I love collecting them but it's no fun buying them...I like to get stopped by a cop and when he comes up to my window, I rip the badge off and speed away.
I love collecting them but it's no fun buying them...I like to get stopped by a cop and when he comes up to my window, I rip the badge off and speed away.
I like that.
If you acquire any in rural Georgia or Alabama, you'll probably have several "sample" bullets you can display with them (unless they wind up in envelopes marked "Evidence").
I'd recommend a rental car.
Don't know if you would call it a collection, but here are the badges from the three departments I worked for in 34 years of law enforcenent.
Letf to right: First job with a small twon, three different badge sets from the Sheriff's department (changed three times in 30 years) and two from the state agency I worked for (changed badges twice).
starman, that is a wonderful display of your career. i'm proud for you for your service to the folks in texas.
i do have a question about selling badges. i have a couple of CA LE badges i would like to sell, but not sure if i can sell them to a CA resident or not. any info out there on this topic? thanks
I do not know of any law against selling LE badges. My son collects badges and has purchased them from auction sites, at gun shows and other public sources.
Some departments don't let their officers keep their badges, so those departments would be interested if they saw one of their current badges advertised for sell, but I think that would be a rare occasion.
Don't know if you would call it a collection, but here are the badges from the three departments I worked for in 34 years of law enforcenent.
Letf to right: First job with a small twon, three different badge sets from the Sheriff's department (changed three times in 30 years) and two from the state agency I worked for (changed badges twice).
No, it was the Texas Commission on Private Security badge. That was a stand alone LE agency regulating the private security industry.
That agency has now been incorporated into the Texas Department of Publice Safety.
Not really. But, I lived in the D. C. area for several years and managed to get the commemorative badges from the "Millennium" and the Inaugurations of Clinton '97 and Bush '01 from the Capitol Police and The D. C. Metro Police.
For several years I collected federal commemorative badges (inaugural; millennium; anniversiary; special event; Olympic; etc). At one point, my collection was well over 150 badges. A few years ago I decided the hobby was a little too time consuming so I get rid of almost all of them. I only kept the ones from the agency I work for. I still have a couple of others floating around I have not managed to sell yet. It is a great hobby, but it can expensive and addictive!
Gonzo
I'm not exactly a collector, but I do have my old badges from the ex-INS, a centennial commemorative badge from the INS, a couple of others. I do have a modest patch collection, and still swap some, but I've kind of gotten away from it. It was getting time consuming and to many folks were getting VERY proud of their patches.
However if anyone on the board wants to swap for, drop me an email, I've got some uniform tearoffs from INS INspections.
Take care...
Last edited by bobcat; 09-23-2009 at 08:54 PM.
Reason: add photo
[QUOTE=greyhawk178;1106971This is the only one I have. It was awarded at retirement....Geez...sure came out big. Sorry. Can someone make this a bit smaller, please ?????[/QUOTE]
That's Ok, Alaska is a big state.
The only "collection" of badges I have are the ones I've worn, all BO. I got to keep my original brass badge when it became obsolete, then again after the merger into DHS as the replacement became obsolete. I have a bunch of patches I've amassed over the past 24 years and someday I may move into collecting badges.
I usually only lerk but I heard you call my name. I've collected for about 40 years. First my agency then countries where I've been assigned. One of the pictures is of my Colombia National Police Collection on display at a show, and was highlighted in Police Collector News. One is an original Tennessee State Police badge c.1937. The last original I saw for sale went for $1300. Last one is a repo I had made to fill the spot in my collection. I collect Cherokee Tribal Police, USMS, USMC and anything THP that is really old.
Cherokee Slim
I've been with my department for almost 15 years and we've changed badge styles four times in that period. Though I don't collect badges, I have a display case with the four different badges used during my tenure with the department. Something about every time we get a new sheriff they change the badges . . . and they seem to get uglier every time too.
I've managed to amass a collection of about 200 badges over the last 30 years. Since 9-11, seems like the hobby has slowed way down. I pretty much quit collecting in the last few years.
One of these days I'll go to a few shows and thin out the collection.
As a police officer and avid badge collector myself, I'd like to invite you to check check out my site - BadgeSwap.com, it's an eBay type auction site specifically for police badges.
I have a shadow box with all the badges I have worn, there are now 10 in it (7 from the same PD) and the others from "retirement jobs". I just undertook a new job, my wife claims that I just want to add to the collection. Actually there is an easier way to acquire them, but not as much fun.
I am however, begining to understand the meaning of retired, I was tired yesterday, and I am tired today, hence..........
I am definitely getting too old for this ****.
I have been Collecting North Dakota badges for about 10 years now. I use to collect some Federal badges but no longer due to cost and too many other hobbies. I have had many over the years and kind of look to them as I do my guns. Kind of a investment.
I mainly stick to North Dakota patches and have tons of them.
I have two. The one from where I used to work doing security which is now no longer the same company, and the one I have in my wallet from my department where I work now.
The only badges in my collection are badges that I wore through the years. Patrolman, Sergeant, Lieutenant and retirement badge from my department and a Military Police badge from the USMC and Security Police badge from the Air Force. I also collect law enforcement related tie tacs and lapel pins, of which I have about 1500.
Put together a collection of all the 50 State SP/HP shoulder patches, as well as all the Fish & Game Warden patches. Then started with special Units, specifically Air Units. collected from the mid 70's to about 1990 then lost interest. What killed my enthusiasm were the SEVERAL dishonest *******s who owed me something for whatever I sent them...but instead never sent whatever was agreed upon.
Over the years I ended up with several commemorative or Special badges, and when I retired I was gifted my original Hwy Patrol badge and cap piece. So a very modest , though hard won badge collection.
Just wondering, Is it legal?? I see a lot of badge collector sites & badges of all kinds for sale. It's hard to imagine so many "real" badges out there. So is it legal to COLLECT real LEO badges? Note I did not say use or carry, I'm sure that is illegal, if not it should be!
Howdy,
I am not sure about all the different states laws.
E-Bay wants badges to be 75 years old or older or have them declared obsolete in writing by the issuing dept before they will allow them to stay listed.
I am no collector but I just put one up for auction, and that is how I understood it.
I would venture to say there are all kinds of states laws restricting the sale of badges.
Mike
Just wondering, Is it legal?? I see a lot of badge collector sites & badges of all kinds for sale. It's hard to imagine so many "real" badges out there. So is it legal to COLLECT real LEO badges? Note I did not say use or carry, I'm sure that is illegal, if not it should be!
It's legal to collect all but current Federal badges. Some agencies don't want them sold or traded but unless it was reported stolen there isn't much they can do. I know lots of people have slowed down on collecting, buying and selling. I know I am more careful about who I sell or trade with. Badgeswap.com is about the only internet site I know of that has a lot for sale.
Cherokee Slim
After 28 years with U.S. Customs/CBP we've amassed a real assortment. Three generations worth of badges, hat badges, signs, flags, memoribilia from Customs and a few Immigration badges to boot. Mrs. WW (Kitti) was the grand daughter and daughter of old customs guys, and then she married me!!!!! Anyway, most Federal badges on retirement get put in lucite. I suppose this negates any further use of their original purpose. Hugh
I love collecting them but it's no fun buying them...I like to get stopped by a cop and when he comes up to my window, I rip the badge off and speed away.
I've got all the badges I wore over the last 43 years from three different departments. These include several badge changes and different ranks. I have them and shoulder patches, name tags, and assorted brass displayed in shadow boxes hanging on my wall. If I retire next year I'll have to get another box to display the S.O. I currently work for. My barber, who is a reserve officer, has probably 200 displayed in his shop.
I have my retirement badge, my allegedly lost lt badge, and four deputy sheriff badges from counties I was deputized in . All ohio sheriff badges are the same, only the county names are different.
I just collect my own. Reserve officer badge, police officer badge, Oklahoma centennial badge, Detective badge, sergeants badge oh and I have replica Dirty Harry badge.
I have a collection of patches, hat badges and shoulder ephilets from my own career, which has been pretty non traditional.
I started out working for a local authority (Auckland City Council) Traffic (Road Policing) department in May 1984. It was one of only 5 local authority traffic departments still left in the country.
In October 1989 we all merged with the Ministry of Transport (MoT) Road Safety division to form the Traffic Safety’s Service, then in July 1992 we merged again with Police to become one service.
The pics:
1. (Top L-R) Auckland City Sergeants stripes, hat badge and shoulder ephilets. Bottom, shoulder badges.
2. (top to bottom) MoT shoulder flash, raincoat stick on badge (somewhere I have a motorcycle helmet one too) and 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games ID badge, attached to our shirts with Velcro fastenings. I have a cap badge on my old hat in storage right now.
3. (Top L-R) old sergeants stripes, hat badge, current sergeants stripes worn on ephilet. middle (L-R) old style ephilet, current Constable ephilet, Senior Constables ephilet. Bottom (L-R) old jacket shoulder flash, current uniform shirt shoulder flash.
I currently have over a dozen of the uniform shirt shoulder flashes that I have had taken off my old shirts (they make great exercise shirts when replaced as they wickperspiration away from the body when you sweat). I may just pack them for our trip away.
I have a replica Indian Police badge that I wear on my serape. I thought it was a neat looking badge and I wore it to fill out a character I developed when I was an extra in the movie "Day of the Gun."
Last edited by Golddollar; 07-24-2018 at 10:33 AM.
I have a collection of police badges, from when I was working, 36 years on the force. I have a collection of Delaware County badges and several badges from my department, my patrol badge and my Detective badge. When I retired I sold over 500 police patches to other collectors and about 100 badges. I had a large office and displayed them there. Today I specialize in Coal & Iron Police Badges. The C & I Police were active in the coal region of Pennsylvania from 1870 to 1930. They were disbanded by the state of Pennsylvania in 1930, so these badges are not easy to find. They are also getting expensive. I have 18 of those badges along with several old pair of handcuffs and a C & I model 73 Winchester rifle, in 44-40 cal. My Uncle purchased this rifle when the force was disbanded in 1930, for $15.00.
Everybody has to have a hobby and this happens to be mine.
I worked for three different agencies in the last century. All three, being small, allowed me to buy custom badges (with my name and number). I have them displayed in shadow boxes ( with collar brass, patches, name bars, ID cards and other assorted uniform stuff ) on my computer room wall. I have no one to leave them to. So, stand by at a yard sale, flea market or junk shop near you! (Hopefully not for a few years down the road but ya never know!)