Trading Pins

[Letshavefun]

Hi, Everyone! We are taking our first Disney World trip this December. I have some questions about pin trading. My 12-yr-old daughter will be doing the trading.
1) Is it still popular?
2) Where do you like to get the pins you use to trade?
3) How do you display your pins as you walk around Disney?
4) With whom do you usually trade?
5) What do you need to check for in a pin before you trade for it?

Thanks!!

 

[Noerdax]

1) Is it still popular?
2) Where do you like to get the pins you use to trade?
3) How do you display your pins as you walk around Disney?
4) With whom do you usually trade?
5) What do you need to check for in a pin before you trade for it?

1) Yes very much so
2) On site they have bundles with lanyards and several pins.
3) Pins I am willing to trade go on my Lanyard those I want to keep stayout of sight.
4) Cast members around 4 out of 5 have trading lanyard.
5) Does it have Disney Pin trading Logo.

Regarding #2 I would not buy the pins on eBay or other shady seller that offer hundreds of pins for a few dollars. These are always "scrappers". Scrappers are the pin that did not pass the Disney quality test or that are copies produced in China. Some can be identified by off colors or other little details. It's sometime very hard to discern between Real and Scrapper since they are often made using the same mold.

 

[DaniYvette]

Hi, Everyone! We are taking our first Disney World trip this December. I have some questions about pin trading. My 12-yr-old daughter will be doing the trading.
1) Is it still popular?
2) Where do you like to get the pins you use to trade?
3) How do you display your pins as you walk around Disney?
4) With whom do you usually trade?
5) What do you need to check for in a pin before you trade for it?

Thanks!!

1)Absolutely!
2)Check eBay for pins. I can usually find 20 pins or so for $20. If your kiddo is just in it to trade and you aren't looking for rare pins, this is a great way to get them started.
3)Kiddo wears them on a lanyard and we keep extras in a ziploc in the backpack we tote around.
4)Cast members. There is a rare occasion where we will trade with another guest, but that's VERY rare.
5)My son collects Monorails, or whatever else catches his eye. We aren't in it for the rarity of pins, so the only thing we look for are things that he will enjoy.


I hope she has fun! When my son first started trading at the age of 5, he was super shy about asking. It was AMAZING how much that changed from first day to last day of that trip.

 

[DaniYvette]

Regarding #2 I would not buy the pins on eBay or other shady seller that offer hundreds of pins for a few dollars. These are always "scrappers". Scrappers are the pin that did not pass the Disney quality test or that are copies produced in China. Some can be identified by off colors or other little details. It's sometime very hard to discern between Real and Scrapper since they are often made using the same mold.

Agreed, but we can usually find good Disney pins for $20 or so for 20. We've never had an issue before. Anything more than 20 pins and I'm skeptical.

 

[waughzoo]

Is there a certain lanyard one should look for? Disney type I assume. Where can you purchase disney lanyards?

 

[DaniYvette]

Is there a certain lanyard one should look for? Disney type I assume. Where can you purchase disney lanyards?

Any of the parks will have them as we'll as DTD. We have just picked out what we like in the past, I don't believe there are any rare ones, but I'm not positive.

 

[JessM]

Is there a certain lanyard one should look for? Disney type I assume. Where can you purchase disney lanyards?

You can display trading pins on any type of lanyard you'd like Ebay actually has a great selection of Disney lanyards for a good price. You can also buy them at any gift shop in WDW.

Most cast members wear black lanyards, they will trade with anyone. Some also have pin pouches they where on their belts. CMs with green lanyards will only trade with kids, I've never actually seen one but I think they still exist.

 

[Letshavefun]

Thanks, everyone! I'm wondering, do the characters freely trade any pin they have for any pin the child offers?

 

[KSUWildcat]

Just to clarify, the characters do not trade, the Cast Members do. And I believe, they are obligated to trade any pin they have on their lanyard if you ask for it. Granted, I only know this from my DD5 trading. We do it just for fun, not looking for "rare" pins. But she was never denied any pin she asked for, regardless of what pin she had up for trades.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

I remember the pin trading in 2003 and there was a great selection of pins available. In 2013, you ended up seeing the same unwanted pins over and over. Buy the pins you like and keep them.

 

[Mickey'sfriend]

Just to clarify, the characters do not trade, the Cast Members do. And I believe, they are obligated to trade any pin they have on their lanyard if you ask for it. Granted, I only know this from my DD5 trading. We do it just for fun, not looking for "rare" pins. But she was never denied any pin she asked for, regardless of what pin she had up for trades.

Yes, you are correct. The pins the CM have do not belong to them. Each shift they can grab a lanyard or waist pack if they choose to trade with guests.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Hi, Everyone! We are taking our first Disney World trip this December. I have some questions about pin trading. My 12-yr-old daughter will be doing the trading.
1) Is it still popular?
2) Where do you like to get the pins you use to trade?
3) How do you display your pins as you walk around Disney?
4) With whom do you usually trade?
5) What do you need to check for in a pin before you trade for it?
Thanks!!

I noticed you have received the answers to yor questions, but I just wanted to add one final note. It gives you the opportunity to interact with the CM's that, as a previous poster noted, want to trade pins. These CM's really enjoy interacting with the guests. We were walking over to check the wait for expedition everest when my son noticed the CM at the front of the line had a pin he wanted. We approached the CM made the trade and started talking to him. He asked us if we were enjoying our time a Disney and what we had planned to do next. My son explained that we had come over to ask what the wait was when he noticed the pin. Cast member responded that the wait time for us would be none at all and handed us four fast passes that were good immediatly. Always pays off to interact with the CM's