AbD pin collector, with questions

[AbDcollector]

Hello;

My name is Gabe, and I collect AbD pins.
Not just the individual pins but the whole set of pins handed out during the trips. I need your help.
There is currently nowhere to go to find out about these pins so I thought I would ask you, the travellers.
I do not collect the individual pins but instead collect each trip and each year that the trip was / is offered.
Some trips have pins that have changed each year, and I want to show that in my collection.
I need to know what those changes are.
Could I ask :
What trip have you taken ?
When did you take that trip, Month ? Year ?
How many days was YOUR trip ? (they have changed over the years)
Do you have pictures of your lanyards ? Pins ?
(So as to not spoil the surprises to future travellers, could you send me a PM with your pictures ?)
Do you display your pins ? Lanyards ? How ?


Thank you for you help.

 

[SingingMom]

Hello; My name is Gabe, and I collect AbD pins. Not just the individual pins but the whole set of pins handed out during the trips. I need your help. There is currently nowhere to go to find out about these pins so I thought I would ask you, the travellers. I do not collect the individual pins but instead collect each trip and each year that the trip was / is offered. Some trips have pins that have changed each year, and I want to show that in my collection. I need to know what those changes are. Could I ask : What trip have you taken ? When did you take that trip, Month ? Year ? How many days was YOUR trip ? (they have changed over the years) Do you have pictures of your lanyards ? Pins ? Do you display your pins ? Lanyards ? How ? Thank you for you help.

Not sure how other Adventurers feel about this, but our family would never give up our ABD pin sets, even though we get one set per person. The reason they are so special is because they commemorate each day of a once in a lifetime trip that you personally experienced. "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[AbDcollector]

Hi;
First, let me clear up about the pin sets. There are thousands of Adventurers out there. Some of you have sold your sets, some of you never will. I understand that. I really do. I would NEVER sell mine.
Now, can you tell me about YOUR pin set ?
Will you share, with us, your pin set ?
We would love to see them, where you got each of them.

Thanks, Gabe

 

[SingingMom]

Hi; First, let me clear up about the pin sets. There are thousands of Adventurers out there. Some of you have sold your sets, some of you never will. I understand that. I really do. I would NEVER sell mine. Now, can you tell me about YOUR pin set ? Will you share, with us, your pin set ? We would love to see them, where you got each of them. Thanks, Gabe

Sorry. . Don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone going on a trip!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[richflour]

Hi;
First, let me clear up about the pin sets. There are thousands of Adventurers out there. Some of you have sold your sets, some of you never will. I understand that. I really do. I would NEVER sell mine.
Now, can you tell me about YOUR pin set ?
Will you share, with us, your pin set ?
We would love to see them, where you got each of them.

Thanks, Gabe

I will send you pictures of the set from Germany in a pm .

 

[AbDcollector]

Richflour : Thank you, that is a great idea !

SingingMom : "richflour" came up with a great solution to showing me the pictures and not spoiling the trips for future adventurers : send me a PM with the pictures !

Thank you again, Gabe

 

[AbDcollector]

Sorry. . Don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone going on a trip!

Have been thinking about your reply.
Puzzled, are not "trip reports" spoilers ? The reports, full of pictures, are they not spoilers ? I think, that the pins are a very unique gift from AbD. The pins are very rare ( have to attend each day to get one ), and can not be bought anywhere. Each pin is designed for a specific trip. Each pin triggers a memory of some part of the trip you took. I am sad when I hear that Adventurers have discarded their lanyards into boxes in their closets or into some drawer. They should be displayed ! They should be talked about ! They should be shown.
IMHO.

 

[sayhello]

Have been thinking about your reply.
Puzzled, are not "trip reports" spoilers ? The reports, full of pictures, are they not spoilers ? I think, that the pins are a very unique gift from AbD. The pins are very rare ( have to attend each day to get one ), and can not be bought anywhere. Each pin is designed for a specific trip. Each pin triggers a memory of some part of the trip you took. I am sad when I hear that Adventurers have discarded their lanyards into boxes in their closets or into some drawer. They should be displayed ! They should be talked about ! They should be shown.
IMHO.

I've held off on answering you, because I have to admit, there's a real emotional response that I have when I read about your collections of ABD pins. It's not a logical response; it's all pure emotion. And it's hard to make an emotional response that might not offend. So I'll apologize in advance!

The pins are the only "Disneyfied" part of most ABD's, and a lot of people don't even know about the pins until they take an ABD. And they don't know what each individual pin looks like until they take the trip. Receiving the pins itself is always a fun, special part of each day.

There's a reason why you don't see a lot of photos of ABD pins on the web. There's a reason you can't find a lot of information about the ABD pins out there. Because it's a very personal, very fun part of an ABD that is special partly BECAUSE that's the only way you can get them. When I read about how you display "your" ABD pins, a part of me cringes, because you haven't taken the ABDs. You didn't earn them. Yes, anyone with enough money can buy anything, but some of us who treasure our pins as a special part of our ABD memories see people trading in them as an attempt to cheapen them. That totally may not be your motivation, but that's how it feels (at least to me). I'm really not trying to accuse here, or anything of that nature. I'm just trying to explain to you (since you do seem puzzled) why you aren't getting the avid responses to your questions that you might have thought you would get. There's a lot of emotion attached to those pins, and people don't like to give up or dilute their emotions. There's a huge difference between not displaying your pins and selling them. At least there is to me. (By the way, mine are all displayed, hanging on the wall still attached to their lanyards).

Again, this is my opinion, my emotions. You may find others who will happily send you their photos. But you're going to find a lot of people who will not.

Sayhello

 

[Cousin Orville]

I've taken the Esprit de France in 2012 (8 days/pins) and Jewels of Southeast Asia in 2013 (12 days). Both were inaugural years and both have changed - France dramatically, SE Asia very subtly. But I would assume some of the pins in each trip would be unique to that year alone. Places and Activities change.

They're kind of a badge of honor similar to a passport stamp. I display one copy of mine in a travel case like a china cabinet full of travel souvenirs. I'm not a traditional pin collector. Almost all are of unique experiences that you could only receive or buy as a part of that experience. Although, I understand the attraction to pins, I don't understand why anyone would want to buy from ebay pins that represent an experience or place they didn't do or see.

As others have said, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise of what the pins look like, so sorry no pics.

 

[Tozzie]

I've held off on answering you, because I have to admit, there's a real emotional response that I have when I read about your collections of ABD pins. It's not a logical response; it's all pure emotion. And it's hard to make an emotional response that might not offend. So I'll apologize in advance!

The pins are the only "Disneyfied" part of most ABD's, and a lot of people don't even know about the pins until they take an ABD. And they don't know what each individual pin looks like until they take the trip. Receiving the pins itself is always a fun, special part of each day.

There's a reason why you don't see a lot of photos of ABD pins on the web. There's a reason you can't find a lot of information about the ABD pins out there. Because it's a very personal, very fun part of an ABD that is special partly BECAUSE that's the only way you can get them. When I read about how you display "your" ABD pins, a part of me cringes, because you haven't taken the ABDs. You didn't earn them. Yes, anyone with enough money can buy anything, but some of us who treasure our pins as a special part of our ABD memories see people trading in them as an attempt to cheapen them. That totally may not be your motivation, but that's how it feels (at least to me). I'm really not trying to accuse here, or anything of that nature. I'm just trying to explain to you (since you do seem puzzled) why you aren't getting the avid responses to your questions that you might have thought you would get. There's a lot of emotion attached to those pins, and people don't like to give up or dilute their emotions. There's a huge difference between not displaying your pins and selling them. At least there is to me. (By the way, mine are all displayed, hanging on the wall still attached to their lanyards).

Again, this is my opinion, my emotions. You may find others who will happily send you their photos. But you're going to find a lot of people who will not.

Sayhello

Thank You!!! I feel the same way but you said it much better than I could. While you can buy the pins you can't buy the experience, those pins mean I have been there. They really don't make sense(the sayings and things on them) unless you experience it, they tell the story of the trip. Sorry count me in as not wanting to spoil the surprise and I won't be taking pictures of mine.

 

[SingingMom]

Have been thinking about your reply. Puzzled, are not "trip reports" spoilers ? The reports, full of pictures, are they not spoilers ? I think, that the pins are a very unique gift from AbD. The pins are very rare ( have to attend each day to get one ), and can not be bought anywhere. Each pin is designed for a specific trip. Each pin triggers a memory of some part of the trip you took. I am sad when I hear that Adventurers have discarded their lanyards into boxes in their closets or into some drawer. They should be displayed ! They should be talked about ! They should be shown. IMHO.

To be quite honest with you, I shy away from reading ABD trip reports until after I take the trip. I personally feel they spoil the surprise. I read the published itinerary from ABD and I might read about specific questions on the boards that I am interested in, but I do not read a trip report until after I experience the trip myself. London & Paris I researched a little more, but I purposely did NOT read details of our Germany Adventure. And, I am so happy I didn't! We were genuinely surprised by some events and it was wonderful!!

Our lanyards are not discarded. I plan on displaying each trip when I decide the best frame or shadow box for them. We will never trade them or sell them. I just don't wish to post photos of them, so they can stay that special, magical remembrance that fellow Disney Adventurers have shared.

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[KathyTX]

We have another board, he Collectors Forum, for talk about collecting pins. Since this ABD forum is really about the ABD trips and experiences and this great is a bit odd, I'm closing it now.

Feel free to ask your pin collecting questions on the Collectors Forum.