What is pin trading???

[karters*mom]

I see a lot of posts relating to pin trading..what is that?
Is is something a 7 years old should do?

 

[Secondgradememories]

Pin trading is addicting, that is what it is! Cast members have lanyards full of pins that you can trade for official Disney pins you purchase. Many people get them from eBay before their trips, being sure to get authentic Disney pins, others won't trade in the parks, and then trade for favorites from Cast members. You can also buy lanyards with "starter sets" on them at the hotels and parks and use those to trade. My DD and DS have loved doing it since they were 4 years old. Now DS is 13 and he still gets into it. There are many more complete description on the boards, do a search and you'll find lots of information. Our family loves it!

 

[dairyqueenmom]

Pin trading is one of our favorite things to do at Disney. It has replaced the autograph seeking my kids did when they were little. Buy a lanyard with some trading pins, go to any park, hotel, gift shop and find a cast member wearing a lanyard. Ask to see their pins, they will be happy to show you. If you see a pin on their lanyard you like, take a pin off your lanyard and trade. They have to trade with you no questions asked. The only rule is they can not trade a pin from you if they have that pin on their lanyard. The cast members who have green lanyards on can only trade with children.

Be prepared to have the money fly out of your pocket if you get hooked on trading. We have been trading for years and my kids are hooked, and so am I. The first trip we purchase the sets in the gift shops, they are expensive. The sets run about $25-50, depending on how many pins are in the pack. On average you will spend $5-$6 per trading pin. My girls could burn through 10 pins per day.

What happens is the cast members have pins that are cast member exclusives and you can only get them by trading with a cast member. My girls would trade all there pins for cast member pins and want more. They are a bit obsessive, they will run down cast members to look at pins. We trade pins like some people get autographs.

I now buy pins on ebay and buy lots of 10-20pins at a time. I try and make sure I don't get scrappers, and they are authentic Disney trading pins. So far I have had no problem trading the pins in the parks that I have bought on ebay. I can get pins on ebay for $2-$3 per pin.

Good luck and happy trading, if you have any more questions feel free to pm me.

 

[TinkerBrie]

My daughter turned 6 on our last vacation and started pin trading and LOVES it!

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm intrigued by this as well.

I ordered a grab bag of 25 pins from http://www.mousepinsonline.com/tp40/default.asp?ID=18157 He's running a February special: they're $1.75 each, so it came to under $50 with shipping.

I think my kids will love the whole thing!

edited to add: I ordered on Feb 1, they came on the 4th... they're just adorable!!

 

[SuziQZee]

We do pin "collecting". As many pins as we've purchased over the years, my kids have NEVER traded at WDW. They are pretty attached to the pins they already have and can't imagine them wanting to trade, eventhough we always take our lanyards. I think I will purchase some "extra" pins from ebay or such and have the kids trade those. (thanks for the suggestion.) My kids are 8, 10 and 12 and I think they would have a blast doing this!

How do the CMs get their pins? Are they given a lanyard when they are hired or do they purchase their own?? Actually, my kids might feel guilty about trading pins if they think the CMs might miss them.

 

[LAH LAH]

How do the CMs get their pins? Are they given a lanyard when they are hired or do they purchase their own?? Actually, my kids might feel guilty about trading pins if they think the CMs might miss them.

CM do not purchase their own pins. They have a large box of pins from which to choose from (at least this is how it was in 1998 in WDW). Some they earn and some are very rare...but this is NOT out of pocket for the CM.

So trade away and be merry while you do it!

 

[disneyfanforlife]

I pin trade. It is fun and a great way to make friends.

 

[kimsuenew]

Just an FYI...be careful what pins are included in the grab bags and in Ebay auctions!

Some people have got pins buying this way that were not official Disney pins, and therefore, were not tradeable in the parks/to CM's!

I have bought from Ebay, however, I am careful, check feedback, specifically ask about what each pin back is stamped, and have even been known to ask for pictures of the pin backs!

 

[dburg30]

Pin trading is addicting, that is what it is!

I'm 40 and I approve this message. DONT DO IT!!! JUST SAY NO!!

 

[HeatherAnne]

My 7 Year old son has been trading pins for over 3 years and he LOVES it! It is the highlight of his trip. He usually trades with castmembers only though. We have had a few people take advantage of him. Anyway - he likes to collect the "castmember pins" with the hidden mickeys on them! He has quite the collection. His favorite is his "castmember" monorail collection. Each trip - this April will be his 11th trip - he brings pins from home that he is not too crazy about just to trade. He saves money to buy new ones each trip as well! He really loves it! Plus you get to meet some really great castmembers!

I Highly recommend pin trading for your 7 year old but beware - it can be VERY expensive and VERY addicting! Have Fun!

HeatherAnne

 

[kmccartney]

I see a lot of posts relating to pin trading..what is that?
Is is something a 7 years old should do?

Pin trading... it's addicting! Ask my 13 year old!

 

[heartbeeps]

I pin trade. It is fun and a great way to make friends.

and is VERY profitable for Disney.
think about it - at $10 a pop, less than an inch square, with probably 99% profit, I'm glad I'm a shareholder.

 

[kimsuenew]

My 7 Year old son has been trading pins for over 3 years and he LOVES it! It is the highlight of his trip. He usually trades with castmembers only though. We have had a few people take advantage of him. Anyway - he likes to collect the "castmember pins" with the hidden mickeys on them! He has quite the collection. His favorite is his "castmember" monorail collection. Each trip - this April will be his 11th trip - he brings pins from home that he is not too crazy about just to trade. He saves money to buy new ones each trip as well! He really loves it! Plus you get to meet some really great castmembers!

I Highly recommend pin trading for your 7 year old but beware - it can be VERY expensive and VERY addicting! Have Fun!

HeatherAnne

My son and I only ever traded with CM's. Do park visitors randomly trade with one another? I never knew that people did that. I love going to the CM's... you know right off that they have to trade with you, there is no pressure or embarrassment! I am sorry to hear about your son's experience... that people would take advantage of a young child... ugh! I agree... it is a wonderful way to meet CM's and interact!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

very addicting

 

[dburg30]

and is VERY profitable for Disney.
think about it - at $10 a pop, less than an inch square, with probably 99% profit, I'm glad I'm a shareholder.

No different then a lot of stuff out there that we spend money on. I would much rather WDW get my money, then somewhere else. I guess I look at it different. I look and think about what they have made, and how much it costs to maintain the WHOLE WDW property... Roads, landscape, sewer, water, electric, parking lots, trains, hiring the transportation system, boats, hotels, pools, plus paying everyone, property taxes, income taxes etc etc. Whew.. I'll happily let them make as much money as they can on me, just so I can go back

 

[t_catt11]

Pin trading is great fun - my whole family does it, including my son, who started at age 5.

Yes, guests do trade with one another; usually, this happens around the pin stations. Think about it; they enjoy pins as much as you do! If someone has a nice lanyard, just ask to see their pins, like you would any cast member. I have noticed that almost everyone, even "pro" pin traders, are usually happy to show off their collection.

Of course, guests like you want value for value; unlike cast members, a guest probably won't take a starter set Mickey head in exchange for a hard to find limited edition pin. However, a did once have a "pro" trader swap a limited edition, out of print Chip & Dale Christmas pin... in exchange for an easy to find Aristocats. Why? He was a nice guy, and enjoyed helping my son add to his personal collection.

The secret is this: most pin traders are just like you. Offer them a fair deal; they may take it, they may not. My daughter (9 at the time) traded with a lady while we were waiting for the Festival of the Lion King. She gave the lady a Princess Aurora pin she had kept from a previous trip to Disney (which was no longer available in stores), and the lady gave her a really nice Maleficent pin. Both were happy.

I had a guy offer me a very nice Lion King pin I had never seen (and never seen since), but he wanted in exchange a pin I had from a previosu trip. I decided I'd rather keep what I had.

Here's a little primer for pin trading:

http://www.wdwinsiders.com/view_article.php?articleid=23

I LOVE to talk pin trading... feel free to post any questions here, or to PM me!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We are also going to be pin trading!!! I just read some threads on it about 2 weeks ago and decided my kids would love to do this when we go. I can see how it can be addicting, I ordered 4 pins from disneyshopping.com, just got those yesterday, I'm very excited. Now i'm waiting patiently for 3 that I orderd from mousepinsonline.com. I have 4 kids , so by the time our trip arrives we'll be all set with pins and lanyards, especially at the rate i'm going 14 months before the trip. I'm going to the mall tonight and will check out what they have in the disney store there, i called last week and they said they had a limited selection, so we'll see, i'm sure i'll find something I like.

 

[DiSZYme]

Has anyone ordered from mousepinsonline.com and knows that the pins are good? I'd love to let my girls do this, but don't think I'm willing to spend a lot of money on it (well, my dh is the one that doesn't want to spend the $). But, of course, I don't want to just waste the money on getting unusable pins.
Thanks in advance!

 

[collcass]

and recommend it. I was going to order today, unfortunately, I had to buy oil. After the $600 for that, well, the pins will wait but I did order 12 of them from disney store online last week using a promo code and only purched the ones on sale.

I'll see if I can find the post that recommends the mouspins.