Olympic Pin Information Sources

With thousands and thousands of Olympic pins in existence, and with a greater number of pins seemingly produced with each successive Olympic games, how does a collector keep up with it all? Personally, over the years I have amassed a small library of Olympic pin books and catalogs that provide useful insight into the world of pin collecting. The thirty-eight sources depicted above are a sample of the materials out there to be found. Many of these books provide important information such as a pin's measurements, production number, face type (cloisonne, domed enamel, alloy, etc.), backing (clutch & post, stick pin, safety pin, etc.), manufacturer, date of issuance and other valuable information. The trouble is, compared to regular books you might find at a Barnes & Noble, these pin guides can be extremely difficult to locate and, once you track one down, you will probably find that many of them are quite pricey. Even still, pin catalogs are an invaluable tool for the avid collector. I have been working on a catalog of my own, though I haven't yet talked myself into actually getting it published.

Presently entitled "Olympic Hockey Pin Anthology: An Amateur Collection", I have gathered photos and information on over 1200 pins, catalogs, and Olympic hockey coins. If only I had the time to actually polish it up for publication. Even then, who knows if I could sell any copies and where you even start with that whole process. It just might be a pipe dream. Stay tuned.