Stratton Bear Patch, Sealed (Green Edge) — c. 1970s-80s

A vintage Stratton ski patch, probably late 1970s or early 80s, still sealed in the original Apatche-Totem bag, header card intact: washable patch, made in U.S.A. by American Craftsmen, 70 W. 40th St., N.Y.C. Through the cellophane: an oval with a green merrowed border and a pale pink ground, the red hexagon carrying Stratton in green blackletter, and the black bear standing at the right.

Mountains reissued their patches constantly and almost never wrote down which run came first. A border color changed because the mill had that thread, or because somebody liked it better, or because the original order came back wrong and nobody sent it back.

The result is that there is no catalog, no reference book and no authority. There are only the patches, and people who have looked at enough of them to have an opinion.

Which means there is no correct answer about which of these came first, and anybody who tells you otherwise is guessing confidently.

Embroidered on twill, merrowed edge, unopened in the original packaging. Photos are the condition report.