Rye School
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rye-Gramm...53.m1438.l2649

This is the school hat badge form the 1930s and is not an OTC badge. The school raised an ATC Sqn in WW2,

Paul seems to almost exclusively buy from Marlow’s and Bosley’s so I’m certain he’ll have acquired it described as it currently is.

I’m sure if you message him he’ll amend the listing to correct the description, he’s always been very open when I’ve dealt with him and seems to totally rely on the ‘specialist’ auction houses say-so rather than having in-depth first hand knowledge (no sleight intended).

My post is not a criticism of the seller as he is breaking up an auction lot. Sally Bosley's shop does have one for sale as the school badge so there may well have been some lazy auctioneer cataloging here as there is no evidence of an OTC or Cadet corps at all. Unfortunately Rawlin's 'magpie' pamphlet on cadet badges may well be the source of this error.

I can't prove something never existed; but the balance of probability is that badge is just a school badge without a military or cadet connection.

As it's been bid on then perhaps some other collector's know more than me but I would advise any Forum to be cautious before getting into a bidding frenzy.

Alan

Not big into OTC stuff but I note the seller doesn’t say it’s an OTC badge? He only uses the word “school”

Indeed but it's still in the militaria section.

True
Well thanks for the heads up, you might save someone money. This is why I stick to a narrow field of collecting these days. It is a so hard for both buyers and sellers

Well I tried: but £43 is daft when it's a school badge without any proven cadet connection. Sally Bosley's shop had an identical one listed.

The winning bidder is hoovering up a lot of OTC badges on ebay but I am not sure what reference book he is using if any at all.

Probably just going on the seller’s and Bosleys descriptions!
If he’s after a school badge, great. But I don’t think he was.

That's the point - Sally Bosley correctly sold it as a school badge and not as military, cadet or OTC..