Ebay pins

[csmommy]

Anyone buy pins for their kids to trade from Ebay?

Someone sells them for $1.26 each with free shipping ~ am I missing something here?

 

[RyJMom]

I just bought a lot of 40 a few weeks ago for best friends kids. The pins were so nice - looked brand new. I was very pleased with my Ebay purchase. Just look for a good feedback.

 

[CarlisleMom]

I have bought pins on Ebay for my DD on both our trip (Fall 2007 & Spring 2009). My neice also bought for her trip June 2009.

Look for a good feedback. Our lots were in perfect condition. We even saved some of them.

 

[seren]

There are a lot of "scrapper" pins out there. Disney contracts pin making to overseas companies for a certain amount of pins. The company will then make extra and sell them cheap to individuals that will sell them.

They are tradeable in the parks but it isn't very ethical to do so.

You will find that these sellers have good feedback bc people don't know they are "fake" and they have no problems trading them in the parks.

 

[pixiewings71]

You can pop down to the Collector's Board for a list of "good" eBay pin sellers if you like. Be wary of the very cheap pins, they are most likely scrappers as the PP mentioned.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

I got pins off eBay and my kids loved them. About half of them, they didn't want to trade.

I know that I very likely got at least some scrappers, even though I bought from someone who insisted they trade for all their pins at DL. I also know that almost everything my boys did trade for at the parks was probably a scrapper, too. That's life. The boys picked pins they really liked, so I don't care if they are scrappers or not.

If it's important to me to have official pins, I buy pins from people who don't specialize in pins. I got our Star Wars pins from some smaller sellers who sell mostly other things and just happened to have Disney pins as well. I paid more for them and they came on the original cards.

For the boys, the cheaper ones do just as well. I'm sorry if people feel this is degrading their hobby. If I were a collector, I probably wouldn't actually be trading in the parks, I'd be trading with people who feel the way I do and who would only have official pins, knowing the number of scrappers out there.

If you are looking for cheaper, official pins, the Walmart near Disney has them for $4.97 each, cheaper than the cheapest pins in the park. They are on official Disney cards, though not the same ones as in the parks. They don't have as good a selection, but they are a way to start.

 

[pixiewings71]

I got pins off eBay and my kids loved them. About half of them, they didn't want to trade.

I know that I very likely got at least some scrappers, even though I bought from someone who insisted they trade for all their pins at DL. I also know that almost everything my boys did trade for at the parks was probably a scrapper, too. That's life. The boys picked pins they really liked, so I don't care if they are scrappers or not.

If it's important to me to have official pins, I buy pins from people who don't specialize in pins. I got our Star Wars pins from some smaller sellers who sell mostly other things and just happened to have Disney pins as well. I paid more for them and they came on the original cards.

For the boys, the cheaper ones do just as well. I'm sorry if people feel this is degrading their hobby. If I were a collector, I probably wouldn't actually be trading in the parks, I'd be trading with people who feel the way I do and who would only have official pins, knowing the number of scrappers out there.

If you are looking for cheaper, official pins, the Walmart near Disney has them for $4.97 each, cheaper than the cheapest pins in the park. They are on official Disney cards, though not the same ones as in the parks. They don't have as good a selection, but they are a way to start.

Quick question, where would "collectors" be getting their Hidden Mickey pins if not trading for them in the parks? As you know the only place to get HM's in by trading with CM's, for the most part anyway. And yes, as a "collector" I am aware that most of the pins I get from CMs are likely scrappers, that doesn't stop me from participating in the hobby. And no, I'm not the scrapper police as I've been called previously.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I do buy my traders on ebay. But if you really want 'official' pins for trading at a smaller cost per pin, you can buy the 'booster' packs of just pins at WDW in many of the stores where they sell the individual pins. I'm not sure if they are officially called 'booster' packs. But there are usually 7 (sometimes 6) in a box. they are usually themed and they sell for around $26 to $30 (or at least that's what they were priced last year when we were there). while not at cheap as ebay, it is somewhat less expensive than buying the rack pins at about $6.95 or more per pin.
Check the seller's feedback. There are excellent pin sellers on ebay. good luck finding your traders. but most of all, have a ball trading. It is very addicting!!!

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Quick question, where would "collectors" be getting their Hidden Mickey pins if not trading for them in the parks? As you know the only place to get HM's in by trading with CM's, for the most part anyway. And yes, as a "collector" I am aware that most of the pins I get from CMs are likely scrappers, that doesn't stop me from participating in the hobby. And no, I'm not the scrapper police as I've been called previously.

Well, the boys asked a few of the CMs they traded with about where they got their pins, and both times they were told that they just have what other kids traded to them. No mention of anything special about the pins and one just said "well, they change all the time. They aren't mine, so I don't worry too much about them" (when one of the boys asked if the CM wanted to pick the pin he would get).

Obviously, we are rank amateurs and just want to have some neat pins to wear.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The cheap pins on eBay are counterfeit.

If you have no problem with that, then may I suggest you buy real pins with counterfeit money? Same thing, but it keeps the pins authentic for those of us who DO care.

 

[Beca]

Is there any way to tell counterfeit pins from real ones? Not just buying from ebay, but also trading with CM's in the park.

TIA!!

 

[Disneyliscious]

I am not a pin collecter and have never even seen a pin in real life. I dont knock the hobby and its something I may look into myself in the future....

What I don't understand is this....

As mentioned above...if Disney orders 10,000 of a certain pin and the manufacturer makes 12,000......then sells the 2,000 to individuals......

What makes it not an authentic pin? Its still the EXACT same pin as the other 10,000......the only difference is that its not sold by DIsney. Is there a way to tell? Is it the "act" of buying it from Disney whats authentic? Or is it he pin itself? How would a potential buyer down the road know the difference?

If Disney really cared, why do they do business with companies who do this?

Personally, I don't mind the "scrapper" mentality. Its a cheap way to let kids enjoy the art of collecting. The adults and seriou collectors know what they want/need and can seek those pins out.

I don't "get" the mentality of getting upset about it.....but maybe thats because Im not involved in it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Is there any way to tell counterfeit pins from real ones? Not just buying from ebay, but also trading with CM's in the park.

TIA!!

It is hard. I bring my laptop to WDW and when we go back to the room at night I check the pins against Pin Pics. Sometimes there are side by side comparisons of fakes vs. authentic pins posted there. Sometimes there are pics of the back stamp of an authentic pin, which is helpful.

Counterfeits usually have a different font on the back and the words may be arranged in a different way, the colors are "off", the metal is thinner and lighter weight. The point of counterfeiting ANYTHING is to make something that looks authentic enough to fool the casual observer. Money, purses, pins, whatever. Just because it looks close enough does not mean it is an OK thing to engage in.

The counterfeits are not made with the same materials as the pins Disney orders for themselves so they are not the same quality. There is also a secondary market for "scrappers" which are pins with factory errors. Those pins should have been "scrapped" and melted back down, but they end up being sold on eBay.

Authentic pins are expensive. The LEAST expensive pins I have ever found were clearance ones at the Disney Store which were about $2. I have found some pin sets on Disney Shopping that worked out to about $3 per pin. People selling pins on eBay for $1.75 each are not selling authentic pins. YES the pins say Disney on the back, but they are counterfeit. I don't want to trade my authentic pins for that trash. Saying that it is OK to buy counterfeits because they are "just for the kids to trade" is ridiculous. They are counterfeit!!!

If you wouldn't buy authentic pins with counterfeit money then it is NOT OK to buy counterfeit pins, either!

 

[mtomlin66]

It is hard. I bring my laptop to WDW and when we go back to the room at night I check the pins against Pin Pics. Sometimes there are side by side comparisons of fakes vs. authentic pins posted there. Sometimes there are pics of the back stamp of an authentic pin, which is helpful.

Counterfeits usually have a different font on the back and the words may be arranged in a different way, the colors are "off", the metal is thinner and lighter weight. The point of counterfeiting ANYTHING is to make something that looks authentic enough to fool the casual observer. Money, purses, pins, whatever. Just because it looks close enough does not mean it is an OK thing to engage in.

The counterfeits are not made with the same materials as the pins Disney orders for themselves so they are not the same quality. There is also a secondary market for "scrappers" which are pins with factory errors. Those pins should have been "scrapped" and melted back down, but they end up being sold on eBay.

Authentic pins are expensive. The LEAST expensive pins I have ever found were clearance ones at the Disney Store which were about $2. I have found some pin sets on Disney Shopping that worked out to about $3 per pin. People selling pins on eBay for $1.75 each are not selling authentic pins. YES the pins say Disney on the back, but they are counterfeit. I don't want to trade my authentic pins for that trash. Saying that it is OK to buy counterfeits because they are "just for the kids to trade" is ridiculous. They are counterfeit!!!

If you wouldn't buy authentic pins with counterfeit money then it is NOT OK to buy counterfeit pins, either!

You said you check your pins at night to determine if they are real or counterfeit. What happens if some of the pins you traded for turn out to be counterfeit?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

You said you check your pins at night to determine if they are real or counterfeit. What happens if some of the pins you traded for turn out to be counterfeit?

Nothing happens. I am not going to go trade them so somebody else gets stuck with them. We bring them home and keep them separate from our authentic pins.

We have a bag of counterfeits. Some we bought from eBay before we understood what was going on, others we have ended up with after trading in the parks.

 

[nunzia]

There are a lot of "scrapper" pins out there. Disney contracts pin making to overseas companies for a certain amount of pins. The company will then make extra and sell them cheap to individuals that will sell them.

They are tradeable in the parks but it isn't very ethical to do so.

You will find that these sellers have good feedback bc people don't know they are "fake" and they have no problems trading them in the parks.

My big question is, since they are made by the same people with the same mold or whatever, how do you know if they are scrap or real?

 

[vroomagain]

The ones that I purchased off of ebay were only noticeable when compared to the "authentics." The companies will make the others with little regard to quality. Some have only small mistakes, like the color is off etc. Some mistakes are a little more noticeable, for example I have a grumpy Tink pin where the mug she is holding is supposed to say something but on the scrapper it doesnt.

Unless you have a really good eye and knowledge of the pins I'm not sure you are going to be able to tell the difference between them on a CM's lanyard.

 

[Disneyliscious]

If I un-knowingly used counterfiet money to buy a legit pin - big deal.

If I un-knowingly bought a counterfiet pin with legit money - big deal.

Like I said....for serious collectors....they know what to look for. So whats the point in getting all worked up about something that you can NEVER stop? I have better things to worry about. It doesn't make it right....all Im saying is that counterfeit stuff will ALWAYS be around.....always. I'm not going to flip my lid over a pin that my kid is running around with. A sensible adult/collector would keep the real pins in a safe place.

I respect authenticity......but if a collector knows how to tell the difference then why would they stress out about what others have? Its not THEIR collection.

Im really not trying to sound snoody here. I simply just don't get it..and again, maybe its because I am not involved in it.

We may make the earth go "green" but we'll never shut down the Black Market.