Old, New on Display at Annual Olympin Collectors Fair

(ATR) Collectors still hot on the trail of 2012 London items gather in Atlanta for the largest Olympic memorabilia show in the United States.

London NOC pins were the most popular items at the 31st annual Olympin collectors fair at the Hyatt Regency hotel.

A few hundred people attended the three-day show.

Show chairman Scott Reed told Around the Rings that the main goal was fellowship among collectors. "I think it went well because people seemed to have a good time and to enjoy the events we had associated with it," he said. "The social aspect of the show is so important."

There were 55-60 table holders from around the world, with collectors and dealers coming from as far away as China, Australia and Italy.

Steve Allen, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s official artist since 1998, brought some of his work to the show and some collectors also displayed their treasures.

While Reed said there was good walk-in traffic from people already identified as local collectors, he was disappointed more people did not come in off the street. Attendance could have been hampered Saturday by a parade, a football game and a major awards show in downtown Atlanta.

Olympic Royalty Dives In

Pat McCormick, who won four Olympic diving gold medals in 1952 and 1956, spoke at the show banquet and said she was inspired and invigorated by the collectors she had met.

"People like you have got to save the memories of what the Olympics are all about," she said.

An auction Sunday night at the Hard Rock Café raised money for the Pat McCormick Educational Foundation, based in Seal Beach, Calif. Proceeds from the auction also went to the Olympin Club and to Hard Rock Café charitable endeavors.

Banquet attendees were pleasantly surprised to find a 1996 Atlanta Olympic participation medal at their seats. The Atlanta History Center donated 120 medals to the show.

While the value of the medals had been about $50-75 before the banquet, they’re now worth "almost nothing," Reed said with a smile. "For the next couple of weeks, they’re going to be really cheap on eBay. Long term, they’ll go back up, but they’re not worth anything right now."

He added, "They’re worth more than people paid for them."

Well-Organized Show

Don Bigsby, president of the Olympin Collectors Club, praised the organization by Reed and his committee: Allan Lee, Craig Perlow, Rick Holman, John Homa and Barry Sanders.

"It was a very successful show from a standpoint of what the members were able to do when they got here, the interaction and the activities," Bigsby said.

Although Bigsby was stationed outside one of the entrances to the Olympic Village in London, he still needed about 10 NOC pins that he was able to find at the show.

However, Bigsby said, "I’m disappointed there weren’t any (London) torches, because I need one myself."

Atlanta Olympic Influence

Tommie Smith, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist in the 200 meters; Dennis Berkholtz, a 1972 Olympic team handball player and Bob Pickens, a 1964 Greco-Roman wrestler and Chicago Bears football player, were among the local Olympians who attended the festivities, signed autographs and posed for pictures.

Some collectors who took up the hobby during the 1996 Games and still meet monthly were looking for Atlanta pins to complete their collections. Other attendees were trying to unload Atlanta pins they’ve held onto for more than 15 years.

Norm Drews sold an Atlanta torch and a lot of pins. "I’ve had a great time seeing old friends," he said.

Michael Bowlby, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area, said he doesn’t mind the 10-hour drive to interact with fellow collectors.

Bowlby, who specializes in photographs, brought a display from his archives that highlighted pre-World War I Olympians.

He also sold a novel written by James Brendan Connolly, the first Olympic gold medalist in 1896. The signed copy of "An Olympic Victor" was snapped up quickly.

Website for Collectors

A new website, perfectcollector.com, had a table at the show and also delivered a formal presentation to Olympin members.

"The whole intent is to basically take a lot of what happens here face to face and continue that relationship the 360 days a year they are not here," said Paige Greve, head of operations.

The website’s slogan is "where your stuff belongs."

Michael Egan, founder and CEO, said collectors can upload photos of their collections on the website with the option of buying, selling, trading or simply organizing them. Collectors also have the ability to make some content private, such as valuable items or appraisals and insurance documents.

The website has an agreement with Olympin and is free for members of the club.

Veteran collector Don Hollis is a big proponent of the site. "The world changed starting 15 years ago; our club hasn’t," he said. "We have resisted because we didn’t have the budget to pay the cost."

Hollis said a members-only community within the club could entice other people to join, and the club could eventually raise money from the site. "When you get the collective community together, you have enough eyeballs that you can raise advertising dollars," he said.

Perfectcollector.com is also working with other communities, including one for cigar aficionados.

"We’ve learned," Greve said, "a collector doesn’t collect just one type of item."

Reported in Atlanta by Karen Rosen

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