Today I loaned Mike my camera so he could take photos of people like Michael Buble, Stephen Colbert, and The Sedins. I shot all day with my banana cam. Except for my pin collection. I took photos of that when Mike brought my Nikon home safe and sound. It felt weird not to have my big camera with me today.
However, my discomfort was forgotten when I met up with pin collector, Ariane. I met her today for the first time after following her on twitter. I got to meet up with her and her hubby and we went for lunch to talk about pins.
Ariane is an avid pin collector and she really knows her stuff. She taught me the biggest tip to collecting pins and that’s to ASK FOR THEM. You can find pins all over the place – companies frequently just give them away, but you have to ask…they don’t just offer them up. So, keep an eye out for servers in restaurants with pins. Ariane noticed the server today wearing a VISA pin and asked if she had others. Voila! Three pins – one for each of us – with all different graphics on the front. I got a mascot on a skeleton sled! Amazing! I love it. That’s become my pin prized possession.
So first, let me show you what I started with:
I had ZERO pins until The Pin Man gave me this one via Catherine. Next thing I know, Mike’s birth mom in Berwick, Nova Scotia sent me a pile of cute little apple pins. Please note: Berwick is the apple capitol of Nova Scotia. This was very exciting for Bec to find out because she’s from Tasmania – and a slang term for Tasmanians is “Apple Eaters”. Tasmania is also called the Apple Isle of Australia. See? Pins connect us all! Not literally, though. That would hurt.
Pins are magically appearing from all over…I got GM pins from test driving The Volt, then I got mascot pins in the mail from my mom. How she found mascot pins in Calgary for a Vancouver event, I have no idea. And then I got a provincial pin from Kelaine yesterday in the mail, and another friend, Leah, gave me a British Columbia pin with THE LOGO on it. So, I’m all decked out with pins. And this is what I’ve traded and have been gifted with since The Winter Games began:
My collection is really growing! And I still have many more to pick up. There are freebies all over town right now. I need to go to Blenz and pick up one, the Apple store at Oakridge, the Mint Pavilion has special pins with the Mint on them, and the list goes on and on. And that doesn’t even include all the pins that you can pick up at the assorted Country Houses around town. Ariane gave me pins from Saxony House along with a pin of the flag of Saxony.
I’m exhausted with pin excitement. And I can’t believe we are only on day 6 of the Winter Games. The Opening Ceremonies seem so long ago. And that was just last week.
I need to hit the hay because I’m up early tomorrow to go stand in line for the Medal display at the pavilion across the street from my office. My early bird co-workers told me at 8:00 this morning there were about 10 people in line. So, if I’m there between 7:30 – 8:00, I shouldn’t have to wait too terribly long to get in. As I took the whole morning off work, and if I get through there in plenty of time, I think I’ll check out the Zip Line. Rumors on that line up? 6 hours long. I’ll report in to you about that tomorrow.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Whats the skull one? Is it the Arnold pin?
Very cool pin collection!! How exciting- sometimes I miss being in the city for all the excitement these days- sometimes!
Love the pin collection so far! Gosh, I just may have to send more….lol
Also wondering about the skull pin. Nice collection so far. Good luck collecting more.
Awesome!
Well. Just ask for them? What a concept!
Congradulations. Looking forward to seeing the collection grow.
Yes, Phil. That’s the terminator pin. Ha! No, really, Dianne sent me that special pin.
All pins are happily accepted in the Browne house effective immediately. Mike asked me last night if we’d be going to pin conventions now. Hee!