With £800 ($1,300/€1,000) worth of limited edition official Olympic pins on offer, the contest is really heating up.

The standard of entries has been exceptionally high, featuring some impressive stories, including from a former Olympic fencer who traded pins when he competed at the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Games.

Meanwhile, entries have been received from those involved in London 2012, giving an insight from Games Makers and Organising Committee members, whose pins will always hold significance to their unique experiences and memories of this summer's Games.

Another hopeful told of the pride she feels when wearing her K-shaped pin, which acts as a special reminder of a lost loved one.

Alongside this, we heard how one collector will donate all his popular pins whether they are sponsored, venues or National Olympic Committee related to the Make a Wish Foundation charity for children to collect and trade.

This contrasts to the humorous story we received from one collector whose love for pugs and pins was brought together with the manufacture of the Pug pin, allowing her and her work colleagues to crown themselves as the "Honorary London 2012 Pug Team".

Sarah Bowron, commercial director of insidethegames, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled with the degree of interest we have received for our competition.

"The lengths people go to, to ensure they get the pin they want are remarkable."

Pin collecting was a massive hit at London 2012

The competition, which celebrates the partnership between insidethegames and Honav UK – the official exclusive licensee in the lapel pin category for London 2012 – runs until the end of October this year and invites you to upload your favourite pin story for a guaranteed prize.

First prize consists of several limited edition London 2012 pins including British Birds, British Flowers, Olympic and Paralympic Pictograms, Teapots, West End Theatre, British Countryside and a Wenlock and Mandeville set, as well as our very own limited edition insidethegames full set puzzle pin.

Everyone who enters the competition automatically receives a London 2012 Wenlock Olympic mascot pin*, a London 2012 Mandeville Olympic mascot pin*, a Pictogram pin** and an insidethegames puzzle pin*

Click here to check out the rules, find out more about our fantastic prizes and enter our competition.

To read some of your fascinating entries click here.

*Subject to availability.

**Entrants may receive a standard pictogram or a limited edition pictogram, selected randomly and subject to availability.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]