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Dave Richey

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November 26, 2008

Dave Richey: Collecting patches can be fun

By DAVE RICHEY

They are just bits of colored cloth and thread, but Department Of Natural Resources Successful Hunter or Management Cooperator patches for bear, deer and wild turkey are fun to collect but some can be costly and difficult to find.

My personal passion is buying and collecting old hardcover books on fishing and hunting, but patch collecting is fun as well and prices remain reasonably steady for the hard-to-find patches. These collectible patches come in many colors, shapes and sizes, but their collector value has remained reasonably steady in recent years.

My first Successful Deer Hunter patch was for a 7-point buck taken near Flint on Nov. 15, 1972. The patch was round with a brown buck and a beige doe against a green background with yellow lettering. It didn't seem like much at the time, but it was an entirely new program and I figured that getting a buck aged wasn't much bother, and besides, I'd get one of the new patches, for whatever that was worth.

It was years before I realized just how great a deal that happened to be. That patch is now worth a considerable sum. Fortunately, it was put away, safe and sound, and had not been sewn to my hunting coat in hopes of impressing other people.

Each year, the new deer patches became available and were obtained by having my deer checked at DNR offices or at highway check stations.

The deal helped deer biologists, took only a few minutes and I'd get one of those fancy new patches.

My early bear patches came from mandatory registration of my bear kills at DNR field or regional offices. The DNR no longer issues bear patches, and the 2006 patch was the last one for that species unless they reinstate the bear patch program this fall. It was discontinued for budgetary reasons.

The original turkey patches came from cutting wingtips and pulling breast feathers off my birds and sending them to the DNR for study. But back in 2002, there were still several patches I didn't own.

I vowed to complete the three sets while it was still possible without breaking the piggy bank.

My interest grew to a feverish pitch during the winter as I recovered from an eye surgery. Each patch, regardless of the species, is colorful and original. Patch designs change yearly, and that makes them prized by collectors.

It became important for me to fill the holes of all three sets. That led me to Ted Carmichael, formerly of Essexville, Michigan, and who now lives in Winter Haven, Florida, and Pat Witherell of Ada, Michigan.

"Collecting state bear, deer and turkey patches has grabbed the interest of thousands of people," Carmichael said. "The Internet has many people who are buying and selling patches. My advice for anyone who is just starting a patch collection is to use caution when buying or trading. Know your seller, double-check their reputation, and use extreme caution to avoid being taken by a crook.

"Most of the patches from the late 1980s through the 1990s are only worth about $10 each in mint condition. The earlier patches are the money patches.

Most collectible deer patches are from the 1970s, and those patch prices have fallen some because of fake patches. Buyers must ask for a money-back guarantee if the patch they buy is not authentic, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have an expert check all patches before laying your money down.

Carmichael said he believes new collectors must learn which dealers are honest, and avoid those who are suspect. Most dealers are fair, and two legitimate sellers are noted at the end of the sidebars.

"I've collected Michigan patches for 12 years," he said. "Fake deer patches have been found for 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980, and the prices for genuine patches from those years have fallen.

"Many new reproduction patches sell for $6-10 each while the real ones are far more expensive. I buy, sell and trade patches, and guarantee that mine are authentic."

Discriminating collectors insist on patches in mint or as-new condition. Needle holes or discoloration will reduce their values, and bent or wrinkled patches are worth much less than a mint patch.

"Patches, like any collectible, are worth only what someone is willing to pay for them," Carmichael said. "The law of supply and demand is a major factor in collecting Michigan's bear, deer and turkey patches."

There are certain price standards. A 1972 mint deer patch is worth $300-350 or more, but a dealer will not pay that much because they must make a profit or go out of business. Incidentally, the 1972 deer patch is the only one without a date printed on it.

"Patch collecting is trendy," said DNR biologist Scott Whitcomb, who administers the bear-, deer- and turkey-patch programs. "In 2002, the National Wild Turkey Federation began making and selling the Michigan turkey patches for $5 each, but we will continue to give out cooperator deer patches to hunters who bring in their animals for checking. People must send money to the representative who sells the genuine turkey patches for each year since 1992. They do not stockpile and patches from previous years. Look for their address in the Turkey Hunting Digests."

Whitcomb has run the program since 1998, and knows the patch numbers for each year. For instance, there were 50,000 deer patches made in 1998 and 1999, 75,000 in 2000, and 78,000 in 2001. The years since have seen patch numbers at this level.

If anything haunts the patch market it is the inroads made by people making and selling fake patches. Pat Witherell of Ada wrote a book titled "How To Identify Reproduction Patches As Easy As 1-2-3" in an attempt to keep new collectors from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous dealers. The book is $25 from Witherell at the address below.

"The market was excellent several years ago," Witherell said, "but fake patches are everywhere.

I've bought and sold bear, deer and turkey patches for years, and my patches are genuine. It's become a calling for me to alert others to reproduction patches, and I've warned many people I've see who are about to buy a phony.

"The patch market remains steady for me simply because the only patches that I buy and sell are genuine. Word of mouth helps keep me in business."

Are these patches truly rare? Hardly, but when one considers that Michigan has 750,000 firearm and 400,000 archery hunters who may collect patches, their scarcity becomes a bit more apparent.

"Hunting for these patches is as much fun as hunting bear, deer and wild turkey," Carmichael said. "The hunt for a needed patch, in some cases, can be even more difficult. Patch collecting is an ongoing thing as new ones come out yearly, and completing a set is a nice reward for a fine hunt ... for patches and for game."

The Facts

When: Bear patches were first made in 1985; deer in 1972 and turkey in 1988. Often, but not always, the first year of issue is the scarcest.

Advice: Buy, sell or trade with reputable people. Always ask for a guaranteed refund in the event the patch turns out to be a fake. At least one bear and six deer reproduction patches have been found of the scarce patches but some fake deer patches for later years are now available as well.

Patch facts: The wording of Successful Deer Hunter was changed to Deer Management Cooperator in 1997, a fact that angered many deer hunters. Patches are oblong, pointed, semicircular, rectangular, round, square, and a combination of pointed, rectangular and/or round. Each patch design offers a different scene, background and color combination from year to year. Some designs are a bit unrealistic in body and/or head design goes, but they remain highly collectible.

Value: A complete deer-patch collection is worth at least $1,500-2,000, depending on condition. A complete bear patch collection is valued at about $900, and a complete turkey patch collection is valued at about $450-500. Buying a complete set is less expensive than buying individual patches. The trick is to find someone who has a complete and genuine set for sale.

Dealers buy only rare patches. They do not buy common patches or take a number of common patches in trade for a rare one. A dirty, pin-holed or needle-stitched patch's value is reduced by 65-70 percent. Buyers want mint or as-new patches.

Bear patch prices: Bear patches cost $150-200 for a 1985 and $125-150 for a 1987; all others are valued at $50-60 each.

Deer patch prices: The first patch was from 1972, and it now costs $300-350 in mint condition. Other approximate prices are: 1973, $100; 1974, $125; 1975, $100; 1976, $75-100; 1977, $100; 1978 and 1979, $60-75; 1980 and 1981, $50-60; 1982, $40-50; 1983 and 1984, $30-50; 1985, $50-75; 1986-1988, $30-40; and all patches since are worth $20-25 once they are a year or two old.

Collectors: Those who wish to learn more about patch collecting can join the Michigan Hunting & Fishing License Collectors Club. Contact Don Placer at 4188 Dell Road, Lansing, MI 48911.

Fake Patches

1972 fake deer patch: The genuine patch has a coarse weave on the back, but fakes come in two types. One has dashes rather than dots on the front between the words and a white backing. The second fake doesn't have a white backing, but it has a finer weave. The dashes on this fake are more rounded but still are not completely round as on the genuine patch.

1973 fake deer patch: This has a fine weaving on the back and white backing inside the animal. The deer's ears touch on the fake but do not on the original.

1974 fake deer patch: A fake has a white background on the back, and the antler tip does not touch the "R" in Hunter.

1975 fake deer patch: A counterfeit has horizontal stitching on the Lower Peninsula and a white backing.

1977 fake deer patch: A fake has a smooth back finish, and the hoof print is flat and smooth. The genuine patch has a contoured hoof-print when viewed from an angle.

1978 fake deer patch: A fake has a completely visible chest, but the original shows only half of the deer's chest.

1987 fake bear patch: A fake has a white bear outline on the back. The original is black on the front, and the black shows through on the back.

There are other fake patches, but the above make poor attempts to replicate the most expensive patches.

Dealers

The following people buy and sell patches, and are honest, reputable dealers. They can provide answers about Michigan's bear, deer and turkey patches. Here is a tip: Buy a copy of Pat Witherell's (see address below) book "How To Identify Reproduction Patches As Easy As 1-2-3." It points out what to look for to determine the legitimacy of a specific patch. The cost is $25. He said he wrote it to educate beginning patch collectors so they are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous frauds.

Ted Carmichael
206 Golf Aire Blvd.
Winter Haven, FL 33884
863-324-3267
tcar206@yahoo.com

Pat Witherell
604 Spaulding Avenue SE
Ada, MI 49301
616-957-0526
tonto169sbcglobal.net

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