The unofficial sport of the Olympic Games

It’s considered the unofficial sport of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. There’s no special training or nutritional requirements, no team uniforms or coaching yet it embodies the spirit of global friendship.

Welcome to the world of Winter Games pin trading.

Pin Trading Popularity

The tradition of Olympic pin trading began in 1896 at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece with athletes, officials and the media trading colourful identification badges. The first official souvenir pin coincided with the Stockholm 1912 Games.

In 1988, the first Coca-Cola Official Pin Trading Centre at the Calgary Olympic Winter Games was established and saw 17,000 people per day visiting the pin trading centre to experience cultures from around the world. And to trade pins. Equally impressive is that in the run-up to the Lillehammer 1994 Games, Norway, with a population of just 4.4 million, purchased 17 million Games pins.

Vancouver 2010 Limited Edition Pins

Capturing the excitement of Games pin trading, the first in a series of limited edition Vancouver 2010 Holiday pins will be available in early December. Retailing for $8.00 CAD apiece, the Holiday Pins will be available at Hbc and select souvenir and gift stores across Canada.

These highly collectible pins will feature five specific designs with only 2,010 of each being produced. Unique details like enamel-filled cloisonné and cut-out features, as well as backstamps citing limited edition and quantity produced will thrill both the seasoned and beginner collector.

Once these are sold out, that’s it for these particular designs. Fear not - in order to quench the unwavering popularity of pin collecting and trading, different series of limited edition pins will continue to be produced up to and throughout the 2010 Winter Games.

Meet a Pin Trader

Who knew that catching sight of a colleague’s scarf glittering with Olympic pins on his return from the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games would be the start of a journey for Al Falcao - one that would see him becoming a metal-wielding celebrity known as The Pin King.

Hailing from Markham, Ontario, Falcao’s collection of more than 35,000 Olympic pins is arguably one of the largest in the world. Falcao considers himself a trader, not a dealer, and his circle of fellow traders numbers in the thousands, touching every corner of the globe – from Canada to the Czech Republic, from Trinidad to the Philippines, from Norway to Australia.

“I’ve always had a passion for collecting,” says Falcao. “I used to collect stamps, first day covers, license plates.”

When asked what his favourite pin from his collection was, Falcao was quick to answer. “A similar pin for both the Nagano and Lillehammer Games was produced. They’re actual working watches, complete with battery, big hand and small hand, and are just slightly larger than the size of a quarter,” says Falcao. “I like the functionality; that it’s not only a pin, it doubles as a watch.”

Falcao has been to every Olympic Summer and Winter Games since 1992, traveling with his collection of 5,000 – 10,000 pins that he refers to as his traders. Says Falcao, “trading reaches a frenzied pitch about six months before the Games begin and carries over to about three months after. Then it settles down.”

“My goal is to collect one of every pin ever produced,” says Falcao. “It’s my motivation.”