• Home
• Gallery
• Designing
• Pricing
• Free Quote

Collecting Custom Embroidered Patches Can Be a Lifetime Hobby

Collecting and trading custom embroidered patches has long been a popular hobby, particularly among public service professionals who actually wear such patches. Police, fire and emergency medical personnel nationwide trade patches among each other and their departments often.

Each department, precinct or district usually has its own custom designed patch. Several factors make such custom embroidered patches attractive as collectibles. The original design is often hand-embroidered, creating a colorful, visually interesting design. Traditionally, the department that wears the patch creates its own design, making each one's patch unique. With the large number of organizations in the U.S.A., that means a lot of different designs are available.

Current and former members of the military also collect patches. Many choose to collect patches related to their own service or that of relatives. Others seek rare patches representing specialized units or missions. Some seek the most complete collection possible.

Some custom patch collectors prefer the final frontier - NASA mission patches. Such patches have been a part of every U.S. space flight since astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad designed the first space mission patch in 1965 for the Gemini V mission. Astronauts, however, have not actually worn embroidered patches since the Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967 that took the lives of astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Roger Chaffee and Edward White. The astronaut patches since then have been made of NASA approved, non-flammable "beta cloth." The beta cloth patches feature an image that is silk screen printed onto the mission patch. Replica patches and ground crew patches are still commonly embroidered onto twill.

Scouting patches are hugely popular trading items. Boy Scout Councils conduct regional meets called "Trade-O-Rees" for the purpose of trading, buying and selling patches and other Scouting memorabilia. Proceeds from such events benefit the regional council. Other places to find custom embroidered patch to trade include eBay, flea markets, other Scouting events, fairs and other places where collectors gather.

If your organization is looking for a supplier of custom embroidered patches, look no further than Wholesale Patches. As a leading provider of custom patches, Wholesale Patches can take your design from sketch to patch, complete with your choice of size, color, edge and backing style. Just call us, toll free at 1.866.720.7467, or email us at sales@wholesale-patches.com and we'll get started designing the perfect patch for your agency.