The Pacific Pin Club, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Collectors sticklers for Olympic pins

Pinheads from around world descend on Vancouver to swap Games souvenirs

February 02, 2010

Local collectors are going nuts over thousands of Olympic pins descending on the city from all corners.

Veteran pinheads have already identified 1,100 different brands of 2010 Olympic pins — and they expect that to double as more visitors arrive this month.

"It's crazy," Coquitlam collector Frank Zavarella, president of the Pacific Pin Club, said on Monday.

"My wife says I have 25,000 pins. I say it's closer to 18,000. They are mostly in boxes in closets.

"Pins are important pieces of metal. They transcend all borders. You don't have to speak the same language. All you have to do is trade."

The trinkets come in all matter of designs: COLD-FX has a hockey goalie who slides sideways to make saves; and Birks has a jewelled silver bauble issued to its employees.

The rarest or most unusual ornaments attract the most attention.

Collectors saw Olympic boss John Furlong wearing a small round pin almost seven years ago when Vancouver won the Games bid in Prague. Not much is known about his accessory, but its value is set at $300 simply because he wore it.

"You would have to ask Furlong for it. That is the only way to get it," said Maple Ridge collector Joerg Gardey, who is known as Radar.

The pins are issued by corporations, governments, media, mascots and sports teams, and given to the public and employees for free or put up for sale at stores. The price is often about $8.

"For the small cost of making a pin, about $2, the sponsor gets his name out there," said Radar.

Zavarella and Gardey plan to take the next two months off from their jobs while they play the Olympic pin game around town.

It will be full-time 'work.' Zavarella's first stop will likely be the Hudson's Bay in downtown Vancouver, where Olympic sponsor Coke will unveil a new pin each day. It's believed the collection will add up to form a dramatic tableau.

There will be more corporate giveaways for the public, like the 2,000 pins that Olympic broadcaster CTV offered recently.

"The lineup was around the block. It was free and it had something to do with the Olympics," said Radar.

Radar makes hundreds of international connections off his website, www.radarthepinguy.com. He has already booked a couple of dozen dates during the Games with people he's never met.

"They're from places like Japan and Australia. Pinheads come in all ages. I made deals yesterday with a kid and an 88-year-old guy," he said.

A Calgary trader believes there will be 10 million trades during the Olympics this month.

"It will be a pin-hunt galore on every street corner," said Radar.

Zavarella said every item in his collection tells a story.

"Because each person's taste is different, they will gravitate toward different pins. I can tell you where I got every one. It's fascinating," he said.

Zavarella won't be the only one to benefit. After the Olympics, his wife's patience will be rewarded with an extra-long Hawaiian holiday.

Olympic pins come in all shapes, colours, sizes ...

Here are some of the most-sought-after Olympic pins:

The Aquilini pin: The Aquilinis, owners of the Vancouver Canucks, issued Olympic pins to their group for the Beijing Summer Olympics. Only small numbers of them were made, so the value increased.

Original bid pins: These were given out in 1998, when Vancouver's Olympic bid was in its infancy. Valued at about $40, they are unusual because there is no Olympic logo or rings.

BC Lottery Corporation: All 17 colours on this unique pin were applied in separate individual processes. (see image below).

Vancouver Public Library: The library has made a small number of pins for its staff, which are valued because of their scarcity.

Canwest newspaper pins: This is a collection of pins from 13 newspapers in the Canwest chain. They are valued in the $50 range.

Last updated: 02 February 2010