Olympic Pin Trading: A different kind of sport

The pin traders on Robson and Granville Streets are doing a brisk business. 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 any other gold medal sport.  It seems pin traders make a point of attending the Olympics just to indulge in their unusual ‘hobby’.

There are serious collectors, some of who have established themselves on the National trading circuit.  You can tell who they are by their extensive collections and the pins that cover their scarves, toques and jackets.  Not only adults, but kids participate in this ‘sport’ too, and the serious pin traders often meet one another at the Olympics, establishing on-going friendships and trading pins by mail.

Since the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, when Coca-Cola introduced kiosks for swapping these small souvenirs, there have been pin trading centres.  Here in Vancouver, there’s a Coke trading centre in the downtown Bay store and Yaletown Live City site at the Coke pavilion.  At the Olympic Superstore in the flagship HBC store, atrium of CTV offices at Burrard and Robson Street there’s a trading centre that is open all day. There’s lots of pin-trader on the streets too, everywhere from the Waterfront Station to in front of the Art Gallery.  Pin-swapping is a thriving business and the friendly dealing between people of all nationalities has somehow surpassed language barriers.  Strangers share smiles and stories.

“Selling or trading?” is the first questions.  Most collectors just want to trade, although sometimes money is exchanged because to trade pins, first you need to buy some, unless you’ve been collecting them for awhile and have some to swap.  2010 Winter Olympic pins were a hot item being given away by CTV before the Games began, or perhaps you’ve attended other Olympic venus and have some extras you’d like to trade.At the Live City venues a lot of pavilions are giving out pins.  The serious collectors say that the Olympic broadcaster’s pins are the most sought after.

It’s a great way to strike up a conversation and swap stories with Olympic enthusiasts from around the world.  As I cruised around the downtown today watching the curious crowds gather around the pin-collectors I wished I’d had a few of my own to trade.

For information on pin trading

PHOTOS by W. Ruth Kozak