My parents spend their weekends by the coast (sailing when possible) and have a pretty large collection of flags (which covers most of their usual visitors).

Their plot includes a ship's mast and they fly the flag of anyone they're expecting to stay with them.

They generally fly the Union Jack and the Spanish flag (although they have Scottish & Welsh flags when needed). Like jib71, they found somewhere that was selling loads of different kinds - in a clearance sale after a soccer world cup tournament - and bought the whole set. It means they have the flag of every team that qualified in whichever year it was.

We got them to represent us with pink and blue carp instead of country flags and brought them back from Japan specially.