What can turn up when you open 15 boxes of Boy Scout memorabilia from collections around the country?

In this episode of Scouting Hot Finds, I'm continuing to work through the mountain of unopened Scout collections in my warehouse. We uncover everything from hundreds of Order of the Arrow lodge flaps to Eagle Scout memorabilia, vintage merit badges, historic trail medals and an incredible piece of 1960 National Scout Jamboree history.

🎥 WANT TO SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

This episode is the audio edition of a Scouting Hot Finds live unboxing on YouTube. Since Scout memorabilia is definitely a visual hobby, there will be plenty of things you'll want to see for yourself.Watch the complete video here: 15 Boy Scout Collections Unboxed | 400+ OA Flaps & a 1960 Jamboree Flag

⚜️ LEARN MORE ABOUT SCOUT PATCH COLLECTING:
https://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com

Some of the discoveries in this episode include:

• An incredible 1960 National Scout Jamboree troop flag from Rio Grande Council Troop 53, preserved by the son of a former professional Scouter.

• Approximately 400 Order of the Arrow lodge flaps from the collection of a longtime patch collector, including vintage issues, charter-member flaps, cut-edge patches and OA memorabilia from around the country.

• Hundreds of vintage Council Shoulder Patches, Jamboree shoulder patches, Philmont contingent patches and other CSP varieties.

• Order of the Arrow material from Alaska, Puerto Rico, Japan and lodges across the United States.

• A wonderful Eagle Scout collection from New Hampshire that included an Eagle medal, 1957 National Scout Jamboree memorabilia and a letter explaining the Scout's history.

• One of my favorite stories from the episode — the discontinued Pigeon Raising merit badge. The Scout's father raised racing pigeons, including birds that competed over distances of as much as 1,000 miles.

• Vintage Boy Scout historical trail medals and patches connected to places including Valley Forge, Fredericksburg and Shiloh.

• 1957 and 1960 National Scout Jamboree memorabilia.

• Vintage Scout equipment catalogs, council history books, old calendars and hiking trail guides that give us a look at what Scouting was like decades ago.

• Direct Service Council patches from countries around the world.

One of my favorite things about opening old Boy Scout collections is discovering the story behind the memorabilia. Sometimes that story is preserved in an Eagle Scout medal or merit badge sash. Sometimes it's found in a handwritten letter. And sometimes it's a huge Jamboree flag that survived for more than 65 years before showing up in one of these boxes.

That's what Scouting Hot Finds is about — uncovering, documenting and preserving Scouting history while helping get this memorabilia back into the hands of collectors.

📦 HAVE A BOY SCOUT COLLECTION TO SELL?

I purchase Boy Scout memorabilia collections large and small. If you have old Scout patches, Order of the Arrow memorabilia, uniforms, merit badges, Jamboree items, camp patches or an entire collection that needs a new home, visit:

https://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com

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YouTube.com/@TheSanteeswapper

Subscribe to the Scouting Hot Finds podcast for more Boy Scout memorabilia, Scout patch collecting, collection unboxings and stories from the history of the hobby.

What happens when you open 13 Boy Scout memorabilia collections that have been sitting unopened for months?

This episode of Scouting Hot Finds is the AUDIO EDITION of my first-ever live collection unboxing. I started tackling the mountain of Scout collections waiting in my warehouse — and we uncovered some incredible pieces of Scouting history along the way.

🎥 WATCH THE ORIGINAL VIDEO & SEE EVERYTHING WE UNCOVER:
I Opened 13 Boy Scout Memorabilia Collections LIVE | Rare OA Patches & Jamboree Finds

Because Scout memorabilia is a visual hobby, you may hear us discussing patches, uniforms and other items you'll want to see for yourself. The complete video version is available at the link above.

⚜️ SCOUT PATCH COLLECTING RESOURCES:
https://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com

Some of the highlights uncovered in this episode include:

• A fascinating 1937 National Scout Jamboree collection with vintage neckerchiefs, a Jamboree guide, old merit badges and Washington, D.C. memorabilia.

• An early merit badge sash containing different generations of 1930s merit badges, including discontinued farming merit badges.

• Vintage Order of the Arrow lodge flaps, sashes, neckerchiefs and other OA memorabilia from collections around the country.

• An unusual vintage Order of the Arrow flap belt buckle that I had never seen before.

• A beautiful chain-stitched Region 7 neckerchief from the 1957 World Scout Jamboree in England.

• 1967 World Scout Jamboree memorabilia and a collection from a military Scout family that included Transatlantic Council Scouting in Italy.

• A Boy Scout membership card from Isfahan, Iran, from 1977, along with memorabilia connected to a family whose father was helping train the Iranian military on Bell helicopters before the Iranian Revolution.

• Philmont Scout Ranch memorabilia, Region 7 Canoe Base pieces, vintage Jamboree items and High Adventure collectibles.

• An Arizona Order of the Arrow collection containing early OA flaps and 1960s conclave memorabilia.

• A huge vintage OA lodge “pie” patch, a decorated Scout jacket, a 1964 National Jamboree contingent neckerchief and memorabilia from an accomplished 1960s Eagle Scout.One of my favorite things about buying old Boy Scout collections is that every box tells a story. Sometimes the discovery is a rare patch. Sometimes it's an old uniform, merit badge sash, photograph, neckerchief or other piece of memorabilia that helps reconstruct where a Scout went and what he experienced decades ago.

That's what Scouting Hot Finds is all about — uncovering, documenting and preserving Scouting history while helping get these pieces back into the hands of collectors.

📦 HAVE A BOY SCOUT COLLECTION TO SELL?If you have old Boy Scout patches, Order of the Arrow memorabilia, uniforms, merit badges, Jamboree items, camp patches or an entire Scouting collection that needs a new home, visit:

https://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com

🎥 WATCH MORE SCOUTING HOT FINDS:
YouTube.com/@TheSanteeswapper

Subscribe to Scouting Hot Finds wherever you listen to podcasts for more Boy Scout memorabilia, Scout patch collecting, collection unboxings and stories from the hobby.

I caught up with Hank Birdsong a long time collector in the hobby at the Charlotte Trade-O-Ree.  After basically finishing his core OA section flap collection - Hank came up with a very original idea for a new pursuit.  He went back to his roots from his first NOAC and started collecting OA names and numbers.  While this might be a familiar collection target for many - he came up with his very own unique rules and parameters as to what he puts in.  Listen to the rules he has created and how it's an almost never ending process of upgrading the issues in his collection.  To see the collection in person is also a nice bonus as it's all layed out in Best Hobby Pages.

Have you ever looked at your Boy Scout collection and struggled to figure out what the small differences among common rank and position patches mean? In this episode of the show we go into a deep dive on how to identify and sort your BSA rank patches using the leading reference books in the hobby. It’s a fun rabbit hold collection that almost every Scout or Scouters can start today.

This episode is packed with knowledge and an awesome unboxing. Ryan Losonsky returns for the final installment in my interview with him. This time we are talking about nuts and bolts….literally! Ryan has created a 90+ panel traveling Scout museum and in this video we are going to talk shop. The big unboxing for this week is a truly live box that came in this week from California featuring an outstanding OA collection with some killer (not exaggerating) flaps. The giveaway returns as well to don’t forget to sign up to get your name in the virtual hat for that prize. If you want to find that original video that we referenced in the link is https://youtu.be/yUQTMi9Al8c.

In this episode you will see how Ryan Losonsky has developed his model for a traveling Boy Scout history display that is adaptable to the audience. He also shares ideas for how you can get invited to display which in some ways is a challenge as well. We also discuss the notion that perfection can be the enemy of getting started as you don't need to have 100% of the items.

During the show you will also get to see three unboxings including one that is very timely for me. Oh and of course a giveaway! These are in every episode of the show. You can put your name in for the prize at www.scoutpatchcollectors.com/prize

OK spoiler alert! Today I'm telling the whole story of how I came to work with a Hollywood Costumer named Danielle to help outfit the actors in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. I took my family to see the movie on Thanksgiving Day. I had really been hesitant to do a video about my involvement until I saw the final cut. You never know how things are going to turn out and I wasn't sure if they would have made changes since my involvement was more than a year ago. But the uniforms were awesome, the portrayal of Sammy Fabelman's time in Scouts was awesome (can you tell I am a child of the 80s?) and I loved the movie. The overall arc of the story line is heavily focused on the family dynamics. But the parts in the beginning of the movie with his patrol and troop were just plain fun to watch. Of course in this episode I'll have a giveaway and an unboxing! Oh and if you've read this far down I have an Easter Egg surprise for you. Something that I just found this morning when I was doing my homework for this episode. I was so shocked when I found this that I immediately called my wife and had one of those moments on the phone where she first asked "is everything ok?". Watch to find out!

In this episode of the show I am back with some great content. The highlight is an interview with Russell Smart at the Charlotte Trade-O-Ree. He came to the event with an amazing display of Scouting history. His focus was the 20 plus iterations of which merit badges were required for the rank of Eagle Scout. So in each frame he has the patch, medal and merit badge patches from every time the BSA changed the requirements for its highest rank. You can also see a series of small Boy Scout collection unboxings where I did a marathon run. I hope you appreciate the Scobby Doo time effect to speed up the transition. You can also watch to see the winner of the giveaway last week of the 1937 National Scout Jamboree patch. Of course I have another giveaway this week. All you have to do is put in your name and email at www.scoutpatchcollectors.com/prize.

Patch Trading at the Jamboree! Listen in to Scouting Hot Finds Live to get the story on visitors and patch trading at the Jamboree from Tico Perez. This episode includes a new giveaway (and the live picking of last week's winner!). You can also catch a number of unboxings. In this episode I try to also pivot towards a focus on newer collectors by calling out the opportunity to fellowship, learn and build your collection at Trade-O-Rees. Please leave comments and feedback as I love to see where everyone would like to see me focus the content.