Disney pin collecting can turn a convention visit into a serious hunt. At D23, fans often spend hours waiting for limited-edition designs, with some traveling across the country for a chance to add rare pins to their collections.
Kyle Liddane has collected Disney pins for about 10 years. The Portland, Oregon, collector attended D23 for the first time and hoped to find sought-after designs from Mickey’s of Glendale, Disney’s company store, and the Hollywood Studio store.
“They have really nice-quality pins that are very sought after, they’ve very limited edition,” Liddane said while waiting at Disney’s official pin store booth.
Disney pin collecting gained momentum in the 1990s after the company introduced pin-trading programs at its parks. What started as a souvenir activity grew into a worldwide hobby involving collectors, traders, online communities, and dedicated events.
D23 Pins Sell Fast
The Mickey’s of Glendale Pin Store booth at the Anaheim Convention Center uses a virtual queue for purchases. The queue can fill almost immediately each day, leaving collectors facing long waits and the possibility of missing popular items.
One of the notable releases at D23 is the 2026 Premier Collection. The set includes 15 limited-edition pins created for the convention. Each design belongs to an LE1000 series, meaning Disney produced only 1,000 pins worldwide for each character design.
A complete 15-pin set costs $1,149 at D23. That works out to about $76.60 per pin.
Liddane has also taken part in Disney pin gatherings in Portland, at Disney parks, and online. He pointed to the size of the online collecting community, including a dedicated subreddit where fans discuss the hobby.
Collecting Becomes a Family Effort
For Lisa Hernandez, the D23 experience involved helping her daughter, Lauren Vogt, search for rare pins. Vogt began collecting about four to five years ago and quickly became deeply involved in buying, selling, and trading.
“She makes her pin boards, she’s into the collecting, selling, trading — it’s like a full-time job,” Hernandez said.
Vogt purchased Hernandez’s D23 ticket and asked her mother to help with the search. Hernandez watched bags, carried purchases, and joined lines so Vogt could manage the busy convention more easily.
Hernandez, a former Disneyland employee, also sees D23 as a useful meeting point for collectors. The convention gives fans opportunities to find limited-edition merchandise while connecting with others who share an interest in Disney pins.
Why D23 Matters to Collectors
The appeal of Disney pins comes from more than their character designs. Limited production numbers, convention-only releases, trading opportunities, and the social side of collecting all add value for dedicated fans.
For many collectors, D23 is not simply a place to shop. It is a chance to find hard-to-get pieces, meet fellow enthusiasts, and add a memorable item to a collection built over years.
The long queues and quick sellouts at D23 show how much interest remains in Disney pins. From early park trading programs to specialized online communities and convention releases, the hobby has developed into a lasting collector culture.
Limited editions such as the 2026 Premier Collection continue to give fans another reason to search, trade, and keep building their Disney pin boards.
