Blizzard Velcro Patch Collecting 101

Let's clear up one piece of terminology first.

Blizzard has historically referred to many of these collectibles as badges, particularly when they were sold in products such as Badge Booster Packs.

Collectors commonly call them Velcro patches or simply patches.

On BlizzardItems, we use patches.

Whatever name you prefer, we're talking about the same general type of collectible: mostly vinyl-made Blizzard patches with Velcro-style hook-and-loop backs, designed to attach to compatible bags, boards, books, hats, and other displays.

A smaller number may use other materials or constructions, but vinyl is by far the most common format in the Blizzard patch catalog.

Unlike sew-on patches, they're meant to be moved.

Which turns out to be extremely convenient when you own 100 of them and decide your entire display needs to be reorganized at 11:30 at night.

The BlizzardItems database shows the modern patch-collecting ecosystem really taking shape around 2017.

That year introduced several things that became important to the hobby:

• The first numbered blind-pack series
• A Blizzard Velcro backpack
• A six-patch starter set
• BlizzCon activity and giveaway patches
• Sponsor and booth patches
• Patches tied to specific games and experiences

The six-patch starter set is a particularly good example of how Blizzard approached the format.

It contained franchise logo patches for:

Those patches were sold with the Blizzard Velcro Backpack, giving collectors both something to display and a group of patches to start with.

And then came the blind packs.

One of the clearest ways to understand Blizzard patch collecting is through the numbered series.

The BlizzardItems database currently tracks five major blind-pack series:

Together, these account for 89 patches in the BlizzardItems database.

These series mixed characters, logos, icons, factions, card backs, creatures, and other designs from Blizzard franchises.

For a new collector, these numbered series are probably the easiest place to start.

Instead of trying to understand every Blizzard patch ever released, you can simply say:

"I'm going to work on Series 3."

Now you have a defined set.

And a checklist.

And eventually one patch that is somehow much harder to find than all the others.

Welcome to collecting.

Blind packs were one of the core ways Blizzard distributed patches.

You purchased a pack without knowing exactly which patch was inside.

That randomness is part of what made the series fun.

It also created the inevitable collector problem:

duplicates.

You might open three packs and pull two patches you already own.

Or get a Warcraft patch when you're trying to complete an Overwatch group.

That's where collecting naturally begins to overlap with trading.

But even if you never trade a single patch, blind packs are important because they define some of the biggest organized sets in the hobby.

Blind packs were not the only randomized way to get Blizzard patches.

Blizzard also released a large number through capsule toy machines.

The BlizzardItems database currently contains 33 patches specifically documented as capsule toy prizes.

These are especially prominent in the 2018, 2019, and 2023 BlizzCon-era releases.

Examples include:

This may be the most interesting part of Blizzard patch collecting.

Not every patch came from a store.

Some had to be earned.

Or found.

Or unlocked by participating in something.

The story behind a patch can be part of what makes it collectible.

Two patches might both be from 2017, but one was sold in a blind pack while the other required someone to complete an activity at one particular convention.

That distribution history matters.

BlizzCon exhibitors and partners also contributed their own patches to the ecosystem.

These weren't necessarily produced as part of Blizzard's numbered series.

Instead, they might have been connected to a booth, promotion, activity, or sponsor campaign.

Examples include:

For collectors, these can be especially interesting because they represent a specific moment in BlizzCon history rather than simply a character or game.

The Darkmoon Faire became another important part of the patch ecosystem.

Some patches were directly connected to the Faire.

The 2017 Darkmoon Faire patch in the BlizzardItems database, for example, was obtained by purchasing something at the Darkmoon Faire.

Other patches reached collectors through Faire activities, mystery systems, capsules, and official trading boards.

That makes the Faire important for two reasons:

It was a source of patches.

And it was a place where patches already in circulation changed hands.

Blizzard's official trading boards played a surprisingly interesting role in patch collecting.

Collectors could exchange eligible patches for ones displayed on Blizzard's board according to that year's rules.

Because every trade changed the board, the selection could change constantly.

Some unusual patches also appear to have entered circulation through those boards.

Imagine getting home from BlizzCon and discovering you had acquired a collectible without realizing it.

That's a very Blizzard way to distribute a patch.

Then we get into one of the more specialized parts of Blizzard collecting.

Employee patches.

These were created for or distributed through Blizzard employee programs rather than normal public retail channels.

For advanced collectors, employee patches can become a collection of their own.

For beginners?

Don't feel like you need them.

Patch rarity is heavily influenced by how the patch was distributed.

Consider the difference between:

• A patch sold in thousands of blind packs
• A capsule prize available at one BlizzCon
• A patch given out after completing a booth activity
• An employee holiday gift
• A patch that only occasionally appeared on an official trading board

Rare and valuable are related—but they aren't the same thing.

A patch can have low production but very little collector demand.

Another patch may have been produced in larger numbers but feature a popular character, franchise, iconic logo, or particularly desirable design.

That second patch may command the stronger market.

Patch pricing can be difficult because some patches simply don't sell very often.

If a rare employee patch hasn't changed hands publicly in two years, there may be very little current market data.

That's why we separate:

Someone listing a patch for $300 doesn't make it a $300 patch.

It means someone wants $300.

When possible, look for:

• Recent completed sales
• Multiple sales instead of one
• How often the patch appears
• Condition
• Release history
• Current collector demand
• Comparable patches

Sometimes there simply isn't enough information.

And in those cases, "No recent market history" is better than pretending we know.

This can be more difficult than identifying a pin.

Many patches don't have obvious identifying information on the front.

A random logo might be:

• Part of a numbered blind-pack series
• A capsule release
• A booth giveaway
• An employee item
• A BlizzCon activity reward
• Part of a starter set

Patches are durable, but they're not indestructible.

Look for:

• Scratches or scuffs on the vinyl surface
• Creasing
• Warping
• Discoloration
• Damaged printing or artwork
• Peeling layers
• Edge wear
• Damaged Velcro backing
• Missing original packaging, when relevant

A patch displayed on a backpack for years may look very different from one that immediately went into a collector's book.

That doesn't automatically make it bad.

Some collectors love items that were actually used.

Others want pristine examples.

Just know what you're buying.

Absolutely not.

The BlizzardItems database alone contains more than 170 documented patches.

Trying to collect everything from day one would be a very fast way to make the hobby feel impossible.

Start with something manageable.

That's enough.

Patch collecting gets complicated surprisingly quickly.

Especially once you're dealing with:

• Five numbered series
• Capsule releases
• Event patches
• Employee items
• Sponsor patches
• Starter sets
• Activity rewards

Eventually you'll see something and think:

"Do I own this already?"

That's exactly why we built the BlizzardItems patch database.

You can use BlizzardItems to:

• Browse Blizzard patches
• Search by name
• Browse by franchise
• See series information
• View release years
• See how a patch was originally obtained
• Identify unusual releases
• Track your collection
• Keep track of what you're missing

Eventually somebody asks:

Which should I collect?

Pins have enormous variety, long-running series, special variants, and a huge collector history.

Patches have their own appeal.

They're lightweight.

Easy to display.

Easy to rearrange.

And because so many Blizzard patches were tied to specific activities, events, employees, capsules, and giveaways, they often have fantastic stories behind them.

There's also another option:

Collect both.

We're sorry.

Collect the story as much as the object.

A Warcraft logo patch from a starter set is cool.

A patch you had to earn by completing an Emissary Quest is cool for a completely different reason.

An employee patch has another story.

A capsule patch another.

A patch that someone at Blizzard secretly stuck onto an attendee's backpack?

That's exactly the kind of weird little piece of Blizzard history that makes this hobby fun.

So don't worry about building the "best" collection.

Build one that makes you want to explain every patch on the board.

That's a collection.

Welcome to Blizzard patch collecting.

— BlizzardItems