Scout Patch Collectors

From Accumulator to Patch Trader: How to Start Trading Scout Patches Without Getting Ripped Off

Description

In this video, Jason Spangler—Scouter, lifelong collector, and board member of the International Scout Collectors Association (ISCA)—shares his best stories and practical tips for getting started in the world of Scout patch trading.

If you’ve ever wondered what to collect, how to trade fairly, or how not to get ripped off, this session will give you a roadmap from casual “accumulator” to confident patch trader.

In this video you’ll learn:

• Why Scout patches are more meaningful than trading cards

  • How event patches are tied to real memories, people, and places

  • A powerful story of a former camp staffer who returned after 35 years and had his memories come flooding back just from seeing old patches

• The 3 types of patch people

  • Accumulators – Scouts who keep one patch from each event in a drawer (and why that’s still important)

  • Collectors – Those who go after patches from events they didn’t attend

  • Patch Traders – Scouts who build the confidence to sit down, trade, and build real collections

• What to collect (so you’re not just trading “anything”)

  • Starting local: lodge flaps, fellowship patches, camp and council issues

  • Expanding by theme: wolves, Confederate flag issues, E. Urner Goodman patches, Wood Badge totems, numbered lodges (1–100), etc.

  • How Jason’s own collections evolved over time—from Santee Lodge patches to PD Council items and beyond

• How eBay changed the hobby

  • Using online selling to turn extra patches into funds for new ones

  • Why it still pays to keep at least one patch from every event you attend

• Practical rules for fair and fun patch trading

  • Buy extras – Why you should never trade away the only patch from an event you attended

  • How to bring “ammunition” (extra flaps and event patches) to Dixie, NOAC, jamborees, and other big events

  • Know your focus – Pick a lane: local lodge, certain themes, certain councils, or special designs

  • Window shop and learn – Sit with experienced traders, watch deals, and let mentors guide you

• Avoiding bad trades & feeling “ripped off”

  • How to “phone a friend” and ask another collector if a trade is fair

  • Why it’s always okay to walk away if something doesn’t feel right

  • Etiquette around the Scout handshake and “undoing” a trade when someone has second thoughts

• Keeping your collection safe

  • Why patch blankets, bags, and organization matter

  • Being smart about where you leave your patches at camp and big events

If you’re a Scout, Scouter, or collector who wants to take patch trading more seriously—and have fun doing it—this video will give you the mindset, strategies, and stories to get started.