Your old Kellogg’s swimming badges are selling as vintage items on eBay and Vinted.
Online sellers, Jordan and Gina W, after coming into possession of a collection of old Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) Award Badges realised they were destined for the boutique rather than the bin.
Sponsored by the cereal brand Kellogg’s, the badges have become a popular product in the vintage market and can be sold for up to £16.50 a pop.
Originally sceptical of the idea, Gina whose store is located in Sevenoaks, found that the badges were so in demand that she had to raise the price to avoid sales coming in every day.
She said: “I put them at quite a low cost at first, thinking I don’t know who’s going to want these, they’re old. Who’s going to want old swimming badges?”
As it turns out, a new wave of swim-keen thrifters do.
With the support from Frosties’ Tony the Tiger, the badges were originally used to motivate young swimmers to master a range of lengths, techniques, and speeds.
Ranging from 5m to 800m, with the tags of Vintage, Retro, and Nostalgia, they can now be found on a range of second-hand sites including eBay, Vinted, and Etsy Preloved.
Owner of Electric Wardrobe and vintage expert, Holly Henison, explained that what makes an item vintage is being more than 20 years old.
She said: “Vintage is popular because it’s an alternative to what’s currently being made so you can find more unique items and dress in styles from previous decades.”
The 2019 BMJ Paediatrics Open mentions that the sponsorship between Kellogg’s and the ASA, now rebranded as Swim England, ran from 1997 to 2007.
This means if you’re a 2000s baby, it’s time to get on Vinted because your childhood memorabilia is about to hit the vintage mark.
Holly mentioned a contributing factor to the popularity of these badges is nostalgia.
She said: “Some people will of course find it absurd that this mundane emblem of a 90s childhood is being sold as vintage. Others will become struck with nostalgia and do something creative.”
One of Gina’s eBay customers purchased a badge for her boyfriend who had spent his earlier years in a Young Offenders Institution and had missed out on receiving the AWA badges.
She said: “She’d wanted to get him the badge as a surprise; it was really cute.”
If you are keen to relive your swimming glory days, Gina’s handle is toffeedays2012 on eBay.
Our vintage expert, Holly Henison, runs her own store you can find at: electricwardrobe.com
Join the discussion