I was attending a doll show with my wife in 1988 in Belleville, IL and at one of the vendor tables I spotted a small, 3” iron Boy Scout figurine and decided to buy it.  Ollie Sappington was manning his wife’s table; we started to talk about collecting Scouting material and he explained about Trade-O-Ree’s.  I didn’t know that anyone collected Scouting items (other than what they personally acquired as a Scout, of course).  We talked for over an hour while our wives shopped (or whatever you do at a doll show) and I agreed to have a TOR in St. Louis.

I was president of the Affton Historical Society at that time and obtained permission from the Board of Directors to have a money-raising event.  Ollie gave me some names of area Scouting collectors and I sent out letters with information as to the time and date.

Friday evening, October 6, 1989 we had 8 participants, two of whom were not collectors but very active Scouters:  Jack Taylor and Adolph Peschke, who both had a lot of cups from Scouting events that they had attended.  They both were amazed that no one bought mugs.  Bob Utendorf, Tom Wieneman and Ollie Sappington, along with Jack and Adolph, are the only names that I remember that had tables.

We had several visitors on all three days, Friday through Sunday; some were collectors and others where just curious.  But it was a great first event!  Sunday afternoon was the live auction of items that people gave us; their donations were in response to a newspaper solicitation about the event.  I remember one item, a very large first–class pin which went for several hundred dollars; at that time I didn’t know what it was and I was amazed that anyone would pay so much for a pin.  The gentleman that bought it had a museum in Illinois and needed it for his collection.

One thing that I will always remember from that first Trade-O-Ree: Friday evening was slow and one of the traders (call him “A”) went to another trader’s (call him “B”) table, picked up his large box of 25¢ patches and dumped the patches on the floor.  Collector A sat down on the floor, picked up every patch individually, looked carefully at each and either put it aside or placed it back in the box.  When he finished, he had 4 patches; he then returned the box to the Collector B, held out the four patches, shook hands, paid $1 and said “This was a great find, I need them for my collection, they’re worth about $25.00.”  I watched Collector B do a slow burn, fuming that he had been ripped off! Collector B later went to Collector A’s table and took his large 25¢ box of patches, dumped them all on the floor, looked at each very carefully and, when finished, held out his 4 patches, shook hands, gave Collector A $1 and said “I really don’t need these patches, but I know I can sell them for at least $40.”  It was the first time I had ever seen real “GAMESMANSHIP” in action.  Later Collector B said to me, “I don’t need the patches, and they’re not really worth $1, but I have him thinking!”

Shortly after that first Trade-O-Ree, we incorporated as a 501(c)(3) “Not for Profit” corporation in the State of Missouri as the “Scouting Memorabilia Association.”  We’ve grown a lot over the last 25 years and enjoy our annual Trade-O-Ree the weekend before Thanksgiving every year.

John H. Remelius

Founder & President

How it all began

SMA's Mission

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

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Scouting Memorabilia Association, Inc.

St. Louis, MO

The Scouting Memorabilia Association’s aim is to perpetuate the ideals, history and artifacts of the Scouting movement in the United States.  The members are or have been active members of the Boy Scouts of America.

The organization conducts the annual Greater St. Louis Area Scout Memorabilia Show and Trade-O-Ree each November, the Friday and Saturday prior to Thanksgiving.