Pin Trading

Pin trading is, for some, an obsession and at the Arctic Winter Games, it’s an unofficial sport! It’s a great way to meet team members from around the world and encourages people to take part in the Games. For the first time trader, trading for another pin may be challenging, but after a few trades, one usually finds themselves caught up in the excitement of it all.

Pin traders, commonly known as “Pinheads,” see the trading experience as a great way of meeting people and learning more about the games and culture of other countries. You can communicate with people who don’t speak your language by pointing at pins on ones shirt, scarf or hat, offering another pin as an acceptable exchange, smiling and shaking hands when the trade is accepted, and expressing a “thank you” when the trade is completed.

How Do You Know What To Trade?

This is difficult to answer, because there are a huge number of pin designs that will be released during the Games but the pins that are the most covetted by traders are anything that’s been released specifically for the Games especially with the year on it.

Visit the Pin Trading Centre in the Games Trading Post at the Crystal Centre regularly, and you’ll find out what’s been released that day, and what’s hot with traders.

The official Grande Prairie 2010 Arctic Winter Games Host Society pins are available for purchase - you’ll see them being traded throughout the Games. They are the only pins that are ok to buy. All of the other pins released during the games should be collected by trading only. Trade a pin for a pin, or a set for a set.

Download the 2010 Arctic Winter Games Pin Trading Booklet (2 MB)