patches

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SHOT Show Swag Vipers

January 30, 2023 by

I learned a new phrase this week. It is “swag viper”.

A swag viper is someone who goes to the SHOT Show, vacuums up every bit of swag exhibitors have at their booths, and then puts it up for sale on EBay shortly thereafter. The swag ranges from giveaway caps and T-shirts to limited edition patches to 2023 SHOT Show LaRue Tactical “dillos”.

Below is some of the swag I got at the SHOT Show this year. I didn’t go out of my way to collect patches…much. I did make sure to get a complete set of the hexagonal Tuff Products patches. I know I gave out many more onlygunsandmoney.com patches than I collected.

I saw the Geissele badge holders going for $20 on Ebay. The LaRue Tactical commemorative dillo is still selling for close to $50. The most expensive patch soon after the show was the Liberal Gun Club unicorn patch which was selling for $189. It has fallen in price to “only” $89. Currently, the most expensive thing is 50 Glock giveaway pens going for almost $200.

I collect the patches and other swag as a remembrance of the good times I had at the SHOT Show, the people I met, and the companies I visited. Eventually, all the patches will go on a display board and hung somewhere in the house.

I know when I give out patches it is to remind people of my blog. Likewise, the exhibitors give out patches to attract people to their booth and to thank them for stopping by. Companies like Original S.W.A.T footwear have patch boards and a new patch for each day of SHOT. In that case, it is leave a patch, get a patch. I don’t think any company gives out patches only to see them being resold within hours on Ebay.

I have no problem with someone selling off a patch collection accumulated over the years nor do I have a problem with someone trading a patch or selling a couple here and there. What I do find objectionable are businesses vacuuming up swag only to sell it on Ebay. They go by cutesy names like “nevadatreasures” and “kristiescountlesscollectibles“.

How re-sellers like this get the swag is unknown. I just wish the swag vipers would go away.

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SHOT Show Patches

January 14, 2023 by 2 Comments

I got my first SHOT Show patch and I haven’t even left for Las Vegas!

A-B Emblem is one of the largest manufacturers of patches in America. They have done almost every NASA mission patch along with patches for the military, law enforcement, and the Boy Scouts. Just as important to me, they are local. Some patches are made here in Buncombe County. They also own factories in both Mexico and China where they can produce both embroidered and PVC patches.

I had decided it was time to update my own patch. The old patch still had the Blogspot address. Moreover, I was down to just a few. I decided to go with a round patch with a green background as opposed to the old khaki or tan background. As you can see below, I think they did a nice job.

If you see me at the SHOT Show, ask for one of my new patches.

As both my wife and David Yamane will testify, I do have a thing for patches. I blame it on my years in the Boy Scouts where patch collecting was a big thing especially in the Order of the Arrow. I am sure I will do a post on the patches I return with from Las Vegas.

One of these days I’ll also do a post on a low-cost way to display them. The Complementary Spouse – mostly her – and I have got this figured out.

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The Black Swan Patch

July 9, 2020 by 1 Comment

I love patches. I already have more than I could reasonably stick on hats, display boards, or my messenger bag.

Nonetheless, when I saw this limited edition patch at CountyComm, I had to have it. It appears that they did a second run of these patches with a different background than mine.

I think you can understand why.

This patch epitomizes 2020 so simply.

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Polite Society Podcast Patches

April 24, 2017 by

Many of you remember the legal travails that Paul Lathrop of the Polite Society Podcast went through last year. To refresh your memories, a hothead at a truck stop falsely accused Paul of waving a gun in his face and threatening to shoot him. This led to his arrest for “terroristic threats” and “possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony”. The good news is all charges were dropped as surveillance video confirmed Paul’s account of the incident. The bad news is that he still has some debts left over from the incident.

To help retire these debts, I have had Polite Society Podcast patches made. These patches are 100% silk thread embroidered with a Velcro backing. It measures 2.5″ square. As you can see below, the patch company did a great job with our logo.

The price for these patches is $10 for one or $18 for two including postage. I have set up a special PayPal account to handle the sales of these patches. Payments can be sent via PayPal to john@politicsandguns.com. I’m not going to ask you to send the money as a “gift” but I won’t stop you if you do as PayPal charges a transaction fee for payment for “goods”.

If you don’t wish to use PayPal, just pop me an email there and I’ll send you an address to mail a check.

I will have some of these patches with me at the NRA Annual Meeting if you happen to run into me there.

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What It Could Come To

August 18, 2016 by 2 Comments

We know our opponents hate us and our culture. Some of them go so far as to want us dead. We also know what happened to a disarmed people when those in power want them gone. Just ask the Jews and the Armenians.

I came across this patch on Instagram this morning and thought it was extremely powerful in its message. It comes from patch maker Violent Little Machine Shop. If you want one, you can find it here.

A photo posted by Violent Little Machine Shop (@violentlittle) on Aug 17, 2016 at 10:04pm PDT

Updated: The Instagram embed was giving some people problems so I changed it. The text that accompanied the original Instagram picture said:

violentlittleGo to your local office and “register” yourself and your family for your beliefs… No big deal they said… “Turn over your arms, the government will take care of you” they said… Get your flair at violentlittle.com. Thanks for the photo @never_out_tactical.