Pin trading, not as popular as it used to be??

[AngiTN]

Do you ever worry about buying from eBAy and not being able to trade them? Where else do people purchase pins?

The CM won't refuse. So it's not an issue to worry about

 

[peg2001]

Do you ever worry about buying from eBAy and not being able to trade them? Where else do people purchase pins?

The only way I know that you can be positive to avoid scrappers is to buy directly from Disney. We used to have some luck finding discount pins at our local Disney store in the mall but they don't seem to carry pins anymore. Besides, if you buy from Disney and then trade in the parks, you will end up trading genuine pins for scrappers that are on the lanyards.

If you just want to trade for fun then buying bulk pins from Ebay, etc. to trade in the parks is what most folks seem to do. Then, if you are trading scrapper for scrapper, you are on an even playing field.

 

[DoulaMel]

Thank you both for answering my question. On to find some pins

 

[broncobill]

Is there any way to tell the difference between Disney pins and scrappers?
I know the first couple of times we went, trading was big, not so much the last few times.
14 years ago, my daughter ended up with a few Disney pins that had gold palm fronds behind the character. A CM told us that they were limited production. Does any one have these or heard of them?

 

[jedi jen]

Thanks for the info! Going the beginning of August and looking forward to pin trading to beat the heat!

 

[AngiTN]

Is there any way to tell the difference between Disney pins and scrappers?
I know the first couple of times we went, trading was big, not so much the last few times.
14 years ago, my daughter ended up with a few Disney pins that had gold palm fronds behind the character. A CM told us that they were limited production. Does any one have these or heard of them?

There are ways the experts can tell. All those private individuals that gather outside the pin station at Epcot know. I don't bother with them, because I figure 90% of what we have are likely scrappers since I order off ebay and trade for what we like from CMs, who probably don't have all that many real ones either, if they've been trading much that day.

I have seen lots of info on blogs about spotting differences. Usually it's obvious messy areas on the pins, miss/off colors, that type of things. The pins are real pins and either bad copies or bad runs and due to be trashed and taken and sold instead. I think most scrappers are the 2nd, bad runs/misprints that are supposed to be trashed and are taken and sold by the plants that produce them. I think it's pretty easy to spot those because they do look pretty obviously messy

 

[ppjluvsdvc]

We are still trading. Many of the CMs have lanyards. Also there are many shops at the resorts and parks that have boards. Just ask the cms at the registers. I have not done it but there is supposed to be a person at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Mon - Fri named King Pin. Check in the store in Jambo. Concierge desks also have some books. We mostly trade the Hidden Mickey or the mystery pouches that you can buy that have 5 pins per pouch. Those seem to be the most cost efficient to trade. Also with the mystery sets you end up with duplicates that you will easily want to trade. We have had good luck with that strategy. Happy Trading!

PS I have noticed that there seem to be fewer scrappers around the parks than there was say a year or two ago. I feel that Disney is trying to get them off. I haven't asked anyone if that is the case but that is just my observation.

 

[lucas]

Did you check out the DIS Collectors Board? There are some discussions going on about the exact thing:
https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-collectors-board.37/

 

[matt&jakesmom]

You can so check for pins at each guest services at the parks and the resorts. We have found a lot of different pins that way.

 

[123SA]

Hmm...I have bought several lots over the years from ebay. I have never noticed any messy pins. We have never been refused a trade. We have never noticed any pin that seemed questionable. Most of the pins in the lots I've bought are parts of starter sets, with a few that are not.

 

[DizzyStitch]

We were just there in June and I thought some of the cast members had some amazing pins. It was actually one of our best years trading. This year I think more stores had pin boards. Even a bunch of the snack kiosks in DAK now have a pin boards.

 

[BigredNole]

It is still very popular and many CMs have the lanyards. Some people complain about it, others just accept it, the issue is that 70+% of the pins CMs have are the same pins bought in bulk off eBay. The days for trading quality pins is mostly over. I would say 1 in 10 CMs had something worth trading for. Most of it is the Hidden Mickey sets. Over the course of 2 weeks, my DD traded about 100 pins.

 

[DisneyPrincess88]

We just bought our first pins to trade on our first trip to Disneyland! Very excited!

 

[bookgirl]

The Fire Station on Main Street (where you get your SMK cards) usually has at least one CM with pins. Especially the guys standing outside with books.

 

[Gillbob316]

My biggest problem with the decline in pin trading is the overall lack of variety these days. I can find them, but I feel like I'm seeing the same pins over and over, and most of them are lame. Sure, you can still find CM's with pins, but they all have similar selections culled from the same pool of similar hidden mickey sets of the past 5 years. (Many of which are knock-offs that people have traded into circulation to boot)

For trading stock, my family bought a whole mess of clearance pins from the Disney Store 10+ years ago and we've been living off those for trades ever since. Back in the day it felt like we were giving away bad pins for good ones... now somehow the tables have turned, and those old clearance pins feel better than the ones we're trading them for, haha. I'll give away pins from shows like Gargoyles, Mighty Ducks or Rollie Pollie Ollie sometimes and occasionally the cast member will perk up with excitement because it's a pin they've never seen before from a show they remember (When in reality I bought these pins a dime a dozen and have traded loads of them through the years.)

If you've ever found a Mighty Ducks pin on a cast member, I probably gave it to him, haha.

Even looking at pins I've collected: My sister and I focus on Tinker Bell. We never let a new Tink pin go when we see one we don't have on a CM. Every one we've ever traded is currently on the wall of my cubicle at work (We started as kids, now I'm an adult *Gasp*)... the older ones to the left side are random and unique. The newer ones to the right are all hidden mickeys, with an occasional Tink from a starter set mixed in.

As for the "pro" traders... eeeeehhh... I avoid them. Seen them. Never talked to one. Having been a nerd and collector who frequents comicons all my life... guys like that usually aren't looking to make you a deal, they're looking to make a deal for themselves. I'm sure some are nice and occasionally generous, and I'm probably stereotyping. People are a diverse lot. But... I'm sure I'm not entirely wrong either.

 

[Ghostridethedolewhip]

My DD7 and DD4 do it for fun. We purchased online a bunch and they just had a blast doing good things around the house for rewards. It is the action of trading that is the fun with CMs. They trade at hotels and all over the place, and could care less if they are scraps and fake. Anyone they get for going on rides they keep.

 

[BigredNole]

My DD7 and DD4 do it for fun. We purchased online a bunch and they just had a blast doing good things around the house for rewards. It is the action of trading that is the fun with CMs. They trade at hotels and all over the place, and could care less if they are scraps and fake. Anyone they get for going on rides they keep.

This is exactly what my DD did when she started when she was about 4 or 5. A CM gave her a pin once. She held on to it and never knew about pin trading. We were leaving the park and come upon Scoop. He is doing his pin trading session. DD watched him with others for about 15 minutes. After everyone finished and Scoop was about done, he got down closer to her and asked her if she wanted to trade. DD was not giving up her only pin. It was just a junker pin, but she didn't understand. He showed her all of his lanyards, inquiring about her favorite character, and started narrowing in to a special pin for her. He told her if she gave him her pin that she could take the pin she really wanted. She said "please" "thank you", etc, and traded. Scoop made such a big deal about it and announced it on Main Street. He proceeded to giver her one of his "special pin trader of the day" pins. That got her hooked.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

As for the "pro" traders... eeeeehhh... I avoid them. Seen them. Never talked to one. Having been a nerd and collector who frequents comicons all my life... guys like that usually aren't looking to make you a deal, they're looking to make a deal for themselves. I'm sure some are nice and occasionally generous, and I'm probably stereotyping. People are a diverse lot. But... I'm sure I'm not entirely wrong either.

There are ways the experts can tell. All those private individuals that gather outside the pin station at Epcot know. I don't bother with them.

I have been pin trading since 2000. I have many pins. I have multiple shadow boxes filled with pins I love. But tastes change, and I have some nice pins to trade. I could just trade with CMs, but as stated above the quality of pins on their lanyards has decreased over the years. So I bought a book for trading. I felt the same about the "pro" traders as you do, and there are some that are real sharks. I also found a lot of really nice people who just like pins like I do. I live villains, they like whatever.....and we make mutually agreeable trades. Sometimes I love one of their pins but they aren't interested in anything of mine or vise versa. Then there is no trade. I've gotten some great pins and met some very nice people.

I am no expert. I have read threads on spotting fakes. One said to look for rough edges. In April I was going to buy a pin in HS, and when I looked closely, it had a rough edge! I put it back and bought another one with smooth edges. So other than the obvious fakes that are off color, I have no clue. I do think there are some really serious traders who know all about pins, but there are many of us with pins in Epcot who are blissfully clueless and just enjoying pin trading. As long as you don't get upset when the other person doesn't want to trade for any of the pins you have, you can have a good time, look at some nice pins, and possibly make a mutual trade that you feel happy about because you traded a pin that you no longer wanted for something you love.

 

[DoulaMel]

We just bought our first pins to trade on our first trip to Disneyland! Very excited!

Where did you get them?

 

[AngiTN]

I have been pin trading since 2000. I have many pins. I have multiple shadow boxes filled with pins I love. But tastes change, and I have some nice pins to trade. I could just trade with CMs, but as stated above the quality of pins on their lanyards has decreased over the years. So I bought a book for trading. I felt the same about the "pro" traders as you do, and there are some that are real sharks. I also found a lot of really nice people who just like pins like I do. I live villains, they like whatever.....and we make mutually agreeable trades. Sometimes I love one of their pins but they aren't interested in anything of mine or vise versa. Then there is no trade. I've gotten some great pins and met some very nice people.

I am no expert. I have read threads on spotting fakes. One said to look for rough edges. In April I was going to buy a pin in HS, and when I looked closely, it had a rough edge! I put it back and bought another one with smooth edges. So other than the obvious fakes that are off color, I have no clue. I do think there are some really serious traders who know all about pins, but there are many of us with pins in Epcot who are blissfully clueless and just enjoying pin trading. As long as you don't get upset when the other person doesn't want to trade for any of the pins you have, you can have a good time, look at some nice pins, and possibly make a mutual trade that you feel happy about because you traded a pin that you no longer wanted for something you love.

Thanks for the insight on some of the Epcot private traders. I really did think all of them were the uber serious sorts. Nice to know they aren't always.
I only worry about DGD getting bothered if she wanted to trade and the individual didn't, so we tend to steer clear for that reason alone, to spare her feelings and her not quite understanding the difference between these private folks and the CM. I sometimes bring our pins on the trips with DH and I and I may just stop by and check out the Epcot books when we have time. It would be fun to chat with others for a bit