Whether you collect rocks, cards, patches, or something unusual, this badge celebrates your collection (stamps and coins have badges of their own). You'll learn to organize, care for, and display it, and think about where it might go next. It's a chance to share what you love with others.
Why it's worth it
A collection is a small museum you built yourself. This badge teaches you to sort, label, research, and protect things the way curators and archivists do, and to tell the story behind each piece. Whether you collect rocks, patches, cards, or bottle caps, you'll learn to look closely, spot what makes something rare, and share what you love with people who care about it too.
Start this week
- Spread your collection out on a table or the floor and count it. Write down the total and which piece is the oldest or most interesting.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Collections counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Start a simple catalog: a notebook, index cards, or a spreadsheet with columns for item, date, where it came from, and condition.
- Look up the national club or society for what you collect and read its beginner or youth page.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
Note: Stamp and coin collections don't count for this badge, and natural specimens may be gathered only with the land manager's permission while following Leave No Trace.
- Requirement 1
Write a short report or outline for your counselor describing your collection in detail: a brief history, why you enjoy it, what collecting has taught you, and why you picked this type of collection or way of collecting
Tip: Write about why you started collecting and how your collection has changed. Include photos if you like.
For example: Open your report with a story: "I traded for my first council patch at a camporee when I was ten, and I've been trading ever since." Then explain what the items are, where they come from, and some history, like when a patch design or card series first appeared.
- Requirement 2
Explain how your collection has grown and developed over time
Tip: Think about how you've added to your collection over time, through trades, gifts, or purchases.
- Requirement 3
Preserving and displaying your collection
Tips for this section: Show how you protect items from dust, light, and damage. Set up a small display at home.
Example for this section: Show a real setup: rocks in an egg carton with a numbered label in each cup, postcards in acid-free sleeves handled by the edges, cards in hard sleeves in a box kept out of the sun. Explain what damages your items (light, humidity, fingerprints) and how your setup protects them.
- Requirement 3a
Explain the precautions you take to preserve your collection, including how you handle, clean, and store it
- Requirement 3b
Explain the best way to display your collection while still protecting it
- Requirement 3c
Explain to your counselor the events open to hobbyists who collect what you do, such as conventions, shows, contests, seminars, and museum exhibits and programs
- Requirement 3d
Tell your counselor how you track your collection and describe your method for cataloging it
- Requirement 4
Collecting and investing
Tips for this section: Think about whether you collect for fun, value, or both. Talk honestly about what matters most to you.
Example for this section: Be ready to talk about both sides: "Most of my cards are worth a few cents, and I collect them because I like the players. A few might gain value, but prices go up and down, so I don't treat them like savings."
- Requirement 4a
Discuss with your counselor how investing and speculation could apply to your collection
- Requirement 4b
Discuss with your counselor what you'd look for when buying other collections like yours
- Requirement 4c
Discuss with your counselor how much money you'd expect back if you sold some or all of your collection
- Requirement 5
Knowing your collection
Tips for this section: Learn the terms collectors of your type use. Ask a club member or shop owner how items are graded and valued.
Example for this section: Learn the words for your type. Card collectors talk about rookie cards, parallels, and grades like "Near Mint." Rock collectors group by mineral and hardness. Bring two groups of items and explain how you sorted them and how each piece would be graded.
- Requirement 5a
Define at least 10 common terms used for your kind of collection and discuss them with your counselor
- Requirement 5b
Show your counselor two groups of items from your collection and explain how you organized it and why you chose that method (photos are fine if the collection can't be brought or seen in person)
- Requirement 5c
Explain what your collection is worth in money and where you learned those values
- Requirement 5d
Explain how items in your collection are graded by value, physical defects, size, and age, and show the classifications or ratings used
- Requirement 5e
List the national, state, or local associations connected to your type of collection
- Requirement 5f
Explain to your counselor the purpose of any identification number, series, brand name, and other special identifying marks on your items
- Requirement 6
Discuss with your counselor your plans for continuing your collection
Tip: Set a goal for your collection, like finishing a set or learning more about one area.
For example: A future plan can be small and specific: "Get a patch from every camp in our council," or "Label every rock with where I found it and get a streak plate to test them."
- Requirement 7
Learn about careers in collecting; pick one, find out the education, training, and experience it requires, and discuss with your counselor why it might interest you
Tip: Look into jobs like museum curator, appraiser, or archivist, and what each one does.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A museum with collections on display
Curators decide how to group, label, light, and protect objects. Notice what each label tells you and steal the best ideas for your own display.
How: Go with a parent, buddy, or your patrol. An adult can call the museum's education office and ask whether a staff member can explain how they care for the collection.
A collectors' show or club meeting
Tables full of coins, stamps, rocks, or cards, and people who enjoy explaining grading and history to young collectors.
How: Find shows through a national club's website and go with a parent. Many clubs have youth members and welcome visitors to meetings.
Where it can lead
- Museum curatorResearches objects, decides what goes on display, and writes the labels visitors read.
- Archivist or librarianOrganizes and preserves documents, photos, and records so people can find them for years to come.
- AppraiserFigures out what items are worth for insurance, sales, and estates; many start as serious collectors.
- Conservation technicianCleans, repairs, and stabilizes fragile objects in museums and historical societies.
Ask yourself
- What first got you interested in collecting this, and is that still the reason you do it?
- If you could keep only one piece, which would it be, and why?
- What did you learn about your collection by researching it that you never knew before?
- How do you decide whether to buy, trade, or just admire something?
- Who else would enjoy seeing your collection, and how could you share it with them?
Good questions to ask your counselor or an experienced collector
- How did you get started, and how has your collection changed since then?
- What storage mistakes do new collectors make most often?
- How can I tell whether a price or grade someone gives me is fair?
- Is there a piece you wish you had never sold or traded? What did that teach you?
- Where do collectors like you meet, trade, and keep learning?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host a show-and-tell night where scouts display and explain their collections.
- Connect scouts with a local club for their type of collection.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Local collector clubs — People who share your interest and can offer advice.
- Public library — Books and guides for many kinds of collections.
- Local museums — See how professionals preserve and display collections.
- American Numismatic Association (opens in a new tab) — Coin and money collecting, with grading guides and youth programs.
- American Philatelic Society (opens in a new tab) — Stamp collecting basics, clubs, and how to care for stamps.
- Library of Congress: Preservation (opens in a new tab) — How experts protect paper, photos, and other items from light, heat, and humidity.
Pairs well with
Into this? Explore more
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.