How pin trading became an Olympic tradition and what to know before you try it

"You don't have to be an athlete to leave the Olympics with a coveted piece of metal, as long as you're game to trade lapel pins. The pins come in all shapes and sizes, usually made of enamel and secured on a lanyard, vest, scarf or beanie with a butterfly clasp in the back. They represent all sorts of different countries, sports, companies, creatures and cultures, often in innovative combinations like Team USA's pizza slice on skis."

"In these and recent Olympics, athletes have gone viral for amassing pins in the village with varying frenzy. But many others involved from spectators to journalists to security guards spend the two-and-a-half weeks working on their collections, too. And a subset of big-time traders travel far and wide every two or four years just to get in on the action, usually standing outside a venue with a board, blanket or scarf studded with rows of shiny, colorful pins."

"In fact, the tradition has become so big that this year's Games featured a designated gathering place to partake in it: The Official Olympic Pin Trading Center, a Warner Bros.-sponsored, Looney-Tunes-branded pin mecca smack-dab in central Milan. On a sunny Sunday morning, the line to get into the pin trading center stretched down the sidewalk. Just outside, a couple of seasoned collectors laid their shimmering goods out on a bench for passersby to admire and approach."

Lapel pin trading at the Olympics involves enamel pins affixed to lanyards, vests, scarves or beanies and fastened with butterfly clasps. Pins depict countries, sports, companies, creatures and cultural mashups, often in playful combinations. Athletes, spectators, journalists, security staff and devoted traders all participate, collecting and swapping pins throughout the Games. Dedicated traders travel internationally to trade outside venues with boards, blankets or scarves full of pins. Milan hosted a branded Official Olympic Pin Trading Center this year, drawing long lines and collectors displaying their wares on benches. Pin trading fosters social connection, shared enthusiasm and new friendships.

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