Bear Hugs Looking Sharp: CALS Grad Collects Vintage Cornell Pins (and Jewelry) Kate Costa Leming ’01 started amassing Big Red memorabilia in the early days of eBay—and now she has her own store “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Joe Wilensky You’ll find “Cornell” everywhere in the dozens of vintage brooches, rings, and other jewelry that Kate Costa Leming ’01 has collected. It’s in tiny font between two fine red stripes on a silver pin shaped like an oar; it’s delicately set within the University insignia on a bar brooch from the 1930s; and it’s spelled out in red-and-white enameled letters that dangle from a gold link bracelet. The assortment includes everything from Farm and Home Week pins from the 1920s and ’30s to numerous incarnations of the Big Red Bear to a pin marking the University’s sesquicentennial in 2014–15. Sporting one of her vintage pins. The CALS alum has built this collection of more than five dozen vintage pins and jewelry over the past 25 years—although their number pales in comparison to the thousands of others she finds and sells to finance her hobby. Leming’s eBay shop—called PinGenius, its slogan declares that “every pin tells a story”—has about 10,000 active listings at any given time. Many are vintage items from other universities, as well as pins and emblems from fraternities and sororities, the military, and other companies and organizations. This elaborate brooch features the University seal at its center. She finds most of her collectables—Cornell-related and otherwise—at antique malls and thrift stores, and searches through countless online auctions. Says Leming: “I love finding something and thinking, ‘I’m gonna grab it and make sure that very special pin gets into the hands of someone who is going to adore it.’” She finds most of her collectables at antique malls and thrift stores, and searches through countless online auctions. Her most profitable finds include a Penn pennant pin she found for $10 and sold for $500; a Pan Am “flight meteorologist” pin from the 1930s that sold for more than $2,000; and a 1910s-era Boy Scouts national commissioner pin (also a $2,000-plus sale). She even found a silver campaign medal from the mid-1800s that Queen Victoria awarded to soldiers in the New Zealand War. As Leming notes, she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD in her 40s—and that may be why she has the patience and focus to spend so much time seeking out and selling her wares. The collection comprises buttons, pins, rings, and more. “I didn’t realize that everyone else didn’t have this encyclopedic recall of brands, logos, mascots, fonts, and colors,” she says. “So I’m able to kind of use my powers for good—to identify the pins that I know will end up being meaningful to someone, in the same way that my Cornell pins are meaningful to me.” A military spouse and the mother of three teenagers who lives outside Kansas City, KS, Leming traces her hobby back to the early days of eBay, when she came across enameled pins shaped like Big Red pennants. I love finding something and thinking, ‘I’m gonna grab it and make sure that very special pin gets into the hands of someone who is going to adore it.’ “I was always taken with those and their artistry,” she recalls. “I thought they were really beautiful.” And while she has worked in various roles as a government contractor, she is finding that her hobby and eBay store have become more and more involving, and may eventually require a full-time commitment. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop,” she says with a laugh. “It’s still a lot of fun for me.” Cornelliana, on a Miniature Scale Leming often wears items from her Big Red collection at alumni events, where they spark conversation. She particularly loves the gold bar brooches—elegant, beautifully designed pieces, several dating to the late 1800s. “I just adore these,” she says. “I like to think about the women who would have worn them—those early female students in the 1800s—and I feel very connected to them.” Top: Vintage pins from Leming’s collection. (All photos provided) Published: September 12, 2025 Comments Joseph Kirschner, Class of 1993 15 Sep, 2025 Thank you Kate, and Joe W. for writing the article. Having a deep passion for vintage Cornell pins, buttons, and similar items, I loved reading about your collection and business, and very much enjoyed viewing the pictures of your collection. Readers may be interested to know that many of your items shown date to 1905 and earlier. I have several dozen vintage pins etc., myself, and would love to connect with you and share our interests. I will check out your ebay store as well. You can view my collection on my site iyellcornell.com – I look forward to connecting with you. Yell Cornell! Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond ‘Leading an Institution I Love Through These Challenging Times’ Quizzes & Puzzles May / June ’25 Trivia Roundup Campus & Beyond With a Woof and a Swab, Vet Prof’s Company Decodes Doggie DNA