Badge collector shares his life-long passion

Per Faxe lives in Denmark and the purchase of his first motoring lapel badge 40 years ago fuelled a passion which has grown into one of the greatest collections in the world. OK – you may think another man another collection. But I think he deserves more than that. As I read through the history on his website I am drawn into a subject I knew nothing about. We all have a lapel badge that discreetly announces our club or our car or our bike, but Per has 2000. There are also trays full of radiator badges, cap badges, race badges, club badges, mascots and of course advertising badges for oil, petrol, tyres and spark plugs.

If, like me, you started collecting stamps at school age you will remember the simple thrill of finding different stamps and taking such care sticking them on the pages. Per Faxe openly shares the emotion involved in forming his collection and it’s easy to see the painstaking care he has shown during the long hours spent researching, sorting and describing each item. “Since I started collecting in the early 1970's I have been chasing the Ellehammer badge (one of the automobile pioneers in Denmark). It took more than 30 years before I found it! I drove through half the country to pick it up.“  

Not only has he acquired individual badges at flea markets and autojumbles, he has bought other collections as they came up for sale. It seems Denmark is a nation of collectors and Per mentions two life-long collections of  Buster Keldor and Bent Mackeprang who started as boys and never stopped. Imagine the excitement (and the cost!) when Per added these important collections to his own. He particularly likes this Bugatti cap badge from Buster Keldor which was used to show at races. Other favourites on this page. You can read about how the badges are made and who made them – it’s worth learning about the history of Fattorini who still make badges and medals today under the guidance of the sixth generation family member. A sample stamp used in the badge pressing is pictured here.

We all like a quiz, so perhaps you can help solve the mystery about a unique item from Buster Keldor’s collection. An Austin brooch in silver with hallmarks for Birmingham 1916. Per thinks it was made for a lady – but who and for which occasion? Some duplicate badges are for sale, also automobilia, and are priced and photographed individually.

The collection will be sold as an entire unit. If you are interested, please ask for the price for the whole collection. Click here for contact information.
 

(Text Robin Batchelor pictures courtesy Per Faxe)