Monday 14 May 2012

14/5: Olympic Torch Relay - A Pin a Day

As we draw closer to the start of the torch relay on Saturday, news today of the set of pins being issued to celebrate each day of the relay.




As the torch travels around the country, a new pin will be available each day. The design is consistent - a gold pin and logo with a pictogram type torchbearer, however the location name and date changes daily.

Overall there will be 70 pins available individually or as one complete set. The individual pins will be sold at each day's Celebration Venue and if any stocks remain after the torch relay, there will be a chance for other retailers to sell them. However, given that the issue size for each pin is 2,012 pieces, I think it is highly likely that a number of the locations will sell out each day. As for the complete sets, I think it's unlikely that there will be any more than 100 made available to collectors. The complete set will contain all 70 pins on a background map of the UK. I'm hopeful that we may see this set at the June pin meet.

So, when you consider that 500 of each pin will be held back for the complete 2,012 pin sets and that 100 may be held back for the torch relay framed set, that means that a little over 1,400 pins will be available at the Celebration Venue each day. For some of the sites or key dates, I think demand will be higher than this.

At the moment, I have no details on whether the pins can be purchased along the route each day. I hope to get some more details on the plans for each day's Celebration Venue retail outlets soon, so keep watching.

5 comments:

Anthony said...

good to see Honav saw sense eventually. i guess it means the 30 minutes i spent at john lewis trying to convince them to sell the pins daily wasnt wasted

you think Honav will gift me a set for giving them the idea?

pigs and flying come to mind!

Anonymous said...

I've heard rumours that the shop at St Pancras might be selling these Relay Stage pins *before* the official release date, just like they did with the logo and mascot relay pins...

Pippin said...

My wife and two children have their birthdays in May, June and July, so I think I will limit myself to just three pins of the relevant dates. Now if only the torch relay could be extended until October, then I could also get a pin for myself!

Sleathy said...

WOW - a 70 Pin Set! WOW! I wonder if people will manage to collect all 70 ... let alone the expense ....

Do we know where the "Celebration Venues" will be? I live in Loughborough and am certainly hoping that there will be a Loughborough pin!

noel 9 said...

Hi Pippin I thought about the Birthday angle too. So my Nephews and Nieces will be ok..... shame that no birthday pin for me.... will any one remember the Olympics by my birthday in December or will society haved moved on to the next big thing.

I love the idea of the pins.... but a full set... I think not.