Can Someone Explain a Bit of Pin-Trading Etiquette To Me?

[AliceandAriel]

I'm sure this question is going to sound incredibly stupid, but I'm a little confused about something when it comes to pin trading.

The rules state: "Guests can make up to two (2) trades per "lanyard," per Cast Member, per day."

Does this mean I can trade twice with Cast Member A, then trade 2 more times with Cast Member B? Or does this mean I can only trade two pins in total the entire day between every Cast Member I meet in Disney?

 

[disneypingirl]

We have always been able to trade with every cast member that we meet, 2 trades with each cast member. Don't forget to ask if there are pin boards at each park. At Magic Kingdom they have a stroller with pins. (go to the stroller rental area) many of the stores have pin boards too. Guest relations have pin books also. Have fun trading.

 

[AliceandAriel]

We have always been able to trade with every cast member that we meet, 2 trades with each cast member. Don't forget to ask if there are pin boards at each park. At Magic Kingdom they have a stroller with pins. (go to the stroller rental area) many of the stores have pin boards too. Guest relations have pin books also. Have fun trading.

Thank you so much! That makes everything much clearer. I'm so excited to start a collection of my own.

 

[figment_jii]

Just a note, the pin boards and books have the same limits (two pins per person per day). Basically, the rules for boards and books are the same as they are for trading with a CM.

I think all of the parks have some type of pin board, but they aren't always out. I know there is a board at Epcot's pin central, one at times board in DHS, and by Pizzafari at AK, but those only come out periodically. I know that they won't bring out the Epcot board except when scheduled (I've asked).

Lots of the resorts also have books/boards either in the gift store or guest services. Wilderness Lodge has one that is always out by the pin cart in the lobby.

DHS has several locations: there is a small board in the gas station shop (near the front), at package pick-up, and a book at guest relations.

 

[kensethfan]

We found a couple of pin books last summer in places where we had not seen them before. One was in one of the stores along the left side of Suset Blvd as you head toward ToT & RnRC. The other was when we went to AKL Kidani for lunch at Sanaa. The shop is called Johari Treasures if I recall correctly.

And of course, DTD's Disney's Pin Traders has the mother of all pin boards. As figment mentioned about the one at Epcot, the board is only open when they are scheduled for it. Best to check upon arrival at DTD, see if they are opening it soon, and plan accordingly. It isn't perfect, but it's certainly big: http://www.sharingflorida.com/articles/pin-trading-wall-in-downtown-disney.php

 

[babeydoll02]

I have a related question. I know some cast members wear lanyards that only trade with kids. My ds4 loves pins. I don't know if he'll get the trading part, but I bought him a few in case. Then we are bringing my super shy niece too. She is 13. Is she too old to trade with the kid lanyard cm? What age do they consider "kids"? Thanks!

 

[figment_jii]

I have a related question. I know some cast members wear lanyards that only trade with kids. My ds4 loves pins. I don't know if he'll get the trading part, but I bought him a few in case. Then we are bringing my super shy niece too. She is 13. Is she too old to trade with the kid lanyard cm? What age do they consider "kids"? Thanks!

According to the Disney Parks Blog, the age limit for the green lanyard is 12.
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/03/pin-trading-outside-the-parks/

I saw the same age on Allears and Chip & Co (sorry, but Disboards blocks the Chip & Co URL for some reason) as well.
http://land.allears.net/blogs/kristin-ford/2012/07/tips_for_helping_your_kids_sta_1.html

 

[pixiewings71]

I'm sure this question is going to sound incredibly stupid, but I'm a little confused about something when it comes to pin trading.

The rules state: "Guests can make up to two (2) trades per "lanyard," per Cast Member, per day."


Does this mean I can trade twice with Cast Member A, then trade 2 more times with Cast Member B? Or does this mean I can only trade two pins in total the entire day between every Cast Member I meet in Disney?

2 per CM means 2 per CM, not 2 total. You can trade 2 with CM a and then 2 more with CM b.

I have a related question. I know some cast members wear lanyards that only trade with kids. My ds4 loves pins. I don't know if he'll get the trading part, but I bought him a few in case. Then we are bringing my super shy niece too. She is 13. Is she too old to trade with the kid lanyard cm? What age do they consider "kids"? Thanks!

12 is the cut off age.

 

[dayvewc]

I have a related question. I know some cast members wear lanyards that only trade with kids. My ds4 loves pins. I don't know if he'll get the trading part, but I bought him a few in case. Then we are bringing my super shy niece too. She is 13. Is she too old to trade with the kid lanyard cm? What age do they consider "kids"? Thanks!

The official age may be 12, but last summer while I was at the World, I stopped a CM to ask directions. We wound up in a short conversation, (she was from my home state). I noticed that she had a pin I had been looking for, and she offered to trade when she saw me looking. Even though she had the "kids only" lanyard.

I'm 40, in no way do I look like a kid (just act like one sometimes).

I told her that I'd love to trade, but that I had not been planning to ask since she had the designated kids lanyard. I'm paraphrasing here, but she essentially said that many of the CM's who do the kids lanyards are really just trying to avoid the overly pushy and aggressive adults who view pin trading as a full-contact sport. (She was much more polite than I was here.) But that any CM can trade with any guest - just the ones with the child lanyards have the option to decline trading with an adult guest.

So, especially with a shy child, I doubt (but there might be individual CMs who are sticklers) that they wouldn't trade. Especially if she is polite.

If anyone wants to corrrect my understanding (and failing memory), I won't argue that I couldn't have misunderstood, just that was the impression I have 9 months later.

 

[babeydoll02]

So, especially with a shy child, I doubt (but there might be individual CMs who are sticklers) that they wouldn't trade. Especially if she is polite.

If anyone wants to corrrect my understanding (and failing memory), I won't argue that I couldn't have misunderstood, just that was the impression I have 9 months later.

Thanks. I was hoping some might let her trade. Especially if she and my ds4 were trying to talk to cm together. It might help both of them if they had each other!

 

[figment_jii]

Thanks. I was hoping some might let her trade. Especially if she and my ds4 were trying to talk to cm together. It might help both of them if they had each other!

In reality, almost all of the CMs wearing lanyards are friendly (regardless of lanyard color). I haven't noticed any major difference between the CMs with teal and non-teal lanyards, nor was there a major difference in pins. If either of them see a pin they like, they can go together to talk with the CM. I wouldn't restrict them to just looking to teal lanyards because there really aren't that many.