The pin event a step by step ,and pin pictures cause I love you guys sniff

[Raulandpinboy]

Pin day at the Contemporary, or a day in the life of Raul secret pin agent, and keeper of Pintrader.

The day started out as any normal pin addicted persons' day, got home at 2:00am went to bed at 3:00am got up at 6:00am 'cause it was pin day.

Looked at my self in the mirror, and ask myself if it's all worth it? Looked down at pinbag and saw the picture that the Brazilian girls took of us all in the monorail, and noticed it was signed we love pinboy, and said yes it's all about the pins man I'ts worth it.

Cleverly hid picture from wife, and got dressed. Arrived at Contemporary at 7:00am. Security knows my car so they cleared a path, and I parked in my assigned spot next to pintraders car.

Looked inside pintraders car saw toothbrush on dash, pin backs on the floor all around the car, palm pilot on roof, shoes on trunk lid, and cell phone on hood with unknown person calling out "hello Kathryn are you there". Yes she was here my job begins.

Waved to cast-members arriving for morning shift. They all call out in unison "Morning Raul", I manage to raise one hand and wave back as my other hand is holding pinbacks, shoes, and a palm pilot, all while I'm on phone telling the person on the other end that "No I will not pick up the chip and dale pin for them, I don't care what Kathryn said. And the whole time her calling me Hon".

Follow trail of dropped pins to second floor, and get my Disney Permit to hunt pins. Ride escalator to 4th floor, looked for biggest group of people…. Targeting targeting located and Walla, find Kathryn. Immediately drop to knees pledge allegiance to the queen, and give her shoes, and cell, keep pilot why look for it later. She starts talking on phone right where she left off, and says "Yea hon. you know I'll get you that pin"… I slink away quietly get in line for pin cart parade to start at 10:00am, its 8:00am now so a two hour wait…..Nap time YEEEEEEEESSSS.

The following events may or may not be accurate since I was in and out of consciousness for the next two hours.

I lay on floor looking up at contemporary roof, and black out, I'm awakened to a women asking me if she can see my pins, I say yes and pass out, I wake to find a Swan, Market place dangle, and Epcot flower pot on my chest and people clapping saying great trade Raul, I figure cool, and pass out.

I awake and find my head supported off the floor by female leg, I look to left see wife standing there, it's not her leg though, and she's not mad, and no weapons in hand, so I know its not one of the Brazilian girls, look right its Heather granddaughter #2, say cool, pass out.

I awake look left see woman in folding chair sitting while pintrader stands holding shoes in hand, I start to get up, but woman gives chair to pintrader and she stands… All is well in the world say cool, pass out.

10:00am pin cart time I'm up fully charged and good to go, the cart is loaded lots of everything, but I'm number like 20 in line, it's five pins per persons I figure that's 100 pins oh yea I'll get something alright.

We go through cart, and we gather outside cart area to compare and lick wounds, well I'll be, I got a Cast member Disney Institute with a little help (nuff said), a Disney Paris Studio pin, King Tritons Carousel pin, Tinkerbell Error pin, 1955 Moonliner from Disneyland. Not bad Y'all.

Granddaughter #1 got several LE's and #2 ran away with pins in hand yelling "YES YES ALL MINE" so I'm not sure what she got.

Rest of day was spent trading and looking out for number #1 (pintrader of course). The best joke of the day when a new person asked Pintrader who she was, and I immediately flipped my watch around Dick Tracy style, pointed up to the rooms and yelled "CODE GREEN CODE GREEN new person false alarm all agents return to posts… check weapons in idle condition, I repeat CODE GREEN". They know now hee hee

Final verdict of the day Pin Cart much better this time, inside versus outside an A+, pin quality A-, amount of cool pins B+, cast member helpfulness at the carts A++, cuteness of the cart girls A++.

My Award for the best cast-member there, a gentleman by the name of Scott, friendly knows his pins, and can he sing.

The overall experience A+, comments to Disney… inside ladies and gentlemen, keep them inside.

Some of the pins:

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<A href=http://members.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins1.jpg>
<IMG BORDER=0 SRC="http://member.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins1.jpg" WIDTH=250><BR>
</A><BR><FONT face="arial,helvetica" color=blue size=4>Event pins Click to Enlarge</FONT>
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<A href=http://members.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins2.jpg>
<IMG BORDER=0 SRC="http://member.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins2.jpg" WIDTH=250><BR>
</A><BR><FONT face="arial,helvetica" color=blue size=4>My pincart choices Click to Enlarge</FONT>
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<A href=http://members.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins3.jpg>
<IMG BORDER=0 SRC="http://member.aol.com/raulandpinboy/pictures/pins3.jpg" WIDTH=250><BR>
</A><BR><FONT face="arial,helvetica" color=blue size=4>Off lanyards Click to Enlarge</FONT>

 

[Mickey527]

RaulEdboy,
wow great pins. Sorry about the two error pins you have though. the dreaded upside down 1999 and AK pins. They will be hard to get rid of.
So... did you get us the #8 and #9 pins??????? Peggie

 

[Raulandpinboy]

Sorry gang they were sold out I have to get them tomorrow.

 

[TinkerKat]

Raul!

Wonderful story. When is " Raul & PinBoy, the life of Pintraders"
being published?

I think you and Arizona Jeff need to get together. " Tales from The PinCart"
I smell Bestseller.

You can sell the books with an LE pin. Can you just picture it!

Sign me up now for preorder.

I am happy you let us enjoy through your sheer lunacy....
Yes, we did meet in another life I'm sure.
Maybe shared some Ropa Vieja!

With every new post.. I'm getting my "have to go to FLorida" fever. Shhhh told tell
my husband! He'll put me on Meds!

I'll be in Vegas in October... think you can make it?
Kathy

 

[pintrader]

Well fellow Pin Collectors/Traders,
I cannot begin to tell you how high this one rated a 10+. Stayed in be until 6:15am Saturday morning. That felt great after having stayed up trading at the Contemporary Friday Night Pin Meet until 1:45. Got to my room and in be by 2:15 a.m. Got to the Contemporary Resort by 7:20.Was parked in my favorite spot, had my refillable mug refilled and was going up the escalator to the Ballroom of the Americas by 7:30.

From behind I hear two voices calling out "PinTrader, Wait for us". It was two young ladies know by board names "Oneoone (101) and Mermie. We ascend the first escalator wondering what kind of line we would encounter. When CM Manager Jeff met us in front of the registration desk the sits between the two sets of "up" escalators. Not a person waiting for their wristband!. I thought "Hmmm C-o-o-l or w-a-a-a-y bad?" So I said "so where is everybody???" With his best smile and in his best "I am pleased with life" tone of voice "he used the standard two finger point to upstairs. They're ALL up there. This was good. I asked "Good turnout?" He smiled and nodded. They had handled everyone with the same speed and proficiency this time as they did with the July Pin Event.

Once I got upstairs, I saw at the fartherest end of the Mezzanine tables with cash registers all set up. And the all too familiar velvet line rope cords. Then what struck me next is that there had to have been 450 people in those lines. Then I see the Pin Float just paces in front of me. An area all roped off, and 8 people in that line. I stand and look at all the familiar faces. I say to myself. " Self, you can go stand in a line that is all claustrophobic or sit in a line wit eight other people. Then I notice that four of the eight are folks we had just met the night before for the first time at the Friday night Meet. So, as I am hearing the little voice inside me say "Hmmm they gave you a wristband so you wouldn't HAVE to stand in a line why not go somewhere and trade Go sit and trade." I hear voices saying "the Pin Ambassador is here" and see two people wildly waving. I join the short line. If this keeps up I may have to have the keep-hearing-voices-thing checked. Seems OK though they usually still seem to have a body attached.

The two girls are in that line with me following along behind stopping when I do, going when I do. So I pull my little pin bag in along behind me and get in line and they follow. Everyone is quiet in our line. Mostly we are the Friday night troupe growing behind us. So enough said we are all still sleepy. But we are sitting/lying down and NOT standing.

Observation: Those in the front of that long line seem to be the ones who always have 10-20-30 of the same pins in their booty. Supposition: They have to get there early to get to the front of the line to get out of the line early to either get back in the line as a late-comer or go to another property to get the two per day per person limit. Conclusion: They are not enjoying pin trading and meeting new people from far off places as much as some of us.

Time to leave for WDW more on Saturday's events later.