Scout Items Are Gaining in Value

Question: I have my father’s old Boy Scout knife, which I believe dates to the 1920s. I think I can pinpoint its age and authenticity with its model number. Does supply and demand for these knives translate into much value? --C.H.

Answer: Some collectible Boy Scout knives, in fine condition, have sold for better than $100, according to dealer catalogues.

Other collectible Boy Scout--and Girl Scout--items also have value. For example, well-preserved copies of the Boy Scout Handbook have changed hands for more than $50, according to dealers.

Aside from condition, nostalgia plays a major role in driving up value and in attracting strong demand for items ranging from Scout patches and rings to diaries.

The Boy Scout movement received a charter from the U.S. Congress in 1916. Since then, experts and scholars have catalogued many of the scout items that have been produced over the years.

According to collectors, the value of such items--those that can be authenticated--has been rising.

Mailbag

The American Society of Camera Collectors will hold its Spring show on March 4 at Machinists Hall, 2600 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank.

Featured along with antique and contemporary still cameras and equipment will be old hand-cranked motion-picture cameras that date to the Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith days, according to Gene Lester, the group’s president.

“Unlike the old still cameras, these motion-picture cameras were made in very limited numbers, and through attrition they are becoming harder and harder to find,” Lester writes. “Most were made of wood and brass fittings, and through lack of care the wood is rotting away and the cameras are being totally lost.

“We are appealing to the public. If anyone has these cameras hidden away, please bring them to light and either restore them or let us do it to preserve the heritage of the old silent motion picture days.”

Information: (818) 769-6160 between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.