Compass Soccer Mini Keychains Sell Out at Waterfront Station
TransLink's FIFA World Cup collectible draws record crowds; 10,000 units gone in hours.
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TransLink's limited-edition Compass Soccer Mini keychains sold out Saturday after drawing thousands of eager buyers to Waterfront Station.
The collectible — a soccer ball-shaped Compass Card with a $6 refundable deposit — was part of the transit authority's World Cup promotion. Just 10,000 units were produced: 8,000 blue for adults and 2,000 orange for youth and seniors. Each person was limited to two purchases.
According to TransLink spokesperson Dan Mountain, an estimated 5,000 people were in line by 8 a.m., an hour before sales began at 9 a.m. The first customers started queuing Friday night at 11 p.m., bringing camp chairs and air mattresses. A downpour around 10 a.m. didn't slow the crowd.
Mountain said this was the longest lineup he'd seen in his years at TransLink — eclipsing all previous limited-edition releases. The keychains function like regular Compass Cards and can be reloaded and used across the transit system.