Before the games some were asking me if I was planning to collect pins. My standard response would be: "Nah, what use are these pins? There's nothing I will or can do with them". Yeah right!
Just after a few hours on my first day the fever caught on. In the beginning I didn't give it much thought. My Sports Info colleagues kept asking me: "Why didn't you ask for a pin?". I didn't. I didn't care much and I found it inappropriate to be asking (read: begging) for them each time I attended to a Chef de Mission, until... the CDM of the United Arab Emirates gave me my first one.
Since then I sometimes ask for one. Mostly jokingly, if I had established a good relationship with a CDM or Team Leader. Or if I had really helped someone out of a tight situation (correcting the mistakes they make, like not confirming an athlete).
Even when Rene arrived here and saw my first pins, said that he wouldn't be collecting them. After spending his first ten minutes on the parking lot, he sent me an SMS stating: "I've caught the fever! I'm collecting pins too!".
The nicest pins are the ones they give you when you've really helped them and didn't ask for one. In those cases you might get a rare pin as a token of appreciation. It's (figurative and literally) a small thing, but with a nice sentimental touch to it. Here's a small display of some of my pins collected so far.
Some colleagues are really bold and sometimes even rude. One guy from the Wrestling desk often interrupts officials which are in the middle of an issue at our desk to ask for a pin. He doesn't seem to realise how annoying that is and that it doesn't work. We've asked him a few times to stop this and it finally worked. Well, that is... he doesn't bother the people at our desk anymore but still does it at other desks.
Pins are also bluntly stolen. Some stick their pins on their waistbag and if they turn the other way, a pin might all of a sudden 'disappear'.
A pin is not a pin. You have generic NOC pins, official merchandise pins, sport pins, sponsor pins and actual Athens 2004 NOC pins. The most popular are the Athens 2004 NOC pins. Those are country pins with the specific "Athens 2004" on it.
Most countries have a generic NOC pin (which can be used at any occasion) and the Athens pin (which is made specifically for these games). The least interesting are the merchandise pins (which can be bought in any store) and the sponsor pins (who cares about a Visa pin?).
The best pins are the numbered ones. Some delegations make just a small amount and number these on the back. My Malawi pin has "146/150" written on the back, meaning there are only 150 made. A quick check on the internet shows that pins already go for anywhere in between 5 and 150 US dollars... :-O
And anywhere you walk around with your pins on your accredidation, people might all of a sudden appear in front of you, bend over and stare at your chest. By the time you start wondering whether somethings wrong with yourself, they ask you if you're willing to trade. And the negotiations can be tough. It's a good thing I have attended the Conflict Handling & Negotiation training. Thanks boss!
Roberto
PS: Yo Dread! I got you your Jamaica 2004 pin. After reading above story you do realise that you now owe me a few beers at the Flater, don't you? ;-)
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