With a little more than two weeks before the deadline 15 collectors have committed to the OA activity patch blind trade (conclaves, fellowship patches).  Who doesn't have some issues that you have 3-5 or more of the same patch.  Why not send 10 of those in and get 10 different back?  Email me if you want to find get the guidelines and take part.

For a long time now I've known this day was coming and I was not as prepared as I should have been.  I have been putting together my classic Boy Scout stuff in a portfolio specifically so I could display it on a table top and show it to a Scout at an event (or in this case an interview).  But what I lacked was the text to make the story of the patches come alive.

• Camp Woodland 1941 Staff Patch Boy Scout Summer
• 1937 World Jamboree Holland Shoulder Flash Q - 18
• 1935 Jamboree Washington D.C. Felt Pocket Patch
• 1964 Lehigh PA Camp Trexler Staff Slide For Bolo
• CP JCP Central Indiana 1953 Troop 4 Unused
• 1920 - Boy Scout - Tracking Iron - Gilwell

 

So for example I showed him my collection of Senior Scouting items.  I flipped through the 1930s era patches and made it to the 1940s Air Scouts.  However, my portfolio was just the labeled patches.  What I was lacking was some text or my own stump speech to piece it all together to a 12 year old Scout or to make it match up with his experience of Scouting.

• Tsoiotsi Tsogalii Wemiten Lodge 70 Scout Flap
• Nentego Lodge 20 F9 Flap Del-Mar-Va Council
• Scout Patch Peta 300 Black Eagle Montana
• Lodge 321 F1 FF First Flap Nani-Ba-Zhu
• Merged Tunxis Lodge 491S1 Patch BSA
• Wolverine Lodge 501 F3 Flap WWW

 

I'm sure there is a balance between writing an essay in small print that no Scout will read versus just having the patches out of context.  Sounds like a discussion for the Facebook group set up to talk about displays and preservation.  But if anyone has an example of how they've tried to strike this balance I'd love to see it.

• Jamboree Mondial Netherlands 1995 Holland Patch
• Western Official BSA Fixed Blade Knife w/Sheath
• Merged Central India Council TA-1 First Issue
• Merged Tunxis Chapter of Eluwak Lodge 59
• Boy Scout Uniform Shirt Adult Small
• Boy Scout Kodak Vest Camera

   

This week I've been running a 50% off sale in my category for Boy Scout camp memorabilia.  Some of the patches get down under $2 when the discount kicks in.  My eBay store now has just under 8,000 items listed from a peak of over 10,000.  I've been trying to clear out inventory rather than moving everything this summer.

• 117 Croatan J4 RND; Deer, Lighthouse, Ship, Sun
• Occoneechee J12 203x83mm of S1 Design, CD
• Echockotee eX1970-3 Patch; Fall Fellowship
• 458 Hi-Cha-Ko-Lo P2b Triangle Shaped Pie
• Itibapishe Iti Hollo eA1976 Patch; BIC;
• Lodge 104 Occoneechee J20 NOAC09
• Kawida N4a EMB; VER Stitched Head