About Us

About Seely Flags in Sussex County, New Jersey and Surrounding Areas

Now run by Herb Seely's daughter, Deana Seely Patton, of Andover Borough, the business remains in the same Brighton Avenue location on the property of the Seely residence — in a converted, 8-by-15-foot shed.
Inside the small shop at the edge of the driveway, which bears a country-style “Seely Brothers Flag Company” sign on the outside, are American flags of every style and size, from small, hand-held flags to “Betsy Ross” flags to large, stitched cloth flags. Though there have been some changes since the business first started in 1954, such as a new company website, some things, like Herb Seely's wooden desk, have remained over the years.
Seely, a World War II Army veteran, began the business in his basement, then converted the shed into an office and shop. He and his wife, Eadie, ran the business; Eadie Seely answered the phone while cooking and canning in the kitchen, and Herb Seely worked at the shop in addition to his job with his brother Ellsworth, at the Ayers and Seely Lumber and Fuel Oil Company in Andover Borough.
Happy Family Holding Flags — About Seely Flags in Andover NJ
Photo Credit: Amy Patterson/New Jersey Herald
Many customers who stopped in to buy a flag would also receive a dose of Eadie's hospitality, such as a cold glass of freshly brewed iced tea on a hot day, or a slice of freshly baked cake or pie, Deana recalled.
Deana's memories of her father and the business often return fondly to trips to Annin Flag Company. As a child, she used to ride with her father to Verona to pick up flags from the company, a father-daughter adventure that often included a special treat such as stopping for breakfast or ice cream along the way.
Herb and Eadie Seely's raised five children, but when Herb Seely passed away in 1992, it was Deana who decided to adopt the family business. She moved from her house up the street back into the house she grew up in as a child, where she continues to live today.
“Life is like a circle,” she said of the transition.
Deana's two sons, Kent and Logan, help her orchestrate the business out of her home.
Seely Brothers has a number of reoccurring customers in and outside Sussex County, including businesses in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties, as well as individuals who have moved out of the county but remain loyal to the business. Many return out of family tradition.
Flags in Houses — About Seely Flags in Andover NJ
“I still have people who come here and say, ‘I came here with my father,' ” she said. “To me, it's so wonderful to know people who had known my parents.
Even people who didn't know Deana's father by name knew him as “the flag man,” she said, recounting the impressive turnout at her father's funeral.
Today, Deana obtains her flags from the Virginia distribution center for Annin & Co., the world's oldest and largest flag manufacturer. She still stocks the traditional favorites for the shop such as printed flags, embroidered flags, “Betsy Ross” flags, Constitution flags, military flags, country flags and the Gadsden Flag, or as Deana refers to the snake-emblemed yellow flag, with the words “Don't Tread On Me”, our “fighting flag.”
“This country is a flag-waving country, and thank goodness we are,” she said.
After the Gulf War began and after Sept. 11, 2001, there was a surge of demand for American flags, she said. Though the number of flags flown daily from homes, cars and businesses has dwindled over the last few years, she said she hopes younger generations will continue to display our flag and appreciate being an American.
“When the need comes, Americans seem to rise to it,” she said.
Not only does Deana sell flags, but she also teaches people proper flag etiquette, takes in tattered flags to give to the American Legion for ceremonial burning and donates flags to nonprofit organizations, and always gives discount pricing to service organizations. In addition to promoting patriotism, Deana said it is the people she meets through the flag shop that makes the job special.
“Flying a flag shows that we're proud of our country,” she said. “I find that people who buy and fly flags are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.”
Newspaper Article from New Jersey Herald
Happy Child Holding a Flag — About Seely Flags in Andover NJ
Share by: