The one that started it All !

[badger123]

The one that started it all? Way back in the days when I was a hard working (cough) pupil at secondary school, I was a bit of tearaway and a pain to my form teacher who was newly qualified and easy meat for us mischievous lads.

He quickly sussed that I had a liking for all things ‘army’ and saw a way to get through to this young lad. He told me about his collection of army badges and to top it all, he gave me my first badge which was a bullion Sgt’s stripes.

From this first badge, there was no holding me back and I quickly went around school mates buying cap badges that they had knocking around the house. This led to visits to flea markets to pick up pocket money bargains (oh if only I had picked up some of those ‘horrible’ plastic cap badges in the 30 pence bargain boxes that no one wanted, but that’s another story........)

So 35 years later I am still collecting cap badges and still enthusiastic about every new acquisition. Oh and a couple of years ago I decided to change career direction and become....a teacher! So Mr Howell, if you’re still out there in badge collecting land, thank you.

Ivan

[Sawstonjohn]

Mine was a Royal Anglian anodised...................

some great stories lads, here is mine ...
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ictureid=33931
Hallmarked Bent and Parker 1915 the Tyneside Scottish officers 'circular strap' was also the first this innocent parted with for £2.50!!! not content I then proceded to convince the 'its a restrike' sceptical buyer that the mint W/M version was pucker, 'a what? etc' eventually he took it at £1.50 but left the 2 other hallmarked TS versions and the hallmarked Camerons, they were £7! they were bigger!
1973 a [B]10[B] year old I accompanied me dad trawling antique and junk shops, I'd stopped playing 'japs and commandos' and acquired a few tin hats, webbing, gasmasks, great grandads medals and stuff when we landed in Haydon Bridge, me dad stood me £26 to buy (another find of a lifetime lads?) what i now know were five of a battalion oc's badges, a chaspot (sp?) bayonet and "the regimental seal", well a lion rampant seal size of the 'big uns' on condition i learn the game, keep summat and sell the others to pay for it! Whey it was always gonna be the bayonet ... about an hour after parting with them i found the W/M one on the one page of badges in the antique values book (pre millars) at £16! I wound up talking to 'old bill' another stallholder at that northallerton antique fair, he sold badges, collected lancers headgear etc and by 4 oclock i was a badge collector!
I lost my second one with my NF collection, left for safekeeping, Vic informed me after the frames were sold in london! Tommy had died while I was away, what? i go find the family? i did find the guy that helped punt them "cheers, yeah thats why it had my name on the frame backs Nick"
Finally I find this one (thanks mike lukich) a 'pinbacked' them tiny lugs were a bugger but more likely for the owners sweetheart and i gave it to mine, Michelle, immediately! Quo Fata Vocant.
"Toon, Toon Black and White Army!" heh.

[iaindh]

As a kid, my father was in the regular army, 1st RTR, and various badges came my way and trickled through my fingers, eg 3rd Carbiniers, 14/20th KH, QODG, regiments we were stationed with, but swapping my Dad's WWII RTR cap badge for a scooter he did not appreciate.
My big break came when I was about 25 and I was given a badge belt with all WWI badges on.....that got me going. I do still have my father's dress belt with brass buckle and KC RTR badge which of course I treasure. Iain

badge 010.jpg

[Ashton]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

I spent some time as a kid in the cellar shop of Bill Tobin, in Balfour St, New Kent Road, London (he supplied flags, uniforms etc for the old tv series "Manhunt" back in the 60's or 70', I bought a German WWII lid, collar patches, British cap badges, an absolute treasure trove. I was in there one day & a bloke had brought in a Prussian Garde Cuirassiers helmet complete with parade eagle on top, Bill was very happy with it, showing me a newspaper clipping of one which had just sold for £500.

Graham Maddox wrote articles (including in the short lived "Photo War" magazine) on restoring pikelauben did'nt he?
Take all the metal fittings off, sandpaper the patent finish to get rid of any scratches or cracks, shellac it, polish all the metal bits & reassemble the helmet........all a bit too far for me even as a kid back then.

Maybe the one in the photo

[Home Guard]

I remember it well. My first piece was a German WWI Pilot's badge, which I soon learned was a fake....and, a very obvious one! I still have it and because it was my first buy will keep it. It also serves as a good reminder to study and research one's interests.

Terry

[leigh kitchen]

Very likely, I reckon - I doubt he got his mitts on many of them.
Interesting to read mention of large swastika flags going for about £40 - around that time I bought a large Reichdienstflagge with KM markings from him, £5 I think it was.
I wanted a tin helmet, he didn't have any, I had to spend my money - so the flag it was.
A white elephant purchase, it lived in a carrier bag in cupboards, the garage, for 40-odd years until I found a new bag for it a few years ago.
It still lives in a drawer in a garage though.
I can't remember offhand how big the thing is - 8' × 12' or thereabouts I think.

[kingsley]

My grandfather, believe it or not, was too young to go to the Boer War but he was a member of the NSW Medical Staff Corps. He died before I was born, but in 1952 I inherited his helmet, hat and collar badges, and the brown epaulettes and aiguilettes from his uniform. Unfortunately the moths ate his uniform in the 1920s.