Pinny Trading Meetup Report

July 2026

If you’re familiar with my PAX reports, you know that I absolutely love the electric buzz of thousands of fellow gamers. It’s four days of gaming love with our enthusiasm cranked to eleven. But you also know that PAX is more than that experience of intensity. What matters most is the human moments, the space in between the lights, the sound, the glitz, and the glamor. It’s the human moment that caught my attention when I saw a message pop in the Pinny Pals Slack. “I’m starting to plan for a meetup mid-July.” Posted by Asfera.

Asfera? That was the guy who gave my wife a pin backing when she lost hers. A better one, in fact. He was also really kind to me, giving me advice on pin values, who had what up for trade, and was generally just good to people getting their start (like me). I may not remember everyone I meet at PAX, but I do remember kindness. And by and large, the Pinny traders have had that in abundance.

So, with the convention 27 miles and four months in the rear view mirror, a cozy group of PAXstronauts brought their pins and their memories and shared pastries and stories. When I walked into the Country Kitchen, before I could get my bearings, a voice called from the back, “Ban!” The shortened moniker of my username from the Pinny Boards made it feel like a callback to “Norm!” from the sitcom Cheers. Before I even could open up my small banner of pin trades, we were chatting.

Pinny Meetups in the community room at PAX can be a bit frantic sometimes with only an hour to do your hunt and make your trades. By contrast, we had hours to just sit, talk, and enjoy one another’s company. Sure, we made some trades. That’s the social glue. But the real treasure is seeing some familiar faces and getting introduced to a few more. I’d invited Sam, a fellow PAXstronaut I connected to after a panel in 2025. I got to talk with Robert Coker in more depth. My (now adult) child came along too for the camaraderie. PAX is unquestionably wonderful, but this was a much better venue to just sit and talk with your people.

For four hours we made our trades, shared our stories, and gave helpful advice about making our way to our grails. Speaking of grails, Robert shared the story of finding a Timelines, a pin I’d been on the hunt for for years, so I know that quest. It was in a mall collectibles case for $15, and we both knew it had a trade value of almost ten times that much. I was delighted to celebrate his win with him.

Sam had said, “Pins are nice. But now I have a pin that’s attached to a memory.”

And that’s the real thing. PAX isn’t just a show. And it doesn’t end when the convention hall closes. PAX is a community. When values of generosity, kindness, and welcoming are extended across barriers, then PAX is really doing its thing. Even miles from the hall.