If you collect a certain type of Olympic pin, scout out appropriate locations in advance. NOC aficionados generally gather near the Olympic Village, where athletes and coaches stay. If you don’t have accreditation to get into the Village itself, try staking out the main entrance and routes leading to and from the area. Remember that many athletes arrive days before the start of the Games, so collectors of NOC pins who show up ahead of the crowds will have an advantage. Do remember always to respect the needs of the athletes, they are the reason for the Games.

Those who collect Olympic media pins – which are usually most plentiful early in the Games – might try their luck outside the international media center ant the broadcast center. If the host city has provided bus transportation for the media, hunt for designated bus stops. Some experts suggest finding out, if you can, the schedule of activities planned for guests of the major media and sponsors. VIPs are often supplied with a cache of Olympic pins, so knowing their ETA at a particular spot could lead to a coveted trade.

Expect to acquire a few that’ll leave you baffled. Sports-federation Olympic pins, for instance, may carry little more than a few cryptic initials, and recognizing unfamiliar foreign media pins can be tough. In cases like this, ask collectors you trust for their advice.

As you collect Olympic pins for your permanent collection, stash them somewhere until you can return to your lodgings and safely store them. Your “big guns” (those rare traders you expect to exchange for something special) should also be kept separate. Showing your best Olympic pins too early in a trade could decrease your leverage. If you collect enough keepers that you run out of pins to trade, you may well have to buy a batch to keep going. Try the Olympic pin trading centers or the many retail locations that will carry authentic pins.

Just because the Closing Ceremony is over doesn’t mean trading has to come to a close as well. If you’re still looking for specific Olympic pins after the Games, and who isn’t? Consider running an ad in one of the Olympic Games pin-club newsletters. If you have several dozen pins for trade or sale, you might offer a list to anyone who sends you a self-addressed stamped envelope. And don’t forget to keep in touch with collectors you meet at the Games.

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