August 5, 2004



PIN MANIA

Olympic pin trading is a time-honored tradition for those of us who wander through an Olympic Games.  They come from many places - national delegations have pins, as do teams, sports, corporate sponsors, and various media organizations.  Pins can also be bought in Olympic stores, but the preferred and honorable way of acquiring pins is through the "trade" - one for one, if both parties consider the pins equal; a different balance if a more valuable pin is at stake.  To obtain my "Green Jello" pin in Salt Lake City, for example, I needed to trade three NBC pins.  The Jello pin was the pin of SLC, emanating from the fact that people in Utah apparently eat more Jello than anyone else in the United States. As these Games draw nearer, more professional pin traders will descend upon Athens, hawking their wares, looking for trades, and determining what the most valuable pins are.  My first pin of these Games is from TV Azteca, the Mexican network covering the Olympics.  I hope to add many more to my collection before the Games are over.  They embody the spirit of the games, as well as national identity, and they serve as one of the smaller modes of advertising.  But for me, they are a fabulous souvenir from each Olympics I have been to, and of all the people that I meet.

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Be sure to check back often for Dr. Amy Bass's updates
to her Online CNR Olympic Diary.