Collecting Reflections on 2009

[backman]

 It's that time of year again! My good lady wife is tucked up in bed having worked the new years eve night shift,it's too icy icy to walk my arthritic and visually impaired dogs,so what else is there to do than talk badges!!!
For me it has been rather a sparce year badge collecting wise,partially due to financial constraints( times are hard and demand for the better badges means prices for these can still be high),but also the supply of badges coming onto the market appears to have slowed down somewhat.That being said there are still some bargains to be found,particicularly at the starter range of the collecting market,with some badges finding between £10 and £20.Collectors seem to come and go,although the old stalwarts continue to add to their collections.Many appear to have settled into specific collecting themes or areas although these invariably overlap at times.
I do miss the ebay ability to see who won what auction,although educated guessing is still possible.Otherwise I welcome the growth of the photo pages on this site,more contributions please,it is remarkably easy! My multiply Nursing badges site seems to have lapsed somewhat as loading has been slightly problematic of late,however I will try to persevere with this.I do admit to finding Flickr a lot more user friendly,purely to the ability to load images which can be enlarged easily.See what you think?; http://www.flickr.com/photos/backmanmal/


To be continued

[nursesue]

hi and happy new year. Weather still baltic up here with more frost and snow to follow Fife council have run out of salt and 1 way tickets to exotic and warmer climates are beyond my bank balance!! I too hazard guesses as to who has won ebay badges and take educated guesses as to who wants what. Bargains can still be found- I reecntly acquired a Dundee for £5.99and sent as an xmas pressie to  a fellow collector. The badges I want seem to go for higher than average prices but "outbid" rage always gets the better of me One buyer always seems to pip me at the post in the dying seconds( and i know who it is and my language is not very lady like).
My concern is that there seems to be a few fake/replica badges finding about. One seller always lists his badges as replicas which doesn't bother me. I recently  got caught and having checked the sellers feedback I am not the only one to have voiced concerns re this issue. The seller seems to have a drawerful of these badges and I have one other badge which may also be a fake/replica. I have tried not to be too specific but buyer please be aware. Sally B maybe a tad expensive but her items are genuine and I would love her 2 brummie badges but the price is a wee bit beyond me but am getting tempted by her Plymouth eye hospital.
So for 2010 I will still try and add to my Scottish and brummie/midland collection and attempt to guess at who's buying what and will still have fun.....................

[wilfb]

Hello All.
Very best for 2010. one way tickets to warmer climes Sue? I have one right now at snowbound London Heathrow! Hopefully all will have cleared by 7am and we will be on our way to Athens - maybe 26oC.
Must go - very best.
Will.

[backman]

Hope you got away safely Will,All the very best to all for 2010 and may your collecting desires be well rewarded!
My wish list for 2010 include(still) A St Mary's Paddington "Penny",A blue edged Jersey General Hospital,St Thomas' SEN,Norwich Hellesdon Hospital,Great Yarmouth Northgate Hospital and a whole lot more! Who knows I may get none or I may get them all and exceed all expectations.Whatever the result I'm sure I'll have hours of fun(??) in the hunt for them.May the year be a good one for you all.

[wilfb]

Hi Peter,

Yes, we anticipated the snow and went to Heathrow early as the snow hit London. The crew were 60 min late because of the weather and it took another 3 hours to get a de-icing sprayer to our aircraft! We left last in line as the runways were being closed Thursday, but left succesfully - serious luck - but then I am a well deserving person (!!) upon whom the sun shines!! (There are other opinions but please don't listen..). We are now safely here at our second 'base' where the sun shineth and the daytime temp is around 25oC.

Skin of the teeth all the way... BP/TPR off the clocks...

I wish for you all the badges that you wish for yourself Peter, (not finding everyone else), but then we will all have to see what the New Year bringeth.

Very Best.
Will.

[barrysutton]

Hello All,
I hope that you all get your hearts desires during 2010 (collecting wise included).
My 2009 was a reasonably good year as I aquired quite a few more medical buttons and I had a good deal last saturday, I aquired a Liverpool Brigade Bearer Helmet Plate 1901-1908 (fortunatly mostly swapping as the asking price was £500) also so far aquired this year a Birkenhead Day Nursery badge, a ICI Ambulance fob and a shirt complete with insignia for the Welsh Ambulance.
I will continue to send photo's of my collection to Wilf for inclusion on the SON site, I've got approx 10,000 Military Medical items and about 5,000 medical organisations items still to photograph.
So I wish you all happy hunting and continue to share your vast knowledge with people like me so that I can further my own understanding of our great hobby.
All the very best for 2010,
ODPBarry