Pins Question - How do I tell if I have scrappers?

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I have a bag of pins to sell for a friend (her son got them at the parks over the past year) but some of the pins seem really lightweight to me. How do I tell if these are scrappers?

We don't pin trade - or haven't since about 2005 - and those pins were heavy! Some of these just seem too lightweight.

I want to get these listed on ebay but don't want to chance selling something that isn't authentic.

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

The best way is to go on pinpics.com and look at each pin to compare colors, etc.

 

[shalom]

Seconding Que_Sarah_Sarah that Pinpics is your best bet. If you're going to sell each pin individually, then check them as you go. When a pin weighed noticably less than a legit Disney pin, that used to be a sign that it was a scrapper; I assume that's still the case. Also check every pin for general quality; scrappers often have bubbles, or are rough and unpolished looking, or or one color has mixed with another, or they're otherwise clearly "seconds." For that matter, even legit Disney pins can get dinged up, and you wouldn't want to sell it as a quality pin if it's missing bits of color or whatever.

There's no way to be absolutely sure you're not passing on scrappers; some scrappers look as good as the original. But if you know what Disney pins on the rack look like, you can improve your odds by pulling any pin that "feels off." I was looking at Disney charms this past week (the ones you can clip on shoelaces and the like), and, boy, are most of the fakes easy to spot with those! And I speak as someone who never consciously noticed the charms in the stores, so even without being familiar with the original, I can spot fakes.

Pin scrappers have had to get more savvy, because pin collectors are keeping an eye on them.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Thanks. I'll check on the pinpics site.

I know these were all purchased at WDW or traded while there but I have seen posts about CMs having scrappers on their lanyards so now I am paranoid.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

This is one that I have that feels very lightweight (scaring Yeti): http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=82558&sid=5572.1329614631

 

[shalom]

This is one that I have that feels very lightweight (scaring Yeti): http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=82558&sid=5572.1329614631

I have heard that the all-metal chasers are essentially regular pins without the color, in which case it might be lighter, depending on how much weight the enamel (or other colorant) adds. Never held one myself, since I am All About the colors.

 

[samefay]

My daughter received this one in a mystery pack purchased at one of the resorts.

 

[pixiewings71]

Those are chaser pins, they are always lighter than regular full color pins. Also, if you look at the page you linked there is no scrapper warning, if there are known scrappers of a pin out there it will be listed in the info section or at the bottom of the page, see this link for the scrapper warning~
http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=66580&sid=2356.1329762490.v2

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Thank you so much!

 

[pixiewings71]

No problem!