Scout Patch Collectors

Thread Heads #16: Boy Scout Collecting Projects & The Pandemic

Blind trades, Apple bags, 5160 address labels…..this show has it all! Returning to the show after a long hiatus the Thread Heads Jason and Brad are back to talk all things Scouting memorabilia. In this episode they catch up on Brad’s recent huge OA flap blind trade and his experience at the recent Trade-O-Ree in Oklahoma during the pandemic. Jason shares his childhood infatuation with the infamous Apple bag and an update on a collection organization project.

You can find Brad on eBay at his eBay Store Brad’s Patch Table

Jason is on eBay with his Patchblanket eBay Store

After publishing the video I received an email from John Laitar that had some more of the back story on these Apple bags. I am posting his commentary and photos included in his email. Thanks John!

Great to hear about the Apple bag in your most recent video post. I was a youth member of the OA Service Corp at the 1985 Jamboree. I remember seeing the Apple bags appear. I was very interested in these bags as I had one of the computers that fit into it.

These bags were designed to hold the Apple IIc computers, which was a model released by Apple in the spring of 1984. The Apple IIc was a portable computer. Laptop computers did not exist yet as flat panel displays were not available. You needed an external monitor (or your TV) and the external power supply to make the IIc work. It worked similar to the earlier Apple II series of computers in a more streamlined hardware environment.

You mentioned not knowing the difference between Apple and Macintosh. Apple is the company’s name. Macintosh was a model of computer introduced in early 1984. Apple’s first computer was referred to as the Apple I (1976). It was followed by the Apple II (1977), Apple II+, Apple IIe, and finally the Apple IIc.

As I mentioned above I was a youth member of the OA Service Corp and was permanently assigned to the Post Office, so had a pretty set schedule every day. The distribution of the bags seemed a bit random and were sometimes a surprise. There was a rumor that one bag was going to have the computer in it. I never heard of anyone actually finding the computer. This bag would have been much heavier as the machine weighed about 7 pounds. Due to my job responsibilities I was not able to wait in line to get one. I did want one as did everyone else. Later on in the Jamboree I was trading patches one afternoon waiting for the bus and a Scout had his bag out next to his patches. I asked if he was interested in trading for the bag. He said yes and I swapped him 3 or 5 CSPs or OA flaps for it. I was happy!

You or Brad mentioned Jamboree artwork on the bags. I never saw anyone doing this at the Jamboree, but I do recall having a friend who had one with the Jamboree logo on it. He is no longer with us, but I do know where his bag is. I always thought it looked like it was drawn on with markers not silk screened. Curious to learn more about how this artwork evolved.

I still have the bag today with the computer in, although it has not been turned on in over 25 years. I’ll attach a picture.

Here is the Wikipedia page with a description of the computer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIc

I am attaching the picture of the computer with the monitor Apple sold that matched it. This monitor was small but did not fit in the bag.

Comments

With all of the folk on the various Facebook Groups “Selling Off” their collection, I would like to see a Threadhead episode with the procedure Dealers follow on “How To Buy” as well as the seller “How to Prepare to sell”

By Edward Carroll on February 19th, 2021 at 9:32 pm

Ok thanks will try and work that in as we are taping a show this week

By admin on February 22nd, 2021 at 9:27 am

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