11/7: STOP PRESS - St Patrick Pin Available

I've just heard that a very small number of St. Patrick pins will be available soon.

I know Glamorous Living, Pins and Things and Coin Bazaar will have some. The London 2012 online store will not.

Be fast if you are looking to add one to the collection.

10/7: Venue Pins - Retail Update

Good news for those of us looking to collect the retail venue pins...

I spoke to a director of the London 2012 Shop at Hyde Park today and they confirmed that, with possibly a few exceptions, every venue pin will be able to be purchased at the Hyde Park shop. So, that means if you haven't got tickets to a venue, you will still be able to get the pins at the Hyde Park location.

I have no further details on what pins there will be, how many will be available in Hyde Park or any other low level information yet. As soon as I have it, I'll blog it here.

There will be a few pins which will not be available there (I don't know what they may be), but in general, not having access to a venue should not stop you having access to the pins. There will be no online sales, just at Hyde Park.

I do not know if the same is true for the Olympic Park shops.

8/7: Venue Specific Logo Pins

The first venue specific pins have appeared for sale. These are a series of logo pins in various colour combinations that reflect the colours used at various venues.

Venue specific logo pins

I'm aware of ten pins in total in either blue, pink or purple with contrasting accent colours. Unfortunately neither the pin nor the packaging indicate which venue they relate to. So until I can find out the specific location each pin represents, I will describe them as...

• Blue with Yellow
• Blue with Pink
• Blue with Orange
• Pink with Blue
• Pink with Orange
• Purple with Blue
• Purple with Green
• Purple with Pink
• Purple with Orange
• Purple with Yellow

Each pin is limited to 50,000 pieces. These pins come on a new the of backing card. The card is single layer rather than the folded ones we've seen to date. They also come in a plastic bag which protects the front of the pin. The backing card is marked with the words 'Olympic Venue Collection - London 2012'

I imagine that each variety of pin will be available at a specific Games location, and they have been spotted at the London 2012 shop at Hyde Park. This shop will be a main retail outlet in Central London during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

7/7: Pin Meet - Saturday 21st July

Here's an update for those of you planning on coming to the next pin meet arranged for Saturday 21st July.

As most of you know, we originally planned to have the meet in Stratford, but now that Coca-Cola have confirmed that their pin trading centre in Hyde Park will be open on that day, it makes more sense for us to be there. Some of the regulars will be on the pin trading rota for that day, so having the whole group there to trade makes a lot of sense.

The centre will be running that day in its regular mode, which means that it's open from 10am until 10pm. I'm not suggesting that the pin meet is that long! There will be pin traders at the tables there for that entire period, so please feel free to come along and join us when you can. The centre will be open to the public, but hopefully the numbers there on the day mean that everyone will get the chance to enjoy the area and get some good trading done. If the crowds are too great, it's possible that a queueing system may need to be used, but let's see how it goes.

Even though some traders will be there all day, why not come along around 12pm and bring a picnic with you. The trading centre is in Hyde Park with lots of space around it. If the weather is good, we can have something to eat outside and get some trading done too. Whatever happens, there will always be people at the pin trading tables in the centre, so join us when you can.

I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible for the last unofficial pin meet before the Games. If you haven't confirmed that you plan to be there drop me an email. It's not mandatory, but as usual, if I get any sponsor pins to give away, they will go on a first registered, first served basis.

Thank you to Coca-Cola for allowing us to have the meet at the pin trading centre.

If you're not sure how to find the Pin Trading Centre - click here for more details and a map

5/7: New Retail - Orbit, Logos and More

As well as the pin traders pins, more new designs were announced today...

4 new varieties of the logo pin - gold and silver '3D' versions labelled convex and concave designs. It's a little difficult to see in the images, but these pins have relief rather than being flat. Each pin is limited to 50,000 pieces.

Pin 1768

Pin 1769

Pin 1783

Pin 1784

Then we have two post box pins with either a white logo or Union flag logo. These pins complement the telephone box pin launched last week. Both are limited to 10,000 pieces

Pin 1712

Pin 1713

Next there is a pin of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit - the sculpture and observation platform within the Olympic Park. This pin uses the 'Landlines' colouring combined with a white logo. This pin is limited to 10,000 pieces.

Pin 1781

Lastly, the very popular Union Flag wellies pin that sold out is re-issued with a white logo instead of the Union Flag logo. This pin is limited to 30,000 pieces whereas the original was 2,012 pieces.

Pin 1142

5/7: Pin Collecting Pins

Based on the number of enquiries I've received about the Pin Trading Pins, you will be pleased to know that they are due to be released this week.

Pin 1770

Pin 1771

The two pins show a lanyard and a hat covered in pins. They are cleverly designed and those that look carefully will see, not only are the lanyard and hat covered in pins, but the actual outline of some of the London 2012 pins, such as the 'I Love...' or 'West End' pins.

Each of these pins is limited to 2,012 pieces and if the level of interest is anything to go by, they may well sell out. They should be with your preferred retailer this week.

More new release news to come soon - an Orbit pin and new styles of logo pin.

4/7: More Coca-Cola Pins

The online Coca-Cola store expanded its range to day with two new themes and 6 new pins.

The first is the 'Sports Series' consisting of 5 pins which combine sporting equipment and Coke bottles.

Pin 1551

The sports featured are Rhythmic Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Basketball, Badminton and Fencing.

The other range is the '2012 Series' and for now features one funky multi-coloured 2-0-1-2.

Pin 1586

1/7: New Retail Pins

London 2012 released some new retail pins last week across a number of themes.

The first was a set of 6 sporting equipment pins. These combined items from the sports in gold along with the London 2012 logo.

Pin 1100

Pin 1103

The sports depicted in the set are weightlifting, sailing, tennis, hockey, football and basketball. Each pin is limited to 10,000 pieces and they are pins 1098 - 1103. 

The next set are new logo pins, this time in a pewter effect seen in some pictogram and Team GB pins. There are 3 pin sin the set in small, medium and large sizes. Again each is limited to 10,000 pieces.

Pin 1141

Next there are two pin which depict more iconic London imagery - a policeman at 10 Downing Street and a telephone box. 

Pin 0647 

Pin 0649

Once again both are limited to 10,000 pieces. We've seen a number of telephone pins already, but personally I think this one is the best so far. The combination of image and Union Flag logo make this, in my opinion, one of the best 'icon' themed pins.

The final pin released follows on from the LGBT Diversity pins issued in 2010. It's the same design of Rainbow flag and logo, however this time the Union Flag logo has been used.

Pin 1074

I do not have details on issue size for this pin at present.

All of these pins should be available immediately.

30/6: Coca-Cola Pins Announced

As we move into the last month of the countdown to the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola have launched their pin programme and their online shop. As pin collectors know, Coca-Cola produce a range of themed pins for the Games, and London 2012 is no exception.

Their pins will be issued from now right up until the end of the Paralympic Games and their range of designs means that there should be a pin for everyone.

The pins will be available in the pin trading centres in Hyde Park and the Olympic Park as well as in their online store - www.cokestore2012.co.uk

In the store they have a range of Coke branded merchandise as well as the pins. All profits from the sales of Coca-Cola products on the site goes to the StreetGames charity which aims to bring sport to young people in disadvantaged communities across the UK.

I understand that there will be some pins exclusive to the individual pin trading centres that will not appear online, but more news of those when they are released.

The pins available at the launch of the online store are divided into categories...

• Olympic Torch Relay - the pins we have seen already, but now your chance to buy individual pins online
• Welcome to the Games - 12 opening telephone boxes representing 12 of the visiting nations
• Country Flags - 10 countries are represented with their flags connected to a Coke bottle and the London 2012 logo
• London Landmarks - 8 pins showing ironing London buildings or scenes but with a Coke twist
• Typically British - 9 pins which take a tongue-in-cheek view of how we Brits see ourselves and how we may be seen by others
• There are 3 other pins which use iconic Coca-Cola imagery

The online range will continue to grow as we approach the Games and we will be able to see the pins 'in the flesh' for the first time when the Hyde Park venue opens soon.

Future pins will highlight the 'Move to the Beat' campaign and a fantastic musical jigsaw set which draws on British musical heritage from the 60s and 70s.

As well as the merchandise, the Coke Store site also has some background on pin trading, the pin designers, the StreetGames charity and a teasing outline of the pin-of-the-day set!

28/6: Hyde Park Store and Pin Trading Centre

I've received some emails recently asking about the location of the Pin Trading centre in Hyde Park. I visited this week to take a look. A lot of the construction appears complete and they are working on the branding on the outside.

It's a large plot, but then again it will contain a London 2012 store as well as the Coca-Cola pin trading centre.

During the Games, the hours of operation of the pin trading area will be 10am to 10pm. The shop hours may differ - I do not know for sure.

The shop is located on the south side of the park between South Carriage Drive and Rotten Row, opposite the Hyde Park Barracks.

View Hyde Park Pin Trading Centre in a larger map

For those that are not familiar with that part of London, I travelled there by underground - the Piccadilly Line, to Knightsbridge station. I used Exit 1 which is well signposted from the platform and throughout the station with large pink 'Hyde Park' signs in London 2012 branding.

At the top of the exit stairs, turn left along Knightsbridge. Walk along that road and then turn left into a narrow cut-through - Park Close. Follow that to the end and you will be on South Carriage Drive with Hyde Park in front of you and the pin trading centre across the road and to the left.

Perhaps during Games time, access to and from the station will be controlled and this route may not be possible at all times.

27/6: Pin Meet Video from London 2012

The video that the London 2012 team made of our last pin meet is now available on their You Tube Channel.

Click here to take a look.

It's just under 3 minutes long and gives a quick overview of the day and pin trading.

27/6: EDF Pin News

A new pin from EDF has been spotted. This time it's a London landmark - the London Eye. As EDF sponsor the London Eye, this is a very appropriate subject.

EDF0031

The pin is limited to 2,500 pieces I understand and is for internal distribution to staff only. It will not be issued to the public.

24/6: New Internal Pins

News of four new internal pins has surfaced this week thanks to readers.

LOCOG have issued pins to celebrate the London 2012 festival which started last Thursday and to recognise the anti-doping unit.

LOC0036 - Anti-doping pin

LOC0050 - London 2012 Festival pin

The anti-doping pin shows two sample capsules marked A and B. The festival pin is a smaller version of the retail pin 1065 with the word 'Festival' in pink rather than white.

Meanwhile the ODA have issued two pins, one in the 'Great Team Effort' range, this time marking the Water Polo centre, and the other to recognise the Town Planning team.

ODA0033 - Water Polo centre

ODA0034 - Town Planning

The town planning pin shows the outline of the Olympic Park broken up into the many planning development zones that make up the park. These zones allow the town planning team to easily refer to the approximate locations of the various planning applications that are made across the Park.

I have no information on the issue sizes of any of these pins at the moment.

24/6: New Pins Seen at Pin Meet

At the pin meet last week, Honav were kind enough to bring along some new pins to show us. I mentioned a few in the meet report, but here are some more of the pins they brought along - a mix of retail and sponsor.

There were a set of retail pins that combined the London landmarks designs we have seen previously with sports, such as an equestrian rider 'jumping' the House or Parliament. They are reminiscent of some of the 'Back the Bid' imagery we saw in 2005.

Another set of retail pins showed sporting terms in highly coloured pins. Examples were 'Slam dunk' from basket ball and 'Drop Shot' in tennis.

There were a few pins which showed sporting equipment in gold along with a Games logo. The photograph shows a basketball and hoop, there was also a tennis racquet and a football pin

The Arcelor Mittal orbit was shown on a pin using the landlines graphics seen in previous retail pins.

Whilst all of these pins were confirmed as retail, I have no details on whether they may be restricted to specific locations or venues or whether they will be on general release.

Several sponsor pins were on show too, and given they were on display, I presume that all have been issued to the companies concerned.

BAA/Heathrow continued their range with a green and purple pin echoing their first issue and they also had on display some gold, silver and froze pins which we presume will be awarded to staff based on their commitment.

Lloyds TSB had a couple of pins which combined there logos with the mascot sport poses.

BMW have issued a Mini (the car) pin s before, but this time the logo on the car uses the flame infill and the writing on the pin mentions the Olympic Torch Relay.

The final pin was another issue from the Lloyds Banking Group - this time celebrating World Sport Day and shows the mascots vaulting over the globe. This was a larger than average pin and based on comments on the day, one of the most popular in the room with collectors.

Please remember that all of the pins shown here from the sponsors are for internal use only and will not be issued to the public. 

21/6: Top Pin Trading Locations in London (8)

This week, we focus again on the Olympic Park and in particular...

Olympic and Paralympic Venues

There's no getting away from it - the Olympics is all about the most fantastic sport on earth, and if you are lucky enough to have a ticket to see some of the sporting action, then be sure to take part in your own sport (the biggest spectator sport in the world) - Pin Trading!

Olympic venues are always a good place to trade pins. To start with, make sure you visit the official merchandise outlet within the venue. You never know what goodies you might find only in that location which may relate to the venue or the sport taking place there. At the last few Games in Beijing and Vancouver you could find some sport related pins which were only available for purchase from that particular venue.

Venues always have a large number of volunteers and staff - and quite often a fair number get the pin collecting bug during the Olympics. If you see one wearing a pin - it's usually worth seeing if you can make a trade!

Queuing up or standing in line to get your ticket checked, or have your bag security checked is another opportunity to scan the crowd and see who is wearing a pin that you need - keep your eyes peeled and you could be in for a swap!

21/6: Cockney Rhyming Slang Pins

"Cor Blimey!" Six new pins from London 2012 were announced today to capture rhyming slang expressions.

Pin 1060

Pin 1061

The six subjects are Frog and Toad - Road, Apples and Pears - Stairs, Dog and Bone - Phone, Jam Jar - Car, Mince Pies - Eyes and Sky Rocket - Pocket. Pin numbers are 1059 - 1064.

Each pin uses the the subjects quiet effectively to create fun pins. Each pin is limited to 2,012 pieces and should be available soon.

21/6: Shamrock and Gender Pins - Available

I have just had confirmation that both the Shamrock and Gender pins will be available in limited quantities soon. The Gender pin will be available on the official London 2012 online store.

I have no information on how limited the numbers may be, so don't hang around if you need want either of these pins for your collection.

I cannot confirm which retailers have either or both pins, so you may want to contact your preferred supplier for more details of what they have available.

20/6: Next Jigsaw Piece from insidethegames.biz

The latest piece of the circular jigsaw pin set from insidethegames.biz was on show at the pin meet last Saturday.

Pin INS0009

This is pin 5 of 6 and like the first piece comes on a backing card which shows an image of the complete set. The pin is limited to 800 pieces.

18/6: Pin Meet 9 - Report

Last Saturday, we had our 9th unofficial pin meet. We returned to the John Lewis store in the Westfield, Stratford City complex. This venue is open to the public and therefore we had the chance to speak to lots of visitors and explain pin trading. Whilst the trades themselves were mainly confined to the pin-heads, we certainly raised the awareness amongst those we spoke to.

Lots of people in the room

The day was extremely busy with many successful trades being completed. We started around 11am and were still going strong at 4pm with very little quiet time during the day.

London 2012 came along to film the event in order to produce a promotional video for their website. Zoe Salmon was the host and took the time to speak to a couple of us about pins, collecting and what makes us collect.

Zoe Salmon looking over some pins

A collector explaining pin trading to Zoe

I'm pleased to say that as well as the usual faces, there were a number of new collectors there and several from Europe. It was certainly the busiest event so far.

Honav brought along a number of items to show us, the Olympic Torch relay set and a huge framed set of oversized mascot sport pins. The Torch Relay set caused a stir with members of the public and was very well received.

The Olympic Torch Relay set

They also teased us with new retail pin designs that we will see soon. These included the remaining countdown pins for 10, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 day to go...

It's the final countdown...

 There was an Opening Ceremony pin...

The Opening Ceremony pin

They also brought along some of the 200+ national flag pins coming soon.

Just some of the national flag pins

We also saw a new sponsor pin form one of the traders. The meet provided the first sighting of the first pin from Arcelor Mittal.

Pin AM0001

Overall it was a very successful meet. There has been very positive feedback and we are all looking forward to the next one on Saturday 21st July which we hope will be able to be held as part of the Cocoa-Cola pin trading centre in Hyde Park. More details to follow soon.