Pin trading becomes unofficial sport at Milan Cortina Olympics
A woman, right, asks to trade pins with a reporter at the speed skating stadium in Milan, Italy, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Jin-ju
Korean athlete Hannah Lim flaunts pin trading hauls at Milan Cortina Olympics
MILAN — Outside of gold, silver and bronze medals, the hottest commodity at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games may be lapel pins.
Across the athlete village and stadiums, competitors are sporting lanyards weighed down by colorful metal badges. Social media is flooded with "pin haul" videos from athletes worldwide, creating a viral frenzy comparable to the famous "chocolate muffin" craze that swept the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Korean athletes have eagerly joined the trade. Ice dancer Hannah Lim has showcased pins swapped with international competitors online, while snowboarder Yu Seung-eun — fresh off winning bronze in the women's big air — conducted her post-match interviews wearing a necklace heavy with her collection.
Ice dancer Hannah Lim shows off her Olympic pin collection on Instagram, Friday. Captured from Hannah Lim's social media
The trend has spilled over the village walls and into the city streets. Tourists and locals wearing rare or eye-catching pins often find themselves stopped by collectors looking to make a deal. An informal market has emerged, with serious traders demanding three or four standard pins in exchange for a single rare item.
The epicenter of this activity is the Official Olympic Pin Trading Center near Milan Garibaldi Station. Located in a busy district popular with young professionals and tourists, the center serves as the hub for exchanges during the games.
The Official Olympic Pin Trading Center near Milan Garibaldi Station in Italy, Saturday / Korea Times photo by Kim Jin-ju
The center, partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Warner Bros. Discovery, features a Looney Tunes theme. Visitors are greeted by pins decorated with the iconic cartoon characters, but the best-sellers are the "day pins" — limited-edition badges with a specific date. On Saturday, the third day of the Games, the "Day 3" pin was prominently displayed.
Limited edition "Day 3" pins are on sale at the Official Pin Trading Center in Milan, Italy, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Kim Jin-ju
Inside, serious collectors display their treasures on tables.
"I have collected pins my whole life," said Irena, a 70-year-old collector from Russia. "In the process of collecting and exchanging, I meet various people and share stories. My whole life is contained in each of these small pins. It is practically my everything."
Janet, a 55-year-old from Salt Lake City, Utah, echoed the sentiment.
"I have been traveling to international competitions like the Olympics for 30 years to collect pins," she said. "To me, pins are a passport to meet people from all over the world and a way to store that moment as a memory."
Irena, a collector from Russia, shows her pin collection at the Pin Trade Center in Milan, Italy, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Kim Jin-ju
A center official noted that the trading has become its own kind of spectator sport.
"There are many people who come just to look at the rare pins even if they don't necessarily want to trade," the official said. "Those of us working here also have quite a bit of fun watching along."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.