Knowledge is Power – Uncommon Flaps from Common Lodges

Below you will find a link to an extreme example of an uncommon flap from a common lodge.

You will often see a trade offers on Patch-L or other venues offering to trade OA Flaps 1 for 1 for other flaps; but with a stipulation of no common flaps or perhaps a list of unwanted lodge numbers. There is nothing wrong with these lodges, but because of their size, number of active collectors, or an long-unchanged design their flaps seem to be everywhere.

Often by studying these lodges, you can find a few needles in that haystack. While more recent NOAC, Jamboree, Anniversary or other event-like issues have fallen out of favor with collectors, many of the older event-like issues are actually scarce in comparison to most regular issue flaps.

In some cases, anniversary issues may have been only issued in a short run at a specific lodge event ( a banquet fro example). Unfortunately there is no easy way to determine which these are, but you can learn this information over time by talking and trading with members of these lodges. What items are on their needs lists or which ones they are looking for a friend?

Here are two 50th Anniversary issues from Half Moon Lodge #28. Most recent issues from Half Moon Lodge are easily obtainable.

The red bordered flap (S12) is a relatively common $ 5 – 10 Flap. the Blue Bordered (S11) flap has not sold on eBay in recent years and is probably worth at least 5 times the value of the S12. (Yes it was a banquet only issue.)

The extreme example, is from Amangamek-Wipit Lodge #470. Wipit is a very large lodge that had an OBV set in the 1980’s and 1990’s that everyone had, and had in duplicate, that was difficult to trade. Here is an Amangamek-Wipit Lodge #470 Flap that you would love to get 1:1. 🙂

I realize it is not a likely 1:1 trader, but even common lodges can have uncommon flaps.

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The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.

James Branch Cabell, The Silver Stallion, 1926
US essayist & novelist (1879 – 1958)