Are pins a big deal for kids?

[figment3258]

my girls bought lanyard and pins on our last trip and loved it! they were 10 and 6 at the time. They would stop everywhere to look at cast members pins. it was a lot of fun for them. we actually just put up a pin collage on my daughters wall of the ones she wants to keep and put aside the others to trade next year.

 

[beck02]

Our first trip we didn't pin trade. We saw a few for sale, but didn't buy any. It's not emphasized--if you want to do it, then it's there. If you don't know about it, it's not obvious. This trip a co-worker got me all fired up about it. I've bought several for my daughter to trade... and several for her to keep for her own collection. And a few for my own collection. I think at this point I'm more into it than she is, but that may change when we get to the park.

My biggest concern is how to take them to the park to be traded. Like others, I don't think my daughter will want to wear the lanyard all day long, and even if she does, I imagine we'll lose a pin or two. We've got a couple of fairly small travel bags & a few lanyards, and if we don't like it--the leftovers will be up on e-bay

I plan on buying a couple of special ones while we're at the park--ones that will have meaning for this trip (mainly, halloween).

For the OP--you can get some from e-bay, and most will ship direct to your hotel. My personal price (for traders) is around $2/pin. You can find real ones for slightly cheaper, but it's cheaper than buying them at the park.

 

[hglenn]

It's interesting OP you used the word "interfere" while I use the word "enhance" pin trading enhances our experience. It's part of the way, we can personalize our Disney trip. Just another vote for YAY pins! If you don't do it on this trip- next time.

Another thought- what about doing the pressed pennies- very little prep involved?

Ha! Well, I try to mitigate any possible thing that could cause extra sibling fighting! Maybe it wouldn't be a big deal, but I can see them fighting over pins they each like.

 

[hglenn]

My family thoroughly enjoys pin trading, but I still don't recommend having pins on day one of your first trip. There is just SO MUCH to a Disney trip and to add pin trading seems unnecessary. I would just tell the kids that you didn't want to spend the money when you don't know if they would like it and that if they want to later in the trip then you will. Then I'd also tell them you will only buy pins they DON'T like. Because they have to trade them. On day 3-4 of this past trip we bought our youngest the pin lanyard she wanted and then she picked out a pack of pins she hated (villains.) She had a great time getting rid of all those awful villains. It didn't distract at all from our vacation.

Interesting. Yes, I think we will do that as well. Let them decide if they want to purchase a few for trading and then leave it up to them.

Thanks for all of the info!

 

[buzznina]

I ordered a grab bag pack of authentic disney pins from ebay and saved a lot of $$. We did not really care what we got because the main purpose is for our DD to trade them and help her with her shyness and it has helped a lot. The first trip DW or I would have to go with her, but now she will approach a CM without us

 

[AndreaA]

My kids couldn't care less about anything they don't know about...so if I don't mention it, they don't ask. If I don't make it a big deal, they don't know it is a big deal. And, no...my kids are not babies. They are 13, 9, and 7. Plenty old enough to be aware of what's going on around them.

As someone who has studied sociology, psychology, and has done extensive research on the root causes of bullying, I have found that the majority of a child's behavior/attitudes/perspectives comes straight from the example of the parents, at least (and even after) up until the age of adolescence. Bottom line is... if you want your kids to think pin-trading is a big deal, they will. If you don't, then they won't.

Unless they are teens. Once they are teens, all bets are off. They don't want to listen to parents, and will do everything opposite of their parents anyway - so my recommendation is that you encourage the exact opposite behavior you are trying to discourage LOL

Totally agree with everything in this post. Heck, I'm an ADULT and didn't even know that people were trading pins until I saw it on this board. I'd already been two WDW three times and had bought pins, so it's not like I didn't know what they were or hadn't been in a pin store. I'm straining my memory and may have some slim recollection of a little box at a pin store register that might have been for trading.

There is SO MUCH going on at Disney that if you don't mention it and don't point it out, they are not going to notice that some kid they don't know is unobtrusively talking to a CM and handing over a pin. If you don't want your kids to get into it, then just avoid it.

That being said, I did buy lanyards and starter pin sets for my boys last year - knowing that they were too young to even want pins, but thinking it a cute souvenir. This year I plan to possibly offer to buy a pin for some of the rides that they might be hesitant to ride (just Splash Mountain and BTMRR) but which I know, based on past experience, that they will end up enjoying.

I plan to add to my little collection too - getting this year's pin and maybe a couple that have some special meaning. They are a nice visual reminder of our trip and I hang my lanyard up in an unobtrusive spot in our master bathroom so I see them and smile.

 

[pixiedustmomma]

My DD6 is not into trading her pins yet. We let her pick a couple out each trip.

Before you go and start buying pins off eBay you need to know that there are more fake pins on eBay than real ones. There is a thread for pin trading that tells you good sellers and bad sellers. When you trade a fake pin with a CM they can not trade that pin and have to turn them in. It really isn't a fair trade. There is also a website that shows you pictures of every disney pin and how to spot a fake. I have bought off eBay before I found the thread and knew about the fake pins. I got a grab bag and most are fake. Now I really research before buying from eBay. You will see in the sellers comments that people will say the got fakes from them.

 

[Nancyg56]

When my DGD was almost 5, my DSIL gave me 10 pins for her to trade. I had no idea what this was all about but holy canoli! Did I get a crash course! My DGD loved trading and so I did buy some of those boxes of 9 cuties that they had for sales at that time. She and her Dad traded on our trip a few months after that, and she started saving her money to buy pins. Her Dad gets some for Ebay, (I know nothing about who he buys from,but so far he has gotten good sets) and they trade the entire trip. Her collection is really good.

I agree that trading is not necessary, and kids are not missing out on something if they don't know about it. It can be addictive though, so beware!

 

[nugov2]

I bought each of my kids 20 pins each for our trip...they traded about 3 times and then were done. They liked having them and had fun trading, but didn't want to slow down to do it too often.

 

[kmb584]

It all depends on the child. On our trip in April I decided I'd get DD into pin trading as she loves to interact with people and I thought it'd be a fun activity. As it turned out, she had zero interest whatsoever and even asked if we could return the pins I had bought, haha!

 

[caselaw3]

how old is old enough to start pin trading?

 

[KWithers]

how old is old enough to start pin trading?

Our DD was 3 when we started. I held onto the lanyard in our backpack, but she did the trading. She has collected all the princesses.

 

[CdnCarrie]

My kids are 7 and 10. They have been to WDW 6 times and I doubt they even know what a pin is. It's not something that would interest them at all.

I would totally skip it.

 

[beck02]

how old is old enough to start pin trading?

When they can talk (or somehow otherwise get their point across). I'd say around 3 years, because they also have to let go of the pin they're trading, and sometimes little kids don't quite understand they have to give something up. And younger than 3 anything is interesting--no reason to pay more money when they're perfectly happy just being in the parks.

Really, I think if they're a little older it means more, but there's no set age.