The 2016 Summer Olympics are underway in Rio de Janiero – so let the collecting begin. Viewers revel in the excitement and collectors revel in everything from small souvenirs to expensive mementos of the event’s history. Here are some top Olympics collectibles to look for:

1. Pins are small, popular and affordable Olympic collectibles. Many are available. The Olympic pin tradition began at the first modern Summer Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. Small cardboard badges were worn by athletes and officials and were traded as a sign of goodwill. The first souvenir pins for spectators to buy were at the 1912 Stockholm games. There is a pin for every collector’s price point – from pins given to teams’ athletes, coaches, judges and officials to trade, to pins given out by companies sponsoring products or services, like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, General Electric and television networks. Some of the priciest pins are those that picture Olympic mascots, the characters that represent the culture or heritage of the host country. Schuss the Skier in Grenoble, France, 1968 was the first, but lots of viewers remember Misha the bear in Moscow 1980, Cobi the dog in Barcelona 1992, Sam the bald eagle in Los Angeles 1984 and others.

2. Paper collectibles include posters, programs, tickets (both unused and stubs), winners’ certificates, media and officials’ badges, menus, magazines, photographs, newspapers, and stamps. Those with pictures of winning athletes or scenes are prized. Posters in the Art Deco style from the 1920s have sold for up to $5,000.

3. Medals are more expensive collectibles. The bronze, silver and gold medals became standard at the St. Louis Summer Games in 1904. But every athlete also receives an official participation medal made by the games’ host country. Prices for these medals can range from a hundred to thousands of dollars.

4. Torches are a very hot collectible. The first Olympic flame was lit in Amsterdam in 1928. The Berlin games of 1936 marked the first torch relay, when the flame was carried from Athens, runner to runner, to the host city. Torches used during the run are hard to find and can sell for thousands. A bearer’s torch from the 1936 Berlin games sold for $22,050 in 2008; a torch from 1948 London went for $9,600 in 2012; and a 1980 Lake Placid torch brought just over $51,000 in 2016.

5. Other Olympic memorabilia: flags, banners, patches, mascot figures, game-used equipment and ceremony props.

Extend your Olympic excitement by looking for Olympic memorabilia from 2016 Rio!

 

Pictured in collage, clockwise from upper left: Poster, London 1948 Summer Olympics, $767; Ice skates used by Peggy Fleming, Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympics, $2,975; Participant’s medal, bronze, 1956, Cortina Winter Olympics, $416; Bearer’s torch, Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics, sold for $51,837; Pin, NBC, 2016 Rio de Janiero Summer Olympics, $7.