Olympic Trading Pins Promote Friendship And Understanding

These are good times for trading pins. Introduced more than a hundred years ago, trading pins carry many messages today, and are wildly popular for many uses. With the 2012 Summer Olympic Games on tap for London in less than two years, trading pins are very much the focus of attention among pin collectors.

For the London Games, organizers have announced two thousand twelve distinct designs of trading pins to match the year. For Olympic trading pins, it’s a remarkable number of releases, and a far cry from the original Olympic pins first introduced more than a century ago.

Trading pins are a proud Olympic tradition. Athletes at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 wore pins to identify officials and athletes. These were the precursors of the modern trading pins. Swedish athletes introduced yellow and blue pins (the national colors) which are considered the first real sports trading pins in 1906. Before long, athletes from many countries started trading pins among themselves as a symbol of friendship and camaraderie.

By the 1980 Winter Olympics, in Lake Placid, N.Y., spectators had picked up on the fun of collecting trading pins and joined the party. Major corporate sponsors such as Coca-Cola joined the pin trading frenzy as well. With the opening of its own Official Olympic Pin Trading Center for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Coke created a gathering spot for aficionados of trading pins that attracted more than 17,000 visitors a day.

Coke has sponsored pavilions for trading pins at every Olympic Games since, and the number of fans has increased year by year.

In 1992 alone, more than half a million people, representing 70 countries, came to the Coke trading pin center at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona.

Today’s trading pins go far beyond just the Olympics. Youth sports programs such as Little League have adopted the pin trading traditions as their own. South Williamsport, Pa., the home of the Little League World Series turns into a Mecca for trading pins and their collectors every August. Pin trading becomes a pastime second only to baseball. Teams from around the world gather to swap pins and make new friends.

Traders traditionally exchange trading pins at a one-for-one rate, but rare and uncommon pins can command a much higher “exchange rate.” Some trade for up to 10 ordinary designs for against a single desirable pin.

It’s no wonder that sports trading pins are so popular. They’re small and easy to carry, they have unique links to the sports or events they represent, and they feature attractive artwork. Add the fact that they’re easily affordable, and you’ve got an unbeatable combination. In some ways, trading pins are the perfect memento of events such as the Olympics.

Trading pins encourage participation and involvement. They help break the ice between strangers, who might not even speak the same language. In that sense, they truly represent the spirit of fellowship and understanding signified by the Olympic rings. Quite an accomplishment for something so small.

[phpbay]Olympic Trading Pins, 17, “”, “”[/phpbay]

Olympic Trading Pins Promote Friendship And Understanding related articles from the blogosphere…

Olympic Trading Pin Madness

Letter to my wife: Dear, if you think we have too many trading pins – please take a look at this collection of Olympic trading pins! You are looking at over 1500 pins from years of collecting and participating in the Olympic spirit. …

Publish Date: 11/04/2010 15:17

http://www.allstartradingpins.com/2010/11/04/olympic-trading-pin-madness/

Olympic Pin Trading: A different kind of sport | Vancouver …

Crowds of adults and kids gather around swapping stories and trading pins they’ve collect during the 2010 Winter Olympics, or at other Olympic Games. Apparently pin-trading has become just as established a ‘sport’ during the Games as …

Publish Date: 02/26/2010 1:08

http://magazine.istopover.com/2010/02/26/olympic-pin-trading-a-different-kind-of-sport/

Sochi 2014 Olympics St. Basil Towers Pin

“Road To Sochi Russia” Sochi 2014 Olympic Pin Set

Read more …

The Olympic Pin Trade (Moex #4)

A long hard look at the Olympic pin trade. Investigative journalism at its finest. We remind you to trade pins responsibly. My favorite joke happens at 1:30, although nobody else seems to think so!

Possibly related posts:

• Related posts on friendship
• The Power of Giving a Friendship Gift: The Birthday Gift of Friendship
• Facebook 'map of the world' created using friendship connections …

• Related posts on Pins
• Keepsake Gift Ideas » Blog Archive » Why Use Usher Badges?
• Design-Tech.ORG » Blog Archive » ARM7TDMI goods source PDF chip …