Name: Scott Daniells

From: Folkestone

How long have you been collecting? Just over a year

How many pins do you own? About 50

My story isn't a single exchange but more how one morning showed me how pin trading at the Olympic Games can help to bring people from all over the world together.

I first discovered Olympic pins, and started collecting them, while visiting a London 2012 shop on the way back home from my interview to be a Games Maker in 2011 and thought they were great. However, it was only during the Games when I realised the power of pin collecting and how special it could be.

My Games Maker position was to be an Olympic Family Assistant and this involved occasions where I would be waiting around outside the Olympic Family hotels for my client, which was ideal for pin collecting, but there was one morning which really stands out in my memory.

While I was waiting for my client I was talking to the interim President of the Albanian Olympic Committee. A few of us asked if she had any pins and she gave us some pins and silicone wristbands, which quickly got a queue of Games Makers forming asking if they could have some too. This delighted the Albanian representatives - the President for example had a huge smile on her face and said "You're all queuing for Albania? Nobody ever queues for Albania". She thanked us for our interest as much as we thanked her for the pins.

Just after this a small child, who mustn't have been any older than 5 or 6, came up to me and asked if I had any spare pins. He must have seen us getting the pins from the Albanian Olympic Committee but unfortunately I didn't have any spare pins, which disappointed him. However as he was wearing a Team GB hat, t-shirt, shorts, shoes, had a Union Jack painted on his face and was waving a Team GB flag I gave him a Team GB pin that I had managed to pick up as he didn't have one and I've never seen such a big smile on anybody's face - he ran back to his parents looking so happy.

A short while later I noticed one of the Accompanying Guests of the Uganda Olympic Committee giving out pins. I had already traded a pin from the Philippine Olympic Committee to get my hands on a Uganda pin, as Uganda is one of my favourite countries. So told her how I was already wearing my Uganda pin with pride. She was pleased with this and we started talking and it turns out she was from a town in the middle of Uganda that I had stayed in overnight while on a trip there a few years ago and we started chatting about our time spent in each other's countries.

That morning was probably one of the best ones I had all Games. I had a chance to chat to many people from all over the world during the time I was waiting for my client, including the few mentioned above, and much of the interaction was thanks to the pins I had been trading. I hope to be able to continue collecting and trading pins for years to come.