ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For many people, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is not only a time to see the largest gatherings of hot air balloons in the world, but it's also a time to seek out pins and trade them with other attendees and collectors. Art Lloyd Jr. photographs a 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta pin. (Credit: KRQE) One of the most extensive collections of pins belongs to Ty Young, who has collected pins since attending the first fiesta in 1972. His collection has laid the groundwork for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta's pin archive. "My wife and I photographed all of his pins, and put them together in a display," said Art Lloyd Jr., maintainer of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Collector's Corner. "So we started by doing his pins and putting them up on the website. And we've maintained that to this day." PHOTOS: Revamp Route 66 sign program makes progress in Albuquerque That website is the Collector's Corner Pin Collection page and features photographs and information about official Balloon Fiesta-produced pins starting with the 1972 event pin up to 2024's pins. 1972 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Event Pin. (Credit: KRQE) In it, you'll find event pins, sponsor pins, media pins, announcer pins, Balloonmeister pins, special shape pins, chase crew pins, balloon glow pins, pilot pins, ABQ Aloft pins, and more. Lloyd Jr. and Balloon Fiesta officials decided to start the pin archive about five years ago. "So we had a discussion about how can we help the collectors identify which pins are official, which ones are not, and at the same time record the history of the balloon pins," Lloyd Jr. explained. One of the key ways to tell if a pin is official is to look at its back. "We started putting Balloon Fiesta's logo on the back, which would identify an official pin versus one that was made by somebody else because they can't put our logo on the back of their pin," Lloyd Jr. said. Pin collectors are also encouraged to utilize the archive to see which pins are official. If you are unsure, or find a pin that is not featured on the webpage, you can send a photo and information about your pin to Lisa Mulder, [email protected], or Ken Tuley, [email protected]. Official Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta pins. (Credit: KRQE) With about 200 official balloon pins being produced for the fiesta each year, it can be tough to keep track. "There's no way I could say we have a complete set, but I think we have a really good set," said Lloyd Jr. To see when the official Balloon Fiesta Pin Trading days are, click here and look for the "This Year's Event" tab, and then click on "Guest Guide".