First time pin trading! Tips and tricks welcome!

[sheila <3 WDW]

Hi all!! I am super excited to be only 6 days from our next trip to WDW!! We leave Wednesday and we'll be there 8 days!

We have never really been interested in the pins. Partially because I know I will want them ALL and that will get expensive! So I figured it's better just to ignore them altogether.

However, a coworker of mine gave me a lanyard and 11 pins that she no longer wanted so I can introduce my 5.5 year old DD to pin trading! We are super excited because that was so generous and thoughtful!

I usually don't read much about pin trading when I am looking at the different pages on this board, so I don't know a ton about it. I know there are some CMs that trade with just kids. Do they have "better" pins? Can you trade with any CM wearing pins on a lanyard? Are there certain spots/places that are better?

All tips and tricks welcome!

I'm going to go cram for pin trading here on the Dis now ...dang it that the search function is out of commission. LOL

 

[karensi]

I have to admit I dont really know too much about the pin trading, only what I have gleened from my 5 D Grandchildren.

Anyway, I believe that any CM wearing a lanyard with pins must trade with any child (guess even adult ) who asks. Also know that any pin a child wants to trade for, the CM must trade that pin. In other words, they aren't allowed to hold on to any specific pin, if a child says I want to trade my pin for that one that you have, they must trade it. My DGS has gotten a few "good" pins that way.
Anyway, Im sure others will have a ton more info,but just wanted to let you know the little bit I have learned.

Karen

 

[erincon23]

Certain CMs wear a green lanyard - only kids can trade for pins off those green lanyards. You can trade with any CM wearing a different color lanyard. Some CMs wear a little pack attached to their belts rather than a lanyard - you can trade from those as well. No, they can't refuse to trade (unless you are offering a non-disney pin -- no Universal or general pins allowed). Approach a CM - if they are a cashier, wait your turn in line -- say, "Can I see your pins?" They'll hold out their lanyard or belt pack. If you see something you'd like, indicate which one you're interested in (don't touch their pins or lanyard, just point or describe), take a pin off your lanyard, put the backing back on, and trade open hand to open hand. Say "thank you." They can trade up to 2 pins in a transaction. If there's nothing you're interested in trading for, just smile and say thanks!

Sometimes a CM will have a pin turned backwards- those are mystery pins. I almost always trade for a mystery pin - sometimes they're nothing special, but sometimes they are! At the worst, I can still trade that for something else at some point, so I haven't lost anything.

At certain places throughout the parks, there are giant pin boards or big books filled with pins. You can also trade off of those! I always try to pick a "theme" for trading - a certain character,or ride pins, or holiday pins (I generally stick to Mickeys, but will make an exception for something fun). That kind of gives me a focus to my trading.

Keep a good eye on the pins! The backs don't always stay on well. I make a habit of pushing the backs in whenever I stop - in ride lines, during a meal or snack break, etc. And if your daughter gets pins that she doesn't want to trade or lose, it might be helpful to bring a ziploc bag and put the special ones in there, and put that in your bag, so they don't get lost.

Have fun! My kids and I have always enjoyed trading. And that reminds me - I have to buy some on ebay for my upcoming trip!

 

[hockey mom]

the employees in suits tend to have some nice pins.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

My DS7 and DS5 did their first pin trading on our last trip in August 2012. I had picked up a couple of starter sets that were purchase-with-a-purchase from our previous trip so they used those. They had a blast trading, and it was fun for me to see what caught their eye enough to ask for it. It was also great for brushing up their people skills, asking to see a lanyard, requesting a trade, saying thanks, etc.

I learned from a friend who was at WDW on the college program that the CMs have to trade with kids so they will almost certainly have some scrappers on their lanyard. If you're looking to get quality pins only, you'll need to check closely. For us, it was all just fun so we didn't care. We will not be trading with professional traders.....ever.

One thing I did that I was really glad of was that I purchased a bunch of metal backs on eBay prior to our trip and used those instead of the soft backs that came with the pins (and came off constantly!) I think there are actually locking backs that you need a "key" for, but the ones I got are the kind you just need to squeeze to put on and take off. Every CM we encountered was happy (even offered) to trade the pin without the back. They kept their soft ones, we kept our good ones. Had we not done that, I'm sure we would've lost some pins. I know that's not the militant pin trading way of doing things, but the CMs were great about it and it certainly saved us some lost pin heartache.

Hope you have a magical time!!

 

[lucas]

Info from the official Disney pin trading site:
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/page?id=getStarted

Also, you'll find great info over on the DIS Collector's board:
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37

 

[sheila <3 WDW]

Keep a good eye on the pins! The backs don't always stay on well. I make a habit of pushing the backs in whenever I stop - in ride lines, during a meal or snack break, etc. And if your daughter gets pins that she doesn't want to trade or lose, it might be helpful to bring a ziploc bag and put the special ones in there, and put that in your bag, so they don't get lost.

Thanks! The woman who gave me the pins warned me about them possibly falling off. I already told DD she wouldn't be wearing her lanyard the entire time, only when she is wanting to trade. My coworker also told me about the locking pin backs so I am going to get those to put on the ones we are keeping.

I just bought 7 more pins from ebay with "fast and free" shipping that is supposed to arrive by March 5. I hope so because we leave the 6th! My DH thinks I'm crazy for buying more this close to the trip, but I'm hopeful we will get them in time. The new ones I bought will be mine for my lanyard.

I learned from a friend who was at WDW on the college program that the CMs have to trade with kids so they will almost certainly have some scrappers on their lanyard. If you're looking to get quality pins only, you'll need to check closely. For us, it was all just fun so we didn't care. We will not be trading with professional traders.....ever.

Oh, good point! If you get one in your hand, can you change your mind at that point? If not, no big deal. Just curious.

 

[monorailrabbit]

Oh my goodness pin trading is SO fun and SO addicting! I decided I would take a "few" to trade for the first time last year and ended up coming home with about 53! I like to go with specific themes. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite movie, so I am always on the look out for any of those characters (especially the 3 fairies!) I also love Baloo & the monorail, so those are the main things I look for, but sometimes its fun just to trade for totally random ones! Every CM I encountered was SO nice and excited to trade - but I agree with the PP - try to steer clear of "professionals" they kind of ruin the fun! Most importantly - HAVE FUN!!

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

Every CM I encountered was SO nice and excited to trade - but I agree with the PP - try to steer clear of "professionals" they kind of ruin the fun! Most importantly - HAVE FUN!!

How can you tell a "professional" from not a professional?

 

[stargazertechie]

How can you tell a "professional" from not a professional?

The professionals will show up at DTD and epcot with BINDERS with hundreds (thousands?) of pins neatly cataloged. They normally ask you to go into the pin store and buy a specific pin to trade with them.

 

[BigPumba]

We have been trading for years and the kids only do it for fun.
1 only let them do one or two trades a day or it gets out of hand real fast
2 only trade with CM we stay away from the pro only reason if child really finds a pin in their binder you may not have something they Want to trade then you have to explain a life lesson
3 If you have pins that are special get the pin lock sold at the parks they don't come off very easy so it stop then from being traded
4 on the plastic Mickey pin holders don't place back in the same hole push it into a space that hasn't been used The hold better that way
5 again only do it for fun

 

[BigPumba]

We have been trading for years and the kids only do it for fun.
1 only let them do one or two trades a day or it gets out of hand real fast
2 only trade with CM we stay away from the pro only reason if child really finds a pin in their binder you may not have something they Want to trade then you have to explain a life lesson
3 If you have pins that are special get the pin lock sold at the parks they don't come off very easy so it stop then from being traded
4 on the plastic Mickey pin holders don't place back in the same hole push it into a space that hasn't been used The hold better that way
5 again only do it for fun

6 Because you do it for fun don't worry about scrapers DS and DD have them in their framed collection and they don't care because they have great memories of getting them

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

I'm going to guess that "scrappers" are not good pins?? Or very common pins??

And why would the pros want you to go buy a specific one and not just get it themselves? If they have thousands you would think they could afford it.

 

[stargazertechie]

And why would the pros want you to go buy a specific one and not just get it themselves? If they have thousands you would think they could afford it.

Because they don't want to trade their pins for scrappers (unauthorized/lower quality pins that Disney did not order).

It's not that they can't afford it- it's "why pay money for this pin/these pins when someone else will gladly purchase it/them to trade with me for my old/rare/retired pin"

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

It's not that they can't afford it- it's "why pay money for this pin/these pins when someone else will gladly purchase it/them to trade with me for my old/rare/retired pin"

Thanks for the info. That is just way too intense.

I'm just going to get DD5 a starter set and tell her she can only ask CMs (she knows to look for the name tags) to trade. This will be a first for her (and me obviously!) so I hope she likes it!

 

[lucas]

I'm going to guess that "scrappers" are not good pins?? Or very common pins??

And why would the pros want you to go buy a specific one and not just get it themselves? If they have thousands you would think they could afford it.

Of course, it depends on the pin you want to trade for and the circumstance. But, just for example, they may have bought the pin you want cheaply from the internet, ebay, on sale at a Disney outlet store? They didn't pay full price, but they want you to buy a new full price (expensive) pin. Then they trade "up" with the pin they got on sale. Or, maybe they want 2 pins for a great pin they have, so they get to add to their collection that way. Not sure, of course. Just sayin'. We call them sharks and I stay out of the water. Dh ventures in from time to time but has learned his lesson not to go there. We just have fun trading with CMs.

Another site with great info:
http://www.pinpics.com/pin-university

 

[stargazertechie]

Of course, it depends on the pin you want to trade for and the circumstance. But, just for example, they may have bought the pin you want cheaply from the internet, ebay, on sale at a Disney outlet store? They didn't pay full price, but they want you to buy a new full price (expensive) pin. Then they trade "up" with the pin they got on sale. Or, maybe they want 2 pins for a great pin they have, so they get to add to their collection that way. Not sure, of course. Just sayin'. We call them sharks and I stay out of the water. Dh ventures in from time to time but has learned his lesson not to go there. We just have fun trading with CMs.

I will say- the pin sharks i've seen lately are not nearly as aggressive/rude/underhanded as some I had seen in the past. Almost all of them now have a couple pages of obvious scrappers they're willing to trade "CM-style" with any kid who comes up to them

 

[Lori77]

We've made a tradition of buying one pin to trade at the airport before we arrive and it really makes it fun to get excited before you arrive at WDW.

Also, some WDW on-property hotels have a pintrading board that they bring out at designated times that you can trade. They usually have a larger selection. Other locations for the boards are MouseGears at Epcot, and the pin trading store at DTD.

Also, in MK, go to the Guest Relations building (when facing the castle it is on your left, and they have a pin trading book behind the counter. You have to ask for it.

A fun story:
I had a beeker pin with mickey ears and I wanted to find professor honeydew to match him. Before we left in 2011, I saw one at the MK Guest Relations building, but I did not have anything to trade at that time, so I did not get it.

I just returned there and after a year and a half, it was still there so I grabbed it of course! It must have been waiting for me

 

[stargazertechie]

Also, some WDW on-property hotels have a pintrading board that they bring out at designated times that you can trade. They usually have a larger selection. Other locations for the boards are MouseGears at Epcot, and the pin trading store at DTD.

Also, in MK, go to the Guest Relations building (when facing the castle it is on your left, and they have a pin trading book behind the counter. You have to ask for it.

This. DH and I just got done with a day of pin trading.

Each Guest Relations inside the parks has a book, and there are SEVERAL stores that have books/pin covered items as well. I know one of the stroller rentals (MK?) has a stroller covered in pins, there's a pin book at the store as you exit the Haunted Mansion, the store in Frontierland has a pin washboard and a pin hat, etc.

At the resorts, many/most have a pin book at the front desk/concierge, many of the gift shops have a pin board they bring out at specific times- it will be listed on the recreation guide at check in. At POP they had one in the lobby, one in the gift shop, and one at the front desk. The Poly/GF/Contemporary have boards that all come out between 4P-6P. If you time it right you can ride the monorail and hit them all in order!

There is GREAT pin trading to be had at the Epcot area resorts. There's a pin cart near the boat dock by the boardwalk, there are 6 pin books between the Beach Club and Yacht club concierge desks, bell services, and gift shops, the Boarwalk Inn has a book and a board as well.

 

[msp2mco]

My DS enjoys pin trading and collecting a set during a trip. On one of our last trips, he was able to complete his collection by trading with a professional. There was no indication that she was trying to take advantage of him. She made his day; we even took a picture of them together. He framed his collection when he got home.