Dare I say it --- found the whole 'pin trading' thing rather annoying

[StephPf]

We just got back. We had a great trip, but the "pin trading" was annoying.

We bought a Disney vacation package so we each got a lanyard and A PIN and were told all about how to trade w/ cast members. Of course dh and I gave the kids our pins. They traded. But, pins w/ rubber backs fall off. We were advised by a helpful guest who picked dd's pin up off the floor while in line for Ice cream, that we should BUY locking backs that go on w/ an Allen wrench ($8.95 for a package of 10 w/ the wrench) ... but while PINS can be purchased everywhere, you can't find the locking backs everywhere --- only a few stores have those. WHY?!?! Why have a whole section of "World of Disney" that stocks 2000+ different pins, and not stock the special backs?!?!?

BUT ... the locking backs mean Mom has to be right there, wrench in hand, ready to complete a trade -- heaven forbid I should step back and keep an eye on the kids from 3 feet away. So the kids wanted to keep the rubber backs on their potential trades.

AND ... we found ourselves buying packages of 4 pins (it's cheaper than buying 4 individuals) just so they could trade.

Then we had a tragedy, my dd traded for a "Baby Tigger" pin when she got off California Screaming, it was gone ... even w/ the locking back, it got lost. It could NOT be purchased anywhere, so everytime she saw a be-pinned cast member, she had to search for this pin. AND ... one time ds traded w/ a cast member and got some pin, supposedly from Paris, then 5 minutes later he tried to trade w/ a different cast member who wouldn't take it because it didn't have "Disney" or "trader" or some other 'key word' on the back. HUH? It's ok to give it away but not take it back?!?!?!

Finally I made them take all their pins off, leave them at the hotel and said "no more trading", you can each buy 2 more and we are DONE!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Last fall someone advised to keep them in your bag (b/c they get heavy) or buy the special backs on Ebay first. A good idea, but it DOES sound like a big pain in the rear!

Not sure what we'll do, we may just give it a run the 1st day out to see how it goes.

 

[Scraper]

Hmmm we seldom lose a pin and we love pin trading.

 

[rockstargeisha]

Pin trading isn't for everyone. It can be a very expensive hobby and take a lot of patience if you're looking for particular pins.

Lanyards are nice but can get heavy very quickly, plus they scratch my neck sometimes. I just wear a few on my lanyard to signal I'm a trader and carry additionals in my bag.

I've never had a pin fall off my lanyard or shirt though, I'm sorry to hear you lost a pin. Just keep in mind the more you move pins and pin them to more things the more worn out the pin backs will get. I know the pin stores carry additional rubber backs which I find pretty strong. It may be best in the future if you continue to trade, to avoid wearing pins on attractions where safety bars or a lot of movement may agitate your pins hence causing them to get scratched or worse fall off.

Like I said though it's not a hobby for everyone, the part I enjoy most is interacting with other traders and castmembers.

 

[azgal81]

Pin trading doesn't sound like my thing either! I'm so glad I didn't start!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Thats why DD wears one of the Pin trading bags (she has a few now. ).

I think they are easier to carry ,keep the pins from damage and protect from losing.

We do enjoy it as a way for her to interact with the CM's.

 

[mom2dzb]

My sons have pin trading bags, as well.

Before the bags, though, we did lose a few pins. We then utilized the locking pin backs. Most of the pins on my kids lanyards had those to secure them and then a few had the regular backs. Those were the ones for trading. I've also read a tip on the DIS about using the plastic that a pin comes on. We would cut some of those up and use them for a tighter fit. The pin first goes through the lanyard, then the plastic and then the regular rubber back. My kids have never lost one affixed in this manner.

 

[Another^Dimension]

All my pins were gifts... and all my pins stay pinned to the tapestry in my room.



The large amount of Guests who spend their whole day pin trading and not enjoying Disneyland.. I guess... are really not the kind of people I would want to visit the park with.


On DL's 50th, 7/17/05... just a few minutes after park opening there were dozens of pin traders with books and books of pins in their arms all headed to pin tables all over DL to 'set up shop'. On Disneyland's 50th Birthday...


While 10,000s of others were heading to get good spots for the 50th ceremony or heading towards the merchandise line from hell or heading towards an awesome Disneyland attraction... to start their day at the single best place to be on the planet that day.



I was surprised, but I know I shouldn't have been.. that many manic pin traders couldn't even take one morning 'off' at DL to enjoy Disneyland...
their cheap tin and plastic obsession was obviously in control.


Pin trade, collect, buy 'em by the gross, jones for certain serieses, it's all fine if Disney theme park Guests wants to... while the other masses actually enjoy Disneyland...

But I think that group of hardcore pin collectors and traders needs to try and remember where they are while they are 'setting up shop' with their entire collection all over a table...


I've wondered.... when was the last time many of those manic pin traders rode a ride, saw a show and/or didn't carry half a dozen padded pin books books, 4 lanyards around their neck, their pin vest and severeral special pocket pins with them when entering DL?
When was the last time they just visited Disneyland as a ride anticipating Guest?


I'd still rather enjoy the rides, shows, attractions, live musicians and characters, take some pics and soak in the atmosphere in every land when I go to DL, even as frequently as I do go...
And know my pins at home, don't run my life.


Especially while i'm escaping the real world at Disneyland.

 

[kingsdaughter]

With all do respect if people get joy from trading pins at DL then great for them if you enjoy only rides good for you.Maybe you do not like rides but love to people watch good for you.Or you cannot ride any rides but enjoy being around with your family seeing the joy they are having good for you.That's why I love DL it's a very special place for everyone to enjoy in so many special ways.

 

[lulubelle]

I don't really get the whole pin trading thing, either. But, I do love to pin COLLECT - when I buy a pin, I have looked for a few days, given a lot of careful thought to which one I want and when it makes it way to my lanyard, it is immediately special. I wouldn't trade it to anyone for anything. For as much as I visit DL, I only have about 20 pins, on two different lanyards. I alternate which one I wear. I have never lost one and never traded one. I guess I make my own rules.

 

[DLVixen]

When we were at the parks everyone picked the pins they liked, although dh kept looking at the cm's lanyards in hopes of finding something good. I was kinda irked when one of my new pins back came off while I was getting into the teacup, figured it a fluke. When we got home I noticed ds's new stitch pirate pin was backless as well

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Wow the trading thing sounds like too much energy on my part. LOL I do like buying one here and there. They are pretty, but I wouldn't want to trade. I agree, to each their own.

 

[Captjackson]

I don't really get the whole pin trading thing, either. But, I do love to pin COLLECT - when I buy a pin, I have looked for a few days, given a lot of careful thought to which one I want and when it makes it way to my lanyard, it is immediately special. I wouldn't trade it to anyone for anything. For as much as I visit DL, I only have about 20 pins, on two different lanyards. I alternate which one I wear. I have never lost one and never traded one. I guess I make my own rules.

I'm like you. I collect pins, but I'm not a trader. DW is the same. The pins we have are mementos of each trip. Granted, I only recently started collecting, but I have pins for DD and DS's DLR birthday trips and DW and my 10th anniversary at WDW/DCL. Each of those pins have sentimental value for me and will not be traded. Well, maybe except for that 2nd Castaway Club pin they gave us on the cruise...

Like others have said, it seems like too much work for me. I do understand the appeal though. I used to trade baseball cards when I was younger, so I know the feeling of getting a new, unique card/pin.

 

[pindecisive]

I love to trade.

It's about what...hmmm like 30% why I go. Though the rest is the rides and the magic. rincess:

Sure I lose a pin every once and awhile. But it's fun for me.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with it. Sounds like it made the trip a little irritating.

 

[Danauk]

I too like to collect pins but don't trade. I only started on our last trip to WDW but I have a lanyard full, each pin bought for a reason.
If you wear your lanyard to the park do people presume you are going to trade? I haven't decided if I will even wear mine to the park or not as I don't want to loose any of the pins and I would hate for someone to think I would trade with them when I don't intend to do that. Maybe I should just leave the lanyard back at the hotel.

 

[steve_rob]

My wife is another person who buys pins because she likes them and has no real interest in trading.

She had a friend who went to the parks once wearing loads of pins on their lanyard and they kept on getting pestered to trade during the day. As she doesn't want that happening to her, she normally pins just one to her bag or whatever she is wearing that day and leaves the rest in the hotel.

Of course, the other reason she won't trade is because many of her pins come from Disneyland Paris and are fairly unique, so even if she was a trader by nature, she'd be after something equally special as a swap, and not just a pin you could get anywhere.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

My kids started pin collecting since their 1st trip. We'd buy a special pin for each of them to comemorate that trip. Ds got a TOT & California Screamin pin the 1st time he rode the rides. They only recently started trading pins with cms on our last 2 trips. We bought a bunch of pins at the disney wherehouse for $2 or $3 which were strictly for trading purposes only. DD only trades Minnie, Daisy & princesses pins while ds only trades for Mickey, stitch & villains pins. We usually put their lanyards in our backpack and only bring it out when they see a cm they want to trade with. Fortunately, we have yet to lose a pin. They each now have 30-40 pins in their collection so we had to buy each of them binders for their pins.

 

[poohbearrocks]

we lost one and then I heard one fall off, so we retreived it!! I too wasn't as happy, but dd LOVED it...I wish they sold some in packs of 2 - like the starters, were you buy a pin you love and then get an additional one to trade!! because we got to were we didnt' want to trade we liked what we had, I did get a simba which was MY fave so that was cool since you can't buy them anymore...

 

[my3boys]

My sons love to trade, and it helps before the trips that I buy inexpensive ones off of ebay. We did worry about their losing them, so I can them in small bags with me. Then they place them on a bulletin board that is just for their Disney pins to display them - it's funny because they will trade amongst themselves between trips. We also supplement the pins with special ones to mark unique visits: St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, Halloween, new rides, etc.

 

[mattmommy]

In our family we call it tin crack. DH bought every pin in sight for a few years. Then he decided to pare it down to just "Walt" pins. I sold the rest on ebay and we went to Hawaii for 2 weeks--TRUE story.

The pins are HEAVY, the books are heavier and somebody besides the pin collector tends to get stuck carrying them (Mom).

Everytime we're going for a ride and dh spotted another collector we had to stop. What a pain. Now he just goes to pinpicks.com (or something like that) and trades there.