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Author
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Topic: STS-1: Better replica of the crew patch
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David C
Member Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 05-08-2013 07:55 AM
  
These things happen, glad you spotted the defects. I'll be keeping my pre-order in. |
Skyforce1
Member Posts: 200
From: Vineland NJ, USA
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 05-23-2013 07:52 PM
Update for everyone concerning the STS-1 patches. I received an email today from AB Emblem. They are in the process of correcting the patch and we are awaiting a photo with the corrections. Again, our sincere thanks for the patience and understanding. We want to get this project right. |
justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-07-2013 11:42 PM
Earlier today we received word from AB that we're in the home stretch. They've generously shared a preview of the improved embroidery (though I'm not going to post it because the colors used for the prototype were a bit off) and I'm really impressed with all the effort AB put in to produce a beautiful patch. When we do get to share it, I hope you'll agree it was worth the extra wait. The final run is queued up for production now, so we should be receiving them around the end of the month. Stay tuned for an update in a few weeks, when I anticipate posting an image and shipping updates, rather than another plea for everyone's patience.(But until then, thanks for your patience...) |
Gonzo
Member Posts: 596
From: Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 06-09-2013 05:50 PM
Thanks for the update Joe and Justin! With any luck, I'll see mine for my birthday on the 4th! 
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justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-05-2013 11:48 PM
Good news, everyone, the final product should really be ready to ship out this time. Joe's received the patches, and although I haven't seen them in person yet, I'm happy to share this picture (I'm assuming both are on white backgrounds, but the two patches were scanned on different scanners, so that should account for most of the color variation): The vintage patch on the left was sent to AB and used in revising the pattern and colors from our previous attempt, and I think they've gotten about as close as they could with modern embroidery machines. With the USPS's help, I hope to have both my old patch and one of the new ones in hand tomorrow so that I can do a proper side-by-side scan. But at this point, I'm satisfied that the issues we spotted previously have been addressed and everyone's patience can be rewarded. We may have patches shipping to those of you who've placed an order as early as tomorrow; they'll certainly be on their way first thing next week. |
vidoz
Member Posts: 82
From: Italy
Registered: Aug 2011
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posted 07-06-2013 07:14 AM
quote:
Originally posted by justin13:
I think they've gotten about as close as they could with modern embroidery machines...
Does the patch have some sort of tag, embedded on the back, identifying it as a replica? If not, many unaware, uneducated and/or new collectors might be fooled by unscrupulous sellers in the future. |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 07-06-2013 08:20 AM
Wow... it sure looks like they nailed it on the second try. Congratulations for a great job and the perseverance. |
Skyforce1
Member Posts: 200
From: Vineland NJ, USA
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 07-06-2013 08:59 AM
Good morning everyone! I echo Justin's thanks to each and every one who hung in there with us on this project. On the back of the patch is a square white tag, made in Taiwan and the date 7/10/13. I will start to process the orders this weekend and get the patches out on Monday morning. A big "Thank You" to all and we hope the patch will be a fantastic addition to your collections! |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-06-2013 09:06 AM
Looks great and can't wait to get mine. Thanks Justin and Joe for going to the trouble of getting it right. |
David C
Member Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 07-06-2013 03:39 PM
Massive improvement. Thanks J&J. Looking forward to getting mine. |
Skyforce1
Member Posts: 200
From: Vineland NJ, USA
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 07-09-2013 01:24 PM
Shipping update on the four flame Columbia STS-1 patches. I have shipped all the orders as of today, 7/9/13. If any cS member encounters any problems, please email me ASAP so I can alleviate and correct any and all discrepancies. Many thanks again to everyone and Justin and I hope you enjoy the Columbia STS-1 patch! |
FullThrottle
Member Posts: 93
From: Seattle, WA, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-09-2013 01:53 PM
Nice work! How does a guy go about purchasing one of these? Are they all spoken for already? |
Skyforce1
Member Posts: 200
From: Vineland NJ, USA
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 07-09-2013 02:31 PM
Thank you for the kind words! I have many in stock, not a problem. |
Gonzo
Member Posts: 596
From: Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 07-09-2013 03:43 PM
Joe - it may be worth mentioning how many were ordered. When you first started this, you were going to limit it to 50, then I assume because of the demand, you increased that to 100. So how many are there to this limited edition replica?  |
Skyforce1
Member Posts: 200
From: Vineland NJ, USA
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 07-09-2013 04:17 PM
Good point Gonzo! I currently have in stock 45 out of 100. |
justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-09-2013 04:18 PM
I'm still waiting for my shipment from AB, so unfortunately I can't share a true side-by-side scan just yet.As for the number ordered — the initial run of 50 was spoken for so quickly that we did indeed up the order to 100. That worked out nicely, because now we both get to keep one or two for ourselves! That said, plenty of them are still available for those interested. I think the link is posted elsewhere in this thread, but in case you've not tracked it down yet, just head here. |
onesmallstep
Member Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 07-12-2013 09:16 AM
Just got my patch yesterday, and it looks beautiful! Scans do not do it justice; the workmanship is excellent. Now it will find a proper home in a presentation framed with the STS-135 patch, shuttle 30 year patch and photos of the STS-1 and -135 crews. Thanks, SkyForce! |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 07-12-2013 03:37 PM
Got mine today. I have never describe a patch as breathtaking before, but that is what this patch is!! FANTASTIC JOB!! |
J Blackburn
Member Posts: 224
From: Riner, Virginia USA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 07-12-2013 07:59 PM
Received mine yesterday. Joe and Justin my hat goes off to you both. The patch looks great. I placed one on my NASA flight jacket along with a STS-135 and Tim's Shuttle Commerative patch. One went in the showcase and another was put aside in storage. I am glad you both did this project and hope more will be done in the future. Thanks for holding out and waiting for the manufacturer to correct the minor issues, it paid off. Great job guys on this accomplished mission. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 729
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 07-12-2013 09:29 PM
Mine was waiting for me at my post office box today. I couldn't be happier, and the finished product was well worth the wait. Congratulations on a job well done! |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-15-2013 11:54 AM
My patches arrived at my office on Saturday, and I just got my hands on them this AM. All I can say is WOW! Beautiful work by Justin, Joe, and AB. The flame colors, especially, really "pop" more in hand than the photos here do justice to. Again, thanks and great job to everyone involved! |
justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-18-2013 04:34 PM
For any remaining hold-outs, here's a true side-by-side look at the reference patch on the left, and our new replica on the right. The light blue on the Earth is the only major departure from the original. AB was unable to find a perfect match among any threads they stock today, so we got as close as possible- an unavoidable result of trying to copy something done 30 years ago. I'm glad to see the positive reviews posted so far. I hope you all enjoy the end result. As we first suggested months ago when this process started, we may try a couple more projects (but I don't plan on going overboard). Stay tuned. |
J.L
Member Posts: 674
From: Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Registered: May 2005
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posted 07-19-2013 11:27 AM
Maybe I am missing something here, but when did a nice original STS-1 patch become scarce enough that a replica needed to be produced? The originals are beautiful, affordable, and show up regularly on eBay.Just my two cents. |
justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-19-2013 07:24 PM
When I first considered this project nine months ago, scarcity wasn't my complaint. Sure, the patches were appearing on eBay regularly, but also regularly selling for over $100. For a collectible, I guess you could call that "affordable", but for a 4" piece of embroidery, it struck me as being a bit much. Prices on eBay seem to be coming down a bit of late, so maybe I cried 'wolf' a little too soon. Then again, now there's a replica available that can be stitched on jackets, bags, and whatever else with reckless abandon, allowing one to show off a rather attractive patch without the risk of ruining an original. (As an aside — Crippen's flight suit is on display at the Atlantis exhibit at KSC. It's a good thing he doesn't wear it around anymore as the STS-1 patch looks like it's about ready to completely fall apart. If other vintage patches are subject to daily wear and tear, I doubt they'll survive another 30 years.) Different strokes for different folks. |
GoesTo11
Member Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-19-2013 07:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by J.L:
The originals are beautiful, affordable, and show up regularly on eBay.
Per crewpatches.com: Scarcity: Scarce. Maybe 5 to 15 sold per year. Value: Examples sell at auction for anywhere between $45 and $280, with most falling in the $115-150 range. While that frequency and price range are certainly toward the most accessible end of the spaceflight memorabilia spectrum, "regularly" and "affordable" are subjective terms...not to mention the uncertainty of bidding against other collectors for a vintage example. As someone who collects patches for their aesthetic appeal and their symbolic encapsulation of the history they represent, as opposed to value/scarcity, I was glad to be able to have an STS-1 patch for a few bucks that's visually representative of what the crew actually wore. The modern "mass market" patch departed too much from the original, which was the impetus for this project. I see this as analogous in purpose--if obviously not in scale--to the AB Emblem/Gene Dorr Gemini set. Few of us will have the means or opportunity to own a vintage Gemini crew patch, so instead it's nice to have an attractive and affordable alternative to display that still conveys what the "real thing" looked like. |
Gonzo
Member Posts: 596
From: Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 07-22-2013 09:39 AM
quote:
Originally posted by justin13:
Then again, now there's a replica available that can be stitched on jackets, bags, and whatever else with reckless abandon, allowing one to show off a rather attractive patch without the risk of ruining an original.
Sorry to disagree, Justin, but while you guys made a great patch and also made them affordable (and darn near mirror replicas of the originals), with a run of only 100, I don't think people will put them "on jackets, bags, and whatever else with reckless abandon." The scarcity of even these replicas would preclude that - people will add them to their collections as replicas of a patch they don't have. And as such, will keep them sealed up and protected. I only have one. If I had 3 or 4, maybe. But I don't collect patches so I can put them on jackets either. I collect them to have represented versions the crew used (and all the variations makes it interesting too). So for me, my one copy of this patch will go into my collection as a replica, not on a jacket or somewhere to be ruined with use. |
justin13
Member Posts: 50
From: Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-23-2013 07:56 PM
Good point, got a little ahead of myself there. But I hope these are able to see the (figurative, UV-free) light of day a little more readily than the vintage ones do. I know I'll put one out on display for everyone in my home to see and enjoy. |
Bull_Eckert
Member Posts: 28
From: Cadiz, Spain
Registered: Jun 2008
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posted 07-24-2013 06:04 PM
Mine arrived in Cadiz (Spain) today. I second all the positive comments expressed in this thread. Images don't do it justice. The patch looks excellent!! Thanks Justin and Joe for their efforts in providing us collectors with a magnificent replica, and thanks to AB folks for a great job! |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1082
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 11-04-2017 09:27 AM
The original first batch of 100 STS-1 replica four-colour crew patches produced by Justin and Joe, and manufactured by AB Emblem have all now sold out. But a second batch has now been reproduced and are available to buy from Joe at Skyforce Space Patches.They are identical to the 2013 version with the exception of the date code on the embedded label on the back: P/D # 212698 Made In Taiwan 10/17/10 instead of 07/13/10. So if you missed this super replica STS-1 crew patch the first time around, you can now buy it again from Joe at skyforcespacepatches. |
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