Disney Pins on eBay???

[kristenrice]

I'm sure this has been asked before (please feel free to redirect me!), but how reliable is it to but Disney pins on eBay?

DD5 is BEGGING for a "Pirate Medallion" pin (a replica of the cursed gold coins from POTC 1) and I've found a few on eBay. I'd prefer to get one directly from Disney, but it says that this pin was released in 2006 so I doubt I can still get it from them.

Also, my DD's really started to get into pin trading on our recent trip to HHI. I would like to get them some "traders" to get them started. I'd also like to get a starter set for my nieces (ages 9, 6 and almost 3) and nephew (age 7) for Christmas. They are all coming with us on their first trip to WDW next June (courtesy of my parents) and I'd like a cheap way to introduce them to pin trading.

Are these pins legitimate? Are there any things I should look for or ask? I'm completely new to this so any advice would be great.

Thanks!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I just bought my first lanyards from Funmamas on Ebay, and it was a great transaction. She worked with me on little details, and they got here really fast and neatly packed. I just bought 2 lots of 50 pins from China, and will be getting them in the next two weeks. I was nervous about that one at first, but I read tons of feedback from the people who have purchased before and felt more at ease.

 

[damaris13]

I've never had a bad experience with buying pins on eBay. I always read reviews and buy from the most respected sellers. If their rating is less than 100%, I do my research to find out why before I even think about buying from them. I wouldn't buy huge lots from new sellers, though. You never know.... Let us know how it goes with your purchase.

 

[skiingfast]

There is a lot of great information on this subject in the thread linked below that is found on the Collectors Board.

Good/Bad Internet Sellers and ebay pin sellers

 

[kriscar]

Just another reason you SHOULD NOT buy pin lots on Ebay!

I wish I knew this guy's ebay name so we could see how many positive reviews he had..

Scrappers are not easy to identify if you are a new trader. Visit www.disneypinforum.com to buy from reputable traders/sellers.
Please do the pin trading community a favor and spend a little bit more on pins that are more likely to be original Disney pins.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+lanowblog+(L.A.+Now)

 

[msp2mco]

I've bought pins at least 3 times on ebay and I really haven't investigated the seller, other than to look at their pictures and see that they have good reviews and have sold a lot. I don't buy a ton of them at a time, so if there is a problem, I am not out a lot of money. I have only purchased them as trading pins for my kids. It is a lot cheaper, and they look forward to trading rather than buying new pins.

 

[NewsiesGoil]

Most of the time, those big lots of pins for cheap are going to net you a lot of counterfeits and not much else. They may look real, but they smell awful and are not as heavy as the real thing. I won't buy those lots on eBay for this very reason. I don't want to put counterfeits into circulation.