Not the best experiencewith a PRO pin trader

[scuba]

First of all, new to the boards and have been a disney fan for about 13 or so years. My wife and I have been an active visitor to Disney every year, and this last trip our 3 year old daughter was introduced by a cast member the wonders of pin trading. My wife and I never were interested because we thought that the pins on the cast mebers lanyards were their own pins and felt that they had no obligation to trade and never seen the fun in asking to trade. This trip we learned that the pins were Disney property and our daughter was free to trade with which ever cast member she wanted.
The last day of the trip we found ourselves in front of the pin station at Downtown Disney, where several Pro pin traders were setup. knowing what I know about "COMMON" baseball cards I ASSUMED that there were common pins so I asked Hannah our 3 year old to go up and ask a grandmother like collector if she could trade for a Tinkerbell pin, I again ASSUMING that she would have a unrare Tinkerbell pin no longer available that she would have traded for one of our daughters pins unrare unspecial pin she had on her lanyard. Well The Exact quote my Daughter recieved is......"Honey there is nothing on your lanyard that I would be remotely interested in".....I was horrified. I know that this PRO collector had no obligation but you have got to be kidding me, this is exactlly the reason I got out of collecting baseball cards. The experience of trading with cast members was purely delightful but this PRO pin trading stuff, I hope that all of the collectors are not this way

 

[SwiftCentaurette]

D: That's so mean!! When I'm going to work there and trade on my off days, I'm going to always have pins that I can trade that I don't care about. If a cute little 3 year old came up to me and asked to trade with me and I had a pin that fell into their interests that I didn't really have an attachment to, I'd give it to them for a trader, it's not like I'm going to die if I loose a nice pin. I'd be happy that I made the kid happy!! That trader was very rude
I hope your future trades are alot better!! I don't personally collect Tinkers but if I had one right now I'd mail you one

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The ones who hang out at DTD are sharks! Many of them have been banned from the Parks. I know at the parks often the CMs at the major pin locations will warn people away, but the attitude of the CMs (and especially the managers) at Pin Traders is there is no such thing as a shark.

 

[Love2Tvl1]

I really don't care for blanket statements like that. I'm from Arizona, and have only been to DTD three times within the last 14 months or so. I have found some really nice traders there, and a few of the shark variety too, but mostly they have been friendly. The traders I know personally, generally all carry a special supply of trader pins for little children, and don't expect anything in return when a pin is given. They just give for the joy in the child's eyes. As I do.
To OP-Please don't give up because of this incident. There are many other traders out there who would never do that.
Andrea

 

[Tampa Mousekeeter]

I am a novice pin trader, we started about 2 months ago. Saturday we were at DTD and I spoke to few of the Pin Traders that are set up at the tables outside the store. Most are very nice and very informative. However, I think all treat this more like a business than a hobby and they are really not interested in anything other than what they are looking for. You have to give to them about how much they know but at one point one of the CM's brought out a board to trade and it was like a pack of wolves running over there!!!

 

[scuba]

I fully understand that unfortunatly I picked the bad apple in the group of pin collectors at DTD. the woman actually looked like she could have been a fairy godmother but in the end was the evil queen in disguise. I WAS a collector of baseball cards starting at around the age of 12 or so, early 80's and watched that industry nearly destroy itself, the average age of the sports card collector is now around 32, and since the dawn of attatching inherent values to individual cards the market is now run by greed. We recently left the disney property on the 3rd of november so it would have been Sunday the 2nd when we were at DTD and had the encounter. We were at the POP Century and I actually picked up a pin trader book in the Disney shop, I didn't see a value assigned to each of the pins that has been released in the past. Is there a guide out there that places value on these pins? and if there is GOD HELP US if Disney doesn't learn from the baseball card industry...but I have heard they keep a fairly tight hold on the pins

 

[ArielRae]

Not all of the pin traders there are bad. Some have boards on the table that say for trade and will take anything for the pins. DH and I will be down there trading for the first time in DTD at a table in Sept. We will have alot of pins for which we will trade anything for. We do it for fun not for profit. I can't wait. DH loves to do it just to talk with people.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

I think, like all experiences in life, there are both great, average and bad PRO traders.

We went to our first Pin Festival this year with our eight year old daughter and were very, very, VERY nervous about going into the back room to trade (the back room is reserved for anyone to bring their pin collection and trade with others). We had heard some horror stories about some of the traders back there.

While waiting for one of the games to start, we took a chance and went back. The first PRO trader we encountered couldn't have been nicer and more polite with our DD. He and his DW listened to what she liked and made a trade that we KNEW wasn't a good trade for them but he wanted to do it anyways to make our DD happy. She treasures that pin and we have framed it for her room.

Anyways, point being, there definitely are some annoyingly rude PRO traders but PLEASE don't think they are all that way and don't give up. Some of them are cynical because, believe it or not, other PRO traders will use their own children to their advantage and have them go up and try to trade a common for something special just because they are kids. I saw this happen with my own eyes.

One question we learned to ask was "do you have any common pins you trade for other commons?". That way they knew we weren't interested in ripping them off and they knew that we just wanted to trade pins. That seemed to lighten the mood up a bit.

Keep the faith and enjoy the pin trading. It really enhances our experience at WDW.

 

[scuba]

Actually, CarnotaurDad I did ask this Pro trader that I speak, about "COMMON PINS" and she told me that "COMMON PINS" are the ones you can buy in there, and she pointed to the DIS pin station. So i'm really over the whole incident and i'm certain that not every pro trader is that way, I'm simply an old baseball card collector that watched before my eyes something that I beloved, my baseball card collecting, fall into the hands of adults looking to turn over a profit and driven by greed.......it's was just a warning that if we allow this pin trading to be run by greed, and suddenly the trade is filled with folks as I described in my OP then we will see the same fate that sports cards are experiencing right now. I will always be looking with my daughter at cast members lanyards while at Disney and will always trade while in park, but i'm certain that I will not give a second look to a pro trader......On a side note, I had to bite my tongue several times when I watched my daughter trade away an 11.00 dollar pin for one I saw at a pin station for 7.00....this is her thing and I have resolved myself to let her have it...thanks to all who have listened

 

[loveWDWalways]

This is why I'm scared to trade with guests ... I know some are very gracious and helpful to novice traders, like PPs have mentioned, but I'm afraid the others would just ruin my day.

But where would you find non "common pins?" Are these the pins available at the Disney Soda Fountain Store, NY WOD, The Disney Store, etc? Or do these also include very LE pins that are released at the parks too? I've just started pin collecting and would love to know anything I can.

TIA!

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

Sorry you had a bad experience, but if it's any consolation, your DD has more guts than I do... I'm too intimidated to even go up to them let alone ask them if they will trade with me!

 

[daber]

This is why I'm scared to trade with guests ... I know some are very gracious and helpful to novice traders, like PPs have mentioned, but I'm afraid the others would just ruin my day.

But where would you find non "common pins?" Are these the pins available at the Disney Soda Fountain Store, NY WOD, The Disney Store, etc? Or do these also include very LE pins that are released at the parks too? I've just started pin collecting and would love to know anything I can.

TIA!

To OP: Yes, just as any other hobby, there are good apples, then there are bad apples and you have to take the good with the bad. Some people look at pins and just see $$$$$. The best part of this hobby isn't necessarily the pins, but the friendships that have resulted over the years. Others on this board will back me up. Sorry to the OP that you had to experience the bad rather than the good.

As for "common" pins, there is no real definition for that as with say stamp collecting. "Rack" I guess is close to this however. A "Rack" pin is one that is mass produced and there are zillions of them. I also put the Hidden Mickey or Lanyard pins in this group, though others may not, since there is no edition size.

LE or Limited Edition pins they make, supposedly, only that number of pins and that's it. However, it's not as simple as that. You would think an LE of 300 would be more valuable than say one with an LE of 1000. But there are other factors, i.e. where did it come from (DCL, DSF, Imagineering, etc.) and subject matter (Haunted Mansion, POTC, etc.). So a James and the Giant Peach LE 100 may be someone's HG (Holy Grail), most people wouldn't look twice at that pin. On the other hand the Haunted Mansion dangle LE 1000 or the Main Street Electrical Parade spinner LE 3,500 have lots of people searching for them and still can't find it or have something worth enough to trade for it.

 

[loveWDWalways]

To OP: Yes, just as any other hobby, there are good apples, then there are bad apples and you have to take the good with the bad. Some people look at pins and just see $$$$$. The best part of this hobby isn't necessarily the pins, but the friendships that have resulted over the years. Others on this board will back me up. Sorry to the OP that you had to experience the bad rather than the good.

As for "common" pins, there is no real definition for that as with say stamp collecting. "Rack" I guess is close to this however. A "Rack" pin is one that is mass produced and there are zillions of them. I also put the Hidden Mickey or Lanyard pins in this group, though others may not, since there is no edition size.

LE or Limited Edition pins they make, supposedly, only that number of pins and that's it. However, it's not as simple as that. You would think an LE of 300 would be more valuable than say one with an LE of 1000. But there are other factors, i.e. where did it come from (DCL, DSF, Imagineering, etc.) and subject matter (Haunted Mansion, POTC, etc.). So a James and the Giant Peach LE 100 may be someone's HG (Holy Grail), most people wouldn't look twice at that pin. On the other hand the Haunted Mansion dangle LE 1000 or the Main Street Electrical Parade spinner LE 3,500 have lots of people searching for them and still can't find it or have something worth enough to trade for it.

Thanks for the info, daber!

I've been collecting many pins from the Disney Store website (as well as from the parks) as they seem to have lots of LE pins. Are the pins from this site as highly valued, just like pins from the parks, resorts, Imagineering, etc? I have found such a great selection and I love them. What is DCL?

As for the HM and Main Street Electrical Parade and other popular pins of low edition sizes, one can find these at the parks on the shelves with open edition pins?

Also, when a mystery/surprise pin is released, I've read that the information about it isn't really given out until after the release time, but where would you find these ... on the shelves, or would you just have to go ask the CMs if any are being released that day and they will bring them out for you? I purchased a mystery pin earlier this year, by just asking the CM what pins were valuable and if she could point some out to me.

Sorry for so many questions! I've been reading guides on the Internet about trading and collecting, but the DIS always has the best info.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Daber gave good advice.

DCL = Disney Cruise Line

Pin collecting is an usual hobby as how many other hobbies do you know where you acquire to also give away or just trade? For us long timers I think there are very few of us who have not given dozens of pins away over the years to kids. (Or heck, even gifted to adults. ) Most of us believe in Pin Karma.

I have been collecting for years now (too long --ehem). And as daber stated we have made GREAT friends and have long lasting friendships that came from pin trading.

Then there is the ugly side.

Being an introvert and just under a 5 year WDW local, when I do trade it's either on-line through Pinpics or with CMs in the parks.

And I would be happy to send your little a princess a pin.

I have some Wall E temporary tatoos and/or a Hannah Montana word magnet I can throw in too. Just PM me her name and your mailing addy.

 

[Love2Tvl1]

Way to go Daber and Luv2Roam (Like your screen name heh heh)
Very well said!
Andrea

There are some great sites on the web where you can join wonderful communities of pin collectors and traders. Try doing a search on your browser. Also Disney has a web site with info about pins where they announce new releases that come out at the parks, not on Disney Shopping. Search for 'Official Disney Pin Trading'.

 

[Luv2Roam]

(Like your screen name heh heh)

 

[daber]

Thanks for the info, daber!

As for the HM and Main Street Electrical Parade and other popular pins of low edition sizes, one can find these at the parks on the shelves with open edition pins?

Also, when a mystery/surprise pin is released, I've read that the information about it isn't really given out until after the release time, but where would you find these ... on the shelves, or would you just have to go ask the CMs if any are being released that day and they will bring them out for you? I purchased a mystery pin earlier this year, by just asking the CM what pins were valuable and if she could point some out to me.

The best source for where and when pins are released is either the Official Disney Pin Trading section of the Disney web site, or Dizpins.com.

LE pins are sold at the pin locations and are in a separate section. If you can't find them, ask a CM. They should be able to direct you to where they are. Also, each location also normally has a book of pins that have been released or soon to be released and their location, if it is a limited location. For example, Figment pins, by and large are only released in EPCOT.
However, there are exceptions to every rule. This year there is the Find a Pin series, where they have clues to where the next pin to be released on the current pin. So the September pin had Figment in front of MouseGears, but the pin was sold only at Mickeys of Hollywood in the Studio. The October pin in the series was sold in MouseGears only.

Mystery pins are just that. No one knows where or when they will be released and you find out by word of mouth with either the CMs or your network of friends.

A word of caution, placing an expected value on a pin, "this one will be valuable" is like investing in the stock market. It's pure speculation. You can make an educated guess, but there are no guarentees. And the CM who says it will be valuable could be just as wrong as I have been sometimes. Oh if only I had purchased more MSEP spinners the day it came out!!!

 

[Parkhopper_Vince]

Yes, hindsight is 20-20. I was in the airport waiting for my flight when Flubber was released. If I had only known at the time what was to be I would have paid whatever price they asked to change that flight.

True that there are good and bad trading experiences and no matter how long you have been trading you still run into the bad ones from time to time. I hate to hear anyone that has had a child have a bad experience. I don't really know how people can do that.

I have collected many many friends through pin trading and even more great memories that I can look back on. Hope you find some good experiences to replace the bad one.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

>>A word of caution, placing an expected value on a pin, "this one will be valuable" is like investing in the stock market. It's pure speculation.<<

Agreed! 99% of the time you'll guess wrong... Often times its the ones that sit around the longest on the shelves that become the hardest to get... Trying to find a rack pin that wasnt "loved" several years later can be impossible... right now Pin 50732: DLR - Victorian Holiday (Minnie Mouse) is eluding me.. It is a basic 6.95 rack pin and Ive been searching for 2 years...

My best advice is to get the ones you like and not what you think will be valuable.. If they do become, great if not, you still have great pins... Of all my pins (1500+) I have prob 40-50 that have ever reached $$$, another 300+ that have retained their value or upped by 20 percent. The rest have devalued (worth less than what I paid for them for a mirad of reasons) but to me they are all priceless....

When starting out- figure out what you want to collect, then start with CMs, and start to learn about what pins you want and what itll take to get them (pinpics is a great database of whatevers been released) then start working to get them...

I'm a big believer in when its right its right when it comes to trading. If a trade doesnt seem fair, walk away- the right trader will come along and itll be a fair trade. There was one pin I'd been looking for for almost 2 years and never had seen it in person. The first time I did I was able to make a VERY fair trade to get it...

 

[Caitsmama]

I am sorry your dd had this happen...

Personally, me and my dd are traders, and when we go on vacation to WDW or the DCL, we ONLY take our pins that we WANT to trade. I know some like to wear everything or their prize pins, which i can also understand.. but for me, i like the idea that every pin that either i or dd is wearing is easily tradable without a second thought! LOL The others stay home on display in dd's room on her pin board. It's just much easier that way.