Cooperstown Pin Trading Tips: What We Learned After Our First Tournament

Cooperstown pin trading tips can be hard to figure out before your first tournament. We knew trading pins were a big part of the Cooperstown experience, but we had plenty of questions before we left. How many pins should we order? What kinds of designs do kids actually want? Is it worth spending more for specialty pins?

After spending a week at Cooperstown, watching hundreds of kids trade, and seeing what actually happened throughout the tournament, I came away with a much better understanding of how pin trading works. Some of what we planned ahead for was spot on, while other things I’d absolutely do differently.

In this guide, I’m sharing the Cooperstown pin trading tips and lessons we learned firsthand, including how many pins I’d order, what I noticed kids cared about most, when the busiest trading happened, and advice I’d give other families before they go. You can also find more help throughout my Cooperstown baseball guides and travel tournament tips as you plan the rest of your trip.

Why Pin Trading Is Such a Big Part of the Cooperstown Experience

Before our trip, I knew pin trading was a tradition at Cooperstown, but I didn’t realize just how quickly it became part of the experience. Before we had even finished checking in on the first day, kids were already walking up to each other asking, “Want to trade?”

Throughout the week, players carried binders filled with their pins and were always keeping an eye out for another team. We saw pin trading happening between games, during breaks, around the complex, and while walking through Cooperstown. Since teams from both Cooperstown All Star Village and Cooperstown Dreams Park spend time in town throughout the summer, kids had opportunities to trade with players from both tournaments.

One thing I noticed was how simple it all was. A player would walk up, ask if someone wanted to trade, and they’d flip through each other’s binders looking for something they liked. Sometimes a trade happened in seconds. Other times they’d thank each other and move on.

By the end of the week, it was easy to see why pin trading is such a memorable part of the Cooperstown experience. It wasn’t something that happened at a scheduled time or in one specific place. It was happening throughout the week wherever kids gathered.

Those pins ended up becoming some of our favorite Cooperstown souvenirs because each one reminds him of a different trade or memory from the week.

Pin trading starts almost immediately, and I cover everything else that happens during the first day at Cooperstown in a separate guide.

My Son’s Experience with Pin Trading

Before we left for Cooperstown, my son had already told us he wasn’t expecting to trade very much. He wanted to have team pins to trade, but he wasn’t nearly as interested in pin trading as some of the other boys seemed to be while we were planning. We had actually hoped to order fewer pins because of that, but our team decided on one quantity for everyone, so each player ended up with 112 pins.

His opinion changed once we arrived.

When we parked on the first day, he left his pin binder in the car because he didn’t think he’d need it right away. As soon as we walked into the complex, kids were everywhere asking each other if they wanted to trade. Before we had even finished checking in, he turned around and walked back to the car to grab his binder.

The same thing happened the first time we walked around Cooperstown. At first, he left his binder behind, but after seeing so many players trading pins around town, he went back to the car to get it so he could join in.

He never became one of the kids who spent every free minute searching for the next trade, but he definitely enjoyed it more than he expected. By the end of the week, he had collected some really fun pins and was glad he had brought plenty to trade.

Even so, we still came home with well over half of the pins we started with. Looking back, that confirmed what we suspected before the trip—we probably didn’t need as many as we ordered, at least for the way he approached pin trading.

Most Kids Were Looking for the Coolest Pins, Not Every Team’s Pin

Before we got to Cooperstown, I assumed the goal of pin trading would be to collect a pin from every team. I’m sure some players were doing exactly that, but from what I observed throughout the week, most of the boys were much more focused on finding the coolest and rarest pins they could.

Some pins became popular almost immediately. On the first day, everyone seemed to be talking about one particular dumpling pin that looked like one of the squishy collectibles that are popular right now. Once the boys realized there were quite a few of them in circulation, though, the excitement faded, and they moved on to searching for pins that were harder to find.

The pins that really got their attention were the ones that stood out. Moving pieces, spinning features, unusual shapes, and interactive pins that were part of a collection all seemed to be in high demand. I also noticed that designs based on current pop culture, cartoons like SpongeBob, and even sports figures that 12-year-old boys recognized attracted a lot of attention. It was fun watching a player flip through someone’s binder and suddenly get excited when they spotted a pin they’d been hoping to find. Our team had pins with spinning features, and they definitely got noticed, but some of the more creative and over-the-top designs were the ones kids seemed most excited to trade for.

Watching all of this completely changed the way I think about designing Cooperstown trading pins. If I were helping design a team’s pins, I’d let the players have much more input. They’re the ones trading them, and after watching pin trading all week, I realized they have a much better sense of what other kids their age are excited to trade for than most adults do.

Now that we have experienced pin trading, I don’t think the boys cared nearly as much about whether a pin perfectly represented a team. They cared much more about whether it was unique, fun, and something another player would be excited to trade for.

One of My Biggest Cooperstown Pin Trading Tips: How Many Pins to Order

This is probably the Cooperstown pin trading question I see asked most often, and after our trip, I definitely have an opinion.

Our team ordered 112 pins for every player. Before the trip, we had actually hoped to order fewer because my son didn’t think he’d trade all that much. Since our team decided everyone would order the same quantity, everyone ended up with 112 pins.

By the end of the week, we came home with 77 unused pins.

Looking back, I think 112 was far more than we needed. Our regular team pin design had about 1,190 copies in circulation that week. That’s a lot of the same pin available for trades, and I think most of our players probably came home with quite a few of them still left.

If I were planning the trip again, I’d probably order closer to 50 to 60 pins instead. That would have been a much better fit for the way my son approached pin trading, and I’d rather use some of the savings to create a few more unique specialty pins that kids are genuinely excited to trade for.

One idea I kept thinking about after we got home is that organizations that regularly send teams to Cooperstown could consider creating one generic organization pin without player names, jersey numbers, or the tournament year. Any extras could simply be passed along to the next Cooperstown team instead of going unused. Then each year’s team could focus more of its budget on a few fun, creative designs that players are excited to trade.

Of course, every player is different. Some boys traded every chance they got, while others were much more selective. My biggest takeaway wasn’t that every family should order the same number of pins. It was that the right quantity depends on your child’s interest in pin trading, and I’d put just as much thought into the designs as the total number you order.

Since trading pins are one of the biggest optional team purchases, it’s also worth thinking through the other extras before placing your order. I break those down in planning Cooperstown team extras. If you’re putting together your budget, planning your Cooperstown tournament budget can help you decide where pin trading fits alongside the other costs.

Pin Trading Was About More Than Just Collecting Pins

One of my favorite things about pin trading had nothing to do with the pins themselves.

My son isn’t the type to walk up and introduce himself to someone he doesn’t know. But at Cooperstown, pin trading gave kids an easy reason to start a conversation. Instead of trying to think of what to say, one player would simply ask, “Do you want to trade pins?” From there, they’d look through each other’s collections, talk about the designs they liked, and sometimes end up chatting for a few minutes before moving on.

It was also fun to watch the siblings get involved. Many teams had sibling pins, and some of those designs were even more creative than the players’ pins. I saw lots of younger brothers and sisters proudly carrying their own pins and trading throughout the week. It gave them something fun to do between games, helped keep them entertained during downtime, and made it easy for them to meet other kids who were there with their families.

My 15-year-old daughter had no interest in trading, which honestly didn’t surprise me, but I could definitely see the appeal for younger siblings.

Another thing I noticed was that it didn’t seem to matter whether a player was staying at Cooperstown All Star Village or Cooperstown Dreams Park. When we were walking around Cooperstown, kids traded with players from both tournaments without giving it a second thought. If someone had a pin they wanted, they simply asked if they wanted to trade.

After spending the week there, I think that’s one of the reasons pin trading has become such a memorable part of the Cooperstown experience. It’s about a lot more than collecting pins. It gives kids, and even younger siblings, a simple, fun way to connect with other families from all over the country.

Many families also fit a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame into their tournament week, and we even saw players trading pins while exploring the museum and around Main Street.

When We Found the Best Pin Trading Opportunities

One thing I’d recommend is starting to trade as soon as you arrive. Before we had even finished checking in on the first day, kids were already walking around asking each other if they wanted to trade. The more popular designs started circulating almost immediately.

From what I observed, the first couple of days seemed to be the best time to trade your most common team pins. Once a lot of players already had the same design, there was naturally less interest in trading for another one. If your team has a large number of the same pin in circulation, getting out there early can make a difference.

We also found that pin trading wasn’t limited to the ballfields. Whenever we walked through Cooperstown, players from both Cooperstown All Star Village and Cooperstown Dreams Park were trading on Main Street.

If you’re planning time away from the fields, exploring Cooperstown between games is one of the best parts of the week and gives players even more opportunities to trade.

Several of the shops even had large pin boards where kids could leave one pin and choose another, which was a fun way to add something different to their collection.

I found myself stopping to look through the board before we left just to see where everyone had come from. Even our Airbnb had a cork board where families were encouraged to leave one of their team pins to show they had stayed there and where they were from. It was such a simple idea, but it was fun looking through all the different teams that had visited before us.

My biggest takeaway is not to save pin trading for one specific event. Keep the binder nearby, start trading early, and don’t be surprised if some of the best opportunities happen when you’re simply walking around Cooperstown or waiting for the next game to begin.

One thing I’m glad we packed was a dedicated binder to keep the pins organized and easy to carry. You’ll find that, along with everything else we actually used, in my Cooperstown packing list. Having the right gear made the week a lot easier, and I share all of our favorite finds in what to buy for Cooperstown tournament week.

If you’re still getting ready for your trip, knowing what to expect at Cooperstown All Star Village can make the entire week feel much less overwhelming. Some families also combine the trip with a few days in Boston, especially when flying through the area, and my guide to things to do in Boston with teens can help if you’re considering that option.

Final Thoughts on Cooperstown Pin Trading Tips

I knew pin trading was a big part of the Cooperstown experience before we arrived, but putting these Cooperstown pin trading tips into practice would have helped us make even better decisions before the trip.

If you’re planning your first Cooperstown tournament, my biggest advice is to let your players help design the pins, think carefully about how many to order, and start trading as soon as you arrive. Hopefully these Cooperstown pin trading tips help your family make the most of one of Cooperstown’s most memorable traditions.

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