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RSPB Pin Badges

A number of years ago the RSPB started to produce pin badges and these were made available to the public through collection boxes for a suggested donation of £1 in order to raise funds. Initially, two different badges were produced each year and we now know how successful they have been in raising thousands of pounds for the society.

It was soon realised that there were collectors around the country purchasing the badges and swopping them with each other. Some were even selling them on eBay, making a good profit!

As a result of this it was concluded that the society could and should benefit thus Mark Weston, now working for the RSPB, set up the RSPB Pin Badge Collectors Group. There is a new membership fee of £25 with an annual renewal of £12. A very informative bi- annual newsletter is produced providing information on how badges are selling and those proposed.

Each quarter a silent auction is held for members who can bid for special badges, rarities and limited edition badges. These auctions have produced some excellent sales and, for example, the only two magpie badges ever made sold for more than £500 each! Some of the earlier badges had colour variations that now make them very worthwhile collectors’ items. Last March a swift five-year service badge sold for £151 and November 2009’s results included kingfisher £35, waxwing £57 and yellow bumble £78. Not bad for an initial cost of not more than £1 each. These sales helped the RSPB Collectors Group raise a staggering £32,000 in 2008.

To give you some idea of how collectors work here is an extract from the September 2009 newsletter: ‘Magpie – discontinued, think you have got it?’. There is a large kingfisher badge that is only available to children between the ages of 8-12 who join our Wildlife Explorers. This badge is being removed from our membership packs and will no longer be available. When these appear on eBay they often sell for £20 plus even though membership is only £15. With only approx. 50 membership packs left containing this badge they will soon be gone. Recruit now!

Proposed International badges for 2010 are Viper, tristan albatross, st. helena plover, spiny babbler, montserrat oriole, jerdons courser, himalayan monal, artic loon and sierra leone logo.

Anyone wishing to join the RSPB Collectors Group should contact Mark Weston, 19 Gravelly Crescent, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 9EG.

For further information please e-mail pinbadge.collectorsgroup@rspb.org.uk

David Sadler MBE.