Pin mania has erupted in Milan: history, tradition, and practical tips on how to find and exchange Olympic pins

In the United States, Olympic pin trading is a widespread practice. It really took off starting with the Atlanta 1996 Games, even if – as some young collectors tell me with a smile – they weren't even born yet at the time. Today, with the approach of Los Angeles 2028, interest has returned very strongly. After the pin-mania that exploded on social media during the Paris Olympics, Milan Cortina 2026 has also become the center of a phenomenon that is actually almost as old as the modern Olympics themselves: a tradition that intertwines a passion for collecting, a precise unwritten etiquette, and the concrete possibility of making friends and meeting people from all over the world.

How and when did Olympic pin collecting begin?

Pin trading has for many years become a kind of alternative sport for spectators and Olympic Games insiders, with enthusiasts who, Olympiad after Olympiad, travel the world with their suitcases full of pins, ready to exchange them with anyone who shares the same passion. The tradition has its roots as far back as the Athens 1896 Olympics, the first of the modern era. At the time, however, pins were primarily identification tools for athletes and staff, not collector's items. It was at the Paris Games in 1924 that something changed: official pins were given to delegations and, living together in the Olympic village, athletes began to exchange them during informal gatherings.

From there, the exchange became an uncodified but increasingly consolidated tradition: each athlete received pins from their own national team and traded them with those from other countries. Edition after edition, the number of pins increased exponentially. Alongside the official items of the edition – often linked to mascots, like Milo and Tina in Milan Cortina – sponsors and companies began to produce small runs linked to their brand, alongside the pins intended for athletes, delegations, sports staff, and IOC members.

Parallel to the exchange between athletes, a real community of enthusiasts emerged, literally hunting for pins around the city and near the Olympic village, interacting with athletes, participating in parties, events, and collateral initiatives. Since there is no official catalog, there is no "perfect collection" either: as several collectors who came to Milan to animate the Pin Trading Center explain to me, the point is never to have the largest or most expensive collection. Indeed, by etiquette, collectors do not buy or pay for pins among themselves: they exchange them. This is why many arrive with pins from previous editions, so they can trade them with those who have different collections.

Stories of collecting and "exchange ethics" from the Milan Cortina Pin Trading Center

In addition to the official Pin Center, the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games also feature a space dedicated to the Looney Tunes, which hosts tables and exchange areas frequented by collectors and curious visitors. From February 6th to 22nd, at via Carlo De Cristoforis 1, the Official Olympic Pin Trading Center is open, one of the symbolic places of Olympic culture, dedicated to the exchange and sale of official pins, with an area specifically equipped for collectors.

In Italy, this tradition is not particularly widespread, so much so that the official host in charge of organizing the space and coordinating the more experienced colleagues is a German enthusiast. It is Yorick Spieker who explains to me, in broad strokes, how pin trading works: "This is the beating heart of pin trading at Milan Cortina 2026. Here, collectors, athletes, delegates, media meet: it's the right place to exchange pins and make friends." I ask him if there are real "specializations" among collectors: "Some collect only national pins, others those of the media, sponsors, or mascots. There's a big 'Olympic umbrella' and then many niches."

And what makes this community special?
"The fact that it unites people. It's pure fun and sharing. Just like what's happening now between us."

For a beginner, can entering this world seem intimidating?
"This is the ideal place to start. The magic happens here: you meet people from all over the world, you can also buy official pins, and you learn the etiquette of pin trading. You have to be kind, fair, and bring something to exchange."

Shortly after, I chat with another German enthusiast, who proudly shows me his set from the Sochi Olympics: a matryoshka pin that opens to reveal a smaller doll inside. Pierre Wessel tells me that his first Olympics was Athens 2004: "At the time, Coca-Cola managed the Pin Trading Center. Many sponsors distributed pins for free, and many people started that way." I ask him if he has a pin he's particularly attached to, and he shows me a Canada set from Sochi 2014. It's rare, difficult to obtain, and it's also a great piece for exchanges.

And the "dream pin"?
"More than the pin itself, the story matters. In Rio, I was a volunteer and received a pin directly from the IOC president. It's not rare, just the Olympic rings, but the symbolic value is enormous."

I also chat with a fan who arrived from China. She explains that she doesn't speak English very well, but we still manage to understand each other. She shows me her collection of pins gathered during the Beijing Olympics: her highlight is a series that, when placed side by side, forms the iconic profile of the Coca-Cola bottle, specially made for the Chinese Games.

Everyone confirms that the majority of enthusiasts come from the United States. So I manage to intercept two very young Americans, Molly and Alex, cousins from Wisconsin. They explain to me why pin trading is so popular in the States: "It's very widespread in the United States. It really took off with Atlanta '96. Now, with Los Angeles 2028, interest has returned very strongly."

They inherited this passion from their family: "It's a tradition. Our uncle has been collecting pins for years, and we started too as we grew up," says Alex. Molly adds: "My father unfortunately passed away a few years ago, but he had attended six Olympics. Paris was my first, and I decided to create a personal pin: it represents all the Olympics he attended, with the flags – including Turin – plus that of Paris. Above it says 'like father, like daughter'."

They are the ones who give me the first pin for my impromptu collection: a souvenir made by Kodak for the Albertville 1992 Olympics. "Kodak doesn't even exist anymore," jokes Alex, while I reciprocate the exchange with a small gadget received at a film event, just to respect the spirit and etiquette of this Olympic tradition.

For those lucky enough to be in Milan these days, the pin hunt is on: pop-up stores, newsstands, and promotional spaces scattered throughout the city offer continuous opportunities to stumble upon new pins. For actual trading, however, one of the most frequented meeting points remains the Looney Tunes space set up by Warner Bros. Discovery. The corner dedicated to collectors is flanked by an experiential area with relaxation zones for families, photo points with the Looney Tunes in winter version, and a selection of official pins dedicated to the collaboration between animated characters and the Olympics.