It has been finding reading what you have all had in your post and it would be really interesting to hear how your collecting bug began
When I was serving at B.M.H. Munster in 1979 - 82, during my tour I had a rather stupid Q.A. Maj. in charge in Theatres who for reasons known only to herself made a ruling that an O.T.T. 1 who was single had to be on duty every night and at that time there was only myself and a S/Sgt. who she'd fallen out with, so for six months I was permanently on call. Not wishing to drink copious amounts of cheap alcohol in the NAAFI, someone suggested I might be interested in starting a collection of medical insignia and the rest as they say is history.
Barry showed me part of his collection about 29 years ago, I was quite impressed then, I can't imagine what it looks like now.
My collection started when I signed up to an ebay account about 7 years ago I think. I had my own hospital badge, a Hammersmith round green enamelled badge, a GNC badge, EN version & a SRN one too, way before I started in earnest. I kind of just slipped into it but was always interested in hospital badges since I started in the NHS.
Peter 'backman' (and his wife); 'eric' whose Irish badges stole my heart; 'barrysutton' whose daughter was born at BMH Rinteln which I remember so fondly from my short time there - and that stupemdous nursing (and others) badge collection; and not least by 'nursesue' whose Scottish collection was (and is) a real Scottish gem. When I first decided on collecting all of these people were so simply helpful and supportive that I could not but carry on once struck by the bug!
Like 'myk1066' I had my own badges (and access to those of my wife) with which to make a start... And things were very much more affordable then.
It was the often infuriating MSN nursing badge site that tipped it for me. It was so full of bugs and sometime barely usable. Peter led the group - and there were others like Fran Biley (sadly deceased) and many others whose names are now, being new at the time, I don't remember accurately. But I always remember "Sarawak7' (I think) and wondered who he or she was...
A long story short, I emailed Peter and his wife, Eric, Barry and Sue and declared that I could produce a website far better (buccal cavity) than MSN and would they help and let me use their photographs? (I already had a website and vast amounts of space) They supported and - terrified that having declared I would fail catastrophically I produced schoolsofnursing.co.uk. My computer software engineer Son assisted greatly with the technical programming - leaving me time to expand my own collection!
Schoolsofnursing went public as a basic website at first. We produced the first news page in November 2007. Around 7 years ago. Around 7 years married (to the site!) I am supposed to develop itchy feet.
Not so, I am usually so bushed with work on the site and collecting badges that I keep both in a bucket of iced water......
Will.
And very grateful we are that you did Will.I don't think the collecting bug is curable but why would anyone want to cure it!
I could cure my habits if and when I win the lottery, however It wouldn't be as much fun as at present because I woudn't need to keep juggling my finances, still with my collection of around 300,000 items about 75,000 (with relation to medical insignia) some would say I have a head start, and I'm still aquiring pieces.
I always told myself when I got a Nightingale badge I would stop collecting so why am I still looking?
Barry - where on earth do you keep that collection, you must have a walk in lock up somewhere! I once met a totally addicted collector of old books who had spent a fortune having his garage properly lined and fitted with shelving,humidifier and air con. The normal garage door finding the road had been sealed and a door put out of view with several special locks!!
Barry, how many nurse/ hospital badges do you have?
Mike
my collecting bug/addiction started from childhood Like most I collected stamps and then foreign coins I still have both of these collections and have added to both of them over the years. I then progressed to Girl Guide badges after obtaining many of my own - it was while searching on ebay for interest badges that I needed that I became hooked.
I decided to replace my long lost GNC state badge and among my search I found a myriad of delightful hospital badges many of which I had admired from seeing on fellow nurses. From that moment I was hooked. I had my own hospital badges and have since built up my collection. I tried to research all there meanings and designs and got lots of nice papers about them and of course the "bible" that is British Nursing Badges by JM. After a year or so I decided to concentrate my collection, on my home town of, Birmingham badges but they hardly ever appeared I did notice that Scottish badges were relatively cheap and this became the main focus of my collection. I can still get tempted by a nice designed badge
Thanks for the mention Wilf - it seems as if I have competition for Scottish badges and am paying more than I' really like to get them!!! Have just uploaded my latest gains.
Its not only nurse badges that can seem expensive A recent rare Solihull ambulance cap badge went for £72 and a rare/early Queens Guide sew on badge is currently at £51. (don't worry it won't be heading for Fife!!!!!!)
ps it sold for £107 ::)
As to where do I keep them, I altered the house I bought upon leaving the army and built a ? badge room.
As to the question of how many nursing/hospital badges I currently own , I don't actually know but I'll let you all know when I do.