Eeyore's Pal
Trading pins since before there were rubber backs
- Joined
- Nov 14, 1999
- Messages
- 3,779
About 10 days ago I puchased two Disney Auction pins from an eBay seller, both described as being in "mint condition."
I thought I had recognized these pins from a DA auction of last Spring/Summer. But when I searched on Pinpics, I could not find either pin. I found similar pins, but not these exact pins. I became suspicious immediately.
When the pins <i>finally</i> arrived, I could see that both pins were damaged. One pin had discoloration (like ink marks) and slight bubbling along the paint edge. The other pin has a <i>severely</i> scratched back -- way beyond what could happen just from careless storage.
I scanned the fronts and backs and circulated the images to a couple of pinpals for opinions. While we can not be 100% certain, it appears that these pins are <b><i>scrappers</b></i> -- real DA pins from the factory in China, that were damaged in the production process, and would have been <b><i>scrapped</b></i>. Instead these pins are picked up off the factory floor or pulled out of the discard bin, and then sold to unsuspecting collectors and <i>complicit</i> resellers.
Up until now I had only heard of pinpals who unknowingly bought <i>counterfeit</i> pins -- like the "error" Haunted Mansion E-ticket that has been circulating for about a year. We had also seen some outright <i>fake</i> DA pins, and knew how to identify those from the imperfectly embossed back of the pin.
While I'm sure there are collectors/traders/sellers who may unknowingly pick up one of these fakes or scrappers, I am pretty sure the seller in my transaction knew exactly what he was selling. A little further investigation of his auctions revealed at least one other never-released DA pin, <i>numerous</I> "artist proofs" (another major telltale sign), and even one of those "error" Haunted Mansion E-ticket pins.
So how did I get sucked in? Shouldn't I have known better? <i>Maybe.</i> But the pins are <i>similar</i> to a couple of other DA series, so they looked <i>familiar</i> to me. The pins were only $10 each -- but we just had that DA $1 sale, and there had been some pretty incredible deals. <i>And the seller's eBay reputation (feedback) looks fine.</I> Maybe he has only recently fallen prey to this source of easy profits.
But here's a point of concern: A friend of this seller has an ID on that <i>other</i> pin board, and both belong to the <i>Northeast Ohio Pintraders Club.</i>
Does he have a Pinpics ID too? <I>I don't know.</i>
What happens next? <i>Not sure.</i> I guess someone at DA would have to validate the status of these pins. I'm going to ask, but I have little confidence of cooperation.
If you want the seller's ID, please email me.
I thought I had recognized these pins from a DA auction of last Spring/Summer. But when I searched on Pinpics, I could not find either pin. I found similar pins, but not these exact pins. I became suspicious immediately.
When the pins <i>finally</i> arrived, I could see that both pins were damaged. One pin had discoloration (like ink marks) and slight bubbling along the paint edge. The other pin has a <i>severely</i> scratched back -- way beyond what could happen just from careless storage.
I scanned the fronts and backs and circulated the images to a couple of pinpals for opinions. While we can not be 100% certain, it appears that these pins are <b><i>scrappers</b></i> -- real DA pins from the factory in China, that were damaged in the production process, and would have been <b><i>scrapped</b></i>. Instead these pins are picked up off the factory floor or pulled out of the discard bin, and then sold to unsuspecting collectors and <i>complicit</i> resellers.
Up until now I had only heard of pinpals who unknowingly bought <i>counterfeit</i> pins -- like the "error" Haunted Mansion E-ticket that has been circulating for about a year. We had also seen some outright <i>fake</i> DA pins, and knew how to identify those from the imperfectly embossed back of the pin.
While I'm sure there are collectors/traders/sellers who may unknowingly pick up one of these fakes or scrappers, I am pretty sure the seller in my transaction knew exactly what he was selling. A little further investigation of his auctions revealed at least one other never-released DA pin, <i>numerous</I> "artist proofs" (another major telltale sign), and even one of those "error" Haunted Mansion E-ticket pins.
So how did I get sucked in? Shouldn't I have known better? <i>Maybe.</i> But the pins are <i>similar</i> to a couple of other DA series, so they looked <i>familiar</i> to me. The pins were only $10 each -- but we just had that DA $1 sale, and there had been some pretty incredible deals. <i>And the seller's eBay reputation (feedback) looks fine.</I> Maybe he has only recently fallen prey to this source of easy profits.
But here's a point of concern: A friend of this seller has an ID on that <i>other</i> pin board, and both belong to the <i>Northeast Ohio Pintraders Club.</i>
Does he have a Pinpics ID too? <I>I don't know.</i>
What happens next? <i>Not sure.</i> I guess someone at DA would have to validate the status of these pins. I'm going to ask, but I have little confidence of cooperation.
If you want the seller's ID, please email me.
