Hard Rock Button Swap

A friend asked me if I could go back and do something different in my life, what would it have been. I thought a few seconds and then answered that I wish that I lived in Italy for a while as a writer. But that would have been in my real life. Now, in my dream life, I would have been a Rock-and-Roll groupie or roadie and followed the music.

Since I am a writer, and not living in Italy or busy being a groupie or roadie, I recently found myself attending 'Rockin' the Rivers Pin Collectors' swap at Pittsburgh's Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square. The group meets every second Sunday of the month.

I didn't know what to expect but the day started out with a delicious breakfast. There were about 50 pin collectors in attendance. After breakfast, the people set out their pins on the tables. The pins were in vinyl cases or in some type of container. Others had their pins in plastic bags organized by the Hard Rock Cafes located in different States, Canada and in Europe.


There were guitar pins, animal and flowered pins, bikini clad women pins, motorcycle pins, and pins for different holidays, and a whole lot of other types of pins. I talked with one man who was wearing a jean jacket without sleeves. He had pins all over the front of his jacket. He told me that he had between 1200 to 1500 pins, and his wife had between 200 to 300 pins. He kept his inventory on his laptop that was prominently in use.

Some people, like a lady named Kim, who is head of the group, collects the Hard Rock motorcycle pins, while my two friends are interested in pins with flowers and animals. My one friend gave me a few pins to swap. She pointed out that you swap or trade for pins. If you purchase any, it should never be for a lot of money.

I walked around looking through some pins, found one that I liked and bought if for $5.00. It was an old fashioned record player from Cleveland's Hard Rock. I told the man that it was my first pin, and he congratulated me. I then said I was kind of disappointed because I thought balloons and streamers should come down from the ceiling because of this purchase. He laughed and clapped and congratulated me again. But I settled for the man's genuine delight at my buying this pin. Then I traded the Pittsburgh Iron-man Football Player pin, the one that my friend gave me to trade, for a blue guitar with the words, Orlando.

The people were friendly and enthusiastic. I could tell that they knew each other and were friends, brought together by their mutual affinity for Hard Rock pins. Some of the people came armed with a list of what they were looking for, even with a photo of the pin that they desired.

The day included a Chinese Auction and Silent Auction. I walked away with an autographed hat by country music singer, Kenny Chesney, and my friends gave me a set of drumsticks that had Cleveland inscribed on them. The proceeds went to Make-a-Wish-Foundation.

It was an interesting time and I finally came out of the closet when I told one of the collectors that I had a number of Grateful Dead Stamps that I used to collect. His response was, "Bring those in with you, when you come the next time."

"Yeah, maybe I will," I replied.

It felt good to be with people who who were excited about a small pin, being at the Hard Rock Cafe and listening to the Rock-and-Roll music in the background. Yeah - maybe I will go back.

Anyone have any nostalgic interests in Rock-and-Roll, or in any types of collections?

Or better yet, if you had a chance to go back in time...what would you have done differently in your life?