Jerry Haussler - Grille Badges Column
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Jerry Haussler has been buying, selling, trading, and collecting automotive related event badges for over 20 years. His interest and passion for this hobby was sparked by the purchase of a Porsche 100K badge in the late 1980s.
In 2007 Jerry founded Rallyebadge.com, which specializes in original vintage rallye badges, and original racing automobilia from around the world. Since departing a long career in Information Technology this hobby has progressed into a passion, profession, and viable revenue stream. His other endeavors include restoring vintage Porsches, collecting pre-WWII bicycles, and photographing Blues musicians. RallyeBadge.com jerry@rallyebadge.com |
Some of Jerry's Articles: Grille Badges Column
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My Badge Collection Issue #1 Sept/Oct 2018
My badge collecting started in the late 1980s by purchasing a Porsche 100K badge at what was then an exorbitant amount. These were issued by the Porsche factory to congratulate owners on reaching 100,000 km of safe and trouble free driving. Mercedes-Benz and Volks- wagen issued similar badges. My collecting really got going sometime in 1997 when I purchased several items from a party in Germany. As part of the package there was a handful of late 50s automotive event badges. Owning a ’58 and a ’59 Porsche, I thought these would add a nice touch to my cars. |
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The Big Kahuna and Holy Grail Issue #2 Nov/Dec 2018
Decisions, decisions.... Where to start? First off, I prefer the path of education i.e. read, read, and read some more. That said, I have been known to stray from the straight and narrow on occasion… actually more occasions than I care to admit. I started collecting badges around the year of my two cars, but before too long things got out of hand… way out of hand. Can you say “slippery slope”? Some themes to guide your collecting may include colors that compliment your car, or an event from a town where you grew up. I’ve seen folks run badges dated before their cars were built! From my perspective that’s OK with me, after all, it’s their car, not mine! Others may hold to the old adage “I don’t know art, but I know what I like.” Whichever camp you fall into there are certainly enough to choose from. Generally speaking the mid to late 1950s are at the higher end of the price spectrum and should be available in the $150 range for a local or regional non-Marque specific event. Once you throw in the name of a specific marque such as Porsche or one of the more prominent events like Monte Carlo, the numbers start to get scary....$300 - $600 and up. |