What's up, fellow patch traders?

My stars, has it really been well over a year now since my last entry here? Goodness, how time flies when your staggeringly busy around the clock! As some of you know, this site my main blog (that would be Chronically Vintage), but I do still like to post here every now and then, if only to let others know that I'm still actively trading, selling, and buying GG patches.

While my life has certainly seen many changes and advances since my previous entry here, things remain largely the same on the Girl Guide patch (et al) related front. I continue to receive the occasional email from someone wishing to swap items and considerably more from folks who have GG/GS collecting related questions (be they pertaining to collecting or otherwise).

Though I find it goes through bursts of activity, as has been the case by and large for the last few years, eBay remains fairly slow on the GG front, particularly in terms of my key area of collecting, GGC Area, Division, District, and Provincial patches (though of course I do collect many other types of GG items, too).

I know that as time goes on, fewer and fewer people are still involved in the patch collecting scene (especially as it relates to the web) and that at least a couple of prominent collectors have scaled back or retired from the hobby (obsession! :D) in recent years.

Luckily though, there are still some of us out there keeping this wonderful pastime and passion alive and well (and of course heartfelt thanks enough cannot possibly go out to those who blazed the trail when it comes online trading, no matter if they're in the game, so to speak, any more or not).

Looking ahead in 2016, I plan to stay the course on that front and was struck recently by the fact that this blog is in its ninth year of life now, which is really cool. I eagerly look forward to hitting a solid decade next year.

As always, I adore hearing from fellow Girl Guide and Girl Scout collectors and enthusiasts, and welcome your emails on any subject pertaining to such.

Have an awesome, fun filled year and great time growing your own collection further in 2016, my friends!

How did January fly by so quickly?

My goodness, it's hard to believe that the better part of three months has whizzed past since my last post here. As they are for many, the holidays were a very busy time for us, and then January turned out to be a busy, stressful, and rather expensive (big car repairs, hefty personal and business taxes, etc) month, so between all that, I haven't had too much time for blog posts outside of my main personal site (Chronically Vintage).

I can't claim for a second that this weekend has been any less stressful or hectic, but I don't like to let too long pass here without posting, so I'm taking a moment on this chilly Sunday afternoon to pop in and say hello - as well as to extend my slightly belated New Year's wishes to all of my readers here.

Not too much has been shaking on the Girl Guide patch trading front lately on my end. I still check eBay at least a couple of times a week for GGC items, but have bought very few (as there haven't many listing for things I didn't already have which were of interest to me) new patches, pins, or badges in the past year. While that might be good for my wallet (no, not really, I just end up spending the money I would have on Girl Guide items on one of my other many hobbies and passions), it isn't so grand for my collection, which hasn't seen many newcomers for quite some time.

One exception to that statement is that, thanks to a dear Guiding friend in Australia, I have continued to grow my collection of Australian Girl Guide items over the past couple of years in leaps and bounds. On the Canadian and US fronts however, things have been pretty slow.

I know that there aren't nearly as many collectors and traders out there still as there was once was, but I just want to let anyone who may be reading this know that I'm still actively trading and collecting. So, by all means, feel free to zip an email my way anytime if you're still doing the same thing as well.

I suspect that 2013 is going to be a busy year - especially if this first month is any indication of what's to come - but at some point, I would like to update this blog, as it's running on a rather old Blogger template and should probably be updated sooner or later. I'm not sure yet when I'll make this switch (if I do), but will post here to let you know if construction (so to speak) is going to be taking place for a while.

As January draws to an end, I hope that you've all had a fantastic start of 2013, and that we'll all be able to grow our patch collections as the year progresses.

Fondly remembering the heyday of eBay Girl Guide listings

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You know those moments when something miffs you a bit and you really need to get your mind off of it? Well, I'm having one of those right now regarding an overseas eBay seller and their rather unscrupulous, rude approach to handing the fact that my order (of some craft supplies) did not arrive. I filed a PayPal dispute on the last possible day to do so (so a full 45 days after I paid for my order) and they're basically going postal (no pun intended) on me for doing so, even though I'm 100% within my rights to do so.

Oh well, we'll just see happens there! (This isn't the first problem I've run into with various China/Hong Kong based craft supply sellers, but it will definitely be the last time I order from one of them - the few dollars saved from buying overseas isn't worth the headache!)

On the topic of eBay however, I'm sure I'm not alone in being the only that has noticed the ongoing decline in Canada Girl Guide item listings (I don't monitor GG/GS from other countries very closely, so I can't comment too much on how things have been in this regard with listings from the US, UK, Australia, etc). Five years ago now (wow, where does the time go?!) when I started collecting GG items again (for the first time as an adult) there was often quite an abundance of eBay listings for patches, badges, pins, buttons, uniform pieces, and sundry other Girl Guides of Canada related pieces.

It was well beyond the scope of my budget at the time to bid on (or buy every listing that caught my eye, but it was through eBay (especially during 2007 and 2008) that I built up the bulk of my present day collection. Had it not been for the large number of listings (and I can only guess at how many there were before 2007 - but I suspect perhaps even more then when I began bidding), my collection would be a far cry smaller than it is for sure!

{Official eBay logo via eBay.}

Much as the interest in patch collecting as a whole has dwindled over the years (a point regular readers of this blog have certainly seen my talk about me before), so too has the number of GGC eBay listings.

This isn't surprising to me, as I see the two as going hand-in-hand rather naturally. If there's less of a demand for something, there's likely to be fewer people selling it. The fact that various parts of the country (such as Ontario) have done away with the A/D/D system (and thus are not producing A/D/D crests any more), and also shut down all of the real world Guide shops, certainly didn't help matters either.

Have there been times over the past few years when there was a sudden spike in Girl Guide listings? Absolutely, but - especially from 2010 onward - they are become exceedingly few and far between. At any given moment there is at least a small number of GGC listings (often for Brownie or Guide badges and activity/camp crests), but it's been a good long time since there was much in the way of A/D/D or pin action.

I'm sure that as time goes on, there were will be other listings for these types of items, but I suspect it will be a very rare occurrence indeed when we see a seller listing ten, twenty or more A/D/Ds, hard to find badges, or other highly sought after items during the same week or month.

Nevertheless, I have no plans to give up my nearly daily eBay keyword searches for Girl Guide items, and am sure that every now and then a new listing for an item I don't already have (and would love to add to my collection) will pop up - and I want to ensure I toss my bid into the ring, so to speak, bright and early when it does!

A few handy tips for packing and moving your Girl Guide collection

 

Cheerful July greetings, everyone! Can you believe that we're nearly a month into summer? While the weather this year has often been anything but ideal (think rain, rain and scads more rain!), we have been getting a few roasty-toasty days as of late, so hopefully when all is said and done, the Okanagan will bestow a beautiful summer on us this year.

Not too much is shaking on the patch front, as finding new swap partners continues to be elusive at times (though I did just do one small trade a few days ago). I've noticed that on eBay, too, for the most part GGC listings continue to be down, with one encountering far less A/D/Ds, proficiency badges, pins, and the like then we used to see a few years ago. I suspect that this is a trend that, by and large, is here to stay, but nevertheless, I remain diligent in my frequent eBay searches, and as always welcome your emails about swapping patches.

Having recently moved across the vastness that is Canada, hopping from Ontario back to my home province of B.C., I thought I'd take moment in the early morning hours here today and share some quick tips to keep in mind regarding how to pack up your Girl Guide/Girl Scout collection when moving.

First things first, ensure that you're collection is securely sealed in plastic bags and/or containers. Technically metal or any waterproof material would work, too, but plastic zip-lock bags are relatively inexpensive and weigh considerably less than metal boxes. You can sort/divide up your collection however you like, or if you keep everything swirled together, just place it into plastic bags/containers, squeezing out the air if applicable and checking that there are no holes in the plastic. This step is taken to ensure that, in the event that in the course of your move, the moving box or boxes with your collection in it got wet, you're far more likely to have your patches (et al) come out unscathed.

Ok, technically, there's a step you could take before you put your collection into plastic bags, and that would be to catalog it if you haven't already done so, or update your catalog if needed. You could do this with in Excel or Word document, on paper, or simply by taking photographs. This is important in case, goodness forbid, something (theft, fire damage, etc) was to occur to your collection during transportation (if you need to make an insurance claim with your movers or insurance company, the more documentation of your missing/damaged possessions you have, the better).

 
(Image via the GGC's clip art collection.)

 

On that note, while individual patches, badges, and the like are not usually overly valuable from a monetary standpoint (excluding certain very old and/or very hard to find ones, especially those prior to the 1930s), your collection as a whole may very well be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, so for that reason alone, you may want to look into purchasing insurance for your move (most reputable moving companies will offer you this service right from the get-go). Remember, as Guides, we're always keen on being well prepared! :)

When packing your Girl Guide/Girl Scout items into boxes (after you're put them in plastic), be sure to pad the bottom, top and sides of the box a little with paper (plain newsprint, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, etc) to help cushion the contents in case the box takes a tumble or has heavier boxes stacked on top of it.

If any of the items in your collection are especially delicate or even remotely fragile, you'll definitely want to wrap them individually before placing them into a larger bag/container with other items. Bubble wrap, newsprint, tissue paper, and fabric scraps/rags can all be used for this purpose.

Try not to over-pack your boxes in terms of weight, and be sure to securely close them with sturdy packing tape. Always place something between the contents of your box and the cardboard top flaps (such as a layer of bubble wrap), so that when the box is cut open, there's less risk that the knife blade will accidentally slice into your patches themselves (just imagine how gut wrenching it would be to have that happen!).

Clearly label the content of your boxes on the top and at at least one side (along with your name and, if know, the desired room in your new house where the boxes will be going) with permanent marker (such as Sharpies). If for any reason you can't write on the boxes themselves, use a large label or piece of masking tape and write the same information on that instead before attaching it to your boxes.

Once you've arrived at your new home and have unloaded all of the boxes from the truck, van, etc, if possible, take a few moments to ensure that you see that your Girl Guide/Girl Scout boxes have arrived safely and that none of them are missing. If anything appears to be missing or damaged, you'll want to file an insurance claim (assuming you got insurance before hand) immediately.

Hopefully though, such will not be the case and you'll soon be able to unpack your wonderful collection once more. If it's going to be a little while before that's possible however, definitely make sure that you do not leave your Girl Guide/Girl boxes anywhere with a high risk of water damage (either from flooding or weather), fire, or extreme weather conditions (severe humidity, for example, can quickly wreck havoc on fabric and paper items). A clean, dry, well ventilated storage room, basement, or bedroom would likely be a good spot to house your boxes until you're ready to unpack them.

Now that you're settled into your new home, have fun unpacking and rearranging (if needed) your patches. If you didn't do so prior to moving, consider using unpacking as a great time to create a catalog of everything in your collection. Doing so is an immensely handy way to quickly see at a glance just what you do, and do not have, so that you don't end up with any unintentional duplicates.

If you have other tips or stories pertaining to moving your Girl Guide/Girl Scout collection, I'd love to hear them, and hope that anyone facing an upcoming move has a pleasant, hassle-free experience.

Interviewed about my love of patch collecting

Recently I was contact by a young gal named Lilly from the States who wanted to interview about my interest in patch collecting for a school paper she was writing.

I was deeply touched that wanted to do so and instantly agreed to conduct an interview by email. Once it was completed, I asked her if she'd be ok me publishing her questions along with my answers to them here on this site and she said that was totally fine that.

Though I've been interviewed before by various blogs, publications and radio stations in relation to certain interests and aspects of my life, this was the first interview I'd had pertaining to patch collecting, which makes extra special in my eyes.

Long time readers of this blog may already know some of this information about me and my history with patch collecting, but as I haven't done a post on the specifics of what got me into swapping and gathering Girl Guide and Girl Scout patches in quite a while, I thought that this interview would make for a great post on that topic.

Without further ado, here's the lovely interview that Lilly and I held last week.

 

1. What was the first girl guide item you collected?

Technically the first Girl Guide item I collected with a Girl Guides of Canada Brownie program book and small number of Brownie badges that had belonged to one of my aunts in the 1960s. My Grandma gave me these items to play with for fun when I was little, however I did not become a member of the Girl Guides of Canada myself until a few years later when I was 12 years old. Once I was part of the GGC myself, I began to ardently trade and collect Girl Guide patches at camps and other Guiding events (in my home province of British Columbia) and have been hooked on collecting GG items ever since!

 

2. Why did you decide to collect girl guide insignia?

I've always enjoyed collecting a wide array of items (I have pretty eclectic tastes), but for me as an adult now these days, collecting Girl Guide items is a way to keep the wonderful memories I have of my years as a youth member of the GGC alive and in my heart. I've been chronically ill for the past decade and not well enough to be an active member of the GGC, so for me collecting is also an especially important way to not lose the connection I loved so much when I was younger with Guiding.

 

3. What is your favorite item in your collection?

This is a very tricky question to answer, because I have so many favourites, but I would have to say that my favourite item is the red and white, tasselled Canada Cord which I earned myself when I was a Pathfinder.

 

4.) How or where do you get your pins/badges/patches from?

When I was a youth member of the GGC I collected all of my patches and pins with other girls or adult members at camps and other Guiding events, however since I began collecting again a few years ago (in 2007), I've connected almost solely with fellow collectors online and arranged trades by email (with the items themselves going out and arriving by postal mail). Through online trading I've connected with people as close as my own city and as far away as places like Australia and South Africa - some of whom have since become good friends (as tends to happen when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts connect anywhere!).

 

5. Was there anyone who inspired you to start collecting Girl Guide insignia?

No, not specially. I started collecting out of my own interest in Guiding as a girl and collected the whole time I was with the GGC. In 2007, wanting to reconnect with my Guiding roots, but not being in good enough health to be an active member of the GGC, I started collecting again and have been doing so ever since (and certainly plan to collect for as long as I possibly can).

6. How long have you had your collection?

Unfortunately only a few (perhaps six or seven) items from my childhood collection survive any more (nearly all of my first Girl Guide collection was lost during a move many years ago), however I've built up a wonderful collection over the past four years, which is the duration for which I've been collecting again for as a adult.

 

7. Why did you start your blog for girl guides and girl scout?

I started my Girl Guide and Girl Scout blog primarily for two main reasons. One, to share my love of Guiding and patch collecting with the world, and secondly as a means by which to connect with fellow patch collectors online.

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I want to sincerely thank Lilly for finding me, this blog, and my patch collect interesting enough to interview. Doing so was a total joy and I very much hope that my answers helped her get a great grade on her school assignment.

Requirements for the All Round Cord

It's fascinating, as a result of this blog (which, has been online now for nearly four years, can you believe it?), I'm frequently contacted by all kinds of folks from around the world who have a bevy of different questions pertaining to Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Sometimes people want to know what a specific badge or patch is (and certainly if I know, or have an idea as to where they can look to find that info out, I tell them), others want to share their personal Guiding experiences with me.

Many people are interested in knowing if I have a specific item they're after (remember, you can always see a current list of what I have available in my Dupes and Traders list), and others still have a more obscure query (such as if I know who the mascot was for a certain camp).

From time-to-time I hear from people who are curious as to what the specific requirement were to earn a certain badge, pin, or cord.

Earlier this month I received an email from a woman who was wondering what a girl had to do to earn the GGC's All Round Cord during the 1990s (this much loved Guide award was in place between roughly 1910 and 1993).

(The All Round Cord, also known as the All Around Cord, as it looked during the 80s and 90s. Image first used in my post from 2009 about what your Holy Grail of Girl Guide Collecting is.)

Though I don't have a copy of the GGC's Guide handbook from the the very early 90s, I do have one from the 80s, which includes the criteria one needed to complete in order to earn the All Round Cord. The requirements really didn't change much between the 80s and 90s, so I felt confident sharing this information with someone else.

Many of us are intrigued by all of the cords that the Girl Guides of Canada have offered over the years (including the Gold Cord and Canada Cord, on top of the All Round Cord), so I thought that I'd share the same information with all of you, too, in case anyone else out there is curious about what the requirements were that one had to complete in order to qualify for the All Round Cord.

According to the 1981 copy of the Girl Guides of Canada’s Guide program book that I have, in order to earn the All Round Cord, a Guide needed to do/earn (all of) the following:

-The Complete Adventure Challenge (badge set) and Voyageur Challenge (badge set)

-Complete at least one of the following badges: History, World Trefoil or World Neighbor Badge

-Hold the Camp Badge, plus at least four of the following badges: Explorer, Stalker, Astronomer, Naturalist, Hiker, Trackers, Forest, Bird Watcher, Outdoor Adventure, Ecologist, Conservationist, or Wildflower

-Hold at least one of the following badges: Cook, Homemaker, Handywoman, or Seamstress

-Hold at least one of the following badges: Fire Safety, First Aid, or Rescuer

-Hold both the Citizen and Law Awareness badges

-Hold at least one of the following badges: Health, Keep-Fit, or Athlete

-Learn about three organizations or agencies which held others. Tell how you could work with or contribute to the work of one of these.

-Chose and carry out a project in which you give service to others. This project was a challenge that was approved and evaluated by a Guide's company and the person(s) to whom she gave the service.

-Find out about Pathfinders and take part in an activity with them, if possible.

-Do a project which shows what the Promise and Law mean to you. This was then presented to either the Guide's Company or a small group of Guides.

"When you have checked off each of the items in this record you will have earned the All Round Cord. Congratulations!"

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Though this was certainly a heavy work load, it wasn't incredibly tricky, especially for those girls who were quite keen on earning badges, and as a result thousands of young women earned the All Round Cord over the decades it was in use.

While no longer used today, the All Round Cord still sparks memories for many who were involved with Guiding when it was a popular part of the Guide program.

Much sought after as a collectible, those hoping to track down a blue and white All Round Cord of their own, are wise to keep their eyes peeled on eBay, where this earned Guide item does, very occasionally, pop up.

I'm always interested in trying to help people who are interested in Girl Guiding and Scouting, so if you have a query of any sort (while I can't promise you I know the answer), by all means feel free to email me with your Guiding questions any time.

It's time to kick off a great new Guiding year!

There's still a hefty glint of sunshine in the air, but as the days grow a little shorter and the familiar routine of the school year starts up again next week, it's time to make peace with the fact (hard as it can be sometimes!) summer will soon be behind us.

I've always loved autumn (it's my favourite season), and have especially fond memories of the new Guiding years that September ushered in. Just as going back to class meant fresh pencils, squeaky crisp binders, and perfectly unmarred erasers, so too did starting another Guiding year bring the chance to earn more badges, make new friends, and amass a wonderful array of skills.

Though those lovely days of badge work and weekend camps are long behind me, I still get a serge of excitement as the Guiding year gets underway and have been sorting through my patch box, organizing and doing inventory, for much of this week.

As a result I've updated my Dupes and Traders list, with what I believe to be an accurate account of those items I presently have available to swap.

I know that not as many of us are swapping these days, but for those who still are, I'd always love to hear from you. Shoot your patch trading offer my way and we can definitely go from there.

 

(Autumn and the return of the Guiding season means it's time to live the words of the classic Girl Guide song that say, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold". Making patch trading friends is always a great thing, too! Image via the Girl Guides of Canada's clip art collection.)

Whether you're heading back to school, Guiding, or just readying yourself for the changing of the seasons, I wish you all a beautiful, happy, super fun month of September.

Here's to a great new Guiding - and patch trading - year ahead!

Enter to win a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate

While I generally like to keep the topics that I post about on this blog relevant to the subject of Girl Guiding and Scouting, occasionally when I feel that something is too interesting not to discuss it pops up here :-)

As I know many of my fellow patch collecting enthusiasts also have a broad range of other interests (including reading – which has always been a lifelong passion of mine), I thought that now would be a great time to tell you about a fantastic new book notification service that my husband (Tony) recently came up with.

Called anynewbooks.com, the straightforward website that my husband and I proceeded to produce works like this: you visit the site, select one or more categories from a list of (currently) 42 different genres of books (there truly is something for everyone!), enter your email address, and presto, once a week we’ll send you an email newsletter with a selection of newly released books in the categories of your choice (one email per category).

While, unfortunately, there are few books released that are specifically all about Guiding and Scouting, there are tons of books that can be applied to these areas. For example, cookbooks about outdoor cooking work great for those who love to camp and spend time outdoors, whereas craft books can provide tons of interesting ideas to help keep Guiding members of all ages occupied during meetings, sleepovers, and camps. Books about everything from being a team leader to history, sports to ecology and green living can be useful to those involved with Girl Guiding and Scouting - which is all the more reason why it’s super handy to stay abreast of new books that come out on such topics. Luckily, anynewbooks.com can help you do just that.

{From the youngest Spark to the most venerable of Trefoil Guild members, no matter your age or areas of interest, there are always terrific new books coming out that are worth knowing about. Anynewbooks.com allows you to just that, thanks to its weekly email updates for the categories that you selected upon sign up. Brownie clipart image via Girl Guides of Canada.}


Any New Books? Is an entirely free email notification service that’s here to ensure that you never miss a great new book (on the subjects that are nearest to your heart) again. To celebrate its recent launch and to share this great site with my lovely blogging visitors and friends, Any New Books? and my vintage themed blog, Chronically Vintage, have teamed up to give away a $100.00 (US) Amazon.com gift certificate to one lucky reader!

For more details about, and to enter, the $100.00 amazon.com gift certificate giveaway (which will run until Monday October 4, 2010), please be sure to swing by Chronically Vintage.

Thank you very much for checking out anynewbooks.com. Please feel free to let anyone you wish (from fellow Guiders to your children’s teachers and librarians) know about this useful new way to stay up-to-date on terrific book release.

Many thanks again and happy reading, my fellow booklovers! :-)

Checking in with my fellow patch traders

Hi everyone, this quick little post is to say that, no, contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the earth! :)

As those who follow this blog and/or know me from elsewhere may be aware, I’ve been going through a very challenging time with my health this year (well, for much longer than that, but 2010 has been fraught with new issues on the medical front).

About three weeks ago I surgery to (hopefully!) aid one of my (more recent) health problems, and remain steadfastly optimistic that I’ll eventually be able to get help for some of the other pressing medical issues that are dominating my life at the moment.

But enough of all that drearily serious talk! With the hours of sunlight already getting shorter each day and that familiar zesty nip of fall swirling through the air, there’s no skirting around the fact that (for those in the Northern Hemisphere) summer is gingerly meandering its way to a close.

As we slip into the familiar rituals of fall, I am, year after year, struck by the pleasantness of memories filled with childhood Septembers when new Guiding years commenced and once again weekly meetings brought evenings spent intently focusing on such things as badge work, challenges of all sorts, volunteer activity planning, cookie selling, campfires, rousing songs, lessons learned, and friendships formed.

I’ve always felt there was an undeniable buzz to September, rich as it is with new beginnings and anticipated events. From school years to the once-again wearing of cozy sweaters, the launch of the end-of-the-year holiday season (which, depending on who you ask here in Canada, kicks off with either Labour Day or Thanksgiving in October) to the autumn harvest teaming with toothsome apples, pears, and early season root vegetables.

With the fun-filled frenzy of another summer quickly falling behind us, the upbeat tempo of September gives way to a sort of magical autumnal tranquility. Lingering between the excitement of summer and the whirlwind weeks of December, this time of the year is one of the best in which to rekindle favourite pastimes – and what better hobby to once again dive headfirst into than Girl Guide and Girl Scout patch trading?

For those of us still diligently trading patches, the past few years have seen a sharp, ongoing decline in our ranks, but I know that there are still many of us, scattered as we may be around the globe, who are still passionate about this hobby (and/or who are looking to get back into it again).

Now, as the cooler days slip into our midst and evenings spent at nestled at home seem inviting once more, why not take some time to reconnect with past swapping partners or to make new ones? Sort through your patch collection (who hasn’t gone to organize their patches before, only to find you had more dupes than you thought?), spend time sharing your zeal for patch collecting with the younger Guiding members in your life (it’s never too early to get children interested in this rewarding hobby), shot an email to a dear Guiding friend, and enjoy the simple joys that come with being a patch, badge, pin or any other sort of Girl Guide memorabilia collector.

{Autumn, as the new Guiding year takes off, is amongst the beast seasons during which to divulge in your love of patch collecting and trading. This photo, which I shot last fall, shows a small selection of the GGC fun/camp related patches in my collection.}


Though I know that until my health improves further I won’t be able to spend quite as much time online as I’d ideally like to, my email inbox is always open (and checked frequently). If you’d like to swap patches with me (or simply shot the Guiding breeze), be sure to swing by my Dupes and Traders list, than zip an email my way.

Gather together, fellow badge swappers, and lets all start autumn off on a stellar patch trading note! :)

Know what the Girl Guide and Girl Scout community needs?

Before I jump into the topic of today’s post, I really want to thank my darling husband for posting in my absence recently, to let the wonderful readers of this blog know that I’d be MIA for a while. I’m actually still quite under the weather (for a more detailed account of what’s been going on this regard, please the medical update post that my husband wrote yesterday for my blog Chronically Vintage), but wanted to take a few moments to share an idea with you all that I’ve been toying with for a few months now.

As many of us are keenly aware, the number of online Girl Guide and Girl Scout patch traders continues to dwindle. While there are no hard facts on just how many people actively swap patches these days, I know that that I’ve personally witnessed a drastic decline in the number of online patch traders over the past two to three years (especially from the spring of 2008 onward).

In speaking with Guiding friends and fellow collecting enthusiasts from Canada, America, UK, New Zealand, and Australia, I quickly came to realize that they too had noticed a sharp decline (both amongst online and "real world" traders, but all of the folks I voiced this concern to shared my sentiment that it's online trades in particular that have taken a nose dive).

While it would be easy to dwell on our diminishing ranks, little good can come from focusing on the negative side of things. Instead, the idea I’ve been thinking about implementing is the creation of an online directory (hosted on this blog) of people who are still actively collecting and trading GG and/or GS patches.

Of course this notion is hardly revolutionary. Directories of Girl Guide and Girl Scout patch collectors have been online since the early 90s at least, however the minuscule handful of those that still exist are (by and large) woefully outdated (as are, I’ve found, the directories on most patch trading related Yahoo Groups).

So far those in the GG and GS patch trading community that I’ve discusses this idea with have loved it and told me how much they’d welcome such a service (just as I know I would).

In terms of the information that would be required to join the directory (which of course would be 100% free!), all you’d need to do is email me with your name (just a first name or even online handle is totally fine), what country (state or province is optional) you live in, what kind of Girl Guiding/Scouting items you have available to trade (if you have an online link to your dupes list or photo album, by all means include that too), what sort of items you’re looking for (aka, what you collect), plus a valid email address (this would be how interested parties could contact you to set up swaps).

In order to help keep the directory current, once a year I would contact you via email to ask if you want to remain in the directory and if your information was still up-to-date. This measure would, I hope, help to keep this directory current and to reduce the number of bounced emails.

Before going ahead and putting together this directory, I want to gather some listings (of patch traders) together, so it may be a short while still before the directory itself materializes. I’ve been thinking that so long as I can find at least ten people who’d like to be a part of such a list, I’ll launch it and keep adding names as they come in.

If you’re interested in having you name added to this budding patch swappers list, please email me with your details and I’ll add you to my database of interested parties.

I truly believe in keeping the GG and GS patch trading community alive and sincerely hope that this effort with help to unite those of us – wherever in the world we may be located – who are still actively trading patches, crests, standards, silks, pins, buttons, scarves, books, uniforms, and anything else related to the perpetually wonderful world of Girl Guiding and Scouting.


~ PS ~

For those who are looking for other places in which to potentially connect with fellow swappers, be sure to check out the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Badge Collectors Club, a UK based group for patch enthusiasts the world over.

The Girl Guides of Canada unveil a new Promise

For many the first time they pledged the Girl Guide promise – often in front of a group of their fellow Guiding sisters and perhaps others, such as their parents – was a moment they would never forget. There’s something immensely impactful about taking an oath of any kind, but what has always helped the Guide promise stand out is its simple, timeless words that even the youngest member of the GGC can understand and appreciate.

Late this past January the GGC publicly announced that they had altered the classic Guide promise to help bring it into the twenty-first century. The new Girl Guide promise is as follows:

I promise to do my best,
To be true to myself, my beliefs and Canada.
I will take action for a better world
And respect the Guiding Law

I personally love the new promise. In order to make a broader range of people feel comfortable, the words “faith” and “God” are gone, in their place the all-encompassing word “beliefs” appears. I feel this is a wise choice that will hopefully make everyone from atheists to conservative religious Guiding members happy, as it doesn’t tie them to one word pertaining to their personal feelings or beliefs when it comes to matters of faith.

Likewise I really like the addition of the line, “I will take action for a better world”. In this rocky era of climate change, economic crisis, and constantly evolving technology, it’s import that girls realize that the changes they make today can have a real impact on both the present and that future.

This new rewording holds true to the classic spirit of Guiding, yet has come up to speed with the modern world we inhabit. I believe that it will resonate in the minds of many youngsters who make the Guide promise for the first time now, just as strongly as the words of those of its predecessors do in my own memory.

One Guiding grail down, so many more to go

After more than two years of patiently waiting and previously always being out-bid on eBay, this month I was finally able to win one of my Girl Guides of Canada “holy grails”: an All-Around Cord!

Interesting, whereas in auctions past I’d bid (usually along with several other collectors) on the cord itself, this time around I ended up coming out as the lucky winner on an auction that included a Guide uniform (the late 20th century royal blue dress style) and a necktie. Even with shipping (from a location within in Canada), I ended up getting the cord (which is in fairly good condition, the ends are a bit worn, but the body of the cord itself is highly presentable) for an absolute song!

I’ve yearned for an All-Around Cord (sometimes also referred to as an “All-Round Cord”) since I was a girl (I started my Guiding journey as a Pathfinder and as such had already bypassed the branch [Guides] in which a girl could earn the All-Around Cord), and though I earned my Canada Cord (which I love and treasure to this day), I could never shake off my longing for one of the gorgeous blue and white tasselled cords that the most accomplished of Guides had earned.

I’m on cloud nine this week because my newly won Cord has arrived in the mail and is every bit as wonderful in person as I always dreamed it would be. Yet as all collectors know, so much of the thrill of collecting any category of items, is the t hunt itself. We love finding those pieces that are chief amongst our most desired items, yet also greatly enjoy knowing that there are still (often many!) other items that we’re still looking for – at least this is how I personally feel.

The spectrum of Girl Guide and Girl Scout collectibles is a vast one that encompasses many decades worth of items and thousands upon thousands of pieces that one could potentially be on the prowl for. My own GG/GS collection is fairly diverse (I collect patches, proficiency badges, pins, GGC uniforms and scarves, stickers, buttons, magazines, books, dolls, etc), but naturally there are certain items that pique my interest the most and which I’m forever trying to track down.

Having now acquired an All-Around Cord (and prior to that an All-Around Cord pin, which was another one of my biggest GGC wants), I find myself reflecting on my other “Guiding Grails” (that is to the say those elusive items that we collectors are always trying to track down, much like some seek the Holy Grail of biblical and Arthurian legend).

Topping the list of hard to find items that I’m most interested in right now, are Canadian Area/Division/District (and provincial) patches from the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut, as well as those from my home province of British Columbia (I’d especially love to find more patches from the Thompson-Okanagan/Okanagan-Similkameen region of the province), and from Calgary, Alberta (all of these geographical locations are near and dear to my heart for various reasons).

Ranger badges (though it’s been a number of years since they were in use, at one point the GGC Ranger programme included proficiency badges), certain older Brownie and Guide badges that I’m lacking (such as the Brownie Baton Twirling badge), and also newer badges from all levels of Guiding are high on my list, too.

Perhaps however, the Guiding article that has most moved into the spot where the All-Around Cord once sat on my list, is the (even harder to locate!) Gold Cord, which was in use during the mid-20th century, specifically from the 40s or 50s until the 1970s (I could be mistaken, but it’s my understanding the Gold Cord was the predecessor to the Canada Cord for older Guides in the days before the Pathfinder programme was in place; a smidge more info on the topic can be found on the site VintageGirlScout.com).

I’ve not been able to find very much information online about the Gold Cord (which is not the same thing as the modern day Chief Commissioner’s Gold Award) so far, but just as I’ll cheerfully continue to hunt for the Gold Cord, I’ll search more about its history.

{So elusive is the Gold Cord in fact, that I've not even tracked down a photo that I'm 100% certain is of it! The image above is from an eBay.uk sale that I discovered after it had ended (drat!) a few weeks ago, which listed this tasseled cord as being a Gold Cord. I do not know however if it was a Gold Cord from Canada, the UK or elsewhere, or if it is in fact an actual Girl Guide related cord at all. If anyone can provide more information on this cord or the GGC's Gold Cord, I would be most grateful.}


This post isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about my Guiding Grails, but as it’s a rare occurrence for me to actually find (and come into possession of) one of my most sought after of Guiding items, I really wanted to share my happiness with my readers and fellow collectors.

As always, I would love to hear about your own grails of GG/GS collecting, and welcome your comments and emails on the subject.

2010 GGC centennial merchandise is here!

After eagerly awaiting its arrival, the Girl Guides of Canada officially released its pint sized group of 100th anniversary merchandise a few weeks ago. The capsule collection includes two different patches, a metal pin, a metal cell phone/key chain charm, and a comfy 100% cotton t-shirt (which is available in assorted youth and adult sizes).

For those of us – both Canadian and international collectors alike – these pieces, which feature a colour pallet of blue and white, are long awaited treasures that help to commemorate the milestone anniversary that the GGC is celebrating this year.

All of the 2010 anniversary items can be purchased online from the Girl Guides of Canada’s ecommerce site or through this latest edition of the GGC catalogue. I’ve not heard any numbers in terms of how many centennial items have been produced, but given the interest that such pieces tend to generate, I’d highly recommend grabbing your anniversary merchandise as soon as you can.

{This lovely, cheerful patch is one of two different celebratory 100th anniversary designs that are available from the GGC this year; it’s available for $1.95 (CND) from the GGC's website or catalogue.}


If you’re going to buy some of these wonderful items, I'd definitely suggest picking up a few extra, as they will no doubt prove to be popular trading items both this year and in the future (especially with fans of GG/GS anniversary patches and pins).

Should you want a patch or pin of your own, yet live outside of Canada or do not want to order online or from the current GGC (paper) catalogue for whatever reason, please feel free to email me. I plan on placing an order for centennial items in the near future and would be happy to pick up an anniversary piece or two for you (you can either repay me for the cost of the item(s) via PayPal or we can work out a patch swap).

I’m delighted that the GGC has put out items to celebrate this momentous event! It’s not every day that an organization – let alone one as profoundly important as the GGC – reaches the venerable age of 100. I can’t wait to see what the future holds in stores for the Girl Guides of Canada – and WAGGGS members worldwide – in the coming century of Guiding life.

Geocities is no more

A few weeks back a reader kindly emailed me to say that it seemed like some of the links in the Patch Collectors’ Directory were broken. I immediately looked into it and it turns out the links she was referring to were all Geocities websites. It wasn’t that the links weren’t working so much as that the websites in question no longer existed.

(A once popular and well known personal website hosting provider, Geocities recently closed its doors as a free service.)


In 2009, Yahoo, the company that ran Geocities, shut down the free personal website hosting service after offering it to users for numerous years, citing that they wanted to focus their attention on other sectors of the Yahoo web sphere.
Though it is my understanding that Yahoo gave their Geocities users fair warning in advance of their shutting this service down, its cessation still caught many users – and a substantial number of web viewers the world over off guard (I heard about the matter throw my husband who works in the IT industry). This closure, which you can read more details about in the official Yahoo page on the topic, also means that nearly everywhere a Geocities page was linked to from an external website, said links are now defunct.

Thusly it was time for me to once again prune my way through the Patch Directory, removing all of the “dead” links (be they Geocities or otherwise) and bringing it up-to-date just in time for the New Year. I like to weed out any defunct links on that page at least once a year, and hadn’t done so for several months, so it was actually not a hassle in the least to update the page today.

To those who lost their Geocities websites (be they Guiding, Scouting or otherwise related) as a result of this closure, I’m sincerely sorry. While I realize Geocities was no longer as popular as it once was in the nineties, many people will still utilized its services, and I feel Yahoo should have at least offered to keep hosting any and all existing Geocities pages for free (and simply closed new sign-ups, if they wanted to cap user numbers).

With Geocities gone, there are now far fewer personal Guiding and patch trading related sites on the web, but I hope that at least a portion of those who lost their pages will rebuild them or start new sites elsewhere (if you’re looking for a free personal website hosting service, I’ve heard positive things about Jimdo.com, but have not tried this site myself).

If you’ve launched a new Guiding/patch collecting related site (or simply have one that isn’t in the Patch Trading Directory already) please let me know and I will post it in the directory at once.

I sincerely appreciate the reader’s email that reminded me about Geocities shutting its doors, and always welcome correspondence regarding any element of this blog or the Guiding/Scouting realm.

Celebrating my second blogiversary with an open call to trade patches

Two full years have passed since I first began this wonderfully fun blog, and a tad more time than has rolled by since I began to collect Girl Guide and Girl Scout patches (and badges, and pins, and silks, and...) again for the first time since I was a Pathfinder. Over the course of those two years many things have transpired in my life. I’ve moved homes, experienced very rough periods of health, adopted an incredibly precious cat (Stella), had a marvelous visit (last spring) with my mom and step-dad who flew out to visit my husband and I here in Ontario, experienced my first (two!) operas (which I hope are the just the beginning of a lifetime of live opera performances), began a second blog (devoted to my lifelong love of the past called Chronically Vintage), become an avid photographer, and experienced many other memorable events both large and small.

In that time I’ve also had the true pleasure of meeting (in the online sense of the word) and swapping patches with many fantastic people from across the world. Getting to know some of my fellow patch collectors, learning from your years of GG/GS collecting wisdom, and sharing my thoughts on all manner of Guiding related topics with you has been nothing short of a joy. Some swappers and I have interacted only once, others several times, and a handful of badge collectors have become cherished friends. No matter the duration of our correspondence, I can say with absolute sincerity that every one of the people I’ve swapped with has definitely exuded the spirit of the sisterhood of Guiding, and helped to make me even happier that I rekindled my love of patch collecting!

On that note I am issuing a call to swap to one and all! I know that our ranks have dwindled as of late, but at the same time I know there are many people across the world who are also still actively collecting and trading patches. Whether we’ve swapped before or not yet had the pleasure, if you would like to trade, please swing by my Dupes and Traders list to see what catches your eye then zip an email my way letting me know what you available to swap.

Today, on this lovely second blogging anniversary, and always, thank you to one and all for your friendship and the wonderful swaps we’ve shared. I look forward to many more years of trading and sharing in this terrific hobby with you!

What Girl Scout Cookie Are You?

North of 49th we currently have two different types of Girl Guide cookies: classic vanilla and chocolate (creams), and chocolate covered mint. Both are scrumptious, and thinking about them brings back many fond memories of canvassing my neighbourhood as a youngster, selling cookies and working towards badges and fun crests at the same time.

In the US the Girl Scouts there have several more types of (delicious sounding) cookies, but whether your country sells one type of biscuits or ten varieties, the important thing about all Guiding and Scouting cookies is that their sale goes to directly put money back into the organization and in turn its members.

For a bit of sweet fun on this traditionally treat filled day, I thought it would be enjoyable to take a quick online quiz that poses the question “Which Girl Scout Cookie Are You?” According to the results I’m a Thin Mint – yum!

You Are Thin Mints

You are bold and brave. You dare to be different, and you are confident about who you are. Your fearlessness has paid off. You are extremely well liked and popular. You are charismatic and charming without even trying to be. People appreciate your unique take on life. You are willing to take risks, speak your mind, and live life to the fullest.

If you’d like to know which GSUSA cookie you are too, take the quick quiz here and feel free to share your results in the comments.

Happy Halloween wishes, everyone, I hope this day is filled with wonderful fun and oodles of goodies for all of you!

The nationwide Girl Guides of Canada online store is now open for business

A while back – February of 2008 to be exact – I blogged about the fact that the GGC had officially announced plans to gradually phase out all (remaining) GGC shops across the country and introduce a nationwide online store (aka, “eStore” or “eShop”) to replace all physical shop locations.

At the start of this month the online GGC shop went live, and though the process of closing down the remaining bricks and mortar shops will continue until December 31, 2010, for all intents and purposes it appears that GGC is directing members and the general public alike to the new online store. (At the time of writing, GGC store locations exist now in only Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Prince Edward Island, all others have ceased operation.)

If you haven’t swung by the check out the eStore yet, I highly recommend you visit it here. This site replaces the Girl Guides of Ontario online shop that had previously existed (if you were registered with that site, you will have to register again for the new national shop, as the Ontario eStore site is no longer operational) and is meant to serve Guiding members across the country, wherever they may be located.

As one might imagine the eStore sells both standard GGC items such as uniforms, programme books and a selection of “fun patches” (crests which are not earned but rather purchased), in addition to a selection of lovely gift items (think plush dolls, jelly bracelets, mugs, bud vases, etc). The items in stock this year are by and large the same pieces that appeared in last year (2008’s) catalogue and some of the items stretch a few years further back.

One thing I had been secretly hoping for when the announcement of a nationwide online store first broke, was that the GGC would return to selling a broader range not only of uniform pieces (remember the days of multiple pant, skirt and blouse options for Guiders – or of dress and pant options for girl members?) but non-uniform pieces alike. I fully realize that in this cost-conscience age it’s not always possible to stock a store to the rafters with merchandise, but the nostalgic side of my soul greatly misses when there were far more items emblazoned with trefoils available from the GGC.

At present, the main question I raised in early 2008 still looms unanswered: what is to become of A/D/D crests? Currently, the official GGC eStore FAQ page, while certainly helpful in answering numerous questions visitors might have, does not address this point. I’ve asked GGC (adult) members across the country for over two years about what the fate of A/D/D crests is going to be when the last of the physical GGC shop locations closes its doors, and no one has been able to provide me with an answer.

Of course, I fully realize that the GGC – an organization I will perpetually hold near and dear to my heart – does not exist merely to produce crests, far from it! This organization – and Guiding the world over – is about the lives of the girls and women it touches, enriches and challenges.

However, I do feel that it would be a sincere shame to watch A/D/D crests go the way of the dinosaur. They have been a mainstay of camps, day events, sleepovers, international events and myriad other situations where Guides from different areas of the province/country/world gathered in the sisterhood of Guiding.

Like license plates of sorts representing the part of the country a girl or woman hailed from, these crests – sometimes highly detailed, other times humbly simple, yet no less elegant in their design – have told the rest of the Guiding world where a Canadian member was from and allowed her the opportunity to connect through the act of swapping patches with new friends from not only the roads of her own country but also from destinations the world over. I hope in my heart of hearts that somehow – whether it be through the national GGC online shop or perhaps via A/D/D council offices, location crests will continue to be produced. Many Guiding members and patch collectors the country over will miss them terribly if they are phased out.

Like the band that played until the Titanic went under however, I always try to maintain a sense of optimism until the very end, and as such I won’t dwell on this topic any more for the time being. Instead I’ll extend my congratulations to the GGC for launching a terrific, very easy to navigate eStore, which I’m delighted to report accepts PayPal as a form of payment.

I look forward to ordering from this new shop in the future and also to the merchandise they’ll continue to offer members and supporters of the GGC for many years to come.

Do you collect Girl Guides of Canada catalogues?

There’s something about catalogues – especially ones relating to clothing, craft supplies, or toys – that have always appealed to me. Growing up in the 1980s we received both the Sears and the Consumer’s Distributing catalogues each fall – well in advance of Christmas – and, like youngsters everywhere, I would pour over them wishfully for weeks.

Both back then three decades ago and now, we’ve never had the volume of catalogues available to us in Canada that our neighbours to the south in America do, which is perhaps that more reason I fell head-over-heals in love with the Girl Guides of Canada catalogue the first time I received one as a young Pathfinder.

Truthfully I do not know how long the GGC has been issuing catalogues for, but I believe the history of this annually printed booklet stems back to the 1930s, if not earlier. Certainly in Great Britain and other countries where Girl Guiding and Scouting were established early on, catalogues stretch back almost to the earliest days of Guiding in such places. I would love to know more about the history of GG/GS catalogues from around the world, and would welcome any information on the subject that my reader might have to share.

When I began to collect Girl Guide related items again in 2007, one of things that I almost instantly began adding to my collection were GGC catalogues. To date I’ve obtained a copy of each of the following catalogues:

-1990/1991 (30 pages)

-1993/1994 (34 pages)

-1995/1996 (33 pages)

-1998/1999 (38 pages)

-2000/2001 (38 pages)

-2001/2002 (38 pages)

-2003/2004 (37 pages)

-2004 to 2006 (“An updated reprint”, says the front cover, “of the 2004 /05 catalogue”, adds the back page; 37 pages)

-2006/2007 (37 pages)


As this list shows, while I do have several of the more recent catalogues, there are many (a few newer, most older) that I do not. I was wondering if there are other Guiding enthusiasts out there who also collect GGC catalogues and who would be interested in trading. I only have one duplicate (catalogue) at the moment (a copy of 2003/04 issue), I would be happy to swap catalogues for items from my patch/badge/pin dupes and traders list.

Do you collect GGC (or foreign GS/GG) catalogues? If so when did you start, what do you like best about the older catalogues, and do you have any to swap? :)

Gearing up for 100 years of Girl Guides greatness

{Official logo of the 100th anniversary of the GGC.}
It is with great pride and joy that many of the earliest countries to have respectively founded Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations will soon reach their hundredth birthdays. In 2010 the Girl Guides of Canada will hit this centennial anniversary, and over at the official GGC website preparations for this once in a lifetime milestone and the yearlong celebration that will help to commemorate it (while also honouring the important role of Guiding into today’s world).

For more information (including dates of large events that are being held to celebrate, such as National Rally Day on May 15th) be sure to check out the official 2010 website, and also stay tuned to this blog, as I’ll try to post pertinent information regarding the GGC’s 100th anniversary in the months leading up to it and all through 2010.

Ahoy, collectors! A reader is searching for a Sea Ranger pin

One of the neat aspects of running a blog about Girl Guide and Girl Scout collectibles is that I routinely receive emails from people from around the world who are looking for very specific items. Sometimes the item(s) they're on the hunt for is for their collection, other times they want to replace pins, badges or patches that they once earned but are no longer in possession of.

The later situation applies to a lovely lady who recently contacted me in regards to the (now defunct) Canadian Sea Rangers, which were once a branch of the GGC Rangers. As a member in late 1960s here in Canada, this woman remembers her time in the Sea Rangers fondly and would absolutely love to have a Sea Ranger enrollment pin again.

Personally I don’t have any Sea Ranger items at all in my collection (much as I’d like to, too!), and honestly was not sure where to point her, though I did suggest a couple of people and places. As things stand now, I don’t believe she’s gotten any further ahead in her quest, so I offered to post about her search here.

A thorough internet search turned up one image (from the Vintage Girl Scout Museum) that was listed as being a GGC Sea Ranger pin. I’m posting that image here for anyone who is curious as to what these pins looked like (note the earlier version of the GGC trefoil).

Should anybody who follows this blog happen to have a spare Sea Ranger enrollment pin that they’re looking to trade/sell or even just more info on these pins, please don’t hesitate to contact me so that I can pass along your information to this once fellow GGC member.