200 days until the Olympic Games in London

The 27th July 2012 is 200 days away, it's a significant date as it is the date of the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony in London opening 2 weeks of the biggest show in the world, and it's on our doorstep and we should celebrate that. I know that come July the country will have Olympic fever and it's something I'm really looking forward to.
In this blog, I will discuss Olympic pins. Pins are the number one collectible at the games, one of the only things that remains a constant really between summer and winter games. London 2012 are releasing 2012 individual pins to celebrate the games celebrating many things including the games themselves, British culture and London. Come games time the number one spectator sport will swing into action with pin traders spread out across the capital hoping to trade pins and make new friends. This is facilitated by Coca-Cola setting up official pin trading centres.

This (to the left) is most of my current pin collection, although I hope this to expand rapidly during the year ahead collecting venue pins, and the olympic day by day pins. I was first aware of collecting after the Beijing games, and got the 4 years to go pin and one of the Beijing handover pins. From there I got the 3 year to go pin. My father then went to Calgary, Canada and I asked him to buy a selection of Vancouver 2010 pins, and he did. To me these are some of the more "special" pins in my collection, the pins themselves are not rare but I like them and are some of my favourites. I have the two London 2012 issued Vancouver-London handover pins, a 2 year to go pin and two sport pictogram pins (which again I hope to expand with the sport pictograms of all the sports I am going to see at the least). I have a theatre one and two london landmark pins. A nature pin which I quite like. Then two 500 days to go pins as I decided it was a large enough milestone to get the two. The mirrored effect 2012 logo pin was one I bought at my Gamesmaker interview. I adore the two mascot pins I have with the grenadier guard and the beefeater guard. After the Royal wedding I bought a Westminster london borough pin. As I visit the London 2012 shop a lot, I decided to buy the shop pin which is actually quite a rare pin, just 2012 of them exist. The bottom london 2012 union flag logo was given to volunteers at the London-Surrey cycle classic. Finally the ticketing pin is as I managed to get tickets to the London 2012 Olympic games.

My pin wishlist for 2012 is simple: Venue pins, More pictogram pins, countdown pins, torch relay pins and olympic and paralympic day by day pins. I'd also love to buy more culture pins as well.

Pin collecting, once you get one (non logo pin) then you are really hooked.