Forum Badge Guides

[Charlie585]

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[Old Smelly]

This is a very good idea and could work, although there are many images already throughout the threads and albums showing both good and bad. It could be good to have guides for particular badges but with many of the standard ones it would still only be a guide.
There are so many variations, especially for the WW1 mass produced types that there is often disagreement as to what is a right badge. I have some that look absolutely awful but I am sure they are 100% as, for example, 'I got it from a house clearance in a WW1 gift tin with the mans dog tags etc'.(this is from personal experience, I guess provenance proves a lot if you have it)
For many cap badges there are the know variants, known makers etc, which would be good to show as a guide but there are also the other variations, private purchase, bazaar made etc, that could be dismissed as fake if not mentioned.
Sorry if I'm rambling
Lee

[billy]

Hi Lee no-one is going to notice unless there is something to compare against! so a title North Irish Horse could house correct badge patterns and variants like theatre made badges?
Perhaps a photo front & rear with name 19--, smaller variant 19--, economy issue 19--, Officers pattern, Silver Bronze?, detailed information on badge , sliddered & lugged? arm badges, divisional flashes to this regiment (it could get long but all information at a glance) for any user here it would be a one stop shop if you cant find what you need ask in General section, I can see the benefits of this but also a lot of work can we cut and paste Wikipedia? Garry look what you started! cheers billy

[Mike]

It would be useful for me if info on when particular patterns of metal shoulder titles were worn could be added. It's generally not clear from Westlake.

[JerryBB]

The idea of forum badge guides sounds great to me, in spite of the potential for dispute it might cause about which are good or not, though how many members will be willing to contribute is another question, as some threads seem to attract few if any answers.

[jubilationtcornpone]

Garry et al,

I have been reading this thread and doing some thinking about it. First let me share my background. I was by training and employment a professional librarian. I am now retired. What I did was organize and retrieve information. Organizing information is not that difficult, at least in theory. Retrieving information is. I cannot possibly predict what every potential user will want to know except in general terms. My question then is a badge guide to...what? I think a poll should be run to see what information members think should be included. Three things come to my mind, dates the unit was in existence, known variations, and, how to spot reproductions. Keep it simple. Imagine creating a guide, just providing information answering these three questions, for the Leeds Pals as opposed to The Black Watch. It becomes very easy to get lost in a forest when one should be thinking tree.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head on a Thursday afternoon.

Regards,

Don

[2747andy]

Removed by poster

[Rockape]

Andy,

Aren't you a bit off-topic here? This thread is about future forum badge guides including the format and detail of what a guide should contain. Your latest post has little relevance here. You also eliminated yourself as a participant in badge guides in an earlier post (#15), saying that you have been and will be working on your own guides.

My commitment to this project is in the balance due to my workload at the moment. I will know by December whether I can commit to this or not.

Garry

[2747andy]

Garry,
a bit off I agree, but my point is why have a guide if it is ignored!

Andy

[Rockape]

To coin a phrase, you can lead a horse to water....No matter what is written in the guides, some will never read them thoroughly, instead preferring to skim read it. The design template can be accommodated for this by giving short summary key information early (if you like an abstract) and then if the reader wishes to continue further, more detailed information.

I'm sad to see you had discounted your support for the project as you have excellent knowledge on many aspects of collecting badges and your input would be invaluable in the project. A lot of members look to your advice, and I believe that project collaboration will result in a badge guide that will be a useful tool for new and veteran collectors alike.

Keeping with your previous post and trying to stay on-topic, I've had a look through the vendor website, and this example seems to an exception rather than the norm? Email me if you prefer not to say here.

Garry

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by Rockape

To coin a phrase, you can lead a horse to water....No matter what is written in the guides, some will never read them thoroughly, instead preferring to skim read it. The design template can be accommodated for this by giving short summary key information early (if you like an abstract) and then if the reader wishes to continue further, more detailed information.

I'm sad to see you had discounted your support for the project as you have excellent knowledge on many aspects of collecting badges and your input would be invaluable in the project. A lot of members look to your advice, and I believe that project collaboration will result in a badge guide that will be a useful tool for new and veteran collectors alike.

Keeping with your previous post and trying to stay on-topic, I've had a look through the vendor website, and this example seems to an exception rather than the norm? Email me if you prefer not to say here.

Garry

Garry,
the vendor is very good and not often does he offer dubious items, although I would not rush to buy his pre 1906 7th Dgns either, which appears to be a copy of the officers pattern badge in whitemetal but that is two out of stacks!

The project I'm working on would not be free, hence if I contribute here too, others may think I've other motives? I will still continue to offer advice where I can!

Andy

[talavera48]

I've started a new thread on the Beds non-voided badge for those who do not want this thread to get side-tracked.

David Smith (proprietor of http://www.britisharmybadges.com)

[Fatherofthree]

Greetings all.

Badge guides; in essence, yes, all very commendable and a worthwhile project.........however, what a fabulous source of information for those who produce fakes.

Shape, size, metals, variations, lugs or sliders or both, etcetera.

Regards

Brian

[Charlie585]

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[Derrick]

I think the idea of a guide is great, would it be a better idea if forum members subscribe to that part of the forum as the use of the forum in that section would use up more bandwidth and a yearly subscription would go towards that extra cost.

Derrick.