NOAC 2009 Patches on eBay

[skeptic]

Have to declare that for me, the glut of NOAC 2009 patches that have shown up on eBay already is disappointing. It seems to simply reinforce the idea that OA is a giant patch club. And the fact that some of them are selling for substantial amounts is additional proof.

 

Hopefully this is simply an aberration, not reflecting why most go and are involved.

 

Any other thoughts?

[Eamonn]

I'm not a patch collector.

I'm not sure that I really understand some patch collectors.

We have a guy in our area who will spend mega bucks and try to buy up as many if not all the special type patches just so he can drive the price up.

Scouts see this and it just grows and grows.

I do like the OA.

I think as an organization they do a lot of good.

I love the way that the youth do really lead and I feel sure that if it wasn't for my kid being in the OA and being deeply involved in it that he would have quit Scouting.

OJ attended NOAC twice and very nearly went again this year.

He was working up at camp with his good pal who had served as NE- Region Chief, someone canceled and OJ was offered the spot. The crafty old Reservation Director let it be known that he'd divvy up all the money that the camp staff who were going to NOAC and missing tear down, between the remaining camp staff. OJ wanted to go, but wanted the money more!

He was send some photos from NOAC last night.

I looked at them very quickly.

Seemed like everyone was having a good time.

Eamonn.

 

[shortridge]

I've also never understood the interest in patch collecting. It's certainly not an OA thing, though various lodges do to encourage it with the plethora of special flaps and backpatches for various events that are clearly designed for trade and sale - they seem wholly unecessary to me. My old lodge had five different patch combos for NOAC - one with a Founders theme, and the other four with superhero motifs that struck me as kind of goofy. I don't think I'd wear them or buy them even if I had attended. (Why is Iron Man or the Hulk the best representative of the ideals of the Order?)

 

I would also observe that not all the "NOAC 2009"-labeled patches on eBay are from this year's event. Some have those words in the name but were issued for other events, such as Jambo.

 

I know plenty of OA members who might idly browse through a patch auction before it starts to check if there's anything really interesting, but disperse for ice cream sodas or a good game of Risk or Monopoly before turning in for the night. In addition, very few youth members in my acquaintance come with money in quantities to do serious bidding. It's the adults who give the "giant patch club" idea its legs.

 

I have a very small number of patches that have significance to me. My old lodge flap, for one. The summer camp patches from my years there. My first troop numerals and patrol leader badge, still sewn to my first shirt and tucked up somewhere in my mother's attic. My Arrow of Light badge and knot. Beyond that? They're just patches.

 

I also second Eamonn. The OA (and camp staff) kept me in Scouting when I got bored.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[desertrat77]

I had the patch trading bug for a spell when I was a teenage scout...when I went to the 1979 NOAC, that broke the spell. I realized that my efforts were paltry compared to the patch trading titans that I witnessed there.

 

Several years ago, I focused on collecting 1 of each of the old black and red patrol medallions. Last count I have approx 55 different medallions. Missing 6 or so to complete the collection...the odd ball ones that might cost a fortune. I'm not too worried about it these days.

 

I've been in four different lodges. I watch the efforts of the obsessive compulsive lodge historians with interest as they assemble a collection of every flap, neckerchief, conclave patch, and variation thereof. Seriously, I value their efforts and like to look at the old historic stuff. But I'm satisfied with the basic lodge flap, and whatever patch comes with events that I actually participate in.

[Narraticong]

Showing my age, I recall that as a Scout in the '70s, BOYS did most of the trading (and trading it was), mostly on a small scale and our collections were meager. I remember trading for camporee patches just because they looked cool. No "value" at all.

 

My current observation is that there few BOYS doing the trading today, but a bunch of old guys doing the hoarding. It's really a shame. Patch trading used to be a fun way to meet other Scouts. At our summer camp there was no trading going on at all.

 

I'll admit to being an Ebay collector. It has helped me fill my interests. I still collect ptches from the Lodge of my youth. But living 700 miles away, I wouldn't have much opportunity to run across those patches without Ebay.

 

I do not that many Lodges use their flap issues as income producers. I guess no harm is done there.

 

It is just sad that few boys seem to care about collecting and trading any more.

 

Ken

[eagle77]

You are right on Narrticong, I remember trading both CSP's and OA flaps as a scout. My dad got me hooked on it, after going with him to a few tradorees he gave me all of his OA flaps and told they are yours now go get more. Traded for what I needed, but more or less for some of the real colorful and cool looking patches that were out back then. Wouldn't think of not going to summer camp without a few patches for trading. Went to the 77 Jamboree and traded like crazy. Also had other scouts and adults who I traded with through the mail. What a fun activity. Now you just can't seem to interest the scouts with trading patches or even purchasing them when you go to a camp. I had patches for all the camps that I attended as a scout, now all the boys worry about is do they have slush puppies. Today, my lodge is just as guilty many lodges just issue flaps for income. Also continue to change design for same purpose.

[prof]

Skeptic,

I, too, was taken aback at first when I saw so many patches on ebay.

However, I recognize that selling patches is a fund raising activity for some lodges. One which generally doesn't compete with what troops are doing for fundraising.

As for the merits of OA, I would simply add that my experience was very similiar to that of shortridge. OA and camp staff and firecrafter (Local group similiar to OA) were the things that kept me interested in scouting. Especially, at times when my troop wasn't very active.

Prof.

[shortridge]

Sorry... my above comment should read "It's certainly not *ONLY* an OA thing."

[VigilEagle04]

I must say, the patch trading at NOAC is insane, but it is at Jambo as well. I like collecting patches, but like to focus primarily on stuff from my council/lodge. I'd love to have a full set of lodge flaps and CSPs from here, and thankfully, that isn't too hard, lol. Yeah, we put out NOAC flaps, but we don't go to the extreme like some, and that's nice. It seems like more and more our area is falling into the trend with patches though, I guess anniversaries will do that.