to serve as the webmaster for the next year. My first foray into getting more involved in our hobby. If you are not a member, you can learn more about the organization by clicking here.

Check out my scout stuff forsale here.

Sharing your collection with others

2006-09-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Recently, I mentioned in some ads that I put on eBay that I have some items on display in my office in Kansas City. Within just a few weeks, I've had several people inquire about a visit and one has already come by. This is by far one of the most enjoyable parts about collecting, sharing your collection with others who appreciate it.

Displays

2006-08-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I always like to display part of my collection when I have the opportunity. This is some of my Kansas City related stuff currently in my office.