If they Winter Olympics have not yet officially opened, the online market of objects and clothing related to games has already started and the most searched for items are those contained in kit data supplied to the 18,000 volunteers of the Milan Cortina Foundation. Objects that the people recruited to help in the Olympic organization have collected free of charge together with the accreditation and which, by regulation, they would not be salable.
Yet there is no shortage of first offenderswho are starting to put objects on sale, starting from those not strictly essential for carrying out the volunteer service. THE most popular on eBay there have been, in the last week, the Swatch wristwatches created specifically for volunteers, with a petrol blue plastic strap with white and yellow variegations. And if there are those who were content to start from an auction price of 80 euros, someone feared the figure of 597 euros.
It’s about specially created watches for staff working on the Olympics, not to be confused with the two models that the Swiss brand created for the Olympics and which are regularly on sale in two versions, 90 and 130 euros.
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Olympic jackets, shoes and neck warmers
After the torchbearer uniforms sold online at crazy prices, someone is risking a replica with the volunteer outfit. Few bosses have been hit on the portals for now: ski jacket for 250 euros, snow boots for 180 euros, neck warmers between 20 and 30 euros, backpacks up to 70 euros and hats between 20 and 40 euros both on eBay and on Vinted.
But be careful, the company producing the technical clothing for these Olympics is Salomon and has created aentire collection – very similar although not identical to the material given to the volunteers – inspired by the Olympic Games winter 2026 and with the license of the Milano Cortina Foundation. Therefore it is possible that some items posted online were purchased from the official store and subsequently resold for various reasons.
The same goes for the pins and water bottlesgiven to the volunteers together with the clothing kit, which should also consist of technical trousers, fleece, technical jacket, ski gloves and jacket, two long-sleeved polo shirts, boots, neck warmer, hat, backpack and watch. The same gadgets can be purchased in authorized points of sale and the pins will also be distributed free of charge starting from February 7th through the streets of the city through a treasure hunt launched by the tourist promotion body of the Municipality of Milan, Visit Milano, through its Instagram account Yes Milano.
Prohibited from selling uniforms
What is certain is that in Facebook group of the Olympic volunteers someone has already tried to ask the fateful question: “Once the necessary items have been collected, if for serious family or personal reasons (flu, fever…) the service cannot be carried out, Do I have to return everything?” Asks a user referring to the kit. Spoiler: no, there is no obligation to return. But the replies under the post didn’t take long to appear: “Things we’ve already seen get divided and then not showing up and even selling everything. I say this as a volunteer for the World Cup, Turin Olympics, etc. Unfortunately, disgust is everywhere”, replies a future volunteer.
And someone reports the message received via email from volunteers: “We would like to remind you that the uniform is an exclusive kit reserved for those participating in the Games and that, as written in the Team26 agreement (the group that brings together all the volunteers recruited by the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, ed.), it cannot be sold, even partially”.
