View Full Version : Trophies, ribbons, and medals - what would you do with them?
Kitty
07-28-2004, 03:00 PM
What do you do with your ribbons, or where do you keep them and for how long? And do you show them to other people? And how many do you have (+/- 50 :-) I am not asking about the exact number)
And what do you do with other ballroom trophies?
etchuck
07-28-2004, 03:01 PM
I have mine hanging off a hook in the hallway, waiting for me to put them in a scrapbook or a shadowbox.
I'd say how many I have, except it's a paltry few.
Laura
07-28-2004, 03:04 PM
Geeze, I don't even know where mine are...last time I saw them there were in a pile on one of the shelves in my sewing room -- which means they'll probably never be seen from again since that place is like the whirlpool of matter surrounding a black hole.
mamboqueen
07-28-2004, 03:05 PM
I've only received plaques (2) with stickers that I put on them. They're on a bookshelf somewhere.
I'd prefer to come home with money :D
Chris Stratton
07-28-2004, 03:07 PM
Get frustrated that they are always getting strewn all over the place. There's a box they are supposed to stay in, but they keep jumping around and either escaping, or knocking it over onto the floor. Then they get all wrinkled and I try to decide between ironing them and putting them back, or just ignoring their demands for attention and hoping that they will settle down as they mature.
cl5814
07-28-2004, 03:08 PM
I've only received plaques (2) with stickers that I put on them. They're on a bookshelf somewhere.
I'd prefer to come home with money :D
I have two bookmark type ribbons. They are just lying on my coffee table..... maybe i'll sew them to my shoe bag for decoration. Oh wait, i have dogs on my shoe bag, they might just get barked at on my shoe bag....
mamboqueen
07-28-2004, 03:09 PM
Hmmmm...maybe you could incorporate ribbons into some of your home-sewn costumes...kind of a subliminal message to the judges!
Kitty
07-28-2004, 03:09 PM
when I went to collegiate comps, I'd come back with 3-4 ribbons each comp.
But at the last comp I went to - NDCA comp - my partner and I got like 40 ribbons :shock: and now the box in which I put the ribbons before doesn't close! So I have to find some other place for them.
Kitty
07-28-2004, 03:41 PM
Hmmmm...maybe you could incorporate ribbons into some of your home-sewn costumes...kind of a subliminal message to the judges!
I thought about that. Making a cute twirly first place ribbon skirt...:-)
mamboqueen
07-28-2004, 03:48 PM
Well, I remember someone wearing a dress made out of safety pins, and another wearing a dress made out of credit cards (this was some awards events, oscars, emmys, something like that, years ago) and it DID have the desired effect!!
Alternatively, you could find out who the judges are and put a heart with their name inside temporarily tattooed somewhere conspicuous!
tasche
07-28-2004, 03:50 PM
You could decopage them onto your car with modge podge
Vince A
07-28-2004, 04:24 PM
The plaques make great firewood!
Warren J. Dew
07-28-2004, 06:15 PM
I have a shelf where I dump all my ribbons and medals. How many? About half a cubic foot, though I'm sure the pile could be squashed down a lot.
Trophies go on the tops of bookcases, space that would otherwise be wasted. At least the good looking ones go there (plus one ugly one that means something); the rest are in boxes.
DancePoet
07-28-2004, 06:46 PM
Women who have long hair and dance always seem to be tying up their beautiful furls with something. Why not ribbons!
Hey, now there is a romantic idea! Woman needs to tie up hair, DancePoet reaches for a ribbon to help. Not bad!
( See ... maybe another nomination for 2004 DF Awards, Most Romantic! )
Course they might think I'm a little silly, since most award ribbons are not really likely candidates for tying up hair, but if it gets them to smile or even giggle, what the heck!
Maybe I can sell them on Ebay? ;)
Laura
07-28-2004, 07:11 PM
Well, I remember someone wearing a dress made out of safety pins, and another wearing a dress made out of credit cards (this was some awards events, oscars, emmys, something like that, years ago) and it DID have the desired effect!!
It was made out of credit cards, and was worn by the costume designer for "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" at the Academy Awards.
Laura
07-28-2004, 07:14 PM
Trophies go on the tops of bookcases, space that would otherwise be wasted. At least the good looking ones go there (plus one ugly one that means something); the rest are in boxes.
Our USABDA chapter recyles trophies. Some adults have a collection of less-than-memorable ones that are just sitting in boxes. Meanwhile, the little kids LOVE trophies and basically the more they get the more they love them. So, we collect old trophies, re-sticker or re-plaque them, and then hand them out to the little kids in our local club-level events.
Katarzyna
07-29-2004, 08:46 AM
They seem to be all over the house... I used to get A LOT of them when most of the events judged were single dance events, and when dancing multiple styles and levels... I had comps where I brought back more than 20 ribbons... My little 5 year old sister plays with them sometimes...
Kitty
07-29-2004, 10:06 AM
Maybe I can sell them on Ebay? ;)
Ooooooooooo! How smart! Why didn't I think of that?!!!!!
Elizabeth
07-29-2004, 10:21 AM
I've tossed a bunch of them that don't have sentimental value in the trash.
dancin_feet
08-01-2004, 05:29 PM
I have mounted my ribbons in a frame with black backing paper to make them stand out. I have a small shelf on a bookcase in my living room that is dedicated to my dancing world. I will however need to revisit this soon as I am due another trophy (for showcase presentation) before the end of the year.
Maybe clear off the top shelf and make it a major feature when there are enough to make a feature with! :lol:
ratherbdancing
08-10-2004, 10:55 AM
I don't have many ribbons- only the ones I have gotten from collegiate comps. All of those and my trophies and ribbons and plaques etc. are on shelves. At most competitions i go to we get a participation trophy and then coupons for next years comp.
saludas
10-31-2005, 08:30 AM
I heard that events like the Special Olympics will accept medals, ribbons, and awards for re-use. Has anyone got that info? I assume everyone who competes pretty regularly has tons of them in drawers and attics...
mamboqueen
10-31-2005, 08:44 AM
Great way to recycle! I'll have to check out my daughter's dresser drawers; she swipes them all and claims them as her own.
saludas
10-31-2005, 08:53 AM
If someone has some links to the orgs that will accept these it would be a good resource for all of us...
mamboqueen
10-31-2005, 09:01 AM
Well...I just called their Donor Services Dept. and guess what? They don't take old/recycled medals. They use specially made ones. Interesting, huh? I would think *someone* would take them...................
wyllo
10-31-2005, 09:06 AM
What about the competition the award is from? If it does not have a date on it, maybe they can reuse it? Of course, I'd hate to look ungrateful by returning an award so I've never asked. Anyone know how comp. organizers view recycling?
mamboqueen
10-31-2005, 09:18 AM
What the Hotlanta organizers did, which was smart (and I'm sure other comps do) is they gave out little "coupons" which give you $x off next year. So, if you're good about putting something away and being able to find it again....
Laura
10-31-2005, 10:32 AM
Our USA Dance chapter recycles old trophies, and will take back medals or ribbons that came from competitions we hosted. Unfortunately, we have so many trophies in our recyling right now that we're not accepting any new ones.
What we have been doing is taking old trophies and getting pasting new engraved placques over them, and then handing them out in the kid events at our competitions. The kids love getting trophies -- but I have a feeling that when they turn into teenagers or get ready to go to college that we'll suddenly be getting a pile of trophies back from them :-)
Anyway, you might try seeing if you have a local college team or USA Dance chapter that hosts competitions who also reuses trophies. We talked yesterday with two local college teams about if they'd like to try to reuse some of our extra recycled trophies that we can't use.
SIBruno
10-31-2005, 10:36 AM
They're not afraid of discontinuities in the style of their presentation awards?
Laura
10-31-2005, 10:39 AM
No, why should they be afraid? We do make sure that each partner gets the same style of trophy -- fortunately most of the time we get trophies donated back for reuse in pairs. But we have no problem with, for example, giving two "cup" style trophies to first place, and two of those "lady holding aloft the flame" for second, and so on.
SIBruno
10-31-2005, 02:07 PM
Yeah as long as they're remotely similar for couples. At first I was afraid that every couple would be getting their own "version" of an award. lol Then it would be like...garage sale meets Ballroom!
Another Elizabeth
10-31-2005, 02:21 PM
Yeah as long as they're remotely similar for couples. At first I was afraid that every couple would be getting their own "version" of an award. lol Then it would be like...garage sale meets Ballroom!
A former coach told me that, some years ago when she was living and training in England, the prizes for competitions would be any old stuff that they had managed to get donated. First place got first pick of the stuff, second place got next pick, etc. At one comp (which they won), they came home with a toilet plunger because it was the item they really needed.
(edited to fix stupid spelling mistake)
SIBruno
10-31-2005, 02:23 PM
A former coach told me that, some years ago when she was living and training in England, the prizes for competitions would be any old stuff that they had managed to get donated. First place got first pick of the stuff, second place got next pick, etc. At one comp (which they one), they came home with a toilet plunger because it was the item they really needed.
LOL So it's true! Thank you, that just made my day!
Sagitta
10-31-2005, 02:28 PM
A former coach told me that, some years ago when she was living and training in England, the prizes for competitions would be any old stuff that they had managed to get donated. First place got first pick of the stuff, second place got next pick, etc. At one comp (which they one), they came home with a toilet plunger because it was the item they really needed.:lol:
redhead
10-31-2005, 03:05 PM
At one comp (which they one), they came home with a toilet plunger because it was the item they really needed.
that's one of those things you'd want to show your grandchildren: "look what gramma won when she was your age"
alemana
10-31-2005, 03:22 PM
i myself have been carrying around my first and so far only medal (from USDSC) since the minute i won it. you will pry it from my cold, dead hands.
SDsalsaguy
10-31-2005, 03:25 PM
i myself have been carrying around my first and so far only medal (from USDSC) since the minute i won it. you will pry it from my cold, dead hands.
:lol:
OK, now tell us how do you really feel about it... ;)
alemana
10-31-2005, 03:31 PM
actually i secretly wear it to bed, too.
SDsalsaguy
10-31-2005, 03:31 PM
:lol: :lol:
So, what do you do with the ribbons when you final? :)
(I'm not sure if ribbons are unique to collegiate comps or not, because that's the only comp I've ever been to. Feel free to answer with the equivalent for other comp types!)
My roommate and I loop them over the pole of our desk shelves, and I know a lot of my teammates loop them over mirrors, shelves, and similar things. My boyfriend tosses them in a ziplock bag in his comp bag.
While I'm asking, what else do you hang up? Some of my teammates hang up their numbers, pictures, etc.
fascination
05-06-2008, 06:27 PM
I only keep the ones that are particularly important to me
samina
05-06-2008, 06:59 PM
Likewise. I wish they were all medallions on ribbons to hang around one's neck. Not a fan of the coins and stickers. The straight ribbons might be fun to pin up at the office.
Likewise. I wish they were all medallions on ribbons to hang around one's neck. Not a fan of the coins and stickers. The straight ribbons might be fun to pin up at the office.
Coins and stickers? What on earth?! That sounds kind of cool.
This is the only type I've ever seen (I think it's the "straight ribbons" you were talking about):
http://www.pinsinc.com/images/place_ribbons.jpg
fascination
05-06-2008, 08:04 PM
meh...I like the coupons toward money off of next year...unless we are talking scholarship or major event
danceronice
05-06-2008, 10:37 PM
I have a stack of ribbons (mostly from events where they give ribbons for single-dance heats) with the little plastic coin things from Ohio and the certificates from Michigan, and one ribbon from a championship at Manhattan last year, and they're stacked up on my little display-shelf-o-stuff in my living room. For the only scholarship I've been in so far, I actually just got a cheque, which is fine with me.
In my room at my parents', I used to have a lot of my horse-show ribbons out, but eventually they all got relegated to a box in the closet, except for the blue ones, while the medals are in a little shadow box thing on the wall. They can really turn into dust catchers if you let them...
etp777
05-06-2008, 10:51 PM
Yeah, decided years ago that the policy to keep jsut important ones was way to go, be it sports, dancing, whatever. So far on dancing just have the one plaque (Taht's what we use at our regional comps), so not hard to decide, just one. :)
I've kept a number, but I usually turn them back in so I get my 10 bucks back :)
I have so old trophies dating back to 1984. Some of them are very special to me, while at the same time making me feel old
Mine get tossed on a pile on a shelf in the rec room.
JANATHOME
05-07-2008, 09:01 AM
The ribbions make great bookmarkers!
tanya_the_dancer
05-07-2008, 09:22 AM
I never had any ribbons - just medals or pins. I give them to my son, since he says he is my biggest fan, he attaches them to his curtain.
anp73ga31
05-07-2008, 10:25 AM
I never had any ribbons - just medals or pins. I give them to my son, since he says he is my biggest fan, he attaches them to his curtain.
that is sweet!!!
hereKittyKitty
05-07-2008, 12:03 PM
I keep all of them in a little storage case. I still have my very first medallion that was handed to me by Peter Eggleton-
The problem I have is with the trophy's. I live in a small apartment and the only place to put them is in a sterilite slim storage case under the bed!
I've never received any ribbons, so I wouldn't know what I'd do with them if I had.
What I have received is stickers and paper placements. The stickers I put in a sticker book, and the papers I stuck in a drawer.
etp777
05-07-2008, 10:02 PM
Awwww, I like that one Tanya. :)
You could always sew all the ribbons into a quilt. :)
The ribbions make great bookmarkers!
Yeah, but how many books can you possibly read? ;)
Started competing in school, so so all of my ribbons and medals (separated by academic years) are pinned to a corkboard in my apartment. I realised when I went home that the actual trophy rack I have there is full from all my riding ribbons. My grandfather made that for me. Perhaps I'll ask if he still dabbles in the wood shop and see if he might make me a smaller, more portable one for when I eventually get my own place . . .
and123
05-08-2008, 10:54 AM
You could always sew all the ribbons into a quilt. :)
.... or make a latin costume out of them :cool:
.... or make a latin costume out of them :cool:
That... is the best idea I've ever heard. :D
Mandicraft
05-09-2008, 02:46 AM
.... or make a latin costume out of them :cool:
I agree that that is the best idea....I really would love to see someone make a dress out of them!!
and123
05-09-2008, 10:57 AM
.... is that a challenge? :p I think I might have just enough to cover the naughty bits.
Do-it! Do-it!
Then stone it with stray rhinestones picked up at competitions/studios. Talk about a project for "America's Next Top Model" . . .
Do-it! Do-it!
Then stone it with stray rhinestones picked up at competitions/studios. Talk about a project for "America's Next Top Model" . . .
Oh god. Between my roommate, boyfriend, and I (mostly my boyfriend, hehe) we probably have enough ribbons to do it... AND enough stray rhinestones to stone it (my roommate and I pick them up when we're bored at comps).
anp73ga31
05-13-2008, 12:04 PM
...AND enough stray rhinestones to stone it (my roommate and I pick them up when we're bored at comps).
Glad to know I'm not the only one who goes around picking up rhinestones at comps!
and123
05-13-2008, 12:40 PM
Changing rooms/bathrooms are great for that :cool:
Mandicraft
05-13-2008, 02:43 PM
I want to see pictures when one of you actually completes this. I think it would be fabulous and would definitely be attention getting at comps.
BallandChange
05-13-2008, 02:54 PM
I agree that that is the best idea....I really would love to see someone make a dress out of them!!
I know a woman dancer that did this with men's neckties as a Holloween Costume. She wore it to a local dance. It was awesome. So go for it!
anp73ga31
05-13-2008, 04:15 PM
Changing rooms/bathrooms are great for that :cool:
I will admit to picking up stones in the women's bathroom (though I grossed out the people around me by doing it). lol!
I will admit to picking up stones in the women's bathroom (though I grossed out the people around me by doing it). lol!
Evidently the people around you were not ballroom dancers. ;)
With the exchange rate nowadays, those things cost a fortune! ;)
I will admit to picking up stones in the women's bathroom (though I grossed out the people around me by doing it). lol!
Hehe. I scavenge for rhinestones in the the bathroom too. And I've got the rest of my team doing it, even the guys (although they obviously can't scavenge in the bathrooms!).
Well don't worry about it, if you look at your photo time has done you proud, it must be all that dancing. I turned 50 last year as did a lot of my friends they were all in tears and in a state of depression, me I was glad and proud.
My only ribbon is currently on my bedside table, but I am sure it will find its way to a draw eventually :-):cool:
I've kept a number, but I usually turn them back in so I get my 10 bucks back :)
I have so old trophies dating back to 1984. Some of them are very special to me, while at the same time making me feel old
dancing_moogle
12-29-2011, 12:39 PM
I was just wondering what you would do with all the trophies, ribbons and medals you won - would you throw them away, leave them at the comp, or keep them?
ktia85
12-29-2011, 12:40 PM
I have kept mine.
jerseydancer
12-29-2011, 12:59 PM
you can decorate your X-mas tree
fascination
12-29-2011, 08:44 PM
TC...can you find the identical thread and merge...???/ new members...please do searches if you can before starting a new thread...it's fine if you can't find one like it and start one that we later have to merge...but do try....
I have kept mine.
Me, too, not that I have a lot.
ktia85
12-30-2011, 09:43 AM
Me, too, not that I have a lot.
Same here. I don't have a lot but the ones I have are actually really nice(not just ribbons).
mindputtee
12-30-2011, 12:33 PM
I put them on the refrigerator until my mother gets annoyed with them and makes me take them. That and they're hanging up in random places around the house. (One is on the mirror in the hallway upstairs, a couple on the refrigerator, one or two on my bedstand, and I think there are a couple shoved in my purse still.)
rbazsz
01-02-2012, 11:31 AM
I wish I had the problem of where to put lots dance trophies. I have just one so I put it on my desk so that every day I can be reminded that I accomplished something in dance.
If I had more I would put them where everyone could see them. Ribbons and medals would be stored in a drawer so that I could enjoy them when I'm too old and feeble to dance.
fascination
01-02-2012, 11:42 AM
I usually only keep the significant ones, but I had kept all of my medals from the past 4 years of single dances at usdc...and you all know how much I dance there...I kept them just for the sheer humor of the volume.....unfortunately, I kept them in a basket on the floor and my new boy kitty mistook that for a litter box...and since you can't really de-smell that sort of thing, I had to throw away somewhere around 400 medals from usdc...in a way, it was sort of liberating
Standarddancer
01-02-2012, 02:00 PM
I've noticed in amateur or pro-am, mostly comp organizer give medals or
Standarddancer
01-02-2012, 02:29 PM
Sorry fasc your kitten damaged all your usdc awards:( my girl dog once almost ate my scholarship check:(
The idea of decorating Christmas tree is very cute:)
I noticed this after turned pro- most comps don't issue medals or tokens for pro finalists. We usually get a scholarship check for our placements! This is way more cool than when I was amateur! I only need to run to bank to deposit this check. Don't need to worry about where to organize my ribbon/ medals, etc.
I used to organize my awards in a shoebox. I have friends dance pro-am, they have lots of ribbons/ medals/tokens, especially when they do single dance, each dance is a medal, lol. Some of them keep medals, some of them don't care, don't want medals to make their luggage over limit when they travel.
It's not a scholarship check--it's prize money!
danceronice
01-03-2012, 09:01 AM
Most comps I go to do one extreme or the other--little stickers for single pro-am heats, or actual nice 'bookmark' type ribbons (sometimes replaced by vouchers I"ll never use.) Stickers I lose or just leave, ribbons I keep. I've gotten a couple medals on neck ribbons for scholarships.
fascination
01-03-2012, 09:21 AM
usdc does medal neck ribbons for every single heat...which makes me glad I drive because honestly, I am not quite sure I'd even bother with them if I flew...though I appreciate the point they are trying to make about winning single dances at their event...for me however, since I do often go to the same comps, simply because they are the ones that fit my schedule (which I wish the judges of comps whose events I can't attend would appreciate :)), the vouchers for dance dollars are much much more valuable to me and don't collect dust in my home...
Standarddancer
01-03-2012, 01:57 PM
Thanks for correction Joe. Prize money is a better description, you are right, most comp website listing "prize money" for pro events.
I agree with fasc, dance dollars are much better way of showing appreciation to competitors than stickers/ medals, and have more practical usage, does not collect dust in house, does not over load luggage when fly.
latingal
01-03-2012, 02:07 PM
It depends on the award, I have received 5 trophies from championship events that were both meaningful in the good result and the trophy itself (they are heavy crystal/glass!). I display those on my bookshelves, the other awards that are meaningful I simply pack in a shoe box. Anything else I try to donate back to the comp so they can re-use them.
rbazsz
01-03-2012, 02:16 PM
Thanks for correction Joe. Prize money is a better description, you are right, most comp website listing "prize money" for pro events.
The first time I was at an event where they said that winners get a scholarship I thought they were getting free lessons at a studio.
Why don't they just call it what it is at dance comps? It's a cash prize.
tanya_the_dancer
01-03-2012, 08:38 PM
I discard stickers and paper vouchers for the next year (the organizers keep track of how many credits I have since last year anyway). My son puts all my championship medals or pins on his window, since he says he is my biggest fan. Btw, my favorite participation award was a wine glass. I have several now, from different competitions, enough to serve a small group of guests and the glasses themselves make a good conversation piece.
danceronice
01-03-2012, 10:29 PM
At the first comp I did with NP, his Open student got a huge glass...art piece? Definitely would not work as a vase, was not really designed to hold a liquid. It was about 2/3 as tall as she was! We were laughing about how it was a good thing she drove because trying to carry it on a plane would have been an interesting experience.
If I got enough of those bookmark-shaped ribbons, I ought to ask the horseback-riding people who make ribbon quilts for a quilt pattern! It's apparently a popular thing for people with lots of show ribbons to display. (Hm. I could mix them in with my old county fair flat ribbons and some of my lower-place riding ones I don't mind disassembling...then enter the quilt in the Fair and hopefully win a ribbon for it. It would be very meta.)
I used to keep all my ribbons. I had a pile of them looped around one bedpost in my dorm. Then I graduated, and A) they got mixed up and placed in a few different boxes/bags, B) I moved in with my boyfriend and I'm not sure which piles of ribbons are his and which are mine, because he has little piles of them in different dance bags, and C) I stapled a bunch of them together for an "anything but clothes" party. After that I stopped really caring about keeping them, so a lot of the old ones are just... I don't know, in a bag somewhere. New ones get tossed whereever.
And now I find them EVERYWHERE. Looking through a pile of papers? Oh look, a ribbon. Laundry? Ribbon. Box of junk? Couple of ribbons. Shoe bag? Ribbons. Desk drawer? Ribbons. Box of stuff mom brought from home? Ribbons. Coat pocket? Ribbons.
It's worse now because my boyfriend and I both compete in higher levels now, too, so we get a lot of "there were six people in your level so you made the final good job!" ribbons at every comp. D:
Standarddancer
01-05-2012, 09:59 PM
For domestic flights checked luggage limit is usually 50 lbs for most airlines; so probably not a too big issue for those which to keep / carry their trophies;) International flights have luggage limit of 32 lbs, could be a more challenge experience - my teachers who are World Champions often had to deal with packing their big oversea trophies into their luggage, sometimes when one trip consists a few oversea comps, would have to pack trophies into a separate bag, bcs some airlines requests for "irregular shaped luggages" to be checked separately? really very interesting experience!
latingal
01-05-2012, 10:34 PM
Yes, trophies can be an interesting experience at airport security. I have been stopped and searched every time I brought a crystal one through the airport. Because they are fragile I will not pack them in checked luggage, so I expect to have my carry-on searched. I make sure it's easily accessible to the security people and usually warn them as I go through that the funny thing they see on the monitor is a trophy. (and hey, you're not going to here me complain about having to take a really nice trophy home....LOL!)
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