Pins!
December 2nd 2008 06:36
Spent some time today on eBay, feeding one of my horse racing sub-passions: collecting horse racing pins.
There are an amazing number of pins, of all different types (and all different prices!) available. There are, of course, the Triple Crown Pins: Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont pins. And along with the Derby pins, there are the Pegasus Festival pins.
...And in addition to the official pins for these events, there are the "unofficial" pins: sponsor pins, media pins, and other peripheral event pins. Pins pins pins pins.
I've seen "starter sets" of Derby pins (usually from the 1990's to present, only the official pin for each year with the logo for the event) offered for several hundred dollars, and one set that went back to the 70's offered for $6500. Amazing.
There are the Breeders Cup pins, too: more manageable, as there are only 25 to collect. I have 19 of the 25 (I started collecting them this year).
Occasionally, there is bigger prey to be bagged. For each Breeders Cup, there are pins issued as passes to the owners and trainers of the horses entered, and to selected VIP's or special guests. I managed to snag some of these from eBay, my mosgt prized being one from 2007 that came in the envelope with the paddock pass and other official paperwork. According to the paperwork, this was A. B. Hancock's Owner's badge! Totally cool.
Most of the BC Owners, Trainers or VIP pin badges go for $60-150. While not common, they aren't rare, either, showing up with regularity from time to time.
One of the other categories of pins I collect are buttons (or "pinbacks" as they are called) that have pictures of specific horses on them. The "holy grail" of buttons are the Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure buttons that were sold at the match race in 1975. These cost fifty cents or a dollar the day of the race, and in good condition sell on eBay for $40-75 each, with the Ruffian pins selling for more than Foolish Pleasure.
Most of the buttons with horses on them sell for considerably less than that, from $1 to $15. There are several Curlin pins, there are Rags to Riches pins, there are Big Brown pins. There are other pins for horses that weren't quite so well known to the public at large-- I have a Fourstardave pin, a Saratoga promotion, and a King Swan pin. I also have a pin commemorating the tenth anniversary of Secretariat's Belmont, and pins commemorating Forego and John Henry.
There are lots of other pins that bring back memories: pins from defunct Ak-sar-ben racetrack; Bill Shoemaker Farewell Tour pins; Santa Anita 50th Anniversary pins; pins from a variety of tracks commemorating or promoting a variety of races or events. A veritable tour of racing events, pin to pin, some very beautiful and most very reasonable in price. A great way to get into collecting racing memorabilia.
(I don't know why I want to promote this, since I'm a pin buyer, not a seller...the more people collect them, the more the price goes up! But they are pretty neat items.)
There are an amazing number of pins, of all different types (and all different prices!) available. There are, of course, the Triple Crown Pins: Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont pins. And along with the Derby pins, there are the Pegasus Festival pins.
...And in addition to the official pins for these events, there are the "unofficial" pins: sponsor pins, media pins, and other peripheral event pins. Pins pins pins pins.
I've seen "starter sets" of Derby pins (usually from the 1990's to present, only the official pin for each year with the logo for the event) offered for several hundred dollars, and one set that went back to the 70's offered for $6500. Amazing.
There are the Breeders Cup pins, too: more manageable, as there are only 25 to collect. I have 19 of the 25 (I started collecting them this year).
Occasionally, there is bigger prey to be bagged. For each Breeders Cup, there are pins issued as passes to the owners and trainers of the horses entered, and to selected VIP's or special guests. I managed to snag some of these from eBay, my mosgt prized being one from 2007 that came in the envelope with the paddock pass and other official paperwork. According to the paperwork, this was A. B. Hancock's Owner's badge! Totally cool.
Most of the BC Owners, Trainers or VIP pin badges go for $60-150. While not common, they aren't rare, either, showing up with regularity from time to time.
One of the other categories of pins I collect are buttons (or "pinbacks" as they are called) that have pictures of specific horses on them. The "holy grail" of buttons are the Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure buttons that were sold at the match race in 1975. These cost fifty cents or a dollar the day of the race, and in good condition sell on eBay for $40-75 each, with the Ruffian pins selling for more than Foolish Pleasure.
Most of the buttons with horses on them sell for considerably less than that, from $1 to $15. There are several Curlin pins, there are Rags to Riches pins, there are Big Brown pins. There are other pins for horses that weren't quite so well known to the public at large-- I have a Fourstardave pin, a Saratoga promotion, and a King Swan pin. I also have a pin commemorating the tenth anniversary of Secretariat's Belmont, and pins commemorating Forego and John Henry.
There are lots of other pins that bring back memories: pins from defunct Ak-sar-ben racetrack; Bill Shoemaker Farewell Tour pins; Santa Anita 50th Anniversary pins; pins from a variety of tracks commemorating or promoting a variety of races or events. A veritable tour of racing events, pin to pin, some very beautiful and most very reasonable in price. A great way to get into collecting racing memorabilia.
(I don't know why I want to promote this, since I'm a pin buyer, not a seller...the more people collect them, the more the price goes up! But they are pretty neat items.)
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