Elementary, Intermediate, Secondary, College, Graduate Levels
One of the fun aspects of attending Destination Imagination
Global Finals (aka D2K.1) will be trading pins with people from all around the
world. During D2K.1, team members may engage in pin trading with kids, team
managers, officials, parents, and others. Trading must be done in a fair and
honest manner, and must occur entirely without the exchange of money.
In addition to collecting pins from different states and countries, this Challenge requires the team members to have fun and meet new people.
1. The time limit for this activity is the time spent at Destination Imagination Global Finals. Trading must be done at reasonable hours. Time restrictions may be imposed by team managers and parents. Pin trading that interferes with team practices or performance schedules is strongly discouraged. Similarly, trading that disturbs other teams or that occurs late at night may result in an “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” penalty.
2. The cost limit for this Challenge is at the discretion of parents and team managers. Team members must obtain their pins from their state DI Affiliate office or from their Regional Director. Additional pins may be purchased at D2K.1 only from your own state Affiliate Director or Regional Director (or their representative) and only by parents or team managers. Remember, all trading must occur entirely without the exchange of money!
3. This Challenge can be solved at any time during D2K.1. Pin trading takes place in the dorms, dining facilities, competition sites, and recreational facilities. Pin trading also may occur on the sidewalks around campus, in the dorm lounges, on the buses, at meals, and anyplace where 2 or more collectors can get together. Please pay attention to any posted “No Trading” areas (usually those where a traffic or fire hazard may emerge).
4. Pin trading can occur in public areas inside competition sites and at the evening activities. However, trading is not allowed inside the competition rooms and is especially forbidden during another team’s performance. Similarly, trading is not allowed on the floor of the arena before, during, or after the evening programs or award ceremonies. Engaging in such activity poses a safety hazard (any trading tends to attract a crowd) and may result in an “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” penalty being assessed against a team. Team members may need to remind parents, siblings, and team managers about the etiquette from time to time, as they may tend to go a bit overboard.
5. Pins
are to be traded. Only traded!! The sale of pins to other traders or the
purchase of pins from unauthorized others is strictly prohibited. This truly
violates the spirit of this Challenge and goes against all of the rules of DI
pin trading.
6. If both parties in a trade get what they want and are happy with the deal, then this is a Fair Trade. If you are unsure whether or not a trade is a good one, ask around to see what other traders are offering. It is considered very unfair to take advantage of younger and inexperienced traders!!! It is your responsibility to let them know the approximate “value” of what they have for trade and to trade fairly with them. This is especially true when dealing with the little Dinomites. Parents and TMs are encouraged to take an active role in teaching their team members about fair trading practices.
7. If two parties are making a trade, it is unfair for another trader to interrupt the deal with a better offer or a more exciting bid. If one or the other of the original traders declines the trade, then you have the right to make a counter-offer. It is not fair to traders to have others competing while they are trying to make decisions.
8. Traffic jams can occur quickly whenever a trade takes place---a trade tends to attract a crowd and secondary trading spin-offs. So, use good judgment when picking the places where you settle down to deal with someone. Stairways, hallways, restrooms, etc. are unwise choices. Try to move the action out of traffic and remember the rules about places where trading is forbidden.
1. The Pins: Most State DI Affiliates provide their teams with a variety of pins. Many of these are single pins that can be traded on a 1 for 1 basis (i.e., my one pin for one of your pins). However, recent trends have been to create multi-part pins or pin sets. Most of these are 2 pin sets but some sets can be made up of 4 or more individual pins.
Obviously, trading for these sets requires some decision making, good negotiating skills, and obviously, more than 1 pin. This can be a problem for traders with a limited number of pins. Some traders may have as a goal to get at least one pins from each state represented at D2K.1. Others might choose to concentrate on special pins, favorite pins, or pin sets. It is unrealistic to try to obtain every possible pin—it would require an unlimited budget.
2. The Economy: We strongly encourage the practice of trading 1 pin for 1 pin or a pin set for another pin set of equal number. However, the “value” of a pin is unpredictable and difficult to control. “Valuing” quickly takes on a life of its’ own. Each year, there are a number of “hot” trading pins. These are especially creative or rare pins, and trading for one of them may require more than a 1-pin “cost.” International pins are almost always “hot” traders.
Clarification #1. “Hot” pins are more easily obtained very early in the week because no one knows which ones will become “hot” traders. Then again, neither do you! The bottom line is—if you like a pin and the trade being offered is fair, do it. If the trade does not seem fair, decline it. It is a long week and the pin that interests you will most likely show up again.
Clarification #2. If you really, really, really like a particular pin, the chances are good that others will, too. You may choose, early on, to obtain an extra one of the pins that you really like. Once the trading frenzy begins in earnest, if your extras end up being popular, then you can use them to trade for other really “hot” ones. (NOTE: This is a gamble! You can only GUESS at what will end up being hot, and there are no guarantees that you will be right! You could end up with your extras being duds….) Once again—if you like a pin and the trade being offered is fair, do it.
Clarification #3. Try to trade your least “valuable” pins first, saving your “hotter” ones for later. Try not to break up a set, as they have more “value” when they are intact. Realize that you may have to conduct a series of trades, making the package increasingly more appealing in order to acquire a particularly “hot” pin or pin set (this is called “trading up”).
Clarification #4. State pins that do not have any DI logo are not usually as popular as those with DI labeling, especially those with the year in evidence (e.g., 2001, ’01, or D2K.1). If you are simply interested in having a pin from a particular state and do not care whether or not it is an official DI pin, go ahead and make the trade if it is fair. However, be aware that other traders will probably not be willing to accept non-DI pins in future trades if you should change your mind about wanting it.
Clarification #5. There is always a mixed reaction to pins from earlier years. A few collectors seek out specific pins that they were unable to obtain in the past. Since this is the second year for DI, you may want to trade for some of the pins from last year. If you run across a trader who is offering Odyssey of the Mind pins from earlier years, make sure you really like the pin itself and are not trying to use it to trade for DI pins. If you find at the end of the week that you have a few leftover pins from your own state, don’t panic—they may be important traders in years to come. (P. S. If you are getting panicky by the end of the week, seek out kindly TMs and officials—there a many who are a soft touch for a reasonable trade.)
Clarification #6. For adults and “big kids” in particular—there may be some tempting deals offered to you by inexperienced little kids who are overly anxious to obtain a particular pin. Think about how you want that kid to feel about the trade in the hours and days to come—do you want that kid to feel that someone older and more savvy took advantage of them or do you want that kid to feel satisfaction with the fairness of the trade? Take the opportunity to teach them fair trading principles and help them achieve their goals, even if there is a temptation to take advantage of them.
3. Cost: It is difficult to determine ahead of time how many pins you will want to bring for trading. It is very frustrating to have only a few pins, since the trading experience will be over very quickly once a team member has traded them away for other pins. There will be little chance of acquiring the really “hot” pins. As an example, a trader starting out with 10 single pins might end up with only 4 or 5 pins to take home, or perhaps only 2 or 3 sets, because of the need to trade within the economy that emerges. Traders will see others who have towels or books heavily laden with many pins. However, it is critical to consider the expense of purchasing the pins, especially since it is unclear ahead of time how “valuable” each pin will end up becoming. Ask experienced people from your region or state who have been to Global Finals in the past—they might have some insights into which of your pins are likely to do well in trade.
4. Storage: Pins are easily lost, broken and scratched if not carefully stored and transported. Your storage system should not, however, make it difficult to access the pins for trading. Many traders keep their pins attached to a hand towel or “pin mat” and roll the towel or mat with the pins inside for carting around. Other traders make zip-up “Trapper Keeper” binders with sheets of felt (make reinforced 3-hole punches) to make storage, transport and trading a little safer. If you roll up your towel/mat or keep pins on felt sheets, place an extra sheet or cloth between layers so that the pins don’t scratch and otherwise damage each other. Wearing the pins is another option, but risky, since they are easily knocked off of shirts and jackets—on a hat is a little bit safer. (Besides, it is a real hassle to move all of your pins whenever you change clothes!) You may want to put a sample of pins on a towel/mat and keep the rest inside their original bags.
BE SURE THAT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS ARE ON YOUR STORAGE SYSTEM! If you somehow become separated from your pins, there is a very good chance that an honest person will return them to you or take them to the lost and found—this happens to some people every year. If you lose something important, be sure to file a lost and found report at headquarters (it may turn up later, postage due, in the mail). If you happen to find someone else’s collection, you should turn it in to the lost and found—remember that someone else is grief stricken over their loss and you can brighten up their whole experience and renew their faith in others. Consider what you would want someone to do for you if it happened the other way around. (And, if no one claims them, they may become yours anyway.)
5. Other Merchandise: Some DI members, TMs and Officials like to trade regional t-shirts at the last night’s festivities. If your team has extras, you might want to bring them along for trading.
DIpPin’ In was developed and written by Frank, Audrey, Erica and Dana Begun. This is not an official document of the DI organization. If you have any questions or suggestions (or you would like to pin trade) e-mail Frank at drfrank@nconnect.net.