Disney Pins

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Just getting into this... is pin collecting as addictive as they say it is?

 

[AgentMama]

Our kids like it. For them, its not necessarily addicting, but they have enjoyed. They're not as into as they used to be now that they're getting older.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Pin trading is kinda controversial. A lot of the pins are scrappers/ counterfeit pins. These are pins made by the same factories as the pins sold in Disney Parks and Stores but for various reasons have not passed the Disney quality test. These pins have some sort of defect, such as a wrong colour, lower quality metal, spelling mistake or a design mistake. They are sold by factory workers online in bulk for far lower prices.

Many people buy these cheap low quality pins to trade in the parks. Over the years, long before Covid, many people felt this devalued the pin trading and stopped trading.

Before Covid CM's used to wear lanyards with pins and would trade with park guests.

I use pinpics website to check which are real pins and which are scrappers/ counterfeit pins. While I only buy real pins from Disney parks or Disney stores, I will retrade any scrappers/ counterfeit pins that I get.

You can now only trade from pin boards and the CM's dont handle the pins. You take a pin off the board and you replace it with one of your pins. The CM's are not wearing pins on their lanyards.

Some people think pin trading is just for kids, but many adults collect and trade pins. Some pins, especially the limited edition ones or pins not available to the general public to buy have a big resale value. Most pins however are only worth their original face value price.

There is such a huge wide range of pins that most people have a theme to their collection.

Most people either keep their pins in a special pin bag or display them in their home on boards or hats or lanyards.

In Disneyland especially you will see people wearing lanyards with many pins. These are people who collect pins and like to show off their collection while in the parks.

There are also professional pin collectors who sit in an area in or near the parks. They have multiple pin bags and you can have a look at their collection but most of the time they don't trade with a casual pin trader. They only want the special edition or limited edition pins. If you see a pin they have that you would like to trade for, many times they will name a specific pin and ask you to buy it in the shop. Don't do this, as the pin they ask you to buy will have a higher value that the one you want to trade for.

I have about 10 pins I keep for trading on every Disney trip. I keep them in a small bag , not on a lanyard. I collect Tinkerbell and Pirates pins but I don't really find much of them. My main goal on each trip is to trade out my 10 pins and get 10 new pins, and its a bonus if I get a pin to keep and add to my collection.

 

[slo]

We’ve been collecting Disney pins since 2002 and they are a lot of fun to look at and buy.
My DD18 took her lanyard this past November and traded with other people and at the gift shops. The pins are a lot more expensive now, which is a bummer, but then again, what isn’t more expensive these days.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

DH, DD9 and DS12 are really into it. DH was a pin person before we even met, anytime we go anywhere even remotely interesting, he'll get a new pin. The kids do it because DH does it. They don't really trade them at all. So them I think it's a way to help remember a nice trip or a fun ride, etc.

 

[BrianL]

I have always tried to resist pins because I know they can be addictive. I have ende dup with a few that were gifts. The first one I ever bought was the Tomorrowland pin from the movie. I have a few on a bulletin board, but I was thinking or making a pin wall - but that would push me down the road to buying more. I've never traded or antyhing like that since I have generally only bought ones that I really want...so far! There's a Rocketeer one on ShopDisney that I've been eyeing.... Oh, dang, maybe it IS addictive!

 

[3.14nTrader]

Just getting into this... is pin collecting as addictive as they say it is?

I'm not even exaggerating when I say that trading pins is one of the things I'm most excited for when we finally make it back!