posted 08-21-2012 10:05 PM               

Going through my mission patches, especially the very first few, I am now noticing major differences in thickness, stitch quality (especially around the borders), stiffness, etc. I know these all came from JSC, so I'm curious as to why they are so different? Were some re-releases, possibly? Or were they switching back and forth between vendors?

I see STS-2, 3, 4 patches for sale for $100 or more, but at the same time I know the NASA gift shop still sells them for a few bucks.

posted 08-21-2012 11:43 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by mdhcollection:
Again, sorry for the new guy question. Hoping someone can point me to a previous thread that might explain some of it, since all my questions probably take a book to answer...

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Actually, I'm curious as well (and I'm not a new guy), specifically with respect to Shuttle patches. I have a set of patches (STS-1 though 51-L, as well as few misc. program patches) purchased from the Dryden gift shop in the mid-1980s. I also have a few recent late-program AB patches. I'm looking at completing my collection (that is, acquiring every mission; I'm not going down the road of individual/period variations, cancelled missions etc.), and I'm interested in quality and finish variations over the course of the program, specifically from AB. The later mission patches I have frankly aren't that impressive in terms of finish and heft, especially given the advances in manufacturing technology. I'll be doing this regardless, but I'd like to know what to expect.

posted 08-22-2012 06:00 AM               

Here's where the story takes a turn though. Once the patch is released, other manufacturers, and there's been many through the years, copy the patch and sell their versions as well. And each manufacturer has varying degrees of quality. There has been a flood of patches lately coming from Malaysia too. So you will find varying degrees of quality in the patches depending on the manufacturer.

"Stiffness" of the patch was mentioned. This can come from not just the thickness of the patch itself, but also from the backing, if there is one (usually plastic, wax or an iron-on substance). So the backing will give the feeling of "stiffness" to an otherwise non-stiff patch, adding to the general feeling of the quality of the patch.

As you'd expect, since there are different manufacturers releasing their version of the patch, there are differences in the patches themselves. These are what interests collectors — those variances. Take for example Apollo 11. There are about 10 different variations of the mission patch. And as can be expected, some are more rare than others depending on the number released and the number coming up for sale. And that in turn effects the price of the patch.

Age is another factor that can effect the value. Vintage patches, those released during the time of the mission, generally will garner higher prices. I have one patch in particular in my collection that I paid $35 for in 1991. That was expensive for a patch then as it was a controlled release and it has never been released for sale to the public. Now, there are several manufactures selling "replica" versions of that patch. An original, like mine recently sold for $400. So age is another factor.

Most new collectors would think too that if they get their patches from the various space center gift shops that they would be getting "official" versions of the patches that in turn should be higher quality. That is a false assumption as the gift shops are usually private contractor run businesses and can generally sell whatever they want. Yes, you CAN get good quality patches there. But there is no GUARANTEE that you will.

While I'm sure others will pipe in their opinions on the subject and if I'm wrong I'll be corrected (hopefully!). The truth is, a whole book can be, and several have been, written about the subject. If you are new to collecting these little works of art, you've just opened the door to a whole world of history and interest. When I started, I too just wanted the "official" patch for each mission and some related project patches. I now have well over 400 patches, all unique in their own way. And I have a what many would call a small collection compared to many collectors. There's a whole world of research, learning, curiosity and places you can take your collections!

I would add this comment though. If you collect patches, at some point you may want to consider focusing your collection to a specific area. Many collectors, for example, are interested in shuttle patches and their collections show that with the overwhelming number of patches related to the shuttle. Others (like me), are more interested in the early missions (Gemini, Mercury and in my case, particularly Apollo) and they focus their collections to that historical era. Trying to have a "general" collection exposes you to way too many patches to try and start a collection. So take what interests you and focus your collection in that area. At least to start. That way your collection will maintain your interest long term and as you add to it and it grows, you will find other areas that interest you and you can then expand your collection to those areas.

posted 08-22-2012 08:41 PM               

First, there are a couple of books you should look for. The one that comes to mind is called "Space Patches: From Mercury to Space Shuttle" by Judith Kaplan and Robert Muniz. It's an older book but has great details about patches up to the start of the shuttle period. There are others but it will depend more on where you want your collection to go.

Second, I looked at the 4 patches you posted that you have. I can't tell you about the patches you have for STS-1 through 3 off the top of my head - I'd have to check them to be sure, but the STS-4 patch you have is what is called the "pink" version. If you look, there is a pink (or "light red" as some refer to it) triangle where the contrail makes the first bend. THAT my friend is the version that the crew used. The version that you can find everywhere has this triangle in red like the rest of the contrail. There was a thread on here that discussed this in some detail, but suffice it to say that the version you have is rare and worth keeping. (If you ever did want to sell it though, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep me in mind! I'm still looking for one! )

posted 08-23-2012 07:38 AM               

• STS-5 through STS-8
  
• STS-9 through STS-41C
  
• STS-41D through STS-51C

posted 08-23-2012 10:33 PM               

5, 6, 7, 9, 41D, 41G, 51A are all single tail.

8, 41C have two tails.

posted 09-06-2012 08:34 PM               

It's clear that at some point in the late 1990s, the company began to sell shuttle crew patches that have what I can best describe as a tighter weave and duller thread. To me, it seems to have started with STS-88. The one I have of the first crew is of the original variety, while the expanded (final) crew has the newer technique.

I prefer the original style, which has a shinier look and of course is consistent with the AB crew patches dating back to the 1960s.

You even get this type when you order their Apollo patches (AB also changed to different versions of its Apollo patches probably in the 1980s).