Collecting and Trading at WSJ and Beyond
Patch collecting and trading are a big deal at the World Scout Jamboree – and how could they not be? With as many as 50,000 Scouts and leaders coming together from more than 200 countries and territories, it is a literal hotspot of diversity and opportunity for new friendships! But patch trading is bigger than the World Scout Jamborees. Scouting America collectors have made this hobby into a lifelong quest!
For collectors of early items, the fun and more difficult part comes from identifying the first objects – back then, none of the pieces really had identifying features or documentation. Collectors make new connections and friends by hunting down old photos and historical notes trying to identify this patch or that pin. Ultimately, the hunting for information ends up becoming historical research and a search for what the pieces symbolized. As various subsets developed - more troops, crews, councils - the pieces that were unique to that community became even more popular. Patches and items that were special to an area started to be hot trading commodities. Even now, as more and more variation arises, so does the passion for collecting all of them!
Some background on older patches: initially, they were made from felt. Those are the rarest patches available since moths love felt! Later on, patches became embroidered or embroidery on a twill background. You can look for these differences on your current uniform patches, and on the patches you trade at the WSJ!
Because collecting is such a widespread hobby for many, collectors got together and created their own special lingo to keep everyone on the same page with their buying and selling quests. As your collections grow, you may start to notice that color variations even exist for the same patches! Some collectors want to have every variation known, resulting in plenty of “the same” patch. You may be familiar with this, just from seeing your Council Shoulder Patch change and evolve!
A breakdown of some of the lingo:
- For all of the little color variations that are not considered to be another whole variety, collectors use MVE (Minor Variations Exist). Basically, it says, “We know there are lots of varieties of this patch, but we aren’t going to worry about those.”
- For fully embroidered patches, where no cloth shows through on the CSP or lodge patch, the letter “S” is used.
- Varieties that have some cloth showing through and are not fully embroidered are denoted by the letter “F.”
- “W” shows that a patch is woven and this style is commonly used by international Scouting associations.
So as you can imagine, if you were trying to make a trade for a patch that was version number 4 for a version number 10, it could get pretty confusing! So collectors use the abbreviations to help clarify exactly what they are talking about. For example, “I’ve got a CSP from the Blue Ridge Council that is an S3 (fully embroidered, 3rd edition)” or, “I once spotted a 364 Loon, S1!” (a rare Order of the Arrow flap). Now that you know, you might even notice some of this terminology show up at the World Scout Jamboree!
If you are looking to dive deeply into the world of trading and collecting, ISCA (International Scouting Collectors Association) – a predominantly US-based organization – is a fantastic organization with a plethora of resources specifically for serious collectors! They have a board of directors, a quarterly magazine, a website, and other resources that you can get access to if you sign up to be a member.
With all that being said, if you are heading to the 24th World Scout Jamboree, and want to start collecting, contingent badges, coins, and neckerchiefs are a great place to start! The best thing you can do is to aim for one-to-one trades. One “same” patch for another “same” patch! Do it with intention – meet the Scout behind the patch! The theme this year is so fitting for this: “Unlock a New World”… it speaks to the new adventures, cultures, and friendships that will be shared by Scouts from around the world, and patch trading can help to elevate that experience!
From all of us at Scout Shop, we wish you luck and joy in all of your trades!
