Pin Trading was cool or hot or awesome

As mentioned previously in the blog, pin trading at Globals is a big deal.  We order our state pins (volcanos) and trade with other states and countries.  We also have a MuddiWaters set that is 8 states that border the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.  We get eight of our MuddiWaters pin ( a pleisosaur is Iowa's pin this year) and trade for the remainder of the set with other states.  Other states that are part of the MuddiWaters include Nebraska (sabertooth tiger), Montana (triceratops), South Dakota (Wooly Mammoth), Illinois (T-Rex), Wisconsin (Stegasosaurus), North Dakota (Diplodacus), Missouri (igaunadon). 

They designate areas (and LARGE tents) for pin trading areas, trading also goes on in dorm and hotel lobbies, on the buses, and at the pools.  Dr. Frank is the pin trading guru and sets the rules and pin trading areas.  Dr. Frank is legendary and dyes his mustache rainbow colors for the week and wears knee pads so when he kneels down to trade he has some cushion. 

Here's a sample of pin trading...

Parents picking more pins!

One of several Pin Trading Tents - it's huge and
has large fans to keep things cool!

Jacob  (in blue baseball hat - not the cool cow hat)

Jacob and Dr. Frank, gotta love the mustache!

Justin checking out what he wants to trade

Look at all those pin traders! These type of crowds were
in tents all over the campus. 

AMS Team and their pin mats

Adults can also trade pins and a few of us did a little trading but left it mostly to the kids.  Pin backs are a hot commodity since dragging around a pin mat can cause "loss of pin back" and potential loss of pin, so most of us parents spent our time watching pin trading and collecting pin backs to replace those that our kids lost.  I had quite a few conversations with parents as we walked around picking up pin backs.