Some what disappointed in pin trading experience...

[pbnjrockette]

Just returned from our fabulous WDW trip ( I want to go back NOW!). Did my first pin trading and while I enjoyed the hunt I was verrrrry disappointed in what I found on CM lanyards. Cuties and more cuties everywhere and lots of cheap Euro pins! Verrry few lanyard pins or even good park pins. Seems like so many traders just want to dump their "cheapies" to get the better pins. First thing in the morning was the only time to even see anything interesting on a lanyard. I saw the best pins in MGM. Did add to my Mickey collection and for that I'm glad (if it's a Mickey I like, it doesn't matter so much if it's not a "value" pin.) I only traded away my cast lanyard pins and many CM's noted that they would be "gobbled" up.

Sure wish there weren't so many cheap pins being dumped on lanyards....

 

[Mickey527]

I agree, lanyard trading is not what it used to be.
I was at the parks last week and only traded 1 pin with a CM. the only things I saw were the cutie heads and the 200 dancers. It is so disappointing. Peggie

 

[Vemnox]

I noticed our lanyards are filled with nothing but those cuties and starter pins a lot lately. It's unfortunate, too, cause I love pin trading and I'm disappointed when all I have to show guests is a bunch of the same line of pins. Once in a blue moon I'll get a hidden Mickey or something but that lasts all of 5 minutes to some pin shark.

 

[agnes!]

If corporate isn't careful, they will kill pin trading just like they killed the Disney Beanies.

I mean, really...the pins cost Disney pretty much the same...maybe a little more if there are a lot of colors, if it's complicated. It doesn't much matter if the pins are LE250 or rack. The perceived value of an LE vs. a rack is the issue. If pin-traders/collectors "perceive" that they will only get low-appeal/"perceived low-value" pins from CMs, then Disney WILL kill the 'market' and kill the pin-collecting/trading experience.

The actual costs of these pins are nil compared to what they go for in the WDW/DLR shops, they are all made in China where costs are low. So when Disney offers up on CM lanyards the low-appeal pins (like the cuties, the 2000 Dancers, etc) they are *killing* the 'market'. They seem to think that they have to get rid of the low-appeal pins. No, they DON'T. What they have to do is keep the pin-trading experience *alive*.

And when the supervisors or corporate load up the CM lanyards with the same pins all over WDW property, the pins that are low-appeal?...they are being extemely short-sighted. To use the vernacular, they are cutting off their nose to spite their face, they are being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Yes, when we go we sometimes trade some pins we bought for cheaper than on-property(often through Disney Shopping) or some older pins like my old Disney Store 100 Years/Musical Moments pins...but Disney usually gets my money in either case. They are getting their costs back. But we often trade lanyards away or give an extra pin to a little kid or leave the Cast Lanyards on a CM's trading lanyard. I will *NOT* strip a lanyard, even though I know some might, we leave some behind for the next Guest to happily discover & trade for.

agnes!

 

[daber]

IMHO pintrading is on life support right now. The CM lanyards are a joke unless you are a kid. No pin trading at the Contemporary or All Star. I was in DTD about 2 weeks ago on a weekend night and there was ONE count 'em ONE person trading pins. He only had lanyard pins and was looking for lanyard pins. Me, I was looking for the Figment monorail pin which sold out 5 days earlier and I never got into the lanyard/hidden mickey series hunt (thank goodness).

Unless Disney management does something soon, this "Disney tradition" will go the way of the Timekeeper and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

 

[FigNewton]

Yeah, I'm already considering leaving my pins at home next time. Almost every single lanyard was covered in cuties and starter pins while we were there a few weeks ago. I used to always trade for mystery/hidden pins any time I saw one, because it was fun not knowing what you were getting. But I gave up this time after getting cuties and 2000 dancers a couple times in a row. That's not fun.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Yeah -- everyone is so concerned about buying cheap pins. Problem is, everyone is and that is mostly what is on the lanyards. But everything seems to recycle. Now it is all cuties. Pretty soon they will disappear and something else cheap will take it's place. That's when people decide -- Oh I want those cutie pins afterall!
I rarely have traded face to face, except with CMs. And I don't do it in a do or die manner. I use to before when I had to ride out non-Disney park months.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

We're heading down next week and have NO expectations of any decent pin trading. We are not bringing down any books - just some pins to trade and the kids still like it.

I'm not totally convinced that lack on pins on CM lanyards will "kill" pin trading - people still seem to be buying them like crazy. I totally disagree with the decision to discontinue pin trading nights at All Stars and The Contemporary. They are doing a great job at WOD in NYC with their monthly pin trading. They've done a superb job improving the pin trading there.

We were at WDW in October and there were several people trading at DTD. We'll see next week...

 

[CarnotaurDad]

I guess we were trading with different CMs. Just returned from an eight day WDW and had great luck trading pins. Are there great pins on EVERY lanyard? Heck, no. But there are certainly treasures to be found if you are patient and selective.

One key is to glance at the lanyards and you can tell, by the size of the pins, if it's worth trading or not. If it looks promising, we will then politely ask to see the lanyard. If not, no time was taken up and we move along.

Our DD (6) loves Stitch and found some great pins. We actually saw more CMs with lanyards then previous visits. It was great pin trading!

 

[Buzz2001]

If corporate isn't careful, they will kill pin trading just like they killed the Disney Beanies.

This has already begun. Just too many pins.

 

[LauraAnn630]

Im not trading. My DS is excited about it. Hell probably be diapointed. We just started collecting pins last year.

Im going to buy the ones I want for keeps.

A lady at the Disney Store told me to buy the cheap ones on e-bay
to trade with the CMS.

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

We were at the parks about a month ago and my kids had a great time trading. We found a lot of great pins and over the 6 days my daughter was able to collect almost all of the new lanyard pins and we left a lot of lanyard pins that we saw on CM lanyards that she already had. We saw a lot of cuties but my youngest daughter likes the cuties so she was excited about that.

Mike

 

[Michael623]

Maybe I was at a different WDW but I returned Saturday after 8 days and I never saw so many Lanyard/Hidden Mickey pins in my life. I literally could have traded for 50+ every day but unfortunately I only need 4 so I passed on most of them. I even stumbled onto a USA Donald. I also saw lots of rack and LE pins. I traded for DSF LE 300 pins. A few DA LE 500/1000 and several WDW/DL LE ranging from LE500 to LE 5000. Don't get me wrong there were lots of of Cuties/starter pins but there were plenty of great pins too. I fell CM lanyard trading is as good now as it has ever been. Let the debate begin.

 

[DJT]

We returned from WDW on Saturday after seven days and we talked about how there was almost nothing but cuties on the CM lanyards. We found very few cast lanyard pins. I think I traded for two and I actually traded cast lanyard pins for regular pins. We were very disappointed. We didn't see any good pins on the CM lanyards in the early mornings either.

 

[Madi100]

I've wondered sometimes how much of a profit this is for Disney. And, I don't think that the pin trading is going to send them to the poor house. Those cuties that are on the lanyards have got to be from all sorts of people trading them. That is what I bought to trade this last trip. And, while I think they are ugly, my kids were upset to find out I'd traded them. And, I had a friend who was just there for the first time. She bought 6 sets of those cuties pins to trade - one for each of her kids. And, then after that they probably bought another ten pins, at least. She came home with all sorts of different pins. Some of her kids kept some of the cuties. Some of them ended up with Propins. Some are of no interest to me. But, that's why it works. What is appealing to one, is not to another. They each came home with approximately ten pins on their lanyard. They have no intentions of ever going back to WDW. Do you suppose Disney made a profit? Heck, yeah. Do you suppose that they had fun trading their pins? They had a blast. Is it a good program? Yep. I think the only way it's going downhill is that the serious collectors aren't going to be able to trade for the valuable ones and always see valuable ones. But, value is in the eye of the beholder. My kids have never seen a lanyard where they didn't want to trade something.

 

[FigNewton]

I think the only way it's going downhill is that the serious collectors aren't going to be able to trade for the valuable ones and always see valuable ones.

I have never seen a "valuable one" nor do I ever expect to. Clearly this isn't why I'm considering leaving the pins home next time. *shrug*

 

[3DisneyKids]

We went to WDW in October and traded like crazy...there were cast member pins EVERYWHERE and my kids got many LEs, etc. It was awesome trading. The whole time we were there, there were only 2 times we couldn't find a pin on a lanyard to trade for.

Hopefully the cheap-o pins will be gone soon.

I love eBay, but this is one thing that eBay is totally killing. I could kill those sellers who are dumping all of those Euro pins!

 

[Madi100]

Where do the sellers get all of the Euro ones? Wouldn't they have to come from Disney?

 

[FigNewton]

By Euro pins I assume you mean Pro-Pins and Sedesma? Those are pins which have been made under license, but are not made by Disney, no.

Pins from DLRP, on the other hand, are good.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

We have been at WDW since yesterday and have done TONS of pin trading. Many lanyards - blue and green - had Hidden Mickey pins on them. Yes, a lot of lanyards are filled with the cutie head pins, but DD14 picked up 18 Hidden Mickeys yesterday (and she will not trade off of a green lanyard even if offered). It has been a pleasant surprise. EPCOT today was great (until the rains came around noon) with lots of pins around. No LEs or anything special, but the Hidden Mickeys were everywhere.