Police patches
Police patches have become quite the collectable for those in the law enforcement profession. Many departments as a whole have collected patches from other agencies and display them on a bulletin board. Some officers have undertaken their own collections and proudly display them at home or in the office.
The cost of a patch is usually another patch in return, whether of the officer’s own department or from another department that he currently owns. Many collectors will mail a patch and a request to police departments across the country in the hopes of receiving patches in return. Particularly aggressive patch traders will carry patches with them while on the road and stop at departments they are close to. Some officers travel internationally on vacation and spend part of their time negotiating a patch trade from agencies in foreign countries.
Police patch collecting has evolved over time. Online auctions like eBay are used to trade or sell patches outright, bought by collectors who are sometimes willing to pay plenty for the acquisition.
The draw to police patch collectors is the varied and rich color schemes, unique departmental designs, and even the historicity behind the patches. Every department has its own patch that is unique to itself. There may be generic patches between some agencies but the name of the police department will differentiate it from all other police patches. Federal and state agency patches have become a hotbed of trading activity and sometimes command high prices on the patch collection market.