Another good mail day in a trio of them, but this one ranks among the best: a complete (minus Patrol Leader bar, the highest level) set of the six badges of the Dick Tracy Secret Service Patrol, a kid’s group created as a promotion for the Dick Tracy radio show by the show’s sponsor, Quaker Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereal, from the mid-late 1930s, including the actual certificate of the kid – I’ve censored her name for this post – who jumped through all of the hoops (read: she ate a lot of cereal and had a lot of friends) to get all six badges, including the ultra-rare Inspector-General's badge:

A shadow box containing a 1938 certificate from Dick Tracy's Secret Service Patrol and, below it, six badges, including the ultra-rare Inspector General's badge.

Not only are they all from the same kid, but they're in remarkable condition – clearly loved and cared for. Sent the seller a message with the picture above of the collection's new home and learned the story of how the badges came to them (which I'll withhold out of respect for their privacy), which makes me treasure this collection even more.

(Note: the blemish above the R in inspector is on the glass of the shadow box, NOT on the badge itself.)

If you're interested in the hoops she jumped through – during the Great Depression, nonetheless – here's a look at the Captain and Inspector-General requirements via a 1939 edition of the Secret Service Patrol Secret Code book, which I had purchased from another seller. Didn't include it in my display as it's not from the same source – and published a few months after the collector earned her Inspector-General's badge; I'd love to find an copy from the year of her rank-ascension (March '38 to Feb '39). Hint hint.

Two pages from the Dick Tracy Secret Service Patrol code book

(If you'd like to see the whole code book, shoot me an email and I'll provide the snapshots from my copy).

As I've mentioned before, I'd rather the items in my collection have a personal history behind them than be in pristine condition: that this complete treasure has such a rich and deep – down to the handwriting – one (and are in such stunning condition) will make this one of those "pinch me" pieces of the collection for a long time to come.