Question for those Pin Traders with the books of 100's of pins

[shoppingmom]

Is it absolutely necessary to crush a youngster who is looking at your pins by telling him that the pins on his lanyard are all fakes and you will not trade with him? This happened to our son last week and I was furious. Our son enjoys pin trading and had some great pins on his lanyard that he had traded different CM's for and you (in Frontierland) stood there and told him the pins he had were junk! After that comment we would not even look at another pin traders book for the rest of the trip and refuse to look at any of them during future trips.

 

[SeattleTink]

OMG. That is so rude!

Seriously, I don't know how you controlled yourself! Being a "mommy bear" myself, I probably would have "given him a piece of my mind!"

For me pin trading is pure fun. I am not serious about it at all. I only have 12 - 14 pins, each one I love. I don't care less if they are "junk" or not. And honestly, I haven't a clue if they are?

But, truthfully those pin traders with their ginormous books scare me.

I only trade with CM's. It is a great way to interact with them.

Last summer we met this really nice CM in the store at the end of TSMM, his name was Richard. We spoke with him on 3 different days after we traded pins with him the first time. He was a hoot and it was fun to talk with him about the parks.

I hope your son doesn't quit trading...but I'd shy away from the "serious" pin traders and maybe just stick to CM's.

 

[Canyon girl]

Yes, encourage your child to continue. My kids do not even talk to the serious "pin traders." They are limited to the CMs. They are wonderful with the kids. My daughter got to the point that she would not pass a CM with a lanyard. There were some new CMs getting a tour from a lead (at least that is how it appeared to me). The CMs stopped to let my dd look and did not rush her. The CMs with the royal blue lanyards can trade with anyone. The CMs with the teal lanyards can trade with kids only. Please steer him to the CMs next time. It is such a joy to see the kids trading with them. As long as the CM does not have the pin that your child wants to trade to him, he has to trade. There is a limit of 2 trades per CM per child per day. So, your child could potentially trade every pin on his lanyard every day. Have fun and forget the rude pin traders that are out there. I am with the pp; how did you keep from punching the guy out?

 

[pixiewings71]

OK please know that all pin traders who carry a book are NOT like that!!!! My DBF carries his book (I would carry mine but it gets way too heavy) with him thru the parks and he LOVES to trade with kids!!!!! Absolutely LOVES to, so do I and yes, we trade "good" pins for "regular" pins. And yes, we will set our book up on a table and wait to be approached. We hardly ever turn anyone away without doing a trade, the only thing that we restrict is our 100 Mickey's, we want other 100 Mickey's for those. Those are extremely rare and hard to find, that's why we hold off on them. But everything else we have for trade is for that, to trade.

I hear you on those people who cry fake all the time too, man they drive me nuts!! I've got many a pin that I knew was a fake when I traded for it. Pin trading is a fun hobby, the serious collectors are in it to make a buck or two and they ruin the fun for everyone!!

I'm so sorry your DS was hurt by someone like that, I bet I could tell you who it was....there are 2 that stand out in my mind that I refuse to trade with because they are so stuck up about it. I won't even talk to them anymore. Please don't stay away from all "book holders" because really, we aren't all bad. I've met many a nice person pin trading, both CM's and park visitors.

 

[Disneylvrforever]

Shoppingmom, your DS should definately see the CMs w/ the kid lanyards. A lot of times they have really good pins like the hidden Mickey ones and only kids can get them. You should've talked some sense into that jerk, especially since he said that to a kid. Well, I don't think he should've said it to anyone and should've been polite about it, but yeah. When I was small, I thought a lady was a CM and I wanted to trade a pin w/ her, but she said that she wasn't a CM and was nice about declining the trade. Even though she didn't crush my spirits, I think I became embarassed by the situation and didn't want to look at ppl's lanyards ever again. I'll just stick w/ CMs.

Oh Kerri, you guys sound so sweet. But I myself am scared of the hard core traders w/ their books and multiple lanyards. I occasionally go up to CMs and look at their lanyards, but I kinda feel bad for stopping them to look and not trading anything. When I went w/ my friend last month, he stopped every single CM w/ a lanyard. I thought he was nuts!

I usually get my pins from the Disney Warehouse, so they're not fakies, but only when they're cheap! And many times they're pretty good pins like from holidays. Then when I do trade them for something I want, I feel like I'm wasting a practically good pin. Oh well, at least it was cheap.

 

[Disney Dreams]

1 - They were out of line (not necessarily to say they were fakes if indeed they believed they were, but to be rude to another trader)

2 - THAT is exactly why I only trade with CMs or friends (you know what you are getting, you don't have to haggle over value, and it stays fun)

Encourage your boy to try again, but only trading with CMs.

- Dreams

 

[actionvaughn]

I don't necessarily agree with crushing dreams, but I don't think what the trader did was completely wrong. He should have been a little gentler, but I don't think it would've been fair for him to trade with your son, knowing they were fakes. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing kids smile when I make a show about the pin I'm getting in trade even when I'm obviously getting the bad end of the deal. It makes their day, so why not? The difference with this and trading fake pins is huge though. It's certainly not out of the question, but the trader would be doing the favor to your son by making the trade, because in the end, he just lost out on a pin. It wouldn't be ethical for him to turn around and trade it back to someone else knowing it was a fake. There are a lot of fakes out there simply because there's money to be made. I'm just sorry your son got caught up in it.

Pin trading is an expensive hobby, unfortunately. You can only spread so much pixie dust. I agree with pixiewings though, not all pin traders are bad!

Bring on the flames now.

 

[Vala]

True, you have valid some points there.

But there still was no need to act like an elephant in a china store - that's a German saying that probably does not translate into English at all.
There's a huge difference in not being able to spread pixie dust all the time and being rude.

The pin trader in question simply could have told the kid that there wasn't anything he needed, and maybe take the mom aside and tell her some things about fake pins. I'm stressing the maybe here, because there is no proof the pins were even fake. Some of the hardcore traders kept telling me that pins I personally pulled out of a mystery pack were fake. One even declared a perfectly good pin from Disneyshopping a "fantasy pin". So much for their knowledge.
It was a kid after all, even if he had fakes he wasn't doing it intentional.

shoppingmom, I am really sorry this happened to your son.

I am a pin trader as well, but yes, some of the people with the books waiting around stores are really scary. I've met nice people, and I've met others who a friend of mine keeps referring to as "sharks". In general I avoid them myself.

But not all pin traders are bad.

Still, for the moment I'd have your son see the CMs. Explain to him that they work for Mickey, and he'll look at them differently than at the scary people with the books.

If you PM me with your son's favorite character, I'll check if I have a pin he may like and send him a little gift from the "pin fairy", of maybe we should call it a gift from Mickey. Perhaps that would make him feel better again?

 

[Disney Dreams]

I have been pin trading for about 3 years now. I do not trade with other guests. People get into value an rarity and one person's treasure is another's junk. I trade ONLY with CMs. Pin for pin. And that keeps it fun for me without worrying if I got a raw deal.

I don't necessarily agree with crushing dreams, but I don't think what the trader did was completely wrong. He should have been a little gentler, but I don't think it would've been fair for him to trade with your son, knowing they were fakes....

Oh, I completely agree that no guest EVER has to trade with another guest, even if the pins are the rarest in the land, if they don't want the trade.

However, it would have been nice for the said trader to say, "No thank you. By the way, where did you get those pins?" And then explain nicely and even, hey, wow, educate a fellow pin trader.

Again, sorry your boy experienced the abrasiveness of another guest. Give pin trading another try - with Cast Members only.

- Dreams

 

[pixiewings71]

True, you have valid some points there.

But there still was no need to act like an elephant in a china store - that's a German saying that probably does not translate into English at all.
There's a huge difference in not being able to spread pixie dust all the time and being rude.

The pin trader in question simply could have told the kid that there wasn't anything he needed, and maybe take the mom aside and tell her some things about fake pins. I'm stressing the maybe here, because there is no proof the pins were even fake. Some of the hardcore traders kept telling me that pins I personally pulled out of a mystery pack were fake. One even declared a perfectly good pin from Disneyshopping a "fantasy pin". So much for their knowledge.
It was a kid after all, even if he had fakes he wasn't doing it intentional.

shoppingmom, I am really sorry this happened to your son.

I am a pin trader as well, but yes, some of the people with the books waiting around stores are really scary. I've met nice people, and I've met others who a friend of mine keeps referring to as "sharks". In general I avoid them myself.

But not all pin traders are bad.

Still, for the moment I'd have your son see the CMs. Explain to him that they work for Mickey, and he'll look at them differently than at the scary people with the books.

If you PM me with your son's favorite character, I'll check if I have a pin he may like and send him a little gift from the "pin fairy", of maybe we should call it a gift from Mickey. Perhaps that would make him feel better again?

There was absolutely no reason for that pin trader to be rude. There is no defense for that!! Even if others don't have something I may want I will still try to do a trade with them. I can't tell you how many times I've seen kids and adults turned away from the "hardcore traders" and I have called them over and traded for the pin they were trying to get from the hardcore trader. It makes me so annoyed to see those HCT's treat people so poorly.

There is absolutely no proof that your son's pins were fakes, I myself have received pins that I knew were real and then a HCT tried to tell me how fake they were when I knew they were absolutely real. I really hope that you do let him continue trading, at least with the CM's.

FWIW, I've traded for more fake pins off CM's then I've ever received ordering thru eBay or trading with other traders. Just an FYI.

Thanks Disneylvrforever, we try to keep it fun, because otherwise what's the point? I don't trade so much with HCT's myself.....but that's because I don't like their attitudes, I do trade with people who consider it a fun hobby like I do, they are so much fun to trade with.

 

[bumbershoot]

But there still was no need to act like an elephant in a china store - that's a German saying that probably does not translate into English at all.

In English, it's "a bull in a china shop". Same idea!



I don't trade, but hubby does. He got, IMO, TAAAAAAKEN last December. In September we got Disney Dining AP pins after eating in Blue Bayou. We loved them! In December a fellow guest stopped him in DCA, having seen the pin on his lanyard (I had it too but I don't trade!). And traded him for something hubby did like (hubby does not feel taken), but it was something available and simple to get. Not limited and special like the AP dining pins!

The next day we went to Storyteller's to get the newly released pins, only to find out they were already all gone, and that is when we found out how limited the pins are, and therefore how valuable.


Last trip we just wanted to look at this trading guy's books...he was in Frontierland, set out at a tall table, and we were just looking. He was staring at our lanyards and after seeing that there was nothing interesting on them (I was wearing a different lanyard with very few pins on it, not MY AP dining pin) he turned so icy I got cold. He didn't even want us LOOKING at the book, if we had nothing to trade.

But ya know, we could have had scads of pins in my baggallini bag, we could have had books and books back in our room, he didn't know.



OP I'm sorry about that experience. Yes there are fake pins out there and no one should have to trade for one (here is a good "getting started" link! and this is a link to more info, which includes a link to the PDF of "trading etiquette", if you guys want to try it in the future!), but like others have said there are other ways of telling a kid that!

 

[MickeyNikiNaka]

I think that I'm going to take the final step into totally Disney Obsession... I'm going to buy and trade pins when I get there. I love to make kids happy and if I can have fun doing it then WHY NOT?!

 

[Vala]

In English, it's "a bull in a china shop". Same idea!

Thanks bumber. I like keeping my English saying's updated.

I don't trade, but hubby does. He got, IMO, TAAAAAAKEN last December. In September we got Disney Dining AP pins after eating in Blue Bayou. We loved them! In December a fellow guest stopped him in DCA, having seen the pin on his lanyard (I had it too but I don't trade!). And traded him for something hubby did like (hubby does not feel taken), but it was something available and simple to get. Not limited and special like the AP dining pins!

Yeah, that's how you get sucked into it. It starts all innocent with one pin. Suddenly one becomes ten and those start to multiply if you are not really careful.

 

[TiggerNZ]

Wow - I am so sorry that this happened to your son - I am no pin-trading guru (having never done it) but I think no matter what the obssession/hobby there is room for politeness and kindness, and empathy!

No kid should get talk to like that.... its just not fair.

I do hope your son gives it another try, and everyone else has given great advice....but just wanted to say (being a mother too) my heart broke for your little boy - thats just not fair.

 

[luvsmickey1968]

I must agree with everyone here and say again that the pin trader your son dealt with was simply not a very nice person.
When our family encounters people like this, I always tell my children that it must be very sad to be the type of person that acts like that and we are fortunate that we have been taught manners, grace, empathy, respect, consideration etc.
Our family has just discovered pins and I must say that it is an expensive little obsession. I am often overhead saying, "I know I shouldn't buy another, but I just love this one but it will absolutely be the last one."
The question I have is, what is considered a fake pin?

 

[jimsocks]

That trader was a jerk. The "truth" is not an excuse for bad behavior and making a youngster feel bad! The integrity of your hobby does not supersede the feelings of a young person. Period.

 

[Vala]

The question I have is, what is considered a fake pin?

That's a discussion of its own.

The main problem are something called "scrappers", pins that were rejected at the factory because of flaws. Some of those are kind of easy to notice, like when the metal isn't cut away correctly so there's unpainted metal left in a part where it should have been cut out. Others do have colors that are way off (I once saw an Alice with green hair) or do have painting errors, like a character missing an eye.

That's what most traders are so angry and concerned about.

 

[Princess Row]

We have had this happen many times. MY five year old and 14 year old both trade pins as so do i. We collect pins that are of higher range but dont sit in disneyland trying to rip people off. When me and my 14 year old daughter were waiting in a line an older man asked what we were trying to trade for we told him the pins we wanted and he said (in a very rude voice) " Well my pins are very much substantial then yours could ever be. Mine are worth framing. You mine as well throw yours away." I was furious and my daughter just looked at me and i told her dont say anything. I still to this day cant believe how some pin traders could be so rude. I can see how you feel. Pin trading is a hobby and should be done to have fun not as a serious job.

 

[ADisneyPrincess]

We actually had a problem with a CM with pin trading our last trip. My niece traded for a pin with a CM then later wanted to trade that pin with another CM. That CM said the pin was not tradeable. I told her that we had just traded for it with another CM so she agreed to do so, but it was a bit uncomfortable. If a CM has a pin that isn't tradeable they shouldn't wear it on their lanyards. I guess some CM's are more into it than others and not all know what is and isn't acceptable, but that is a training issue.