It all began back in September 1987 in the confines of Dreamworld in Queensland that I purchased my first pin. It was the logo for Dreamworld & there was a choice between it & one which read "I survived the Thunderbolt" & since I hadn't ridden their infamous rollercoaster, I didn't want to have to make up stories that I had!

I don't remember the logic I had at the time (hey, I was only 12), but it was a souvenir of my visit & a whole lot cheaper than a cheesy themepark t-shirt. By the end of that holiday I had accumulated a dozen or so pins from a variety of locations which has spawned quite a scary collection in the decades since.

In an effort of conversion & the interests of macro photography, I thought I'd present a few posts about my fascination of all things metal with coloured enamel.



To kick things off, here's a set of pins which I really wasn't that keen on when I got them. Avid fans will know immediately that it's the pin set from Disney's - The Lion King & was sold as merchandise from the stage production.



The show ran in Sydney from late 2003 to mid 2005 before moving to Melbourne. We caught the show in 2004 after managing to score last minute tickets as we wandered past the theatre one night while on holiday.

Unlike my sister who was really excited about seeing the production, I didn't know much about the story line since I hadn't seen the animated film. I went in with no expectations of what was going to take place, but left in amazement of what was done on the stage.



Taking animated characters from celluloid to Broadway is no mean feat, but when you have elephants, giraffes & a myriad of other African animals walking down the aisles of a theatre, it's hard not to be impressed. The amazing costumes & sets made the whole deal very marketable & easy to produce toys & other items like this set.

Each pin represents the mask of each of the four main characters, being from top to bottom - Mufasa, Simba, Nala & Scar. I don't know what metal was used but they looked to be taken from a mould & then polished & detailed by hand. Considering they are no bigger than an inch across, they are finely detailed.



They were quite expensive but unfortunately came in a crappy cardboard display which looked as though it had traveled for years before being sold. That was my biggest disappointment with the set which could have so easily been presented in a metal or plastic box. One day I'll find another way to display them as they should have always been.

The pin of the Theatrical poster below for the show isn't part of the set but came separately in its own velvet bag! Again, it cost a fair bit for a single pin, but what price is an uncompleted collection!