Patch Collecting And The Seemingly Endless Opportunities

When many of us think of patches we will automatically think of motorcycle clubs or people riding around on Harleys. This may be a fair point but the truth is that there are plenty of other people who buy these patches as well. These patches are often purchased by collectors who like to display them in a variety of ways. Collectors can have hours and hours of opportunity and discovery and there seems to be no limit to the amount of patches that they can buy. Below are just a few of the ways that collectors might choose to display these fantastic patches.

The Biker Vest - The first and most obvious display choice for patches is the typical leather biker vest. As a display medium, the vest offers a plain canvas on which you can mount patches of a similar theme, make a political statement, or even advertise all of the biker rallies you attended. The problem with the biker vest however, is that you may run out of room if you have too many patches. This is the biggest issue that people have when it comes to displaying their patches.

Other Clothing Articles - Your biker vest is not the only item of clothing where you can display your patches. Many patches have heat-activated glue on the back so you can quickly and easily mount them to most fabrics using a hot iron. This glue is great for polyester and synthetic clothing as well as other types of material. So you will automatically have numerous other display areas for your patches. It is possible to attach patches to things like gym bags, hats, t-shirts, backpacks, sweatshirts and jackets. It is possible to place a patch on almost any empty piece of fabric that you have.

Photo Albums - If your display preferences are such that you would prefer to keep your clothing patch-free, it's possible to use photo albums to store and display them. It is best to choose the albums that have the plastic film or vinyl sleeves. Using a photo album means that it is easy to arrange your patches and if you trade in patches, then you will also find that it is easy to take them in and out of the album. They are much more portable in an album which is good news for those who like to take their patches to a rally with them.

Display Cases - If you take your collection very seriously then you may want to buy a display case that you can use in a spare room at home. Cases can be anything from simple boxes with glass windows to climate controlled "vaults" with specialized lighting. A display case will have shelves and a fabric backdrop and will provide a way for you to display 100s of your patches at one time. Arrange your pieces by theme, manufacturer, age, collectability, or any other criteria.

Do All Four - A lot of people have such a large collection that it would be impossible for them to choose just one type of display method; they will often use all four types or a combination of them. You might have even thought of some that we haven't included. That’s wonderful! And the people you meet when you trade patches only adds to the overall experience. So grab that biker vest and get sewing today!