Reader: "Is this a trick question, I can't see anything they have in common."
Reader: "So why would you buy a broken pin if they bother you so much?"
Me: "Great question! Glad you asked."
Imagine the following scenario. You've been searching for a good price on the 2010 USA Hockey pin for three months because during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games you were not willing to pay the $65.00 to $90.00 USD this pin was being sold for on eBay and you were also not willing to part with three to five trader pins to get this one in your collection. But you wanted it in your collection nonetheless. And then, finally, after months of daily Olympic pin searches on eBay and other pin sites, you find one that is reasonably priced; $10.00 plus $2.00 shipping with a Buy it Now option. Perfect. Sold! You immediately forward payment via Paypal, because that's what a good eBay buyer should do, and then you wait. The pin is being shipped from Canada, so it takes a few extra days to arrive. At last, after seven or eight daily trips to the mailbox, the Canadian post marked envelope has arrived. However, right there on the front of the badly worn, unpadded envelope is a tell-tale sign. A rip in the paper revealing a broken post and a missing clutch. The sender failed to securely package the pin and it arrived damaged, and was even missing a piece. This has happened to me several times over the years. It is always frustrating, but it is far more frustrating when the pin is an older item, meaning it is much more difficult to replace. For instance, a 1964 NOC pin--good luck finding a second such pin if your first find arrives damaged. So I suppose this is a public service announcement for senders to package pins securely to withstand the rigors of shipping. Remember, in addition to being treasures to us private collectors, these pins are pieces of history, especially NOC pins, and they often find their ways into museum collections.
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