The HabForum

There was also an alumni polo shirt available in 07. It had the Space Camp logo with Alumni embroidered under it. Sadly something happened to mine in the wash and it was ruined i use to wear it a lot. Maybe the new Alumni advisory board could suggest something about more merchandise being available.

I really wish I knew who to talk with at SC about their marketing. They're missing so many opportunities. You go into their gift shop and can see that whoever's making the decisions, they don't seem to 'get' what would sell there...

Boomerang wrote:Maybe the new Alumni advisory board could suggest something about more merchandise being available.

I seriously thought about putting an application into that, as my resume and background makes for interesting reading. But I live almost completely on the opposite side of the continent, no way I'd be able to get there for the in-person meetings they mentioned...

Here's a few of mine I just laid out for a photo:

What sells in the gift shop these days is the kid stuff. Tweens especially. Sorry to break the news to ya. Maybe an Alumni charm bracelet might make the shelves? But seriously, I wholeheartedly agree with ya, there is a market for all of this kind of stuff we all would like to have, It's just not quite there yet, at least not in the gift shop. Believe me, I am just as passionate as you are about having these types of items available, and when I tried to approach them last year with proposals for new merch aimed at our demographic, I was met with a s#!t-ton of resistance. Fact of the matter is, us old fogies are not the ones walking through the gift shop every day. I understand it and I accept it. But I don't expect that to remain the case for too much longer.

The Adult camps are growing. Space Camp isn't just for kids anymore, and the American population is aging. I see the future of Space Camp being with adults coming back to Space Camp. After all, there's 600,000 of us alumni out there. So, it's coming, it's going to hit eventually, and the gift shop will eventually have to adjust as this happens. The rise of commercial manned space flight will also fuel a new interest in Space Camp with adults (as well as kids) when Orion, Dragon and DreamChaser start flying real missions. There will be a "Second Heyday" for Space Camp. It's coming soon, and we all get to be a part of it!

More space camp memorabelia posted here. https://www.flickr.com/photos/117695525 ... 2551423783

Boomerang wrote:More space camp memorabelia posted here. https://www.flickr.com/photos/117695525 ... 2551423783

GREAT shots, Jason!
I especially like that the SC patch I sent to you showed up there, glad to see that hole in the collection filled nicely!
Wow, so many great patches, many of which never turn up at collector shows or eBay...

That is one fine collection, my friend. You have some issues of Space Camp News I have never seen! Thank you for sharing the pictures with us.

Has anyone else run across one of these?:

http://imgur.com/LQz3r9o

As far as I know, they were given out to VIPs sewn onto hats back before the
"US" was added to the SRC. I found two on eBay years ago, and gave one,
a green version, to Crispy, former counselor queen of the ISS. This blue version
is on my Camp jacket.

I have heard of this. The only time I ever seen one was on a hat given to Bob Hope. It was a blue one exactly like yours, and listed in an auction of some space stuff belonging to him. The only other person I know this was given to was a jazz musician who visited Space Camp in the late 80s. It would be my guess that these patches were given to any celebrity or high-profile person who visited Sprocket or made a substantial contribution during that era. Just a guess though, I really don't know for sure.

How about this? Scored off eBay this week:

Has "HUNTSVILLE" in equally large block letters on the back, in dark blue. It's more than a little 'touristy' looking for but it's the only academy hat I've ever even heard of.

That is a very cool cap, p51. I like it a lot, never saw one like it. Wear it this October and make us all jealous!

Phoenix PK wrote:That is a very cool cap, p51. I like it a lot, never saw one like it. Wear it this October and make us all jealous!

Never seem one of those hats. Would not mind to grab one of those myself. Be a seller at camp if they stocked those. Good find!!

Phoenix PK wrote: Wear it this October and make us all jealous!

I wish. One size does NOT always fit all. I have a large noggin and often, adjustable caps just won't fit my melon. This, sadly, was one of them. It'll have to stay with the collection...

I finally found something from the SC Turkey program. These pins are between the diameter of a US dime and a nickel:

Beats me who'd sell one of these, I nabbed this off eBay last week:

I know there's no way to ID this one specifically, but I have to wonder if there's a master list anywhere on who's ever been awarded a RS award?

I thought this would a good time to bring this older thread back to life. (Being the 50th Anniversary of the landing on the Moon).

I have been going through my Space Camp items and found this shirt. Never worn, still with the tags on. I realize it has the lunar rover on it, so is not 'Apollo 11' but I still thought I would share it during the celebration of Apollo. Purchased from the Huntsville Space Camp gift shop in May 1996.

In case someone was looking for one of these...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/383158652954?ul_noapp=true

I've also seen one on eBay from the Cosmosphere.

Boomerang wrote:Ok i know this is an old thread and i do not have pictures of this to show currently but i just recently completed a historic part of my space camp patch collection. Back when there was a Space Camp Level 1 and a space Camp level 2 program in the 80s each level 2 team was bnamed for a space shuttle. each team had a patch like the one pictured here http://www.collectspace.com/review/navy ... atch01.jpg the patch of course coirresponded to the team name. I had managed to get the patches for Columbia, Discovery and Atlantis over the last few years. Now thanks to a former counselor i also have the Challenger patch to complete the collection. I'll try to take and post some pictures in the near future.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEVEL-II-CHALL ... Sw29ZeFg9o