Near-complete collection of Olympic pins a celebration of Vancouver a decade on

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With the Winter Olympics in Vancouver now a full decade in the rear-view, local history buffs are reminding us memories from the major sporting event still have a shiny future.

Just one of the many examples is the thousands of collectible pins, which were made in the city and became a hot collector’s item.

“Some are quite valuable, like some of the larger pins here,” Jason Beck, curator and facility director at the BC Sports Hall of Fame, said of the items.

A near-complete collection of the Vancouver 2010 pins was donated to the BC Sports Hall of Fame years ago by a private collector. It has been kept safe and sound next to other priceless artifacts at BC Place.

Pins created to count down to the start of the Olympics are also particularly special, Beck explained, adding few were made and they were only available for a limited time.

“These are for sure pins that people would wear,” Beck said. “A vivid memory is walking out of the Hall of Fame one night after working and this woman literally had a wool sweater that was covered from collar to collar.”

And to this day, the pins are not forgotten. Beck said he expects them to get popular again as another round of Games is set to start this year in Tokyo.

“It pops up at every Olympics. A lot of these pins, they almost become like a new form of currency, and pin traders will often be out buying and selling pins, trading with other collectors, trading with the general public,” he explained.

So just how much is the particular collection worth?

“You know, 800 pins, probably the average retail price of these pins was probably between $5 and $8, so you’re talking thousands of dollars right there. But a lot of these pins are worth more and have accumulated value in the 10 years. We’re probably talking tens of thousands.”

You can expect to see the pins back on display at the BC Sports Hall of Fame as the city gets ready to look back and remember 2010. And if you have any at home, you may want to hold on to them – Beck said they only get more special.