Blizzard Pin Collecting 101

Blizzard produced promotional and event pins before there was an official collecting program, but the Blizzard Collectible Pin Program launched in 2014.

The early numbered series established a format that longtime collectors will immediately recognize: a selection of characters and designs from across Blizzard's franchises, often with both standard versions and harder-to-find gold variants.

Those numbered series became one of the foundations of Blizzard pin collecting.

But they're only one part of the hobby.

Over the years, Blizzard has released hundreds of additional pins through events, merchandise stores, collector sets, esports, employee programs, promotions, anniversaries, and special releases.

That's where things start getting interesting.

This sounds like an easy question.

It isn't always.

Blizzard pin collecting covers a surprisingly wide range of releases, and collectors often organize them into several broad categories.

You don't need to collect every category.

Most collectors eventually figure out which parts of the Blizzard pin universe are the most interesting to them.

This is one of the first things new collectors tend to notice.

You may find two pins featuring exactly the same character—but one is dramatically more gold.

That's intentional.

Many Blizzard series pins were produced in both a regular full-color version and a harder-to-find gold variant of the same design.

You'll hear collectors call these golds, gold variants, or sometimes chasers.

Once you start collecting the gold versions, things get considerably more difficult.

You'll see the word exclusive frequently in collecting.

But exclusive and rare aren't necessarily the same thing.

An exclusive simply means an item had some restriction on where or how it was available.

• BlizzCon exclusive
• Event exclusive
• Store exclusive
• Employee exclusive
• Regional exclusive
• Promotional release
• Included with another product

A limited edition, meanwhile, may have a specific production quantity.

That information can be useful when trying to understand how difficult a pin may be to find.

But production quantity never tells the entire story.

This is where collecting gets interesting.

Rare doesn't simply mean old.

Several different factors can affect how difficult a pin is to locate.

This deserves its own section.

A pin being rare doesn't automatically make it expensive.

And a pin being expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's incredibly rare.

Imagine only 500 copies of a pin exist—but only 100 collectors care about it.

Now imagine 5,000 copies of another pin exist—but thousands of collectors want one.

Which one is harder to buy?

That's why character popularity, franchise popularity, appearance, completionists, and current collector interest can matter just as much as production numbers.

There is no single official price guide for retired Blizzard collectible pins.

Once an item is no longer available at retail, the collector market largely determines its value.

The most useful information usually comes from actual completed sales.

That's an important distinction.

If someone lists a pin online for $400, that tells you someone would like to receive $400.

It doesn't tell you that anyone has ever paid $400.

When evaluating a pin, consider:

• Recent sold prices
• How frequently it actually sells
• Condition
• Whether original packaging is included
• How often examples become available
• Current collector demand

BlizzardItems tracks estimated values for many pins in the database to make this easier.

But a collectible is ultimately worth what another collector is willing to pay for it.

Two copies of the same pin aren't necessarily equal.

Things that can affect condition include:

• Scratches
• Bent posts
• Damaged enamel
• Tarnishing or discoloration
• Missing backers
• Damaged or missing original packaging
• Manufacturing defects

Some collectors care deeply about original packaging.

Others immediately remove every pin and put it into a display case.

Neither approach is wrong.

But if you're buying a particularly valuable pin, look carefully at what you're actually getting.

Absolutely not.

In fact, trying to collect every Blizzard pin ever produced is one of the quickest ways to make the hobby feel overwhelming.

Instead, figure out what makes collecting fun for you.

Maybe you collect only:

Or maybe your entire collecting philosophy is:

"I buy pins that look cool."

That's a perfectly legitimate collection.

There's no finish line.

If you're someone who likes having a goal, pick a set.

Instead of looking at hundreds of Blizzard pins and thinking:

"Where do I even start?"

You can decide:

"I'm going to complete one series."

Now you have a checklist.

That little bit of structure can make collecting much more approachable.

Once you complete one set, choose another.

Or don't.

That's the nice thing about collecting.

Once your collection starts growing, you'll need somewhere to put it.

There isn't one correct answer.

The best storage method is the one that lets you enjoy your collection while keeping it protected.

This is the part people don't think about until suddenly they own 150 pins.

At some point you'll ask:

"Wait... do I already have this?"

That's exactly why we built BlizzardItems.com.

You can use BlizzardItems to:

• Identify Blizzard pins
• Search by name
• Browse by franchise
• Browse series
• See rarity information
• View release information
• See how an item was originally obtained
• Track estimated values
• Add pins to your personal collection
• Build a wishlist

As your collection grows, keeping it cataloged becomes increasingly useful.

It also makes it much easier to set goals.

Your collection tells you what you have.

Your wishlist tells you what comes next.

When you find a pin you eventually want, add it.

You don't need to immediately start hunting it down.

Over time, your wishlist becomes a roadmap for your collection.

And there's something extremely satisfying about finally moving a pin from:

It's fun discovering that something in your collection is valuable.

It's useful knowing approximately what your collection is worth.

And there's nothing wrong with pursuing rare pins.

But value is only one way to look at collecting.

A common $10 pin featuring your favorite character may mean more to you than a $300 employee pin.

A pin you picked up during a memorable trip may mean more than either of them.

The best collection isn't the most expensive one.

It's the one you're excited to look at.

Once you've started building a collection, you may eventually want to trade duplicates or hunt for specific pins from other collectors.

We keep that topic separate so this guide can stay focused on the collecting side of the hobby.

Collect what you like.

That's really it.

Not what someone tells you is rare.

Not what has the highest estimated value.

Not what you think you're supposed to collect.

Blizzard pins represent years of games, characters, events, artists, employees, esports, anniversaries, and community history.

Your collection doesn't need to represent all of that.

It just needs to represent the parts of Blizzard that matter to you.

Maybe that's your favorite game.

Maybe it's a character you've played for twenty years.

Maybe it's a pin you picked up at your first BlizzCon.

And maybe one pin turns into five.

Then twenty.

Then you find yourself buying a display case.

That's usually how this goes.

Welcome to Blizzard pin collecting.

— BlizzardItems