Displaying Pins

[OneLittleSpark]

Wow! I've only just found this sub-board, but am very happy to meet other collectors. OK then guys, here's a challenge for you: how can I show my pins at WDW without having to wear a lanyard?

I have a few pins (I am refusing to let this grow into a full-on collection, as it would bankrupt me far too quickly) which I'd really like to display when I go to Disney, but I don't really like lanyards as they're a bit heavy and I don't like things around my neck. I've got a few too many to just pin to my shirt, without it being pulled down (not to mention the time it would take to transfer them each day from one top to the next).

So, any suggestions? I use a wheelchair, so if you can think of any way to attach them to it, that might be an option. Or if anyone can find an innovative way for me to wear them whist avoiding the aforementioned problems, that would be great too.

All help greatly appreciated! TIA!

 

[EpcotMatt2]

The neck lanyards bother me too, so I created my own hip lanyard, similar to the ones you see some of the CMs wear. I went to the craft shop & bought a package of small canvas bags. I cut the handles off. Then I punch a hole through the bag at the top {I forget the name of the tool right now}. Add the round ring in the hole {again, forgetting the name}. Hook a hip clip through the hole that hangs on my waistband. With one of my bags, I only poked the hole through one side of the bag {if you poke it through both sides, the bag will remain closed & you’ll only be able to attach pins to the side. But with only 1 side holed, I was able to sew on some Velcro which would keep the pouch closed, but still usable to store pins in the pouch area in addition to sticking them on the side. I’m not sure if I’m explaining this all very clearly, but hopefully you get the idea.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Neat idea! I'm not sure if it would work for me as a hip-pack, as it would probably keep getting tangled in my wheels, but I could maybe do something similar to attach onto my chair. Even if I don't find a way to use it, thank you for sharing your idea, it's really cool!

Any more ideas (I like to have choices in life )?

 

[G8RFAN]

I've seen some people with pin hats and pin vests. Something like a vest would distribute the weight much better for a larger number of pins. Of course in the heat of summer, you may not want to wear it. I would fear that anything that would hang off of a wheelchair could be lost or an individual pin might fall off without you realizing it as it is not on your person. From personal experience, we use the locking pin backings, as we have lost a couple of pins in the past. The brass backings, unfortunately, can poke at you uncomfortably.

Personally, I never liked the lanyards we bought from WDW, as I found them very stiff. Then we got complimentary lanyards and pins from our package trip to DL almost 2 years ago. They are much softer on the neck and have Disneyland written all over them. However, the original sealable plastic card pouches and every replacement keeps tearing from the constant opening and closing, so lately we've been leaving the lanyards home (we don't trade anyway as each pin has a personal meaning for us) and wearing the waterproof card holders that you can buy at any of the waterparks.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

The hat's a good idea. I don't think I've got enough to weigh my head down that much if they were on a hat band. I agree that having them on my chair is risky, and I really don't want to lose any of them.

I've been meaning to get some of those locking backs for a while, they look really useful. In your experience do they always work, or have they ever come off unbidden?

I don't trade my pins either for the same reason, but it'd just be nice to give them a public airing every now and then, and WDW seems the perfect place.

Thank you for the suggestions EpcotMatt2 and G8RFAN, they're all really helpful! Anyone got any more ideas for me to play with?

 

[EpcotMatt2]

Neat idea! I'm not sure if it would work for me as a hip-pack, as it would probably keep getting tangled in my wheels, but I could maybe do something similar to attach onto my chair. Even if I don't find a way to use it, thank you for sharing your idea, it's really cool!

Any more ideas (I like to have choices in life )?

Actually it wouldn't necessarily get stuck in your wheels. When I'm riding the bus to the parks, my pouch just rests in my lap even though it's still hooked onto my waistband.

Also, perhaps you could get a small corkboard-type thing that could hang onto the back of your chair.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I tend to find that I can't keep things on my lap for that long without them slipping, even if they are clipped on. Bumpy surfaces are the worst (so AK would be interesting), but even on the flat I tend to knock things off. Maybe my lap's just a funny shape .

The idea of having something dangling off the back of the chair is an interesting one. I'd be a bit worried about losing pins, but perhaps if I had locking backs, or a clear plastic sheet over the top of them (or even both), I could work something. Hmmmm... interesting...

Thank you again for all your suggestions, I knew I could count on the DISers to provide good ideas! If anyone comes up with any more, I'd be glad to hear them.

Thanks guys!

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

how about on your bag?

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I thought about that, but I'm worried that piercing it would stop it being waterproof, which is not a good thing in Florida ! Maybe I could tie a ribbon or lanyard onto my bag though, that way it won't damage the bag... interesting ! Or I could put them on the straps, that could work too. Thank you for the suggestion, many interesting ideas are forming in my brain now (some of them are even related to pins! ).

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Qwackertoo]

My daughter who was about 9 or 10 at the time and really enjoyed pin trading started wearing her lanyard like the CM's over in Norway @ EPCOT. Over one shoulder and to the other side at your waist, like a Girl Scout sash. You can't display quite as many or you could wear two this way slightly offset so you could see two "sashes" worth. It was much more comfortable on your neck and still easy to enter & exit rides and those with belts or harnesses or bars.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Ooh, that's a good idea! I like that one! I'm not sure whether a lanyard would fit me like that, as I think I might have slightly different dimensions to your daughter, but it'll be worth a try. I think actually I may have a freebie lanyard somewhere around here. I'll go look...

Hmmm... maybe I need an extra long one (do such things exist?). The one I have ends up somewhere around my armpit, which looks a little silly . I will keep searching though, thank you for the suggestion!