SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Andymeets1880s on February 02, 2011, 06:58:42 PM
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I was just wondering if someone could explain the whole pin trading thing to me. I know it is probably just how it sounds, but is there a lot of people that do it? Is it a huge club? How much are the pins?
Just needing a run down of it. ;)
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How many years has the pin trading been going on at SDC? Is there anyone who has all the pins made available?
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I just found an article from someone who attended this years event and it sounded pretty cool. It seems you trade with SDC employees, but I wondered if pin traders trade amongst themselves. You know, kinda like baseball cards and sports cards. I also was wondering how much the pins go for. When I was at HH in '08 I blew right thru it because my wife and I wanted to get in the park.
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The actual first pin that was sold at SDC and listed on their site was in 1998. Pin trading at the city began in 2001 with the release of 4 pins that year and has grown to 400+ pins released to date. The pin prices for newly released pins in 2010 ranged from $5.00 to $10.00. The older out of circulation pins would have to be traded for or purchased thru other means. There are special employee pins that can only be obtained by trading with an employee. At last year's pin trading event which was held at the Culinary & Craft School there were close to 200 people. The pin trading event is put on by SDC annually to honor it's pin traders. The pins are collectibles just like sports cards, pez dispensers, etc. I myself don't know of anyone that has a full collection. I have met a few that like less than 20 to complete their collection, even a couple that like less than 5. The one thing that makes this hobby so special to me is the connection with SDC.
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Thanks for the info. I know there are float trip and diving bell pins out there. I've see photos of them. Wally Welch Vineyard pin, too. I didn't know if this was a fad for a year or two, but seeing as how this is it's tenth year, it must still be going strong!
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is there a "guide" or book that shows all the pins? has to be someway to monitor the pins your missing
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Yeah, a little SDC produced booklet with photos of the pins and details would be nice...a think I have seen something on the SDC website like this, but having something to hold in your hands would be nice.
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If you go to SDC website, click specialty shops, go to pin city pin trading in blue lettering you will be able to see the pins produced over the years. By the way Junior the Diving Bell Pin is one of the most desired pins to be collected.
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ok, thanks.. i will check that out
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Hey, Pintrader... Does your trading turn into bargaining and negotiating?? Do you haggle like "I'll give you a FITH and a Memorial Day pin for a Diving Bell?"
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Yeah Andy! That's pretty much how it goes. I have even heard people offer cash + pins when making a deal for a pin they want.
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At 3:00 of every business day at SDC they bring a pin board out located in the HH where the pins are sold. Each person can trade 2 of their pins for 2 pins that are on the board. This offers traders a chance to build their collection with older pins that are no longer sold in the HH. The board probably has around 60 pins.
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thats a great idea, that also shows that SDC is interexting in keeping this "hobby" going.
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I've got that Diving Bell pin...
I was so distraught the other day when I discovered that somehow the bubble on my "Own A Piece" pin (http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com/specialty-shops/pin-trading/default.aspx?id=361) had broke!!!
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Bonnie (Retired schoolmarm, previously Ma Hatfield) told me a few years ago at the schoolhouse that Terry Sanders even had to "jump through hoops" to find a diving bell pin, which was especially important to him to have because that is where he started his career at SDC in 1980. Oh by the way, the first few days on the job I helped to train Terry!
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Oh by the way, the first few days on the job I helped to train Terry!
How cool is that...you helped train a SDC legend. Kind of like the Mordecai Ham to Billy Graham. (Mordecai Ham was the Evangelist that led Billy Graham to the Lord).
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always good to pass on knowledge.
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I myself have never seen a Diving Bell pin except for the one on display in the HH. I started collecting in 2008 and soon found out it was a lot of fun, but not as easy as I thought it would be. Collecting the SDC pins always makes me feel like I am taking a little bit of the city home with me. Speaking of training people! Has any past or present SDC employees ever worked with or remember a guy named Randy Stowe? He started working at the city in 1976 selling snow cones down by FITH. Today he is the Entertainment & Events Supervisor for SDC. I went to High School with Randy and he took me a few times to SDC when he first started working for them. I ran across him last fall at SDC but didn't have much time to talk with him because of a job interview he was giving. Just wondered if anyone knew him?
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Pintrader, I've known Randy Stowe since 1978. When you talk diving bell around here, you might as well just say Randy Stowe. Randy indeed did start at the little cart concession that was across from the diving bell in 1977. In 1978, he worked as a "Junior" at the diving bell, and a robber/conductor at the train. Same thing in 1979. In 1980, he was lead man (manager) at the diving bell, and served in that capacity in 81 and 82. Then, it was back to the train for one season in 83. Back in 84 as lead at the diving bell, and as the lead man later in 85 at the new Lost River, and later on at the tobbaggan ride. He worked his way up to his present position slowly. Ah, the stories I could tell about Randy! But I won't, not here anyway. Randy is one of the finest people I've ever known or had as a boss. In 1981, I was second lead (assistant manager) at the diving bell, and served under him. We did indeed train Terry Sanders in the 1980 season. We trained many, many others over the years, too. Most people associated with the diving bell are long gone, having moved on to other things, like me. Randy, Russ Maulden, Kerry Chester, and Terry Sanders are the four guys that made a career out of SDC. Russ and Kerry were maintanence men at the diving bell, and both serve in similar capacities as managers behind the scenes. Russ emphasized sound and lighting for SDC productions. Everyone knows what Terry is up to as he is the most well known of the four people mentioned here. Randy is a fine family man with several kids and a great wife, and deserves everything good that has come along for him in life. I last saw him and visited about 3 hours with him at SDC in December, 2007. I wish only the best for him. I hope he has several more years with SDC because he is one of those guys behind the scenes that knows what it was like to work there in the old days when Jack, Pete and even Miss Mary still roamed the streets from time to time to check on how things were going. ;D
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thats a great story junior.. thanks for sharing. I just i could remember all the info you guys share with us.
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Yeah thanks a lot Junior! I figured you remembered him, because in the short time I spoke with him he mentioned your name. It surprised me he didn't know about the sdcfans site when I spoke to him. But as soon as I started talking about older times at SDC and the Diving Bell your name came up along with Jeff Kimes. Jeff was a person I also went to school with back in the day. Randy said the next time I came down to SDC to get a hold of him and we would eat lunch or something. I think I might take him up on that. He might just have some of those good old stories to tell about the city and past citizens (Junior) that a person could use as blackmail ;D.
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Jeff Kimes is another guy I could talk about here to some degree. I associate him primarily with Fire In The Hole and the street troupe. Jeff did a great job with everything he did at SDC. Regarding blackmail...sorry, man...not much you could nail me on that I have not confessed to already! Those old days of long ago were fun, picking up girls, popping a top, and, well, smoking things you cannot buy in a retail store...but those days are gone, faded into memories of a different era. Glad I survived intact. To the best of my knowledge, no one got hurt. Since then, I've been washed in the blood, had different careers, married, kids, grandkids, and, as ole Hank Williams Jr. once sang in a song: "cornbread and ice tea took the place of pills and 90 proof." Yes, I, along with my old rowdy friends have settled down! ;)