Definitions
As with most hobbies, pin collecting and trading has its own language. Here are some of the terms you may come across in addition to the definitions of pin types.
| Pin Collecting / Trading | |
|---|---|
| Pinhead | A pin collector - the name may originate from the fact that pin collectors started wearing their pins on their hats in the 1980s |
| Dealer | Someone who sells pins for money rather than trades them |
| Trader | A pin for the purposes of trading rather than keeping or collecting |
| Meet | An informal pre-planned gathering of pin traders |
| Show | A formal gathering of pin traders and dealers |
| Trade / Swap / Exchange | The action of exchanging pins between two pin traders |
| Manufacture | |
|---|---|
| Prototype | An early pin design made in very small quantities to test designs and manufacturing. May be of inferior quality as they are not designed for issue |
| Production Pin | A mass-produced pin for issue |
| Strike | To manufacture a pin |
| Rerun / Reissue | The authoised reproduction of an existing pin, usually for commemorative purposes |
| Production Level | The number of pins issued in any one design |
| Finding | The post or pin on the back of the pin badge and the type of clasp that attaches to the pin |
Acknowledgements
Thanks to www.pincollectorssite.com for assistance in creating the definitions on this page and also to the '1996 Olympic Games Countdown - The Official Book of Olympic Games Pin Collecting'
