Olympics: Fans on the hunt for unique mementos

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

SINGAPORE - If you are an athlete at the Beijing Olympic Games, you might covet an Olympic medal to bring home. But for some spectators and Olympic fans, an Olympic pin would be their choice memento.

Some collectors of Olympic pins are more than willing to trade with anyone for a unique gem.

Ron Finnigan, an Olympic pin collector, said: "I like the one from Samoa because it's a nice-looking pin. It's got their country's crest on it. It's got to have the Olympic rings. This one actually has the Beijing logo on it, which is crucial in a good pin."

Larry Grulich, another Olympic pin collector, said: "You have the National Olympic Committee pins. Some of them have the Olympic year and date on them – those are the most coveted pins. Media (pins) are coveted, but there are a lot of media pins."

There are others who start with just a few pins, but manage to garner more from fellow collectors, who are eager to see their country represented in the collection.