My #%>#¬% Trading Pin Ethics

[bytheblood]

To ensure you have official Disney pins, you would want to make sure you are purchasing them directly from Disney.

I am not condoning or questioning ethics, but wanted to share my thoughts on this. This is MY opinion for MY pins. One size does not fit all.

• Most of the pins you get from CMs come from these same lots. This could mean that you are trading an $8 pin for the same pins that are causing you so much stress.
• Disney is allowing this, therefore it is not a "Disney abomination" by their standards
• Disney CMs do not inspect the pins to see if they are genuine or knock-offs.
• They are not really worth any major significant value. If I pay $8+ for a pin, it is because I really do like it and intend to keep it. If I should trade it for a "counterfeit pin" but I like the counterfeit, then there is no real loss for me as I am still getting what I want.
• I cannot take them with me when I die.
• If I am collecting them because I like them and decided I don't want them one day, I am never going to get what I paid for the pin in the park because pin trading is so big.

Disney allows people with pin books to sit in certain locations within EPCOT and Downtown Disney and rip their guests off. They sell some pins for $100+ and tell you they are retired when they are in fact available. If Disney isnt going to put a stop to this, they really are not that interested in what is being sold on the internet. If they were, they would sue and shut down many of these sites like pin castle, mousepinsonline, etc.

[Pixiedust34]

Some of the larger gift shops (Emporium, Mousegears, etc.) have promotions in which if you spend $x.xx in the shop then you can get a starter lanyard and pin set at a good price. These make good trading pins!

[bytheblood]

Originally Posted by Raenstoirm

Just FYI, the little baggies tends to imply scrappers (not always but usually). Disney doesnt sell pins in baggies.

It really is just a means of keeping the pins from scratching one another up as they do not have the black cards to attach each of them to. Some of the online sources that sell the pins for a little over the park cost put them in baggies, too. These are indeed genuine pins that are retired.

[Rememberingthe70s]

Originally Posted by bytheblood

If I pay $8+ for a pin, it is because I really do like it and intend to keep it. If I should trade it for a "counterfeit pin" but I like the counterfeit, then there is no real loss for me as I am still getting what I want.
I cannot take them with me when I die.
If I am collecting them because I like them and decided I don't want them one day, I am never going to get what I paid for the pin in the park because pin trading is so big.

Exactly my thoughts. I figure that when I trade for something I like a lot, it goes in my pocket to keep. If it's a scrapper and i like it, i still like it. I'm sure a few of the ones I buy in the parks I'll want to keep too. (Part of the reason I want extras in my pocket ... So I can replentish.)

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and good advice! Checking out these sites and sellers is going to be my evening reading tonight!

PS - The pin tables facts make me sick. I might just stand right next to them and keeping saying, "I'll trade you for any pin I have on" when people walk up unknowing. LOL

[tarrbear]

Sorry for the flames my post caused flames. I do love my job and pin trading. Sorry if I upset some, I didn't mean it as harsh as it might have come off.

[Rememberingthe70s]

Originally Posted by tarrbear

Oh, and if any of you are aware of the pin board inside of Pin Traders at Downtown Disney, we CM's do not know when it is going to open and harassing us to open it will not end in your favor.

We're talking about how to buy, trade and identify legit pins; trying to stay away from fakes as much as possible; and our dislike of the pin sharks, and you come along with a "if YOU are aware" and "it will not end in YOUR favor?"

Wow.

Magical.

[bytheblood]

Originally Posted by tarrbear

Actually, I'm unaware of these said tables at Downtown Disney.
They used to have them outside of Pin Traders, but because of the reasons above and other problems, they took them away. Something that was fun was taken way too seriously.

They were in DTD and EPCOT in Dec 2011.
ETA: I IM'd a friend just now who confirmed they were there just last month as well.

Originally Posted by tarrbear

On a note about pin trading, please do approach us and ask to pin trade. It's a bit awkward and unsettling to see a man, woman, or child staring at my chest area from across the store, I don't like it and neither do any other female CM's. (It's actually why I switched to the hip pouch.) We realize that you are trying to check out out our pins but please just come and ask! We'd love to show you our pins and trade with you!

I dont know if I should laugh or shake my head at this comment.

Originally Posted by tarrbear

Oh, and if any of you are aware of the pin board inside of Pin Traders at Downtown Disney, we CM's do not know when it is going to open and harassing us to open it will not end in your favor.

I have to wonder if you are really a CM. Disney corp does not allow these kinds of comments to be posted on forums by their current employees. I know a CM who was here 2 years ago that was fired for posting less than this.

[Rememberingthe70s]

Originally Posted by bytheblood

They were in DTD and EPCOT in Dec 2011.
ETA: I IM'd a friend just now who confirmed they were there just last month as well.

I dont know if I should laugh or shake my head at this comment.

I have to wonder if you are really a CM. Disney corp does not allow these kinds of comments to be posted on forums by their current employees. I know a CM who was here 2 years ago that was fired for posting less than this.

(Awesomeness.)

[ebtbmom]

Have an amazing time on your solo, took my first in 2011 and it was liberating! I pin traded too, I collect HM and Minnie, trying to find certain ones us really fun. I've found the e-bay ones to be fine.

[pigletto]

I was concerned about Scrappers but was able to buy a few things on Ebay. It really took some searching and I believe I found the person from a search on one of the threads about pins here. What I ended up buying was two, still sealed, still on the original card etc starter sets at a modest discount. The seller was from Florida and right near the parks as well. They were for my son to get started. It gave him a bunch of pins that he wasn't in love with to start trading. Some things he buys individually from the parks to collect and those don't usually get traded. For example he likes to have a pin from every resort we've stayed at.
So, the deal with purchase pin sets can be a good starting point to start trading with the cast members.

Have fun with it! My son (and I by extension) have met some lovely people and cast members to have a chat with

[ScotsMinnie]

I have bout big lots from eBay for my children to trade in the parks. I would not be able to afford to let them trade if I only bought the park pins. We do buy some of them but they choose the ones they love and keep them. The ones from eBay look exactly like the park ones and I would never be able to tell you if they are fake or not. If everyone is trading for pins they like does it even matter? If you can't tell the difference?

It's a fun activity and as someone else said even if you are trading legit pins you are probably getting scrapers in return. We do it for fun and to be honest I am not bothered if pins I receive online or ones I get in a trade are real or fake -it's the fun of the trade that counts for us.

[tarrbear]

Originally Posted by bytheblood

They were in DTD and EPCOT in Dec 2011.
ETA: I IM'd a friend just now who confirmed they were there just last month as well.

Mind if you ask your friend where they are at in DTD? Cause I'd actually like to know.

[disneykeim]

Another poster posted today that Disney Store is selling pin sets for 10$ today!!!

[stindall]

Originally Posted by disneykeim

Another poster posted today that Disney Store is selling pin sets for 10$ today!!!

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3023287

[princessallegra]

Originally Posted by amymarie78

I've bought several lots on ebay... and never had any trouble, I only buy from a seller with good feedback and who ships the pins in individual bags so they don't scratch each other up on transit! Happy Bidding!

Same here!

Originally Posted by Raenstoirm

Just FYI, the little baggies tends to imply scrappers (not always but usually). Disney doesnt sell pins in baggies.


Anyway OP, keep your eye on the disney store. They tend to have holiday sales.

Not true at all! Well, true that Disney doesn't sell pins in baggies. But that doesn't mean that those bought on ebay that come in baggies are fakes at all. The sellers we have bought from are people that live near WDW and buy and trade tons of pins. So they have lots of them. They put them in jewelry bags when they sell them so they don't get scratched up. The two lots we bought all came with the black Mickey rubber backings and all clearly had the Disney pin trading stamp on the back.



OP, $12-$15 for 10 pin sets from Disney store is a great deal! Hop on that! PS my dad grew up in the Adirondacks, and I love to go up with him and hike, climb and raft. We stay on Blue Mountain Lake. It's heaven. Pure serenity.