MY Year in Review/Scouting-Collecting trends for '07
(NOTE: I am indebted to Roy More in many respects, not the least of which, was the idea for this review! I was thoroughly impressed with the review he did last year on his blog, & thought I'd take a crack at doing one of my own. Roy however, deals in ALL manner of Scouting memorabilia, and I don't. His review was QUITE thorough, and even the stuff I DON'T collect, was still interesting to read about. I deal in OA flaps primarily, and other OA pieces as they interest me, so my comments will be pretty limited, compared to his. I also take a VERY active interest, in the overall health & trends of the BSA itself, which I note accordingly. Given my occupation, my conclusion to all this, will ALSO be considerably different than Roy's, but that's OK - we all make our contributions where we can. I hope you find this edifying, interesting, and perhaps even enjoyable. It has been a labor of love to write this past week, and to finally post tonight!)For other reasons though, 2006 ended up quite differently than it started. I ended up leaving Hope Lutheran on June 1, and while trying to sell our house, an underaged, underinsured drunk plowed through our vehicles & property on Bruceton Rd. in August, causing setbacks that we've been working through ever since (Moving to Pittsburgh? I know where there's a GREAT house for sale in the South Hills! ;-)).
Thankfully, even as one door closed, another - quite blessed & unexpected opportunity - opened up, just 4 miles away from us. Even as I was literally just hours away from going back to work with the BSA, Concordia Lutheran Church, an Eastern District congregation in the Brentwood boro of Pittsburgh, asked me to be their full-time vacancy Pastor, when their Pastor (& good friend & colleague), the Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer, accepted a call to serve as the Director of Admissions at our alma mater - Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne IN.
Ergo, I'm still in the South Hills of Pittsburgh - I plan on making the Pittsburgh TOR yet again this coming year (I can usually be found in my 'dress black' uniform on Friday afternoon & evening there...). With any luck, I might FINALLY make the Columbus TOR again as well - I haven't been since 2002, at the OLD location. My old brothers at Thal-Coo-Zyo Lodge #457 down in Huntington, WV, will be hosting the Area C-4A Conclave in 2008, I have learned, so I will probably hold off attending that again until then (nothing against the brothers of Chi-Hoota-Wei Lodge #617, who host this coming year - I have LOTS of friends there - it's just that their camp is IMPOSSIBLE to get to, as a 'day trip' from Pittsburgh. As for 2008, I'll probably go for the whole weekend then - Friday and Saturday, to be sure). I'd LOVE to make an NE-4B Conclave ONE of these years... I've only been here since 2003 (even served as Conestoga's Chapter Advisor during that time), & have yet to make one - it seems their timing & my schedule have NEVER matched up - what can you do?
SPEAKING of District/Chapter operations... I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as a volunteer at that level since leaving the Professional Service; sadly, because of my rather 'fluid' employment situation this year, that has suffered greatly. I'd actually resigned from the Commissioner service a couple years back, simply because I couldn't do it at the level I was used to - the level to which is NEEDED, for units to be successful - all of which was quite frustrating. Since I AM actually living in the same District as my congregation now, I am looking at getting back into Commissioner service again, although my BIGGEST Scouting commitment will finally begin this spring, as my oldest will - at last - be ready for CUB SCOUTING! :-) In 27 years of Scouting (starting in January), I have held a laundry list of Scouting positions - including Paraprofessional & District Executive - but I have never been the father of a Scout in the program... until now. Since he'll finish Kindergarten in May, he'll be technically eligible for Tiger Cubs at that time. The main thing I want to do with him right away, is Cub Scout Day Camp - kind of a first Father/Son outing in Scouting together. My wife doesn't know it yet (heh, heh, heh...), but she's going to be registered as a leader ALSO in the Pack, so that SHE can do these things with him, too! :-> She's more worried about him than I am, vis-à-vis his autism, & how that will play out, but I think he'll be just fine.
As for collecting this year, it has been my lightest year ever for name/number needs. As noted, it started in January, acquiring a Chief Shabbona 120 F3. Other classic name/number needs included;
- 255 F1c Chief Cornplanter
- 491 F2 Tunxis
- 299 F2
- 530 F1a (from the Guy Hatfield collection)
- 125 S3 (from the Vegas Museum Auction Fiasco Fallout... say THAT, 3x fast! :-p)
All good pieces, to be sure - I've no complaints. As always, most of them were surprises, although I've been chasing that 299 for at least three years now! I also acquired all the new name Lodges, and their first issues; the new Totanhan Nakaha Lodge #16 and Takoda Lodge #146 (or #620, depending on who you believe! ;-)). With 19 & 364 already merging, looks like there'll be some new name & number combos to collect again next year as well, but I'll say more about that in a bit.
I think for the first time though, I was much more serious this past year, in regards to chasing early issue needs. I do NOT consider myself a First flap/First solid collector in the traditional sense; I'm really NOT pursuing them as an interest, like I am the name/number collection. I have been QUITE fortunate though, to have come so far, and so fast in this hobby; therefore, I AM trying to go back, as time permits (and as the name/numbers I still need, get ever more expensive!), and pick up quality early issues from many of the Lodges I already have. IF I end up with a good first solid or First flap along the way so much the better, but I do not feel as if I "need" a First flap/solid, in order to have a GOOD pre-fdl example from many older Lodges. Two such examples - sitting in my desk drawer, waiting to be filed as I type this, are an Unalachtigo 168 F2b, and a Croatan 117 s9. The 117 isn't even pre-fdl, but it IS a 30 year old Vigil issue - a nice one to have, from a Lodge with moderately restricted Brotherhood & Vigil flaps. Likewise, the 168 is at least a 45 year old issue, and an excellent example of a cut-edge Geer twill of that era! Flaps like these can STILL be found for a fraction of the cost of a First flap or solid, and display just as handsomely in a collection. This is the direction that I am taking at least, with MUCH of my collection, in that for Lodges where I've had no affiliation, I'm simply trying to acquire a good pre-fdl twill and/or solid - as an example of each - for my collection. I'm as happy with a good F2 & S2 from a Lodge in my collection, as the purists are with an F1 & S1 - and I can even acquire mine at a 10th of the cost, sometimes! :-D
All that said, I did acquire some nice first flaps this year - from a 162 F1, from the Dave Thomas' First Flaps collection (Hey - I didn't say I'd NEVER go after a First flap! ;-)), to a 338 s1 just recently (not terribly hard to come by), and a few more in-between. Some other nice pre-fdl (NON-name/number needs) issues I acquired this year include, a 57 s3 (Kuwe - I have all 4 variety flaps now), 66 s1a, 88 s1 Munhacke, 131 F1a, 161 s2 Tuteloh, 287 F2, 386 F1a, 424 s1a Netawatamass, 432 s1c, 484 F1b, & a 566 s1a, just to note a few. Nothing exactly 'earth-shattering' about ANY of those issues - just some nice solid early flaps, and a few First flaps - none of which are rare - thrown in for good measure. Overall, I'd say it was probably a better year for me in acquiring good issues, than merged names & numbers. Short of winning the Powerball, I think that trend will continue - personally - for the rest of my collecting life!
That's the hard reality of our hobby - the realization that - sooner or later - you will NOT be able to go to a TOR anymore, and come home with 50 new name/number needs, and still spend less than a $100! Even coming into the hobby with a WELL (let me re-emphasize that; a W-E-L-L) heeled bank account, is no guarantee you'll find ALL your name/number needs - in CRISPY mint condition - in short order. I've only been serious about this for LESS than ten years! I've seen exactly TWO... REAL, Baluga 538's for sale, in ALL that time (Brushcreek had 'em both). One was mint with paper spots glued to the back - the other sewn. In either case, NEITHER was "PERFECT," but at this point, I wouldn't complain about owning either one!!! Getting better issues, is a way for me to "stay in the game," as it were, while I wait for that happy confluence, of excess money (haw, haw...) AND a name/number need, to coincide. That's the reality of collecting, in a nutshell.
As a way to offset that though, there is one GOOD axiom about collecting Scouting memorabilia – “If it was made by a Council or National, than somebody – somewhere – DOES collect it!” The secret of course, is FINDING that person, and then turning YOUR ‘miscellaneous,’ into something you can USE!
I had been trying for YEARS, to turn a pile of my own ‘miscellany,’ into OA flaps – a very tough cross-trade. What I did do THIS year though, is turn a
Year in review observations - OA Patches
Flaps, flaps, and more flaps, are the wave of the future. Hardly revelatory, to be sure, but save for Lodge events, nobody really makes rounds, neckerchiefs, or other odd-shapes anymore, OTHER than as part of a 2 piece (or more!) patch for NOAC or Jambo. Two variances to this observation however are, what appears to be a slight up tick in new Chenilles, and a larger up tick in back/jacket patches. Both seem to be the way to go for many Lodges looking for something 'different,' to celebrate anniversaries with. Given the relatively short lifespan of many Council mergers amongst small councils (that is to say, before they merge again!!!) in the east, chenilles seem to be the means of choice to mark an anniversary, while more Lodges in the midwest, south & west, seem to favor the backpatch.
NOAC 2006 saw a plethora of ugly, multipart patches - most for the sake of fundraisers - which, if you can sell something THAT ugly - tends to make me think P.T. Barnum was on to something... My personal belief (based on years of observation), is that ugly spoof contingent issues, in turn, lead to more spoof patches in general, which EVERYONE seems to decry. I personally miss the days, of simply making a slightly oversize flap for a contingent issue, noting what the event it's issued for is on the flap, and leaving it at that (think, 464 s11, or 99 s12). Much more tasteful, & much less painful on the eyes... Alas, we DO get a BREAK form such embroidered hideousness this year, as it's that odd year in any four-year cycle of late - no NOAC or Jambo this year. Thankfully, that will mean less crapulence for someone like me (in Enda 57 - a Lodge NOTORIOUS for making both crappy contingent AND private issue Z's for such events - truly, two bad tastes, that taste WORSE together!) to have to collect from their own Lodge.
Quite a few interesting things developed on the collecting front, not the least of which, was the Great Las Vegas Scouting Museum Auction Fiasco late this summer - the fallout of which - is STILL reverberating throughout the hobby. MUCH ink was spilt on this topic on Patch-L, before it was cut off by the List owners. Talk about it STILL continues, nonetheless. I made a MOST eloquent post about it, regarding the ethics of the communication of the matter to hobbyists, and how the fallout will hurt not only the hobby, but Scouting as well, given the large tarbrush the media likes to paint such happenings with. Other than to say, it remains to be seen, how damaged certain parties' reputations will be, and what impact that has on THEIR business, the only other obvious repercussion its had, is the tremendous impact it’s had on the pricing of Scouting memorabilia, & on E-Bay in particular. I've ALSO noticed, that not ALL the patches from that auction, are actually selling at their 'suggested retail price," either! Again, it's another trend that certainly bears watching.
Because of a number of BIG name collectors, who either passed away, or who turned their collections over to the usual dealers in our hobby to start parting out, there has been a veritable EXPLOSION of classic pieces appear on E-Bay this past year, which should - as it all shakes out - actually serve to drive some prices lower! Two particular areas where I've noticed this play out, is the recent drop in price on authentic Gimogash pieces - some going for less than half what they went for a decade ago - and many mid-range Lodge items (usually merged Lodges, whose First flap was valued in the $100 - $200 range) - are definitely dropping in price. Quality remains quality, however - I've noticed that Sinawa 73 s2's seem to be going UP in price (I note that, only because I own one), for example - and as always, ANY patch, is worth EXACTLY what someone else is willing to PAY for it - your mileage may vary. More classic stuff on the open market though, is ALWAYS a win-win situation, for we who are still collecting!
Year in Review observations - Scouting
We bade farewell to a few more Councils this year - some of the oldest Councils in existence, in fact. As I'm better with Lodges, than I am with Council names, I'll simply rattle off the Lodges;
Tonkawampus Lodge #16 - one of the oldest Lodges in existence, now merged.
Haudenosaunee Lodge #19 - admittedly, a Lodge that exists due to the mergers of 1,473 other Lodges in NY - to be superceded once again....
Navajo Lodge #98 - the oldest continually operating Lodge since it's inception in CA, now absorbed
Tichora Lodge #146 - the second oldest continually operating Lodge since it's inception in WI (and a lone bastion of decency & goodness deep behind the Cheddar Curtain that IS, Madison, WI - People's Democratic Republic of...), now merged
Chemokemon Lodge #226 - the third oldest continually operating Lodge since it's inception in WI (at least they merged with each other!), now merged
Agaming Lodge #257 - now merged
Loon Lodge #364 - one of the smallest Councils left in America, & traditionally one of the two TOUGHEST active Lodge flaps still to acquire (along with Wichita #35), now absorbed
Kootz Lodge #523 - serving the good folk of southern Alaska (Juneau area), it turns out the service area was just ‘too small to be viable,’ so, back INTO Nanuk 355 you go - absorbed!
Nothing new under the sun here either, as the trend towards MEGACOUNCILS continues everywhere. I have decried this trend for years - my PRACTICAL solution to this problem is found elsewhere in my blog, so go read & enjoy. I will probably post some updated thoughts for BSA to consider on the topic after the first of the year - I'm still turning them over in my mind. Look for a post entitled "The BSA & (its) Mission Work" to appear eventually on this subject.
Of this year's merged Lodges, 146, 364, and 523 were clearly the class of the field, value-wise - I'd expect more movement - upward - on their prices, and that upward trend will surely start in this coming year. Early 16 & 226 stuff are 'sleepers' - quality embroidery that can still be had for a decent price - get it now, before it all gets gotten!
Scouting trends to watch for in 2007
One that I've not seen a lot of thought given to so far, but really OUGHT to be (and should have BEEN, prior to the November elections...), is how the new Congress will react to Scouting in general. I don't think it requires a Ph.D. in 'rocket science,' to realize that with a new liberal majority in Congress, looking to make some hay, the BSA is always an opportune target. If the Supreme Court (or any of the 'Circus Courts') should need some new justices anytime soon, I surely wouldn't count on any of them being 'friendly' towards the BSA, at least in the next year or two. It's often said, that folks VOTE with their wallet; well here's some food for thought, that perhaps you may not have considered in quite these terms before now. IF the BSA policy were to change (either voluntarily, or by judicial fiat) towards either homosexuals or atheists, what do you SUPPOSE that will do, to the value of YOUR patch collection? Well, the 363 s24 & 560 s8 might take off in value (D'OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!), but as for the REST of your collection – how will it end up? Let me put it this way - it rhymes with, the "clapper..."
Anything that would drastically affect the BSA, would drastically impact our hobby as well. I have seen a number of individuals attempt to argue, if not maintain, a separation of "Scouting" and "collecting," but make NO mistake - Scouting might well survive without patch collectors, but patch collectors CANNOT survive without Scouting, FYI.
Beyond that sword of Damocles, I would certainly plan on seeing more council mergers & consolidations take place. What will be REAL interesting to watch for, are more SUPERMERGERS, like the 16/257 merger, just to see how that actually works out. If successful, plan on seeing a LOT more such mergers, in such places as Dallas/Ft. Worth, Raleigh/Greensboro, or Baltimore/D.C (
As noted above, there is no NOAC or National Jambo this year, and while a World Jamboree - even the 100th Anniversary of Scouting World Jamboree - should require little response from the Order of the Arrow, I know some Lodges are already making commemorative issues, most of which will no doubt be of hideous design and cheap Asian embroidery, thereby rendering them instantly irrelevant. Along those lines however, many Lodges will doubtless start gearing up for our own (BSA) 100th Anniversary, with similarly pointless commemoratives (I am NOT against commemoratives, mind you, and goodness knows, the 100th anniversary will surely be WORTH commemorating; it's just that I SERIOUSLY doubt that many folks will UTILIZE the quality embroidery that such an occasion calls for, opting instead for the cheap, quick, and dirty, to maximize their own profits. Therefore, I count on a thoroughly cruddy celebration in cloth, of what should be a momentous occasion for Scouting. Ugh.).
Collecting trends to watch for in 2007
BSA 100th anniversary issues WILL start popping up, given that even National is starting the hoopla early, as it is already advertising the special 100th Anniversary Honor Unit patches its devised.
E-Bay will continue to be the gold mine it’s always been, for finding those rare/merged issues we all need & crave. As the first generation collectors continue to withdraw from the hobby (either by retirement, economic need, or death), many of the REALLY rare pieces that haven’t been seen for DECADES, will continue to pop up there, thereby giving our generation a shot at owning them.
The hobby is also drawing more and more ‘moneyed’ people into its ranks, which presents some unusual challenges, that the first generation collector didn’t have to worry about as much. In MOST cases, almost ALL OA stuff was restricted, prior to the mid-1960’s, so acquiring even a decent section collection – to say nothing of a state, region, or name/number collection, was TOUGH. Cross trading was a little easier in olden days – as noted above, it takes a little more effort these days, but thanks to on-line collector clubs, Patch-L, and the TOR circuit, it is considerably easier than it used to be. For those of us with less funds than we’d LIKE, this is the economical way to go, to acquire the patches you need. Maybe not all at ONCE, but certainly a better method than sitting around WAITING for the winning Powerball ticket to drop in your lap.
Of course, the down side, of moneyed individuals moving into the hobby, is all TOO evident, by the Vegas Museum Auction Fiasco and its related fallout. Because of hyper-inflated bids, that actually fell through, it will nonetheless, drive up the cost of doing “business” on rarer items for some time to come. Whether or not everything actually SELLS at higher bid prices (as a new baseline of comparison amongst hobbyists) remains to be SEEN. It is frustrating however, to see for instance, a USED 137 F2 (Coloneh) suddenly going well over three bills, when the last several crispy mint (perhaps with a little box soil, but CERTAINLY not “used!”) ones have rarely drawn more than $150 on E-Bay! In this specific example, it seems the hobby has been MORE than willing, to wait such nonsense out, but with higher-dollar, crispy mint patches still out there drawing those higher bids, it remains to be seen whether common sense will prevail at ALL levels of collecting, this coming year. Needless to say, money talks, & the rest of us may have to balk, at the higher prices the rare memorabilia now draws, from those who can afford it, & think nothing of paying (previously) outrageous sums for it.
It seems more & more Trade-O-Rees are popping up these days – often hosted by a single Lodge on local camp property, which is always a good thing! The local TOR – especially the smaller ones – draw more Scouts (youth) to them, and cut down on the ‘intimidation’ factor that one can encounter, when trying to start a collection. They see Scouters they know, and it helps them ask questions they might be afraid are ‘dumb,’ without repercussion. Likewise, it seems more and more folk are also teaching classes at Fellowships and Conclaves, on HOW to collect, aimed especially at ‘newbies.’ Having some facts and tips in hand is ALWAYS a good thing, and helps grow our hobby for the future. This is always a good sign, and welcome trend in the hobby.
Fakes however, are always a BAD sign, and after a VERY long time between the original (Marlin) Bate’s fakes of the early 70’s, and the past couple of years, it seems fakes (and their ‘kissing cousins,’ the Chang overruns) are here to stay.
Bate’s fakes were of course, an interesting curiosity in the hobby for decades. Maybe because of their age, or the scarcity of that which they faked, even they’re going up in price! Rarely will you see one go for less than $15, and in the case of the 277 & 454 fakes, I’ve seen them go up close to $80!!! For a FAKE!!!
Of course, Marlin also used an actual American manufacturer back in the day, and while they’re usually easy to spot (even the better ones, like the 28 ZS1 and 556 ZS1), they were still made of a quality embroidery. There is NOTHING that bespeaks ‘quality’ in an Asian-made patch; there is even less value in an Asian-made fake. If your camp runs out of lime for the latrines towards the end of summer camp, PERHAPS they might serve a purpose there, but I see little use for them otherwise. And as ‘xflipsales97’ has shown, the fakers are going for more than just the standard rare flap (like a 177F1, or 448F1) – now the fakers are moving into odd-shapes as well, like the 453 R1. Flaps are pretty much the ‘gold standard’ of the hobby; fake odd-shapes might be the new twist, on hooking unsuspecting ‘newbies (or those who aren’t armed with a Blue Book!),’ into picking up a “rare” piece from a hard number, until they can find a flap, or some such. Since – legally – we can’t take such people out back to the woodshed at NOAC (as if they’d have the courage to show their face, much less their wares, there), and teach them some old-fashioned ‘respect,’ avoiding such pieces – even AS hole-fillers (EVERYBODY has a color printer these days – print off a life-size color copy of the REAL deal, and stick THAT in your collection instead, if you MUST have a hole-filler) – and continue to forewarn and teach new collectors, how to avoid fakes. Forewarned is forearmed.
In conclusion…
2006 was a good year for the hobby, but with a few obvious potholes along the way. Even a 
although it certainly has presented a challenge that will be felt throughout 2007 and beyond. As for me, I am ALWAYS more blessed than I deserve; I have a wonderful wife, 4 adorable little ones of our own – the oldest of whom will soon be a Cub Scout, and the youngest of whom, has found “dada” to be her favorite word. :-D I have the best calling in the 
world (I think!) – to be a Pastor of the LC-MS, with a new and very supportive congregation who I am pleased to serve during their call process. And regardless of how that goes – whether I’m still here next year, or somewhere else – the MOST important things, are ALWAYS in God’s hands, and always will be – the 6 of us, and you and yours as well! We have been privileged to live in this time – to enjoy
Scouting and the hobbies associated with it – and as Christmas approaches, we are blessed to have Christ crucified & risen for our sins; this season being the reminder that He once came in flesh, so that our own flesh might be forgiven. So let us enjoy this Christmas season as Christ-redeemed children of our heavenly Father, and look forward to a good and blessed 2007. Whether or not we actually g
et all those flaps we really want, we already have in Jesus, what we really NEED – the forgiveness of ALL our sins, and the promise of the resurrection to come!
Bob McCanless
Pittsburgh
posted by Itibap188 @ 10:51 PM
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