Boy am I MAD!! TDS pin experience Week 2

[BeautyLLM]

I got to the store at 9 am for a 10 am opening. I was second in line. When the store opened, I was literally shoved out of the way by all the people behind me who went and grabbed whatever they could. I managed to get what I wanted, but it was so unpleasant!! I have never seen a more rude, obnoxious bunch of people in my life and said so out loud a few times! There was also no indication that they were abiding by any 5 pin limit...

I spoke to the manager and asked her to think about keeping the pins behind the counter next week, to avoid all the nastiness.

I had such a good time doing this last weekend...now I dread going back!

Leslie

 

[DisneyFan0304]

I had the same experience at the store on Staten Island. Last week I went a little after 10 and there was no one in the store and I got what I wanted (at the time I thought I only wanted #1). Today I got there around 9:30 and there was a group of about 4 people waiting. By the time the store opened there was a crowd and when they opened the store they all just shoved in and started grabbing. They knocked the whole dispaly apart. By the time I got a hand in I was only able to get 3 pins, but some people had extras so I was able to get 1 of each, except #12. The store didn't get any. I called the 5th Avenue store and they didn't get any, either.

I don't know if I want to go through this any more. They should keep them behind the counter or at least have people line up and go into the store in the order they were on line.

Last week it looked like they had plenty of pins. This week they didn't have many at all. It was awful.

Does anyone know what's going on with #12? I put my name on a list at the store to be called if/when they get them in.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Someone must have screwed up.
We have two TDS. Each of our stores only rec'd 12, instead of the normal 24.

 

[rosebud]

No, I am really, really mad. I just went on e-bay out of curiosity because of another thread I read about the 100 yr pins will be selling there. I was able to buy all the pins except #1 and #4, at my Disney store. On e-bay the #1 pin is at $46! I'm sorry but, that just isn't right. I agree with the rest of you the limit s/b 2 pins to start out with. I just start collecting for fun and it's not gonna be fun if people hoard the pins and then sell them for outrageously ridiculous prices.
There I vented! Thanks for listening................

 

[Humpbacks1962]

Leslie, is that the store in Milford?

A CM working there came to Meriden this morning to buy some pins, saying that last week a woman took ALL the Walt pins sold in the Milford store last Saturday!

Sounds like you got some wild herds in your territory.

Wanda

 

[BeautyLLM]

Yes Wanda, it was the Milford store. Last weekend I found it to very civilized...there were maybe 10 of us by the time the store opened, maybe less. We all walked in together and picked out our pins, still chatting and having fun. This week was AWFUL!

Last week, one family apparently bought every pin at the Trumbull store, and I think that this week, all the angry Trumbull guests came to Milford and took their anger out on us!!

Leslie

 

[goofymom/pop]

Our DS Mgr. Boxed up one full set of pins in individual boxes. As you came through the door each person got one full set, and the extras were on the rack. It was WONDERFUL and we made sure to tell him so. Rocketeer was the hot pin, with Pooh and Belle running a tight second. So anyway I have some extras who needs what??? Let me know.

Gala Premier
Plane Crazy
Mickey and Donald
Rocketeer
Eeyore
Tigger
Pooh


email me with your trade ideas.....

Cindy

 

[Chip and Dale]

Well, the limit of 5 pins per person made absolutely no difference! The sharks just brought every person in their family and in their neighborhood with them. The first guy in the store bought 30 of each pin! He had so many pins, he needed two shopping baskets to carry them all.

The manager was totally disgusted by the whole scene, but there was nothing he could do. By 10:02, you could no longer get a complete set of the week 2 pins. It didn't matter if you were there before the store opened--you're still subject to the grabbing and greed of some people.

Disney needs to lower the limit of 5 to a limit of 2. That way you get one for your collection and one to sell, trade or do whatever your little heart desires with it!

I'm totally disgusted and frustrated with the whole situation. My husband keeps asking me why I bother....and you know what--I'm beginning to ask myself the same thing!

 

[DeeP]

Our local DS keeps the pins behind the counter, this is the second week they have done this. It is so much nicer, no one is grabbing, everyone waits patiently in line, this is the way it should be. However, today they did sell out so not everyone in line got all the pins. Alll the people I saw were only buying 1 or 2 of each pin but there were about 40 people in line so the folks in the back of the line were not able to get complete sets.

 

[DisneyPoly]

Chip and Dale ...

Is your post about the Oxford Valley DS? I was crazy enough to show up around 11:00 and ask about pins. Needless to say, there was nothing around. I had considered going next week at opening time, but after reading these posts, I think I better just forget this collection. I'll have to wait until our next trip down to WDW to purchase new ones.

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Leslie,

Almost went to the Milford Store, but didn't. I'm glad I missed the bad experience!

I hope (and I think will) that DS will get smart by the past two weeks and place the pins behind the counter and limit the pins to one a piece/per person.

If DS was smart that's what they would do! If they received 100 sets next week here's the two scenerios that can play out:

1. They could sell out in 20 minutes to about 5-20 people. The revenue would be about $160 per person * 20 people = $3200!

2. If they limited 1 full set maximum per person, the revenue could look similar to my experience; got there at 10:10 ~ received the last set of pins~continued to shop and left spending $100 (with my 20% off DC discount). Now, if everyone was given a limit and didn't have to be out at the DS by 9:20pm, they could continue to shop and spend more......

total revenue of scenerio #2 is $10,000!

That's 300% more revenue and many more happy customers...........

Is Disney listening...........

 

[amcnj]

ALL pins were sold out by 10:30 am. Unfortunately I cannot get there at opening, because watching my children's soccer games is more important. But I did get there by 10:45 and was told that they had sold out at least 15 minutes ago! So I guess I have to concede defeat and return the pin book I had optimistically purchased!

 

[disneyboysmousehouse]

Sounds the the school of pin "pirhana" made there way up north since week one. Pin pirana are those rude, greedy people that puch, shove and butt line as they strip the racks clean of pins. I did not even attempt to go to either of our local DS at opening this past Saturday for that very reason. However, when we did arrive around 11am or so, one story had every pin, the other only missing two.

I checked Dizpins for next week's offering and aside from the Pinocchio "poster" nothing even interests me? How does the rest of the trading community feel?

Your pal..Disneyboy

 

[BeautyLLM]

Laurajean, I spoke to a friend who is also a CM at the Milford store. She said they are planning on keeping the pins behind the counter from now on...hopefully tghat will solve the problem. As to the limit...I guess i would like to see a two pin per person limit like they do at the parks with the LE's.

And as for the pirhana, I disagree...the people at the store on Saturday were more like vultures or hyenas....scavengers who wait til someone else does the work and then move in to take their "share"

Leslie

 

[DinaF]

I had a similarly bad experience purchasing pins. DH and I got there at 9:05, were 2nd in line, and several "people" who arrived at nearly 10 were reaching over DH and others' shoulders. Our store kept only the #12 behind the counter because they only received 12 of those. As far as I can tell, it was the only one that sold out initially, so there wasn't even any need for all the pushing and rudeness (not that selling out would have excused that behavior anyway).

I think TDS SHOULD keep them all behind counter and make sure people walk to register in an orderly manner (in the same order they line up outside). I'm worried about a two per person limit, though. The person I've asked to buy for me while I'm in WDW needs two for herself, and I also need two. This is so stressful.

Disneyboy, so far, none of the offerings are particularly exciting to me (except #1 and I like the Black & White), and I'm MAD about 14 dedicated to Pooh & Friends, but this is my first "collection" so I don't really know what I'm talking about!

 

[PatMcDuck]

My store also switched to having them at the register..... I will have to ask how it went, I could not go in this week to buy, son had a football game to attend. We only got one box of the Rocketeer pin, so I knew that would be limited.....

I hate to say it, but I know in my district, for week 1, it was up to the discretion of the manager on duty to limit the # of pins guests could buy.... so at my store no one was allowed to buy so many..... I am not trying to get them all, but just will get some that I like, I guess.

 

[russd18]

Why should the limit be 2 pins? Why not 1 pin? Everyone says they need 2. I saw others complaining on a similar line of conversation last week saying how they only got 2 sets. One for themselves and one to trade. How about just one for yourself and let the other collector get one?

Like all hot collectibles, collecting these pins is going to bring out the people grabbing them for resale profit. The only reason they can do this is because of those of you that are obsessed with having every pin. I remember with beanie babies there was a similar obsession and little animals made of fabric an plastic beads were selling for over a thousand dollars. Now you can't give a collection away. I realize Disney has a past and is an institution of Americana so there is a tie to this obsession. I love Disney also but I do not have to have every pin. There are Disney shows I did not like as much and I feel no need to have a momento of them. This weeks "Rocketeer" pin is a good example. How many of you are huge fans? Or do you just have to have the pin beacause it is there?

If your life will be ruined by the fact that you cant have them all then you better give up now beacause you will want all 50 states in the end and it will definately cost you to get them! If you can even.

Relax. Spend time getting the favorites with your friends or kids. A collection does not have to mean every one. In a couple years if you still have the urge to get some you don't have. Someone that paid too much today will be ready to give them away then.

Good Luck. God Bless.

 

[Mickey527]

I would like to see them limit it to 2 of each per person, or maybe 3. I have not been able to get to the store at all because I work every Saturday. If it wasn't for Leslie getting the pins I like for me I would not have any of the pins. I am not collecting all of them, because frankly some of them are ugly, but I do like the Mickey ones, and a few of the others.
So if they cut down to 2 per person Leslie could get hers and mine, but then she is not able to get the traders she is looking for. But she is great giving me the pins I want before taking them for her trading pile.
And honestly, they will be good lanyard traders, but I don't really see them being used for large trades. There are just too many of them, so whatever Leslie can't get for me I know I will find eventually in the parks. Peggie

 

[lynxstch]

We were in Ocean City on vacation and had to run to the Salisbury Centre Mall store on Sat to get the pins..I was first in line..there were only 4 people behind me..the clerk had the boxes of pins at the register..(she mistakenly also had pin #16 for sale before she realized it wasn't supposed to be there,,I think I am the only one who got them before they were pulled..but no biggie..one less for me to collect next weekend)- anyhow..she had one box of each..which I think was 24 pins of each one..I was still waiting for her to finish ringing me up..but she was constantly on the phone taking holds..some people wanted her to hold 2 of each set , which she was doing while waiting on me, but some wanted extras of certain #'s ..which she also held..this was NOT fair to the people behind me..by the time they got to the register..there were no # 12's left for them to get so they couldn't make a complete set..they really should limit to 2 sets per person..and I thought I read here on the boards that they weren't to hold pins for calling customers?????????

 

[tap & dap]

We have gone to two different stores in Chicago on the first two Saturdays. The first day was us and one other person, this past saturday it was just us. Hope next week this continues and we don't face the problems you are seeing in your Disney Stores.