Cast Members trading fake pins?

[xtyr]

We just returned from the parks and The first trip my boys traded. I definitely noticed the CMs had a lot more scrapers on their lanyards than in previous trips (2008 & 2010). My boys don't know (or mind) but it does bother me.

 

[Eddygirl]

Ya...the whole scrapper thing was news to me before our first trip. I bought a lot of pins from Ebay for the kids to trade and when they arrived they just did not look right. I also did not really know how much the pins were new, and from the description from the seller I did not think anything would be wrong. I researched and holy moly....news to me!! Who would really expect someone to be selling fake or counterfeit DISNEY PINS???? Ya....did not know how popular pin trading is! I reported to isney, reported to Ebay and filed a Paypal claim. Seller was not happy with me!

After researching I found reputable ebay pin sellers, paid more for the pins and the kids had a blast trading with the CMs. When 1/2 the pins they ended up with were obvious fakes/scrappers I was kinda cheesed and felt bad for my kids....then I realized they LOVED their pins. They both had a theme of what they were collecting so it was a lot of fun to search for their pins. I made peace with their fake pins. lol!!!!!

We just came back from our second trip. I again researched, found good sellers, paid more for the pins and the kids had a lot of fun again. This time the scrappers/fakes were closer to 3/4 they ended up with....but oh well. They had fun and I, in good conscience, know we did not add to the scrappers/fakes floating around on the CM's lanyards.

 

[lurpee]

What I've done with my Scrapper and Counterfeit pins is cut the pin backs off them and glued some strong magnets to the back using epoxy and made some really nice refrigerator magnets out of them

I will be doing this with my scrappers! Excellent idea!

 

[mydisneymoney]

If you are not into trading for the investment but rather fun for your family, then keeping a scrapper for your collection is perfectly fine. But knowly trading a scrapper is not IMO. So I am careful to make sure the pins I take to trade are real and if my DS trades for a scrapper but loves it, then that is all that matters.

 

[KateDrake]

The issue I have here is that I honestly cannot tell the difference between the scrappers and the real pins. Probably because I'm a novice and am not into collecting, we are just doing it for fun. I've heard all the tips about the color, the imprint on the back, etc. but I still have no idea. What do you guys suggest? We don't trade with anyone but CMs, because we really aren't serious about it. But I would feel bad trading a scrapper to a CM, which then ends up with someone else. Right now I'd say we are at about half and half with pins we have purchased in the parks and ones we have traded.

So what do you all suggest? Just bag trading entirely? Just continue as we have, trading with CMs? Or is there kind of a divide, where if you are doing it just for fun, scrappers are OK, but obviously serious traders would verify authenticity? Any tips would be much appreciated.

 

[Mary09]

It seems like if scrappers should ethically be removed from trading, that should be on the backs of the CMs (assuming people aren't trading with other park guests). I know I'm not going to go through my daughter's pins and try to make some appraisal to save a CM from getting some sub-standard pin which we got from a CM in the first place. But we don't care if we get a scrapper, either.

 

[ktlm]

The issue I have here is that I honestly cannot tell the difference between the scrappers and the real pins.

. I've heard all the tips about the color, the imprint on the back, etc. but I still have no idea. .

I think it can be hard to tell. I feel that way sometimes too, and I have tried to figure out if any of DD's pins are scrappers. We have one pin that I'm positive is a scrapper. DD got it from another little girl she made friends and traded with at WDW. It is one of her favorites, though, so as long as she is happy it is fine, even though I know she traded a real pin that I bought her at WDW for it. We won't even take it with us on return trips to DL or WDW, because I wouldn't let her trade that one since I know it is a scrapper.

However, there is another pin DD has that looking at it, I would swear it is a scrapper. To me, the colors look off. I would also bet that anyone that got it would think it was a scrapper. I 100% know it is real though because DD picked it out at the pin store at DL, and I bought it directly from the store.

I wouldn't bag trading entirely. I would just continue as you have been, trading with CMs. Let your kids trade for what they want. If they like a pin and want to keep it, then who cares if it is a scrapper. If you are sure one of your pins is a scrapper, then pull it out and don't let them trade it.

 

[elaw]

The issue I have here is that I honestly cannot tell the difference between the scrappers and the real pins. Probably because I'm a novice and am not into collecting, we are just doing it for fun. I've heard all the tips about the color, the imprint on the back, etc. but I still have no idea. What do you guys suggest? We don't trade with anyone but CMs, because we really aren't serious about it. But I would feel bad trading a scrapper to a CM, which then ends up with someone else. Right now I'd say we are at about half and half with pins we have purchased in the parks and ones we have traded.

So what do you all suggest? Just bag trading entirely? Just continue as we have, trading with CMs? Or is there kind of a divide, where if you are doing it just for fun, scrappers are OK, but obviously serious traders would verify authenticity? Any tips would be much appreciated.

It takes a little bit of research but Pin Pics is probably your best resource ... the following link gives examples of what to specifically look for to help determine whether or not you may have a scrapper or fake/couterfeit. Of the 6 pins for this set. I had gotten 3 scrappers, so when I went to replace them I knew exactly what to look for and eventually got all genuine pins (from a CM hip lanyard at disney quest ... they had all 3 I needed) http://www.pinpics.com

Good pin is on the left

 

[elaw]

I usually get the first pin from a given set and do some research via my smartphone before making anymore trades .... that way I'm aware of what to look for with subsequent trades. I've also limited my trades to mostly non hidden mickey/cast lanyard pins. It's a tough call to say ... I still enjoy the hunt ... but now its a 2 part hunt. Find the pins you are looking for is the first part of it ... and making sure its genuine is second part. It sort of makes it even more rewarding when you find it.

 

[thankudrivethru]

CM's that trade pins, most of what they get from the park guests they don't know of they are real or fake, they do not inspect them.

 

[StyledSugar]

When we started pin trading during our last trip we had no idea about scappers or fakes. We had a blast!!!

When we got back we started looking into what we needed to complete sets and that is when we found out about scrappers. We were bummed at first that something like that even existed but then when we thought about it, we're not looking to make a profit off of these pins, they are for us for our collection.

We LOVED doing it, so who cares if they are fake or not. We got them in DL and they are a memory from our trip. Plus, we had a really hard time determining if most of them were real or not anyways. lol We will continue to trade on our next trip and just enjoy it for what it is -- a fun activity for our whole family! We love nothing more than finding a final piece for our set, real or not.

 

[pixiewings71]

The issue I have here is that I honestly cannot tell the difference between the scrappers and the real pins. Probably because I'm a novice and am not into collecting, we are just doing it for fun. I've heard all the tips about the color, the imprint on the back, etc. but I still have no idea. What do you guys suggest? We don't trade with anyone but CMs, because we really aren't serious about it. But I would feel bad trading a scrapper to a CM, which then ends up with someone else. Right now I'd say we are at about half and half with pins we have purchased in the parks and ones we have traded.

So what do you all suggest? Just bag trading entirely? Just continue as we have, trading with CMs? Or is there kind of a divide, where if you are doing it just for fun, scrappers are OK, but obviously serious traders would verify authenticity? Any tips would be much appreciated.

No, don't stop trading, then the scrappers sellers win. lol I just learned all I could about scrappers and scrapper signs and then tried to trade smart. We have loads of scrappers at home.....traded for and unknowingly purchased. Trading is too much fun to give up entirely, now if we get a scrapper we use it some other way. Making magnets as a pp suggested, using them as push pins, I've donated some to my local elementary school for the K teacher to use to help teach the alphabet.

 

[RaceCar]

The issue I have here is that I honestly cannot tell the difference between the scrappers and the real pins. Probably because I'm a novice and am not into collecting, we are just doing it for fun. I've heard all the tips about the color, the imprint on the back, etc. but I still have no idea. What do you guys suggest? We don't trade with anyone but CMs, because we really aren't serious about it. But I would feel bad trading a scrapper to a CM, which then ends up with someone else. Right now I'd say we are at about half and half with pins we have purchased in the parks and ones we have traded.

So what do you all suggest? Just bag trading entirely? Just continue as we have, trading with CMs? Or is there kind of a divide, where if you are doing it just for fun, scrappers are OK, but obviously serious traders would verify authenticity? Any tips would be much appreciated.

Totally agree. It's not easy to tell, and it's not fun to try. If I had to fuss about checking pins, pin collecting would not be fun and I would become 1) snobby and 2) disappointed a lot. I have no idea which of my pins are "genuine" and which aren't. I don't need to know, and I don't want to make a fun hobby a big bummer. They're just pins for goodness sake.

 

[bigfranky75]

IMO if "you" know they are fake then you shouldn't trade them

that sounds nice, and while i agree in principle, that doesnt really address the thread... i think the dilemma that most of the parents of little ones run into is that we cant tell the difference between real pins and fake pins.

of course a serious collector can tell the difference, and would therefore face an ethical issue when it comes to knowingly trading a a fake pin for a real one.

the thing is, the average "collector" is not someone who is in it for the sake of actually building a collection.... most people (that i know at least), buy these things at the various shops throughout "The World" for thier kids... the kids then go on to trade them with cast members, who (from what I've read at least) have a better than average chance of trading you a fake pin. What am I supposed to tell my kids? they cant possibly know the difference since i cant even tell and they wouldnt care anyways.

what they're going to do is take the Captain EO pin I just paid $15 for and trade it to a cast member for a most likely "fake" Goofy pin that it sounds like they could've bought on eBay for 50 cents, LOL... and I'll shrug my shoulders and smile.... because you know what? They are enjoying themselves and thats what it is all about. If you are thinking about getting into pin trading as a serious collectible, I would just recommend you steer clear of trading with cast members and stick to dealing with the hardcore enthusiasts (or just buying them directly from the shops... stay away from eBay).... if you want to get your kids into it, then just be sure to not take it too seriously and let them have fun! a 7 or 9 year old shouldnt even know or care about counterfeit anything! just my 2 cents.

 

[DisneyB]

I personally don't see what all the fuss about this topic is. If Disney had a problem with the pins that are sold on eBay they would certainly put a policy in place for the CM's to inspect or they would make it much harder for the manufacturers to run additional lots. I think Disney doesn't care because it is good for their bottom line to have people pin trading. For most of us it is something that is fun to let the kids do but at $5/pin it would be far too costly so we would never start. Buying a lot on eBay for $1/pin (or far less than that lately) is a great way to give the kids something new to try. And how many of those people that start trading eBay pins have gone on to buy a lanyard, pin book or sets of other pins they like while in the parks? I know I have. If it wasn't for pins purchased in bulk we would have never started the hobby at all and would not have made those purchases.

If anybody is doing this as an investment I think you really need to talk to an investment specialist about something that might have a bigger rate of return. If you are doing this because you like hunting for that "last pin" to complete your set, or you like talking to new people while trading, then I say trade on and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[nunzia]

I like high-end handbags. When someone counterfeits one of those, they are not using the correct materials, patterns or hardware. They are not authorized at all to manufacture the purses. These pins however, are made in the same factory, by the same people, using the same materials as the real pins. They are called scrappers because they are made with the scraps of the Disney-authorized pins. Disney authorizes a run of 1000 pins. The manufacturer makes those 1000 pins, and then runs off maybe another 200 pins using the scraps of the original 1000 and leftover paint. Thus the scrapper pins tend to have faded coloring, are much thinner, and often had less precise outlines.
If Disney would manufacture the pins within the United States, they could take more precautions to eliminate these scrappers.