{{Short description|Culture and practice of trading collectible pins}} [[File:London 2012 pin trading.jpg|thumb|Pin trading at the 2012 London Olympics]] thumb|Enamel lapel pins '''Pin trading and collecting''' is the practice of buying, selling, exchanging, and collecting enamel pins (or lapel pins) as a hobby.
Enamel pins are commonly sold as souvenirs, branded merchandise, fashion accessories, and artwork. Trade pins are specifically designed for participants to exchange with one another during an event; through this exchange of pins, participants build unique collections.
Trading often takes place in amusement parks and resorts such as Walt Disney World and Disneyland,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eventservicesdisney.go.com/pintrading/index |title=Events | Disney Pin Trading Events | Disney |publisher=Eventservices.disney.go.com |date= |accessdate=2011-03-06 |archive-date=2013-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130214112050/http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/index |url-status=live }}</ref> SeaWorld, and Universal Resorts,<ref name="universalpintrading">{{cite web |url=http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/PinTrading |title=Pin Trading |publisher=Universal Studios Hollywood |accessdate=2011-03-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319025439/http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/PinTrading |archivedate=2011-03-19 }}</ref> or at sporting events, such as the Olympic Games,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Leicester |first=Raphael |date=2024-08-02 |title=Pin-demonium hits Paris: Inside the pin-trading market at the Olympics |url=https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-pins-ab56705b112e5ddca130b64a57abbb9f |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref> Canada Games,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peesker |first=Saira |date=2022-08-18 |title=Part currency, part status symbol: Pin-trading becomes 2nd sport for people at Canada Summer Games |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/canada-games-pins-1.6555460 |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=CBC News}}</ref> and the Little League World Series.
While most pins are typically flat with a glossy finish, there are many types of accessories. Common features include blinking lights, hanging charms (or "danglers"), spinners, and bobbleheads.<ref name="accessories">{{Cite web | title = Common Accessories Used on Custom Trading Pins | accessdate = 2017-01-09 | url = https://tradingpinzone.com/2017/01/custom-trading-pins-accessories/ | publisher = Trading Pin Zone | archive-date = 2020-02-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200213163010/https://tradingpinzone.com/2017/01/custom-trading-pins-accessories/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
Pins are sometimes manufactured in limited editions to increase demand.
==Amusement parks== Walt Disney World and Disneyland, SeaWorld, and Universal Resorts all have collectable pins available.
===Disney=== {{Infobox brand | name = Disney Pin Trading | logo = Disney Pin Trading logo.png | logo_upright = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = The current logo with Disneyland Paris branding; variants of the logo use other individual resorts, depending on the region, or Disney Parks as a whole. | image = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | producttype = Lapel pin | currentowner = Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products | producedby = | origin = United States | introduced = {{start date and age|1999}} | discontinued = | related = | markets = {{Plainlist| *Aulani *Disney Cruise Line *Disney Vacation Club *Disneyland Resort *Disneyland Paris *Hong Kong Disneyland Resort *Shanghai Disney Resort *Walt Disney World Resort }} | previousowners = | trademarkregistrations = | ambassadors = | tagline = | website = {{URL|disneypins.com}} | module = <!-- or: misc --> | module1 = <!-- or: misc1 --> }} [[Image:Disneypinkiosk.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Disney pin trading kiosk at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom]]
Disney fans often engage in the collection, display and trading of pins which are often themed to Disney characters, attractions, ticketed events, parks, hotels and other elements at Disney parks.<ref name=":1" /> Limited edition pins are frequently released at special events, movie premieres, pin trading events or to commemorate the opening day of new attractions.<ref name=":1" />
Disney fans often assign subcultural capital to those who have obtained these pins in person, and use them to represent their fan identities.<ref name=":1" /> They are framed by Disney as a way to interact within the physical spaces of the parks.<ref name=":1" />
In all Disney resorts, guests as well as merchandise cast members wear pins on lanyards around their necks or on specially designed pin trading bags.<ref name=":1" /> Each lanyard contains around a dozen unique pins, and cast members must trade with guests if they are presented with an acceptable pin. The cast members may not decline a particular trade based on preference or rarity of the pin but may decline if the pin is not acceptable or pin trading rules are not being observed. Cast members may have differently colored lanyards that determine what age group can trade for those pins. For example, a green lanyard worn by a cast member means that children twelve years of age and younger only can trade for pins on the lanyard in Walt Disney World Florida. Other than this restriction, people of all ages can enjoy this activity.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moran |first1=Bruce |title=Inside Scoop to Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios |date=2008 |publisher=TotalRecall Publications, Inc. |isbn=978-1590958520 |location=EBSCOhost}}</ref>
Disney discourages guests from partaking in the common practice of acquiring a large number of rare pins to sell on sites such as eBay for significantly inflated prices. Long-term fans largely also oppose this practice, with calls to reduce the number of the same item that can be sold to ten.<ref name=":1" />
====History==== Pins have always been present at Disney parks, but it was not until 1999 as part of its Millennium Celebration that Disney Pin Trading at the Walt Disney World Resort was introduced.<ref name=":1" /> This was following an Odyssey of the Mind function at the resort in which pins were being traded, inspiring the pin trading idea.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} The next year, the craze spread to the Disneyland Resort, which has become the home of most Pin Trading events but is most popular in Disney World.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} Since then, Pin Trading has spread to Aulani, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line with each location creating their own pins and traditions.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} The trading of pins was suspended in Tokyo Disney Resort due to pin traders and their pin display mats taking over the park.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wills|first=John|title=Disney Culture|date=17 March 2017|doi=10.36019/9780813583341|isbn=9780813583341 |s2cid=240594524 }}</ref>
====Etiquette==== Disney has published a list of rules for pin trading, its 'Trading Pin Etiquette'.<ref name=":1" /> Among these tips include: * For a pin to be tradeable it must be a cloisonné, semi-cloisonné or hard-enamel metal Disney pin or acceptable operating participant pin which represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character or icon.<ref name=":1" /> * Guests may only trade one pin of the same style at a time with a cast member, hand to hand.<ref name=":1" /> * Pins must be traded with the backs attached.<ref name=":1" /> * Refrain from touching another person's pins or lanyard, ask to see the pin so they can bring the pin into closer view.<ref name=":1" /> * The pin that is traded to the cast member cannot be a duplicate of any pin they already have on their lanyard.<ref name=":1" /> * No money can change hands on Disney property in exchange for a pin.<ref name=":1" />
==Sporting events== The Canada Games and the Little League World Series<ref name="fos-hult-25">{{cite news |last1=Hult |first1=Ava |title=Inside the Little League World Series Pin Trade |url=https://frontofficesports.com/little-league-world-series-pins/ |access-date=12 February 2026 |work=Front Office Sports |date=August 14, 2025}}</ref> both feature long-standing pin trading traditions. The Masters has produced an annual commemorative pin for each year's tournament since at least the 1990s, which included a line of pins themed to the course's holes.<ref name="stutsman-masters">{{cite news |last1=Stutsman |first1=Doug |title=Some of the best Masters collectibles include Arnie watch, Hogan Bridge opener, the gnomes |url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/majors/masters/2025/04/01/masters-collectibles-some-of-the-best-include-arnold-palmer-watch/82743905007/ |work=USA Today |date=April 1, 2025}}</ref>
The hats given out to selected players during the 2025 NFL draft included pins referencing each team's home city.<ref name="ath-brooks-nfl-pins-25">{{cite news |last1=Peck |first1=Brooks |title=2025 NFL Draft hats explained: What each team’s pin means |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6239227/2025/03/29/2025-nfl-draft-hats-pins/ |work=The Athletic |date=March 29, 2025}}</ref>
=== Olympic Games === The Olympic Games has a long tradition of pin trading,<ref name=":0" /> sometimes called the "unofficial sport" of the Games,<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Alderman |first=Liz |date=2024-08-06 |title=Star Power Elevates Pin Trading, the Unofficial Sport of the Olympics |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/business/paris-olympics-pin-trading.html |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Nicole |date=2024-08-01 |title=Pin trading, the unofficial sport of the Olympic Games |url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/pin-trading-the-unofficial-sport-of-the-olympic-games/3583545/ |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=NBC 7 San Diego |language=en-US}}</ref> which is open to all.<ref name=":0" /> Each year, between 5,000 and 6,000 new designs of pin are created for the games,<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Hills |first=Megan C |last2=Jozuka |first2=Emiko |last3=Essig |first3=Blake |last4=Kusunoki |first4=Daishi |date=2021-08-07 |title=‘Each one has a story’: Meet Japan’s Olympic pin obsessives |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/olympic-pin-collectors-japan/index.html |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> usually by nations, teams, brand sponsors,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Brittany |date=2024-08-05 |title=Do all Team USA athletes get a tattoo of the rings? A look at Olympic traditions |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/olympic-traditions-athletes-paris-b2591536.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> media organizations,<ref name=":15" /> and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) itself.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Vanhemert |first=Kyle |date=2016-08-07 |title=Inside the crazy world of Olympic pin-trading, where everyone wants the Pikachu pin. |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/08/rio-olympics-pins/ |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> They are seen as a "currency of friendship",<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Panja |first=Tariq |last2=Boxerman |first2=Aaron |date=2024-07-31 |title=War Gives Palestinian Olympians a Wider Role: Athlete-Diplomats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/31/world/olympics/palestine-athletes-olympics-paris.html |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> creating a barter economy,<ref name=":5" /> and allow athletes to bond despite speaking different languages.<ref name=":7" /> Those who engage in the hobby are often nicknamed "pinheads".<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Bushby |first=Helen |date=2012-01-24 |title=London 2012: Olympic pin badge collectors reveal addiction |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16680119 |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":6" />
Pins are often worn by athletes on their lanyards or accreditation badges to indicate a willingness to trade. Their value can range from very little to thousands of dollars, depending on their age, material, special features, and frequency.<ref name=":8" /> Smaller delegations, particularly those from Africa,<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Segal |first=David |date=2021-05-29 |title=Their Olympics Are Already Canceled |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/business/pin-traders-tokyo-olympics.html |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> may only bring a few hundred pins, causing them to be more valuable.<ref name=":8" /> Pins from countries that have recently changed their names are also subject to higher demand,<ref name=":11" /> as are pins from cancelled Olympic Games and those created for politicians.<ref name=":15" />
Rules of etiquette for trading have been established by the International Association of Olympic Collectors (AICO),<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Zeng |first=Laura |date=2024-07-25 |title=Pin Trading Is the Olympic Sport You've Never Heard Of |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/pin-trading-is-the-olympic-sport-youve-never-heard-of |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Mary |date=2024-07-29 |title=Olympic pin trading fever sweeps the 2024 Paris Games |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/olympic-pin-trading-2024-paris-games/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> and a US based<ref name=":16" /> collectors' club for the hobby, Olympin, is recognized by the IOC and had 500 members as of 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feeser |first=Roman |date=2022-02-18 |title=The sport of Olympic pin trading - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-sport-of-olympic-pin-trading/ |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> featuring a compendium of pins on its website.<ref name=":6" />
==== History ==== The use of pin badges at the Olympics began during the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, during which three designs of pin were produced;<ref name=":5" /> small cardboard disks were worn by judges, athletes and officials, in blue, pink and red respectively.<ref name=":10" /> Winning athletes were presented with cloth pins which featured competing countries' national emblems.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Kimble |first=Lindsay |date=2024-07-28 |title=What Is Pin Trading at the Olympics? Athletes Explain What Makes Swapping So Special (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/what-is-pin-trading-at-the-olympics-8684911 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=People |language=en}}</ref>
By the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, pins for the Games were being made from metal.<ref name=":10" /> Eight countries created personalised pins at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, including the United States, Norway and Hungary. Commercial pins were sold for the first time at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm to fund the event.<ref name=":8" /> The introduction of the Olympic Village at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris caused athletes from different nations to mix more easily, leading to pin trading as a form of goodwill between nations.<ref name=":10" /> For the 1936 Summer Olympics and 1936 Winter Olympics in Nazi Germany,<ref name=":8" /> organisers manufactured nearly one million pins<ref name=":15" /> for propaganda<ref name=":5" /> and to cover the cost of hosting the Games,<ref name=":8" /> causing a significant increase in pin production.<ref name=":5" />
The public first became involved in trading pins at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11" /> and this grew at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.<ref name=":8" /> Olympin was formed following the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1982.<ref name=":12" /> The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to many pin traders at the time, was a pivotal event for pin trading,<ref name=":0" /> as it marked the beginning of sponsors' use of pins to promote their brands.<ref name=":8" /> London Pins estimated that at those Games, there were "17,000,000 pins in over 1,300 designs".<ref name=":10" /> The first official pin trading center was established at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, sponsored by Coca-Cola,<ref name=":8" /> which began manufacturing its own pins to trade that year.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |date=2012-08-06 |title=King pins: welcome to the Olympic sport of pin trading |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/king-pins-welcome-to-the-olympic-sport-of-pin-trading-8009318.html |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>
Around 500,000 people visited Olympic pin trading sites at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.<ref name=":17" /> For the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, a local company produced and sold 18 million pins, over three times the population of its host country of Norway, with the organization committee obtaining {{Currency|18 million|USD}} in royalties.<ref name=":15" /> 1.5 million people visited trading sites at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,<ref name=":17" /> following which four pin traders including Sid Marantz purchased a warehouse in Colorado which had been home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and held 750,000 unsold pins. They kept around 120,000 and sold the rest to other collectors.<ref name=":11" />
At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, organizers did not produce enough pins, leading to a trading frenzy in which some traders earned {{Currency|40000|USD}} within days.<ref name=":11" /> Serena Williams began collecting pins at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney after failing to qualify that year.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Hervieux |first=Linda |date=2024-07-31 |title=For Olympic pin collectors in Paris, Snoop Dogg's design takes the gold |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/olympic-pin-collectors-paris-snoop-doggs-design-takes-gold-rcna164384 |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Coca Cola Olympic Pin Trading Centre.jpg|thumb|Coca-Cola Olympic Pin Trading Centre at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics]]For the 2012 Summer Olympics, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games stated they would produce 2,012 different pin designs.<ref name=":10" /> Coca-Cola Pin Trading Centers were set up at the Olympic Park as well as Hyde Park which featured maps of the world on which people could place pins, and London Pins took to organising information about that year's pins on its website.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Treyz |first=Catherine |date=2012-08-10 |title=Instead of gold, pin traders seek Olympic brass |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/instead-gold-pin-traders-seek-olympic-brass-flna935054 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> The most coveted pin from the 2012 games, according to ''Wired'', was a pin created by a Japanese press group which featured the Pokémon character Pikachu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chou |first=Kathryn |date=2018-02-10 |title=Pin trading is a huge deal at the Olympics — here's what you should know about the 122-year-old tradition |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/olympic-pin-trading-2018-2 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> Others in high demand were Hungary's athletes pin, made by the Hungarian Mint to resemble pins from the country's past,<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Veres |first=Steve |date=2014-02-20 |title=Inside Sochi's biggest sport for spectators: Pin trading |url=http://www.today.com/news/inside-sochis-biggest-sport-spectators-pin-trading-2D12141577 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Today |language=en}}</ref> and a strawberry pin to commemorate the tennis final, evoking strawberries eaten at the Wimbledon Championships.<ref name=":17" />
Pin trading was less prevalent at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi due to fewer regulars attending the Games.<ref name=":18" /> Williams obtained a North Korea pin at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro which she stated she "would never, ever, ever trade".<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Steedman |first=Elissa |date=2024-08-05 |title=Medals aren't the only coveted prize at the Paris Games |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-05/snoop-dogg-athletes-swap-custom-paris-olympics-pins/104176754 |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> Gymnast Aly Raisman stated that she tried "to trade pins with the cute boys if [she could] find them, to be honest."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Axon |first=Rachel |date=2016-08-04 |title=Gymnast Aly Raisman is joining in on the Olympic pin trading frenzy |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/04/gymnast-aly-raisman-olympic-pin-trading/88276762/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2020, as a result of the announcement that no outside spectators would be allowed into Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, pin trading was halted. Around 250 pin traders had prepared for the Games, and organizers had already made 600 different officially licensed pins to be sold in 12 souvenir stores around Tokyo. Pin-related promotions were planned featuring pins representing Japan's 47 prefectures. It was speculated by traders that pins from these Olympics would be worth very little due to supply dwarfing demand.<ref name=":11" /> In an attempt to continue the tradition digitally, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were sold in place of the pins, with mascot-inspired designs and digitally animated posters from previous Olympics,<ref name=":15" /> as well as NFT versions of pins from past Games dating back to the Athens games in 1896. The NFTs were sold in packs ranging in price from $9-$499 per pack, a peer-to-peer marketplace was planned to facilitate trading and buying, and the NFTs were also planned to be available to earn through playing ''Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bumbaca |first=Chris |title='A lot of history': IOC creates NFT versions of past Olympic pins for Summer Games in Tokyo |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/06/03/olympic-pins-going-sale-nfts-no-fans-tokyo-games/7514609002/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref> The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing also prevented contact between attendees, stifling any trading.<ref name=":7" />
For the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, pin trading made a large resurgence as a result of the inclusion of spectators, and trading was encouraged by the Games' social media accounts,<ref name=":3" /> as well as an Official Olympic Collectors Area hosted by the IAOC.<ref name=":8" /> The Refugee Olympic Team produced its first ever design after debuting in 2016.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Alexis |date=2024-08-02 |title=The Trading Pins at the Olympics Are So Good This Year, We Had to Rank Them |url=https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/olympic-trading-pins-49383249 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=Popsugar |language=en}}</ref> During the opening ceremony, Stephen Curry traded pins aboard the Team USA boat,<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> and the Spanish and British teams traded pins by throwing them across the Seine to each other's boats.<ref name=":8" /> Snoop Dogg, who was attending as a spectator and commentator, gave out his own pin which featured himself blowing smoke rings in the colours of the Olympic rings in front of the Eiffel Tower,<ref name=":7" /> and was credited with encouraging younger athletes to engage in trading.<ref name=":0" /> Simone Biles also gave out a custom pin,<ref name=":3" /> which took the form of a gold heart and became one of the most wanted that year.<ref name=":4" /> The Dutch delegation gave out a pin in the shape of a pair of orange clogs, which was in high demand from attendees.<ref name=":7" /> As a result of the Gaza war, pins from the eight Palestinian athletes were popular.<ref name=":9" /> Serena Williams described herself as a "first-class pin collector",<ref name=":0" /> and Andy Murray also engaged heavily in trading, obtaining one of Biles' own pins.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Ilona Maher, Caroline Wozniacki,<ref name=":2" /> Coco Gauff, Alena Saili,<ref name=":4" /> Tysha Ikenasio,<ref name=":3" /> Jah-Nhai Perinchief, Hazel Ouwehand, Imogen Grant,<ref name=":14" /> Jasmine Schofield and Naomi Osaka<ref name=":7" /> shared their collections on social media. US fencers Lee Kiefer and Nick Itkin competed with each other to collect the most pins.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Samantha |date=2024-08-04 |title=U.S. fencers Lee Kiefer, Nick Itkin 'going hard' in fierce Olympic pin trading competition |url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/us-fencers-lee-kiefer-nick-itkin-going-hard-fierce-olympic-pin-trading-competition |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=NBC Olympics |language=en}}</ref>
The tradition continued at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. YesMilano, in order to promote the city of Milan, distributed free pins (250 each morning) at various locations. An official pin trading area, sponsored by Warner Brothers, was the first at the Games since 2018. Official IOC-branded pins were produced by Honav.<ref name="ap-barry-26">{{cite news |last1=Barry |first1=Colleen |title=Olympic pin mania has collectors running between landmarks and swarming a trading center |url=https://apnews.com/article/milan-cortina-olympic-pin-trading-f9f5e8ba7ac65c6381308784f5ce50d8 |work=Associated Press |date=February 11, 2026}}</ref>
==Other== The Kentucky Derby Festival has created an annual "Pegasus Pin" since the early 1970s.<ref name="lcj-25">{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Kirby |title=Here's your first look at the 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pin |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/festival/2025/12/11/heres-your-first-look-at-the-2026-kentucky-derby-festival-pegasus-pin/87446409007/ |work=Louisville Courier Journal |date=December 11, 2025}}</ref> The yearly Tamworth Country Music Festival in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia sells a different pin on each day of the festival.<ref name="net-crosby-26">{{cite news |last1=Crosby |first1=RK |title=Hats, pins, photos – collect it all at TCMF26 |url=https://www.netimes.com.au/2026/01/23/hats-pins-photos-collect-it-all-at-tcmf26/ |work=New England Times |date=January 23, 2026}}</ref>
Odyssey of the Mind features a long-standing pin trading tradition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leporati |first=Gregory |date=2023-08-26 |title=The Little League World Series for fans: Free baseball, beers with dads |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/08/26/little-league-world-series-fan-guide/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>
The Pathfinder Club's Chosen International Camporee, held once every five years, sees attendees bring hundreds of pins to trade.<ref name="medley-19">{{cite web |last1=Medley |first1=Mylon |title=Put a Pin in It |url=https://www.nadadventist.org/news/put-pin-it/ |website=North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>
Singapore's Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth produced a set of six collectable pins to celebrate the country's 60th{{nbsp}}year of independence in 2025.<ref name="mi-25-singapore">{{cite web |last1=Shirbeeni |first1=A'bidah Zaid |title=MCCY maps out Singapore with collectable SG60 pins |url=https://www.marketing-interactive.com/mccy-maps-out-singapore-with-collectable-sg60-pins |publisher=Marketing Interactive |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=July 14, 2025}}</ref>
Among stores and restaurants, Hard Rock Cafe sells a range of pins.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Rebecca |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/on1125019744 |title=Theme park fandom: spatial transmedia, materiality and participatory cultures |date=2020 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-94-6298-257-4 |series=Transmedia: participatory culture and media convergence |location=Amsterdam |oclc=on1125019744}}</ref><ref name="geraghty-13">{{cite journal |last1=Geraghty |first1=Lincoln |title=It’s not all about the music: online fan communities and collecting Hard Rock Café pins |journal=Transformative Works and Cultures |date=9 October 2013 |volume=16 |url=https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/publications/its-not-all-about-the-music-online-fan-communities-and-collecting/}}</ref>
Pins are also released as merchandise for movies and TV shows; examples include ''Game of Thrones'' and ''KPop Demon Hunters''.<ref name="la-kpdh-26">{{cite web |last1=Mah |first1=Emmelyn |title=Netflix just dropped KPop Demon Hunters mystery box pins |url=https://www.lifestyleasia.com/bk/entertainment/streaming/how-to-buy-netflix-new-kpop-demon-hunters-mystery-box-pins/ |website=Lifestyle Asia |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=January 27, 2026}}</ref><ref name="got-pin-19">{{cite web |title=‘Game of Thrones’ Gets House Pin |url=https://www.licenseglobal.com/apparel/game-thrones-gets-house-pin |website=License Global |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=June 5, 2019}}</ref> Brands may offer pins as rewards,<ref name="allure-donahue-18">{{cite web |last1=Donahue |first1=Rosemary |title=Sephora Just Added Four Collectible Enamel Pins to Its Rewards Bazaar |url=https://www.allure.com/story/sephora-reward-enamel-pin-set |publisher=Allure |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=January 20, 2018}}</ref> during promotions,<ref name="apple-post-25">{{cite web |last1=Simpson |first1=Nathan |title=Apple giving away free limited-edition Activity rings pin badge today |url=https://www.theapplepost.com/2025/04/24/68303/apple-giving-away-free-limited-edition-activity-rings-pin-badge-today/ |website=The Apple Post |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=April 24, 2025}}</ref> and as part of loyalty programs.<ref name="mayntz-ch-23">{{cite web |last1=Mayntz |first1=Melissa |title=Carnival Cruise Line Reveals New 2024 Loyalty Pins |url=https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-reveals-new-loyalty-pins/116988 |website=Cruise Hive |access-date=12 February 2026 |date=November 29, 2023}}</ref>
==See also== *Campaign button *Disneyana *Lapel pin *Pin-back button *Vinylmation
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.pinpics.com PinPics] — A large enthusiast-run database of pins * [http://allearsnet.com/btp/mil_pin.htm Disney Pin Trading: Innocent Hobby... or Obsession?] * [https://pintrader.club/articles/pin-trading-terms/ Pin Trading Terms] – A large collection of pin trading terms from the community
Category:Collecting Category:Badges Category:Fashion accessories Category:Sports memorabilia