Embroidered patches are used all over the place – from decorating motorcycle vests, to rewarding successful students, to identifying a local club or sports team. However, a number of people will also trade in them or collect them. You will see evidence of this in the Boy Scouts of America Organization. Boy Scouts have been collecting and trading embroidered patches and motorcycle patches since they have been around. This is a fantastic way to remember regional and local events, motivate individual scouts to achieve and meet new friends.

In terms of the extent of collecting Boy Scout Patches, there are hundreds of websites which are dedicated to supporting it. Every time scouts get together nationally or regionally, there will be a large section of the camp which is devoted to trading patches. These days, you will even find that some of the scout events have actually been organized around the purpose of patch trading. It is not only embroidered patches that the scouts will trade at these events; some of them trade in things like flags, coffee mugs, banners and sashes.

Various Boy Scout Patches

There are three basic categories of Boy Scout patches within the world of collectors. The first are the achievement patches. These are given when scouts earn merit badges or other awards. Of special interest to collectors are old merit badges from past generations that are no longer made. These vintage merit patches are highly sought after among older patch collectors because they bring back fond memories of when they were scouts themselves.

There are also event patches that are collected. Wintertime events that are often held by local councils could be something like a Klondike Derby. There will be a new patch for an event like that each year. Then you’ll have statewide events known as Jamborees, followed by regional and national jamborees. All of these events are commemorated with patches, baseball caps, and even T-shirts. Finally, there are special events like Order of the Arrow gatherings on both the local and national level.

Third, there are patches for specific locations of interest in Scouting. One such example is the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. This camp is a huge adventure camp set on thousands of acres and based near to the town of Cimarron. Scouts who can manage to get to Philmont and complete one of the rigorous programs they offer have earned a special patch of recognition; a patch that is very valuable.

Embroidered Patches can be Collected

Since the early days of Baden Powell’s first scouting troops in the UK, patches have been a part of their culture. They were originally used to denote rank as well as reward certain achievements; today they are so much more. If you’re a Boy Scout, why not consider collecting and trading patches among your fellow scouts.

Even if you are not a Boy Scout, you can still really enjoy collecting and trading embroidered patches. There are many places where you can find embroidered patches such as through local youth groups, collectible outlets, craft stores and church groups. You only need a handful of patches to get you going as well as passion for the hobby.