Jackson Hole Lions Club Bar Room Pins
(Note: Clicking on the name of the pin will display a larger image of the pin.)
During the 1970's pin traders focused on a number of ways of collecting. A very popular type of trading was 'sets', which were comprised of state/multiple district pins, district pins, club pins, and personal pins. Most traders simply wanted to exchange a set of pins for a set ith an equal number of pins.
At that time, Jackson easily had the most pin traders in Wyoming. The club was introduced to pins by none other than PDG Mike Turcone, an LITPC Hall of Fame member from Rhode Island. Lion Mike used to stay at a motel in Jackson owned by Lion Ray Floreani. You may recall other names from the club, Ollie Depew, Tom Doucette and PDG Don Clark.
The Jackson Hole Wyoming Lions Club issued their first pin, in what was to become a very popular set, in 1976. It was of an Old West Sheriff dressed in black, the first in a series depicting an old west bar room scene. In 1977, the club hosted the MD15 convention and issued the second pin, a Dance Hall Girl with a dangler showing Jackson as the site. Following in 1978, the Piano Player, the Bartender in 1979 and the Outlaw in 1980.
In 1980, the club introduced a miniature series of the same scene beginning with the sheriff. To make the sets similar the small dance hall girl issued in 1981 has a dangler showing Jackson as the host club of the MD 15 fall conference. The remainder of the set followed in the same order as the large set with the piano player in 82, the bartender in 83, and the outlaw in 84.
In addition to the sets, the club also issued two 10 year anniversary pins in 1981. Both pins were in the likeness of the sheriff pins, with more of a 3 dimensional look. The only difference, one had red glass eyes and the other did not.
In 1985, the club again hosted the MD-15 convention and issued a pin with all five characters on the pin.
At one time the original 5 pin set was one of the most sought after in pin trading. Over time, some club members who had been stock piling pins finally emptied their closets. Full sets are still out there today. All you have to do to get one is ask the right guy.