We recently have had several conversations started by different collectors asking where have the ‘odd-color’ state strips gone? First, the frequency of the calls, basically out of the blue, make us realize that this is a more common collecting theme than we realized. As we got into it, there is some real challenge in this area and it isn’t getting any easier.
Some background
From 1952 to 1978 Scout uniforms used either red and white council strips (RWS) to denote location or a similarly colored one-line community strip with a separate small state strip underneath. These are the ones most well known by current collectors because we remember having these as boys. From 1929 to 1952 though the same style of strips existed but they were embroidered on cloth to match the uniform. Thus there were khaki and red strips (KRS) for Boy Scouts. We do even identify a Scout version that matches the pre-WW2 tan khaki uniforms as opposed to the green khaki post-WW2. These are called tan and red strips (TRS) for those who make the distinction.
Blue and yellow strips (BYS) were used for Cub Scouts. Green and brown strips (GBS) for Explorers. There were also strips to match the two types of Sea Scout uniforms – white and blue strips (WBS, the background color is always listed first) and blue and white strips (BWS) which were often felt. The hardest and rarest of all are the blue and blue strips (BBS) for Air Scout uniforms. Just think of the inventory challenge around these? Obviously this had to be the reason for the change to a single style, RWS, in a color that did not match the uniform.
On with current conversations
Well one of the collectors we talked to was pointing out a recent acquisition that he had made. He told us that previously none of the major collections had it and was thus listed as unconfirmed. It was the KY. (Kentucky) strip in Air Scout blue. It had been in Bob Cylkowski’s collection for, I am going to say, two decades at least. It surfaced at auction and this collector won it at $700.
The second call, actually the same day, was a collector who is again trying to put a collection together for all of the states and all of the colors. This collector has been collecting for nearly forty (40) years. He said this is the third time he has worked to collect these and it has gotten significantly harder. He said you used to see these at TORs or you could write folks and find them in their dupes. Not any more.
… and current ruminations
In our office Destry and I got to talking about these different contacts and raised the question – is there any community that has all seven colors? At first we could not think of one. I have a collection from Battle Creek, Michigan that has five of the seven. They certainly could have a white and blue and a blue and blue but I have not seen them.
In checking with collector Bruce Shelley, he said that all colors exist for Baltimore so there is at least one city but he went on to say that he is not aware of anyone who has all seven. Also, there are a couple of New York borroughs that have all seven but not all of the borroughs.
All states exist in red and white and there is a red and white “T.H.” for Territory of Hawaii. There is rumored to be a ‘T.A.’ for Territory of Alaska. There is also a KRS TA but I am not sure if there is a KRS TH.
We believe that all states exist in GBS and BYS but even some of these are still unconfirmed. Recently a WYO BYS surfaced on eBay and went for a significant amount of money. In the KRS, NEV. and S.C. are a couple of the hardest as well as the territories.
Now on to the Sea Scout colors. Actually, these were used later than the others and I think went into the late 1950s and maybe even 1960s. Even so, they do not exist for all states. A major collection might have 8 to 10. An extremely advanced collection might have 15 different. Both colors are considered equally rare although I would say the white ones are slightly harder.
That leaves the Air Scout blues. These are the hardest. Having three different would be a major collection. There may be at most 15 different. These could bring, when they surface, $300 – $1,200 a piece. I have had a MICH. and sold it to a friend thinking I’d replace it and never have. Live and learn.
They are fun. There are new discoveries or ‘re-discoveries’ in this area of collecting. It can be started very easily and in expensively with the red and whites and then advance to the early, ‘odd-colors’, for continued challenge.
and Dr. Hal Yocum shown here with former Scout Executive Ron Boller (Hal’s on the right).
The backs are very different. Ours has a heavy red cloth backing and a white backstitch on the embroidery. The known R1 has a white gauze backing and an all black backstitch. I’d say by the embroidery type of the known R1 it was made by St. Louis / Geer Embroidery as it’s the exact same type as a lot of their patches pre-1952. Considering it’s got more detail and is of a higher quality construction, I’d say it’s possibly an R2 issue.