Darkmoon Faire for Beginners

One of the biggest reasons collectors head to the Darkmoon Faire isn't something Blizzard sells at all.

It's the other collectors.

Previous Darkmoon Faires have included dedicated spaces where attendees can sit down, open their pin books, lay out their patch boards, and trade with one another.

If you're new, picture tables filled with collectors and an incredible amount of Blizzard history spread across them.

You'll commonly see people trading things like:

• Blizzard pins
• Gold and chaser variants
• Velcro patches
• BlizzCon exclusives
• Employee items
• Esports collectibles
• Other small Blizzard collectibles

There's no complicated official system for these collector-to-collector trades.

Find a spot, put out the items you're willing to trade, and start talking to people.

You also don't need a huge collection to participate. If you've only brought a handful of traders, that's fine. Walk around and ask people if they're trading.

This is one of the best places at BlizzCon to meet other Blizzard collectors.

And don't visit only once. Different collectors will be trading throughout the weekend, so the tables on Saturday morning can look completely different by Sunday afternoon.

This is different from trading directly with another attendee.

Historically, Blizzard has also operated official trading boards featuring Blizzard pins and patches.

These boards are absolutely worth checking.

The concept is usually simple: you trade an eligible Blizzard collectible from your collection for one displayed on the official board, following Blizzard's rules for that year.

The interesting part is that the boards constantly change.

A collector takes something they want and replaces it with something from their own collection. The next collector does the same thing.

So if you check a board at 10:00 AM and don't see anything interesting, that tells you almost nothing about what could be there later.

Pay Attention to the Rules

Blizzard has historically established specific rules governing official trades, including what items are eligible and how many trades can be made.

There may also be different rules for special variants such as gold pins.

Read the posted 2026 rules before making a trade.

We'll update this guide with the exact rules once Blizzard publishes them.

Now we're getting into one of the experiences that really makes the Darkmoon Faire feel like a Faire.

The capsule machines.

In recent BlizzCons, attendees have purchased Darkmoon Faire tokens and used them in large capsule machines containing exclusive Blizzard collectibles.

The standard capsule prizes in recent years—including BlizzCon 2023—have been exclusive sets of Blizzard vinyl Velcro patches.

But the patches aren't the only reason collectors line up for the machines.

Random capsules can also contain prize redemption tickets.

Those tickets can represent much larger prizes, ranging from digital Blizzard items to physical collectibles such as plush, figures, Funko POPs, and even high-end Blizzard statues.

This feeds directly into trading

Got a duplicate patch?

Pulled something you don't need?

Don't immediately be disappointed.

Head over to the trading area. Other collectors are opening the same randomized capsule set, which makes the Darkmoon Faire a great place to trade duplicates for the patches you're missing.

What About Tokens?

The exact token system can change from one BlizzCon to another. Check Blizzard's posted information at the Faire for current token prices, purchase limits, and activity requirements.

One important thing to know from previous years: purchasing tokens and using the capsule machines can involve separate queues, and both can get extremely busy during peak periods.

If you're planning to spend serious time at the capsule machines, read our complete capsule-machine guide before you go.

And then there's the dangerous part.

The shop.

The Darkmoon Faire has traditionally been one of the important places to find Blizzard collectibles created specifically for BlizzCon, the Faire, or current Blizzard releases.

Collectors should keep an eye out for several major categories.

If something is a must-have for your collection, learn how it is being distributed and whether Blizzard has established purchase limits.

The Darkmoon Faire isn't really four unrelated activities.

They all feed into each other.

You may buy something new, open a mystery item, trade it for something else, and then trade that item again before the weekend is over.

By Sunday, the collectible you started with may be completely different from the one that ends up in your permanent collection.

That's the Darkmoon Faire.

Your Trade Items

Keep anything you're willing to trade separate from items that are not for trade.

Pin bags, binders, Velcro boards, and similar organizers make it much easier for other collectors to see what you have.

Your Wishlist

Know what you're hunting for before you walk into the Faire.

If you use BlizzardItems, update your Wishlist before leaving for Anaheim so you can pull it up on your phone while you're trading.

A Bag With Some Room Left

Seriously.

Don't pack your convention bag completely full before you get there.

You're probably going to acquire things.

A Portable Battery

Between the BlizzCon schedule, messaging friends, taking pictures, looking up collectibles, and checking your BlizzardItems collection, your phone is going to get a workout.

Patience

The Faire can get busy.

If there's something especially popular or limited, expect other people to want it too.

If pin trading is one of the main reasons you're visiting the Darkmoon Faire, we have a separate guide that goes much deeper.

Don't treat the Darkmoon Faire like a store you need to rush through.

The merchandise is fun.

The mystery items are fun.

Finding something rare is definitely fun.

But the reason the Darkmoon Faire matters so much to Blizzard collectors is the community gathered around all of it.

It's one of the places at BlizzCon where walking up to a complete stranger and asking about the pile of tiny video-game collectibles sitting in front of them is completely normal.

Take your time.

Look around.

Trade something.

Ask questions.

And if you walk in thinking:

"I'm not really a collector."

We'll see how that's going by Sunday afternoon.

Welcome to the Faire.

— BlizzardItems