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Pin junkies have field day

Trading tradition lives on at the 2002 AWG

Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 25/02) - Pin trading is kind of like Pokemon for adults.

During each Arctic Winter Games, pin junkies buy and trade pins in the Intrepid Dezine Pin Trading Gallery at the NTI Arctic Winter Games Plaza.

But they also barter and haggle with fellow pin enthusiasts everywhere in Iqaluit -- looking to complete their collections and score rare and coveted pins from across the circumpolar world.

Lorne Levy, manager of the pin trading gallery, says the most avid collectors are adults.

As well as providing a gathering place for trading, the gallery sold 18 pins (for between $5 and $10) representing Iqaluit sports and Greenlandic pin sets.

Every day, the gallery released a "pin of the day" and held special draws.

Teams also produce pin sets to swap. And collectors desperately seeking a specific pin posted notices on the gallery's bulletin board, letting interested buyers know where to find them.

Generally, pin collectors fall into two collectors -- those mildly interested in the game and serious addicts.

Gina Kalloch, arctic sports and culture co-ordinator for Team Alaska, falls into the latter category.

According to Kalloch, a deal can last a couple days with each collector holding out for a better deal.

She owns hundreds of pins and designed several unique ones, including a two-piece Inuit and Dene Games pin. One side features a kickball representing the Inuit games; on the other is a raven and gambling sticks reflecting the Dene Games.

"I gave one side to Dene athletes, the other to Inuit athletes. They had to trade for the other half," she says.

One of her favourites is an Alaskan dog team pin, made up of six separate pins -- the musher, sled and four dogs.

Kalloch brought lots of pins to give away to kids and said the phenomenon is about memories and connecting with people.

"It has to do with the interaction between people, the challenge of trading and getting to know people."

Tyson Felt, a member of Team Alberta, is a budding pin trader.

"It's neat to have them from different places," he says. "You'll have them for when you get older."