In keeping with the Emblems of... pins issued for other countries in the UK, London 2012 have issued 5 pins celebrating Northern Ireland. They appeared last week, probably tied in with the Olympic Torch Relay arriving there.
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| Pin 0650 - Titanic |
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| Pin 0651 - Shamrock |
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| Pin 0652 - Harland and Wolff |
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| Pin 0653 - St. Patrick |
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| Pin 0654 - Giant's Causeway |
Each pin is limited to 2,012 but it seems that 2 of the designs were completely bought up before hitting the retailers and the other 3 pins were extremely limited. This means that these pins are officially sold out at Honav. There may be some of the Titanic, Harland and Wolff and Giant's Causeway pin with retailers, but the St Patrick and Shamrock pins were not even available to collectors it seems.
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20 comments:
If these pins are seriously sold out and this isn't just a plot to create a little frenzy it does make me wonder the following:
If these pins aren't bought by the retailers, who are they bought by?
And why don't Honav have enough foresight to understand that there are some collectors trying to collect all 2,012 pins and say to the person/persons that put in an order for the whole lot that they need to keep 50 or 100 back for the usual retailers to distribute to those collectors?
I agree with last comment. I had intended to try to collect all the 2012 pins but I am starting to lose interest. Having invested so much time, effort and money in collecting all the issues to date I'm really disillusioned that the diversity pin has now popped up and is unobtainable. And now this set!
When I read this last night I was too extremely frustrated. I too am collecting the pins and was miffed with the gender pin but to now see they have done this with the emblems of Ireland it slightly takes the biscuit. These pins are supposed to be for the general public to buy hence why I have not tried to source the sponsor pins because I knew I would be fighting a losing battle. I agree with what others have said where have they gone and who has purchased them. I also find it strange how the faith pin has been released again. It is numbered within the 2012 range so they were always going to release another pin. Think someone is playing a few games with us collectors and I'm not amused. I've never commented before but have been reading for a while but this news rattled me. I hope this is not true and they do supply to usual retailers soon.
I Triple Agree!!! :)
I attempted to collect all 2012 badges, but after the "Faith"gate scandal I reverted back to the sets that appealed to me.
I've completed the English & Scottish emblem sets, now to be told this news has made me think what is going on?? (how do I get to be one of the insiders?!?! :) )
To only have 2,012 issues of 50% of the pins available is limiting Honav's market, whoever thought up that marketing strategy needs pinning to the wall!! I have a couple of FAITH pins to use :) ....hang on NO I DONT!!!!
It's sad i won't be able to get hold of these, i would have liked a shamrock pin too.
Yes I agree with most of the points made. Collecting retail pins should have been easy. Ok a few limited numbers to tempt collectors to buy now before its too late. BUT when the message is Sorry you can't even have the oportunity to buy as "its already SOLD OUT" is a bit too much.
SOLD OUT ? some of us collectors have been SOLD UP THE RIVER I feel.
I had planned a nice framed display of most of the UK pins, and I have already collected what I want from England, Scotland and Wales.
Now, right at the final hurdle, I find that I can't complete my set as the Northern Ireland pins are sold out before they have gone on sale!
Honav, I'm very disappointed with this, as I don't have what I want. I'm quite tempted to change my pseudonym to Nohav.
I suggest a company name change to Cant-hav/Wonthav :)
Seriously Honav, please release more sets!!!
I too was trying to go for all 2,012 pins. Having gone to a lot of trouble/expense to get the Boroughs framed set, Torch Relay framed set (not to mention all the Countdown pins which had been withdrawn from sale before I'd even started - thanks Honav), I do feel like I've kicked in the pin bag!
Honestly, I wish I'd never started.
C'mon Honav John, what is the justification for this?
Noel may well be feeling a less than complementary poem coming on.
Something like:
Here sits Noel, broken hearted
His collections stuck, and he'd only just started
to buy every pin would cost a packet
but now he can't get them, it's such a racket!
and just to rub salt in the wound, a certain retailer just listed one of these pins, for auction, on ebay
There are a few retailers selling them, they just seem to be keeping them a secret, email them and see if they have any
The crazyness is...... If more pin badges were made , more would be sold. ( ok some wont sell that well, but thats more to do with design and subject matter ) but for the ones that do means more profit to the company, retailers, London 2012 and to the Olympic Organistation. But selling low numbers make the biggest profit go to the secondary sellers, who buy up all the limited issues with a view to sell on. Collecting should be easy, and affordable. How are we s'posed to get new people and kids involved in this hobby, when you can't at least promise that ALL pins are made available for purchase. Some people buy only what they want, others want to buy it all. BUT if from the outset people knew that it would be more than impossible to complete a full set.... many would never have even started. Some of these sets are very expensive remember.... we are not always taking pocket money prices. Ok someone with deep pockets and a lot of free time can and will make up a whole or part set of pins.. but many do not. Honav, Locog etc need to make money, which benefits London 2012 and rewards the people making and designing the pins... but the big money seems to be made by the secondary market... which benefits no one but themselves. I am not having a pop at people selling on ebay, as most buy an extra 1 or 2 pins . ie keep one , trade - sell one. That is ok.... but some do this as a business and really don't care about anything but MONEY, GREED and THEMSELVES. Well I hope that I have not upset too many people with my rant. And if I upset anyone I do apologise, but as they do say THE TRUTH USUALLY and SOMETIMES HURTS !
Back at the beginning I realised that I was never going to be able to afford the 14 grand plus that was needed to buy 2012 designs at an average of 7 quid each, so made the decision to only go for sponsor media and dated NOC & Federation pins. I figure it will probably keep me amused for the rest of my life, just trying to get those!
The LOCOG has to shoulder some of the blame here; Honav would not be doing this on their own! Hopefully things will work out for everyone.
For those interested in the Titanic pin badge, we have just had our allocation and is on our website available now.
Visit Coin Bazaar.
http://www.coinbazaar.co.uk
Just to inform you that we have managed to get some Shamrock Pin badges. Available now on our site.
Visit Coin Bazaar.
http://www.coinbazaar.co.uk
I have the full set for sale - it is on EBay today (09.10.20)
Seller - dreamofdubai
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