Market Watch

Since the last report there has been quite a lot of changes in the market and availability of some of the styles. A cache of "Boomer" era Corporal badges have emerged lowering the market and scarcity of them. The user " blessedgodlover7" has sold over 15 or more. We still don't know if they are real or he is having them made for him. If they are real, he/she is playing it smart by not flooding the market all at once. He/she puts one up for auction every month or so. The market has come down as a result of the first 15 that were sold. A corporal badge could easily command $400 a few years ago. NOW, some have sold for $250 and one even sold for $195. 

The original "School Boy Patrol" are getting harder to come by even in the private auction we participate in. There are still plenty of them being traded and sold privately but not as often. The Lieutenant School Boy Patrol is still the rarest badge in ALL of the different  styles. One was sold privately, in Very Fine condition for $475. 

The hot items are the Transition Badges of the mid 1920's. Recently purchased on ebay what is now known as the Charles Hilton Collection. We also welcome Mr. Hilton to the world of private collectors. More trading is done in the private collectors market than cash buying. When a collector is looking for a particular grade of a certain badge style, they'll offer an even trade or two and sometimes three other badges in trade, which will then be traded for others. For example; someone may trade a Corporal "Boomer" badge for a Sergeant AND Gold Award "Boomer" badge both of which get traded for a "School Boy Patrol" badge. 

The AAA Chna Made made badges of the 1970's have seen an increase in prices. Finding a set that isn't rusted is getting hard to find. I learned the hard way abut the China-made badges. I normally keep my extras in a wooden cigar box. We had a pretty rainy spring one year and the humidity alone rusted a few of the 1990 style badges. Now I keep a plastic bag with rice in the box and I added a water tight seal to the box. 

Keep an eye out for GRAMMES Bros, square back mid 1960's badges, they have increased in price also. Have a question? enmail me at info@safetypatrolbadge.com or visit us on FAcebook.

ebay School Safety Patrol Badges prices

It seems the sellers on ebay have mentally short circuited. At any one time you can find badges made in the 90's selling for hundreds of dollars, Apparently all these sellers do is look at some badges and see some are selling for a lot of money and think their 1980's , Made-in-China School safety Patrol badge is worth a fortune not bothering to see the ones selling for $200 is from 1920 and very rare. To them EVERY badge is rare and from "an Estate Sale"! 

One seller had a very common badge "Buy-it-Now for $400, it's crazy. I don't know if it's a sleazy seller hoping to sucker some unknowing buyer or just pure ignorance on their part. Bottom line, do your research. I can't stress this enough, LOOK ON THE BACK of the badge, the complete history is right there. Be cautious of badges that do not have a picture of the back.