The first rule of thumb as far as what pin/pins to go after
is, what ever catches your eye. Some people collect NOC pins, Media pins,
Mascot Pins, Federation Pins, Sport Pins, Landmark Pins, Countdown Pins,
Holiday Pins, Corporate Pins, etc. What ever pin you collect, it has to make a
connection with you. You have to like the pin before you want the pin.
The second rule of thumb is to want the pin. It might be a
pin that you need to fill out your corporate, media, NOC or souvenir set. You
don’t actually have to like the pin but nonetheless it is a must have.
The third rule of thumb would be collecting only the low
mintage pins.
Although there is no way of verifying the actual numbers of
a certain souvenir pins produced, in the case of Souvenir pins or generic pins,
turn and look at the back of the pin. The phraseology ARTISS AMINCO is
imprinted on the back of the pin. Artiss Aminco is the official pin licensee
for the Vancouver Olympic games. Beside their name is a “–“ and a corresponding
number. The number to the right of the “ARTISS AMINCO” brand and denotes the
approximate quantity of the production run for that particular pin. The legend
below is vital for the serious pin collector and newcomer. The lower the number
means the smaller the production run.
1 – up to 1,000 produced
2 – up to 5,000 produced
3 – up to 25,000 produced
4 – over 25,000 produced
