I started Disney pin trading when a friend gave me some pins on my first visit to
Disneyland in 2010. I also collect Hard Rock Cafe pins, so she knew it would be something I would be interested in.
My friend gave me Tinkerbell and Peter Pan pins as she knew they were my favorite characters.
Now comes the disclaimer
The following information is from before Covid 19. I have no idea how pin trading is currently working in a Covid 19 Walt Disney World.
For me I have 2 sections to my pin collection.
Pins to Keep
Pins to Trade
My pins to keep are pins of my favorite characters or films or pins which have a specific meaning to me. These pins I store in a special pin bag which I keep in my house.
My pins to trade are on a lanyard which I bring to the parks. I don't wear this lanyard but keep it in my bag. I used to wear it but the heat and the weight irritated my neck too much.
In the parks there are a few ways to trade
Any CM wearing pins on a lanyard, even higher ups / managers etc. If you see a CM wearing a pin lanyard you can stop them and ask " May I see your pins please" The most obvious places are in the shops or attractions, but I always keep a watch for CM's just walking the park. The ones walking around the park tend to be leads or managers or higher up and they can be really interesting people to have a quick chat with and they can have some unique pins. I also used to stop by the DVC booths.
In some of the shops they have a pin board at the till area. Again, wait until the CM is free and ask " may I see the pin board" .
Another place to check out is the hotels, both in the lobbys and the shop areas. Sometimes the hotel managers are out and about and they usually wear pin lanyards.
I also trade with other guests but I only trade when I see them trading. For example, if I see a person looking at a pin board in a shop, I will go up and ask them, when you are finished looking at the pin board, would you like to see my trading pins? Its really cool to trade with kids, but again I am very mindful. If I see a child pin trading, I will look for the adult with them, and ask the adult, "would your child like to pin trade with me" I never approach the child without permission from the adult with them.
Many AP holders wear pin lanyards but they are just for show, they don't like random people coming up to them and asking to trade.
When you trade with CM's, look at their pins. If you see one you would like, say, "May I trade that one please." The CM will then give you the pin and you give them a pin. Sometimes you just trade the pin, not the back, depending on the whether the pin is on a board or lanyard.
You choose the pin to give the CM, the CM does not get to choose the pin from you.
The only time a CM should refuse a pin trade, is if the pin is not a Disney pin, eg, you can not trade a Hard Rock Cafe or Universal Studios pin in a Disney Park.
Over the last few years pin trading in Disney parks has become less popular. This is due to the flood of fake / scrapper pins which people trade.
Fake / scrapper pins are pins which have not been authorized or sold by Disney. They have been made in the same factories and from the same designs as official genuine Disney pins but Disney has rejected them for various reasons. Sometimes the thickness of the metal is wrong, sometimes the size is wrong, sometimes the paint colors are wrong, etc etc you get the idea. These rejected pins , instead of being disposed of are then sold cheaply by factory workers online on Ebay and other sites.
Disney pins sold in Disney Stores or in Disney Parks can start at $6 per pin and can go up to $30 or more for limited edition pins.
Fake / scrapper pins can be bought online for less than $1 , depending on the quantity being sold.
Many people think they are beating the system by buying cheap fake / scrapper pins online and then trading them in the parks.
This is a big no no, as it has lead to the decline of pin trading. Sometimes its very easy to spot the fake / scrapper pins , some times it is not. When people find out that they traded a pin which cost them $6 for a pin worth less than $1 they stop trading.
Some people say whats the harm, my kid likes the pin, so what if its not an genuine Disney pin.
In the end it comes down to your own personal feelings about the worth of pins and the value you want to get from pin trading.
There is a website database for Disney pins, where you can check if a pin is a Fake / scrapper or a genuine Disney pin.
https://www.pinpics.com/index1.php
