Welcome to Pin Collecting.
Pin Collecting is big over the world. Whether you collect individual pins
that please you or sets of group pins it is not long before you have an
impressive display. Group pins include "Days to Go" pins, flag pins, puzzle
pins, sponsor pins, theme pins, pictogram figure pins & series pins. You
will love where your first pin takes you.
By Collecting you...
Make new friends
Build up your collection
Obtain enormous pleasure
Which pins and how to collect?
Thousands of different pins will be produced to commemorate some aspects
of Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Unless you have got more money than sense, you
are not likely to buy them all, so where do you began?!
Start with pins that give you most pleasure.
Wearing one pin signifies that you are a collector.
Wearing two or more signifies that you are a trader.
Wearing pin vest or carrying a pin trading bag signifies to people that you
have experience in the sport of pin trading.
Wear a smile and trade in a spirit of friendship. People deal with the people
they like, and good to develop regular pin friends.
Always be honest when talking about your pins for trading. Your reputation
is your most important asset.
If someone trades you a "knock-off", the best thing to do is put it in the trash.
Try to find realistic market values.
In a trade both parties should feel that they made a "fair trade". IF you
don't think it is a fair trade, say no thanks. Don't let anyone rush you on a trade.
Don't be afraid to give away and try to be helpful to fellow collectors.
Chances are that your kindness and generosity will come back to you.
Don't display pins that are not for trade alongside traders. Wear the one
that you are proud of it, just make sure it is set apart from the rest of your
pins so it doesn't frustrate other collectors.
Pin collecting and trading has been called the "Spectator Sport" of the Olympic
Games, so get out there, get started in your event, and most of all have fun.
Pin collecting is a hobby designed for fun, not investment. While some of
the pins will rise in value over time, most will drop in value after the Games
are over and every one goes home. If you want to invest try stocks or bonds; if
you want to have a great time, buy some pins and start swapping.
First Bid & Corporate Sponsor Pins!
An Official's Badge from the first modern Olympic Games. held in Athens, Greece, 1896.
One of the first NOC pins, issued by Sweden for the Intercalated Games of 1906.
Some believe the first country team pin was Sweden in 1906. Since some people
do not consider 1906 to be a true Olympics, those people would have it be the
Swedish team pin in 1908.
An intricately crafted judge's badge from the 1908 London Games.
This Souvenir pin of 1912 Stockholm Games poster was one of the first ever sold to the public.
First ever Australian Olympic pin was made in 1920 for the Olympic Games Antwerp 1920.
The very first Sponsor pin (button) ever produced for an Olympic Games
was back in 1932 and the Company involved was Arden Milk. The button states
"Arden Milk used exclusively by World's Olympic Athletes". It is not
known how many of these buttons were produced or how many survived, but it
considered rare.
Other sponsor pins were made after that, one other early corporate sponsor pin
was produced by a Finnish margarine maker for the 1952 Helsinki Games. This
one inch pin is referred to as the "Daisy Olympic Ring" due to its unique
design.
Another Olympic sponsor pin was released by Sylvania Electric that features
a microphone juxtaposed with the Olympic Rings in Squaw Valley 1960.
Beneath a metal participant's badge for the Mexico City Games hang the first plastic ribbon ever
used on an Olympic Game pin.
The butterfly clasp was introduced to Olympic pins at Mexico City 1968.
Know the Codes!
Aminco, Benson House and Trofe use the following codes for the maximum production level.
The first digit in the series is the code for the year of the manufacture:
"6" for 1996, "7" for 1997, etc. The middle 4 digits are the design number for
that particular pin. The last digit is the production limit code. It ranges
from "1" to "6". Here is the Key:
| PRODUCTION LIMIT CODES |
| "1" = 1 to 500 |
| "2" = 501 to 5000 |
| "3" = 5,001 to 25,000 |
| "4" = 25,001 to 100,000 |
| "5" = 100,001 to 250,000 |
| "6" = 250,001 to 400,000 |
Aminco uses this numbering system on all their pins including the sponsor pins. Most of their
earlier pins have Production Code number of "3" or "4", but they have changed it to "2" or "3".
Benson House pins had Production Code number of "3" as well but they have changed to number "2"
for most their pins as well. They don't use any number on their sponsor pins at all.
Trofe' usually uses a 7 digit number which the fist one is for the manufacturing year, last digit
is the production mintage and the 5 digits in the middle are the pin number. most of their pins
are mainly number "3", they use to have a different numbering system earlier but they
changed to the above system 1998 for all their retail pins but they still use their own numbering
system for the sponsor pins that they manufacture, which is not possible to find out the mintage
by the number.
Aminco International (USA) uses a different numbering system from Australia. Each pin produced
by Aminco USA has a 4-digit item number stamped on the back, preceded by the letters 36 USC 380
and on some pins the letters SLO. A letter following the number indicates a variation in the pin,
such as a color difference. After the SLO and item number, there is a dash and a number. This
number indicates the production level. A 4-digit number is the exact quantity produced. A
single-digit number indicates a production range as shown below. Aminco USA also same as Benson
House is not using any number on the sponsor pins that they manufacture.
| PRODUCTION LIMIT CODES |
| "1" = 1 to 4999 |
| "2" = 5000 to 9999 |
| "3" = 10,000 to 24,999 |
| "4" = 25,000 to 49,999 |
| "5" = 50,000 to No Limit |
Most of Aminco pins are Production Code number "3" & "4", but some of the new ones
such as Mascot Eastern Egg, Harbor Bridge, Opera House or Cityscape are number "2".
Some of the Early Benson House pins were Production Code number "3" as well but
most of the recent ones are number "2".
Trofe' pins are mainly number "3".
Pin Dictionary
Bid Pins
When a city bids for the Olympics. It often produces pins promoting its bid.
NOC Candidate Pins
Bid Cities have to first win from the other cities biding for the Games for
their country and then receive blessing of their host NOC before becoming a
formal candidate. These pins are called NOC Candidate Pins such as Melbourne's
bid pins for the 2000 Games.
Candidate City Bid Pins
Pins made by Cities who presented formal bids before the IOC such as Sydney,
Manchester or Beijing.
Withdrawn Candidate Bid Pins
These pins are made by the Candidate Cities whose bids were formally
presented to the IOC but they withdrew from the competition before the host
city was chosen. Milan, Barazilia and Tashkent are some recent examples which
made formal bid for the 2000 Games but they withdrew before the final draw.
Finalist City Bid Pins
Highly collectible pins, after the IOC chooses its finalists, from all cities
biding for the Games it is left with the finalist cities.
Host City Bid Pins
Host City is the city that wins the final IOC vote and actually organizes an
Olympic Games such as Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
Countdown Pins
Pin Commemorating the countdown to Opening Ceremonies.
Federation Pins
International Federation (IFs) are the world-Wide governing bodies of each sport
and often produce pins. Federation from individual countries also sometime have pins.
IOC Pins
The International Olympic Committee often issues pins and badges for various
meetings.
NOC Pins
Often referred to as friendship pins, are pins from the National Olympic
Committees-the governing body of its Olympic team. Roughly, NOC pins fall into
two categories: "Generic" NOCs (the standard Committee pins, not specifically dated)
and "dated" NOCs (designed for a specific Games).
Sponsor Pins
Each sponsor is able to produce pins with their logo alongside the various
Olympic logos. Suppliers and licensees often have pins as well.
Media Pins
Different media such as TV Networks, Radio Stations, Newspapers,
and Magazines that during the Games keep us up to date on recent events also
produce some sought-after pins, called media pins.
Venue Pins
Pins commemorating the sites where Olympic events are held.
Types of Pins
Cloisonné Pins
Base metal:
Die-struck copper.
Color composition:
Colored powdered glass.
Surface:
Hard, flat, and smooth.
Manufacturing:
Each color is hand-applied and individually fired 800 degree
Fahrenheit until the glass melt and hardens.
Soft Enamel Pins
Base metal:
Die-struck copper or brass.
Color composition:
Enamel Paint.
Surface:
Raised ridges are evident unless covered by an epoxy coating, which
appears as a clear dome over the design.
Manufacturing:
Each color is hand-applied, but unlike cloisonné all colors
are applied simultaneously and then baked until dried. An epoxy coating is
sometimes applied to protect the paint from chipping.
Photo-Etched Pins
Base metal:
Several images of the same design are photo-etched onto a large
brass sheet.
Color composition:
Enamel paint.
Surface:
Raised lines (though less evident than those on soft-enamel pins).
Manufacturing:
All of the designs on the metal sheets are colored then baked
until dried. An epoxy coating may then be applied to protect the paint from
scratches and peeling.
Semicloisonné Pins
Base metal:
Die-struck copper or brass.
Color composition:
Colored-epoxy resin.
Surface:
Smooth, hardened epoxy.
Manufacturing:
Very similar to that of cloisonné, but used colored-epoxy resin
instead of powdered glass.
Precious Metal Pins
Base metal:
Gold or sterling silver. Gold overlay may be present on sterling
silver pins.
Color composition:
Usually doesn't feature any color other than that of the
base metal. Enamel is sometimes applied, however.
Surface:
Multi-dimensional and multi-textured.
Manufacturing:
Melted precious metal is usually poured into a mold rather
than stamped out.
Non-Precious Metal Pins
Base metal:
Copper, brass, bronze or pewter.
Color composition:
Usually doesn't feature any color other than that of the
base metal.
Surface:
Multi-dimensional and multi-textured.
Manufacturing:
Design stamped into metal; area may be sandblasted to produce
a "pebbled" or "misty gold" appearance that provides contrast with polished
metal.
Why are pewter pins are special?
If you are going to become a collector of pewter pins, it will be reasonable
to ask this question. All through classic times and even during the Dark Ages
pewter is evident in museum collections.
Aristotle referred to pewter, Galon, father of medicine, did the same. Pewter
has often been used as currency. Pewter coins have been found in sunken galleons
lying on the ocean floor since the thirteenth century.
It was found that if you added certain properties such as antimony and copper
to tin an excellent practical alloy was formed that poured easily and gave great
detail, strength and malleability.
The history of pewter and copper has always been intertwined. Traditionally,
pewter highest grading of 'fine' metal had a high proportion of copper and more
than 90% tin. Pewter has always been a valuable special metal. The early
Renaissance was truly the Pewter Age, with the middle and upper classes, trade
guilds and churches expressing their sophistication and wealth by using pewter
for display.
How pewter pins made?
The pewter Sydney 2000 pins are made in Australia with Australian pewter by
using the centrifugal casting method. (Molten pewter being poured into moulds
as the spinning plate is turning at high speed.) The Australian pewter pins
are handmade at every stage of manufacturing process. First the art is completed,
the model pin is handcrafted and the strike off is produced. The master mould
is made into a secondary master and put into mould which is 'cooked' in a
vulcaniser. When the mould is made, the molten pewter is poured into the spinning mould.
When the mould is cool enough the pins are separated from the mould and linished
(polished), cleaned, treated, linished again, fitted with fastening pins and clips,
painted, wiped off, resined & packed for distribution, all by hand.
Benson House "22 Months to Go" Pin
First step, MASTER
Second step, RAW CASTINO
Third step, LINISHED
Fourth step, PAINTED
Final step, WIPED OFF & COMPLETED
ENJOY PIN COLLECTING AND THE WORLD OF TRADING!
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