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Pin trading at the 2012 London Olympics

Pin trading is the practice of buying, selling, and exchanging collectible pins as a hobby. This often takes place in amusement parks and resorts such as Walt Disney World and Disneyland,[1] SeaWorld, Universal Resorts.[2] Sporting events, including the Olympic Games,[3] and Little League World Series, feature long-standing pin trading traditions.[4] Hard Rock Cafe also sells a pin collection.[5]

While most trading pins are typically flat with a glossy finish, there are many types of trading pin accessory. Common features include blinking lights, hanging charms or "danglers", spinners, and bobble heads.[6]

Olympic Games

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The Olympic Games has a long tradition of pin trading,[3] sometimes called the "unofficial sport" of the Games,[7][8] which is open to all.[3] New pins for the games are designed by nations, teams, brand sponsors,[9] and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) itself.[10] They are seen as a "currency of friendship",[11] and allow athletes to bond despite speaking different languages.[7] Those who engage in the hobby are often nicknamed "pinheads".[12][13]

Pins are often worn by athletes on their lanyards or accreditation badges to indicate a willingness to trade. Their value can range from very little to thousands of dollars, depending on their age, material, special features, and frequency.[8] Smaller delegations, particularly those from Africa,[14] may only bring a few hundred pins, causing them to be more valuable.[8] Pins from countries that have recently changed their names are also subject to higher demand.[14]

Rules of etiquette for trading have been established by the International Association of Olympic Collectors (IAOC),[13] and a collectors' club for the hobby, Olympin, is recognized by the IOC and had 500 members as of 2022,[15] featuring a compendium of pins on its website.[13]

History

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The use of pin badges at the Olympics began during the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, during which three designs of pin were produced;[10] small cardboard disks were worn by judges, athletes and officials, in blue, pink and red respectively.[12] Winning athletes were presented with cloth pins which featured competing countries' national emblems.[9][16]

By the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, pins for the Games were being made from metal.[12] Eight countries created personalised pins at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, including the United States, Norway and Hungary. Commercial pins were sold for the first time at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm to fund the event.[8] The introduction of the Olympic Village at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris caused athletes from different nations to mix more easily, leading to pin trading as a form of goodwill between nations.[12] For the 1936 Summer Olympics and 1936 Winter Olympics in Nazi Germany,[8] organisers manufactured millions of pins for propaganda[10] and to cover the cost of hosting the Games,[8] causing a significant increase in pin production.[10]

The public first became involved in trading pins at te 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal,[8][14] and this grew at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.[8] Olympin was formed following the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1982.[16] The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to many pin traders at the time, was a pivotal event for pin trading,[3] as it marked the beginning of sponsors' use of pins to promote their brands.[8] London Pins estimated that at those Games, there were "17,000,000 pins in over 1,300 designs".[12] The first official pin trading center was established at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, sponsored by Coca-Cola.[8]

Following the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, pin traders including Sid Marantz purchased a warehouse in Colorado which had been home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and which held 750,000 unsold pins. They kept around 120,000 and sold the rest to other collectors.[14]

At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, organizers did not produce enough pins, leading to a trading frenzy in which some traders earned US$40,000 within days.[14]

Coca-Cola Olympic Pin Trading Centre at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics

Serena Williams began collecting pins at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney after failing to qualify that year.[17]

For the 2012 Summer Olympics, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games stated they would produce 2,012 different pin designs.[12] Coca-Cola Pin Trading Centers were set up at the Olympic Park as well as Hyde Park which featured maps of the world on which people could place pins, and London Pins took to organising information about that year's pins on its website.[18] The most coveted pin from the 2012 games, according to Wired, was a pin created by a Japanese press group which featured the Pokémon character Pikachu.[19][10] Another was Hungary's athletes pin, made by the Hungarian Mint to resemble pins from the past.[18]

Williams obtained a North Korea pin at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro which she stated she "would never, ever, ever trade".[20]

In 2020, as a result of the announcement that no outside spectators would be allowed into Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, pin trading was halted that year. Around 250 pin traders had prepared for the Games, and organizers had already made 600 different officially licensed pins to be sold in 12 souvenir stores around Tokyo. Instead, pin-related promotions were planned featuring pins representing Japan’s 47 prefectures. It was speculated by traders that pins from these olympics would be worth very little due to supply dwarfing demand.[14] Similarly, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing prevented contact between attendees, stifling any trading.[7]

For the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, pin trading made a large resurgence as a result of the inclusion of spectators, and trading was encouraged by the Games' social media accounts,[17] as well as an Official Olympic Collectors Area hosted by the IAOC.[8] The Refugee Olympic Team produced its first ever design after debuting in 2016.[21] During the opening ceremony, Stephen Curry traded pins aboard the Team USA boat,[17][20] and the Spanish and British teams traded pins by throwing them across the Seine to each others' boats.[8] Snoop Dogg, who was attending as a spectator and commentator, gave out his own pin which featured himself blowing smoke rings in the colours of the Olympic rings in front of the Eiffel Tower,[7] and was credited with encouraging younger athletes to engage in trading.[3] Simone Biles also gave out a custom pin,[17] which took the form of a gold heart and became one of the most wanted that year.[20] The Dutch delegation gave out a pin in the shape of a pair of orange clogs, which was in high demand from attendees.[7] As a result of the Israel–Hamas war, pins from the eight Palestinian athletes were popular.[11] Serena Williams described herself as a "first-class pin collector",[3] and Andy Murray also engaged heavily in trading, obtaining one of Biles' own pins.[3][17] Ilona Maher, Caroline Wozniacki,[9] Coco Gauff, Alena Saili[20], Tysha Ikenasio,[17] Jah-Nhai Perinchief, Hazel Ouwehand, Imogen Grant,[21] Jasmine Schofield and Naomi Osaka[7] shared their collections on social media. US fencers Lee Kiefer and Nick Itkin competed with each other to collect the most pins.[22]

Disney

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Disney Pin Trading
The current logo with Disneyland Paris branding; variants of the logo use other individual resorts, depending on the region, or Disney Parks as a whole.
Product typeLapel pin
OwnerWalt Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products
CountryUnited States
Introduced1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Markets
Websitedisneypins.com

Disney fans often engage in the collection, display and trading of pins which are often themed to Disney characters, attractions, ticketed events, parks, hotels and other elements at Disney parks.[5] Limited edition pins are frequently released at special events, movie premieres, pin trading events or to commemorate the opening day of new attractions.[5]

Disney fans often assign subcultural capital to those who have obtained these pins in person, and use them to represent their fan identities.[5] They are framed by Disney as a way to interact within the physical spaces of the parks.[5]

In all Disney resorts, guests as well as merchandise cast members wear pins on lanyards around their necks or on specially designed pin trading bags.[5] Each lanyard contains around a dozen unique pins, and cast members must trade with guests if they are presented with an acceptable pin. The cast members may not decline a particular trade based on preference or rarity of the pin but may decline if the pin is not acceptable or pin trading rules are not being observed. Cast members may have differently colored lanyards that determine what age group can trade for those pins. For example, a green lanyard worn by a cast member means that children twelve years of age and younger only can trade for pins on the lanyard in Walt Disney World Florida. Other than this restriction, people of all ages can enjoy this activity.[23]

Disney discourages guests from partaking in the common practice of aquiring a large number of rare pins to sell on sites such as eBayfor significantly inflated prices. Long-term fans largely also oppose this practice, with calls to reduce the number of the same item that can be sold from ten.[5]

History

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Pins have always been present at Disney parks, but it wasn't until 1999 as part of its Millennium Celebration that Disney Pin Trading at the Walt Disney World Resort was introduced.[5] This was following an Odyssey of the Mind function at the resort in which pins were being traded, inspiring the pin trading idea.[citation needed] The next year, the craze spread to the Disneyland Resort, which has become the home of most Pin Trading events but is most popular in Disney World.[citation needed] Since then, Pin Trading has spread to Aulani, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Lines with each location creating their own pins and traditions.[citation needed] The trading of pins was suspended in Tokyo Disney Resort due to pin traders and their pin display mats taking over the park.[24]

Pin etiquette

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Disney pin trading kiosk at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom

Disney has published a list of rules for pin trading, its 'Trading Pin Etiquette'.[5] Among these tips include:

  • For a pin to be tradeable it must be a cloisonné, semi-cloisonné or hard-enamel metal Disney pin or acceptable operating participant pin which represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character or icon.[5]
  • Guests may only trade one pin of the same style at a time with a cast member, hand to hand.[5]
  • Pins must be traded with the backs attached.[5]
  • Refrain from touching another person's pins or lanyard, ask to see the pin so they can bring the pin into closer view.[5]
  • The pin that is traded to the cast member cannot be a duplicate of any pin they already have on their lanyard.[5]
  • No money can change hands on Disney property in exchange for a pin.[5]

Pin terms

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General

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  • Artist Proof – Artist Proof pins (or AP pins) are created during a manufacturing run to verify quality. AP pins have an AP stamped on their back. Generally 20–24 AP pins are made of each pin per run. Some collectors may value AP pins more than others.
  • Back Stamp – A pin's back stamp contains information about the pin and can include copyright information and edition size.
  • Chaser – A pin in a series that is rarer or more difficult to acquire. They can often be colour variants of a known pin.
  • Cloisonné – A French word meaning "partitioned." It refers to a style of pin in which the surface decoration is set in designated sections, one color at a time. Cloisonné also refers to a pin type in which crushed minerals and pigments are used to create coloring on a pin.
  • Dangle Pins – Dangle pins have an extension to the base of the pin that dangles (hangs) from one or more small loops or chains.
  • Die Cast – Die Cast pins are cast from brass zinc alloy using high-quality hand engraved dies which create an eye-catching, three-dimensional image.
  • Epoxy Coating – Epoxy coating is a glassy, opaque substance used as a decorative or protective coating. When the coating dries, it forms a smooth, glossy surface.
  • Flocking – A flocked pin has an area that is fuzzy.
  • Hard Enamel – Hard Enamel is sometimes called the new cloisonné. It not only retains the characteristics of classic cloisonné, but also provides a much wider selection of colors. Just as with cloisonné, each pin is hand-crafted in a process that begins with a flat piece of brass which is die-struck and then filled with enamel colors. The surface is then hand polished to give it a smooth finish.
  • Lenticular – A Lenticular pin has two or more images that can change when it is tilted back and forth.
  • Light-Up Pin – A Light-up pin has lights in its design that flash when activated. The Light-up element has been used less in recent years due to difficulties in battery replacement and metal corrosion.
  • Pre Production/Prototype Pin – Pre Production/Prototype pins (or PP Pins) are received by product developers prior to a pin being manufactured. These pins sometimes contain different coloring, fills or features than the final production pin. The number depends on what the final product will be, as these pins may be different in size, texture, color, etc. The developers use these "test" pins to determine what the final product will be. Pin from late 2007 - now will contain a PP stamp on the back. Pins prior to late 2007 may contain a Pro Products label signifying it is a pre production pin. Some pins may contain no identification that it is a pre-production pin at all.
  • Scrapper Pin – A Scrapper pin is an unauthorized pin. Many of the molds Disney uses to make pins are not destroyed after the creation of its pin order, and bootlegs are created. This practice has flooded the Disney parks and secondary markets like eBay with cheap imitations, mostly of Cast lanyard pins and mystery release pins. Some are sold on eBay or found in the parks before the real pins are even released.
  • Slider Pin – A Slider pin has a movable piece that slides back and forth across the base of a pin.
  • Spinner Pin – A Spinner pin has a spinning mechanism that moves a piece of the pin 360 degrees.
  • Soft Enamel – A soft enamel pin has the design stamped into the base metal. These pins are filled with enamel colors and baked for durability. A final clear epoxy dome is applied to protect the finish. Typically a thinner pin than cloisonné pins.

Exclusive to Disney pin trading

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The following terms are specific, specialized terms relating to Disney pin trading:

  • Build-A-Pin – The Build-A-Pin program was introduced in 2002 and retired in Summer 2004. Guests could personalize pins bases with character add-ons. After selecting their favorite base and add on, the pin was assembled with a special machine.
  • Continuing the Pin Trading Tradition Pin – Also known as a CTT pin, these annual pins were created for guest recognition by cast members. Guests may be awarded a Continuing The Pin Trading Tradition pin for demonstrating positive Disney Pin Trading etiquette and promoting Disney Pin Trading.
  • Fantasy Pin – A pin commissioned or produced by Disney pin collectors that contains similarities to Disney pins, but has not been created or endorsed by Disney. These pins are not allowed to be traded with cast members, although collectors may trade for these pins amongst themselves. From time to time, Disney will produce a pin that is very similar to a fantasy pin.
  • FREE-D – Free-D stands for Fastened Rubber Element on a pin for Extra Dimension. Pins that feature Free-D elements sometimes have discoloring issues and extra precautions should be taken to make sure that the Free-D element is not dirtied.
  • GWP – A GWP (Gift with Purchase) pin is a bonus pin given to guests who buy at least $25 of pin merchandise in one transaction. The Disneyland Resort designates the first Sunday of every month GWP Sunday, and has two collections each year of six pins each. The pins are often traded as lanyard fodder, and as a result they are not valuable initially. Walt Disney World has promotions where GWPs are available for $1 each with a $30 purchase. Their current promotion involves surplus Mystery Machine Pins.
  • Jumbo Pins – Jumbo Pins are larger and often more intricately designed than a regular size pin; as such, the pins cost between US$20 and US$35. Featured Artist (Jumbo) Pins are currently released at DLR, while WDW released a monthly Jumbo Monorail Collection for 2008. Traditionally, Jumbo Pins were released monthly with an edition size of 750 and available for $25. Recently, Jumbo Pins have been sold in editions of 1000 for US$20 or, at the Disneyland Resort, in editions of 500 for US$35.
  • Limited Edition Pins – Limited Edition pins are just that - limited. This means there will be a finite number of pins manufactured and sold. The "back stamp" (the text on the back of a pin) on the pin will list the edition size. Sometimes, a Limited Edition pin will be individually numbered meaning it will be #XXX of XXXX (depending upon edition size).
  • Mickey's Mystery Pin Machine – Debuting at Mouse Gear in Epcot at WDW in late 2007, the machines were a modified Gravity Hill arcade machine that dispensed a pin regardless of outcome. The pins were part of small collections consisting of five pins each. Although the pins originally cost $5 and were distributed randomly, remaining pins were sold as GWP pins and the Machines have now been designated as inactive and removed.[25]
  • Name Pins – Name Pins are pins that have a name engraved on them, and may not be traded with cast members.[26]
  • Piece of History (POH) – A Piece of History pin from the 2005 set is considered to be one of the rarest series in Disney Pin Trading. Each pin contains a minuscule piece of a prop from a WDW attraction. The first pin in the series, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea pin with a sliver of a porthole, has sold for over $275 on eBay. The success of the series has led to a 2006 and 2008 set and a 2009 and 2010 set for Disneyland Resort.
  • Pin Traders Delight (PTD) - The Pin Trader Delight is an ice cream sundae that comes with a limited edition pin as a gift with purchase. This sundae is only available at the Ghirardelli Studio Store located in Hollywood, California. Each pin depicts the featured character eating an ice cream sundae and is highly sought after as typically they have an edition size between 300 and 750. Sundaes are limited to 2 per person provided that the gift pins for each sundae are not the same.
  • Pin Trading Night (PTN) – Pin Trading Nights are monthly meetings of Disney Pin Traders at DLR, WDW, or Disneyland Paris resorts. The Pin Trading Team provides pin games and gives traders the opportunity to trade and socialize. Often, an LE pin is released to commemorate the occasion.
  • Pin With Purchase/Purchase With Purchase (PWP) - Similar to GWP, except that the pin is not a "gift" but must be purchased. Typically for pins the pin price is $3.95 and a $30 purchase is required to qualify. At one time Cast Members occasionally allowed guests to combine multiple receipts (including those from Disney-owned restaurants at the resort) to reach the $30 requirement but as of 2016 this is no longer permitted; the pin must be purchased at the same time as the qualifying transaction.
  • Rack Pins – Rack pins, also called Open Edition (OE) or core pins, are pins introduced and sold until they are discontinued or retired. These pins are re-ordered for up to several consecutive years. The starting retail price for these pins is typically $6.95 (for a flat pin). Depending upon the number of features on the pin (such as pin-on-pin), the retail price will increase to either $8.95 or $10.95. Some OE pins have a high secondary value, such as the Soda Pop Series pins which each go in the $20 range.
  • Retired Pins - Retired (or discontinued) pins are pins that are no longer in production. Disney periodically "retires" pins so they can introduce new pins.
  • RSP -The Random Selection Process is the method by which LE pins are distributed at the Pin Events. Each guest submits a form which has slots for the Limited Edition merchandise items offered. Each slot is filled in order based on pin availability. If 1000 forms were to be submitted and 50 forms had an LE 25 framed set in their first slot, the first 25 forms would be given the purchase, with the remaining 25 given the opportunity to purchase their second-slot pin. Typically, there are three rounds of the RSP process with the smaller editions being unavailable to purchase in a subsequent round. RSP forms only allow a style of pin to appear once on each RSP form so that there is a better, fairer chance of each person getting one pin.
  • Scrapper - An unauthorized Disney pin. These pins are literally scrap pins. Sometimes they are seconds from the factory runs, or sometimes they have errors in color, design, or the imprint on the back. Scrappers can also be the result of extra unauthorized production runs. These pins often make it onto the secondary market where they are sold, often in lots, at much lower than market price. Scrapper pins can then be traded with cast members, as cast members do not decline a trade based on suspected scrapper status. Recent Hidden Mickey pins, DLR pins especially, have flooded the market months before their initial introductions.
  • Surprise or Mystery Pins - These pins usually feature a low-Limited Edition size. Typically, the back stamp will include the words "Surprise Pin". The release of this pin happens randomly at various merchandise locations within the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts. Although Surprise pins have continued at the Disneyland Resort (as evidenced by their current Resort Sign set), WDW releases Surprise pins at PTNs rarely.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Events | Disney Pin Trading Events | Disney". Eventservices.disney.go.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  2. ^ "Pin Trading". Universal Studios Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Leicester, Raphael (2024-08-02). "Pin-demonium hits Paris: Inside the pin-trading market at the Olympics". Associated Press. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  4. ^ Leporati, Gregory (2023-08-26). "The Little League World Series for fans: Free baseball, beers with dads". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Williams, Rebecca (2020). Theme park fandom: spatial transmedia, materiality and participatory cultures. Transmedia: participatory culture and media convergence. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-94-6298-257-4. OCLC 1125019744.
  6. ^ "Common Accessories Used on Custom Trading Pins". Trading Pin Zone. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Alderman, Liz (2024-08-06). "Star Power Elevates Pin Trading, the Unofficial Sport of the Olympics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tan, Nicole (2024-08-01). "Pin trading, the unofficial sport of the Olympic Games". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  9. ^ a b c Miller, Brittany (2024-08-05). "Do all Team USA athletes get a tattoo of the rings? A look at Olympic traditions". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  10. ^ a b c d e Vanhemert, Kyle. "Inside the crazy world of Olympic pin-trading, where everyone wants the Pikachu pin". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  11. ^ a b Panja, Tariq; Boxerman, Aaron (2024-07-31). "War Gives Palestinian Olympians a Wider Role: Athlete-Diplomats". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Bushby, Helen (2012-01-24). "London 2012: Olympic pin badge collectors reveal addiction". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  13. ^ a b c Zeng, Laura (2024-07-25). "Pin Trading Is the Olympic Sport You've Never Heard Of". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Segal, David (2021-05-29). "Their Olympics Are Already Canceled". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  15. ^ Feeser, Roman (2022-02-18). "The sport of Olympic pin trading - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  16. ^ a b Kimble, Lindsay (2024-07-28). "What Is Pin Trading at the Olympics? Athletes Explain What Makes Swapping So Special (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Hervieux, Linda (2024-07-31). "For Olympic pin collectors in Paris, Snoop Dogg's design takes the gold". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  18. ^ a b Treyz, Catherine (2012-08-10). "Instead of gold, pin traders seek Olympic brass". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  19. ^ Chou, Kathryn. "Pin trading is a huge deal at the Olympics — here's what you should know about the 122-year-old tradition". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  20. ^ a b c d Steedman, Elissa (2024-08-05). "Medals aren't the only coveted prize at the Paris Games". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  21. ^ a b Jones, Alexis (2024-08-02). "The Trading Pins at the Olympics Are So Good This Year, We Had to Rank Them". Popsugar. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  22. ^ Wong, Samantha (2024-08-04). "U.S. fencers Lee Kiefer, Nick Itkin 'going hard' in fierce Olympic pin trading competition | NBC Olympics". NBC Olympics. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  23. ^ Moran, Bruce (2008). Inside Scoop to Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios. EBSCOhost: TotalRecall Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1590958520.
  24. ^ Wills, John (17 March 2017). Disney Culture. doi:10.36019/9780813583341. ISBN 9780813583341. S2CID 240594524.
  25. ^ "Pin Trading at Walt Disney World Resort". Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  26. ^ "Pins - Collections By Disney" (PDF). Retrieved 31 January 2017.
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