Help with buying pin lots...

[pbnjrockette]

I thought I'd like to take 20 or 30 pins to WDW in December to trade for fun (I'm going broke buying my favorite Mickeys on ebay!!) I know I don't want to buy a "grab lot" but was wondering about the sellers who have 4 or 5 lots of exactly the same pins. The pins look nice in their pictures and don't "look" like Sedsema or Propins...

My question is...how can one seller have so many of the same pin? Is there some place that they can buy them in bulk at discount? And do you think they are 'good' pins?

Thanks for any expert input!

 

[noodleknitter]

I don't know about the sellers you are looking at, but we wound up with 19 rabbit pins last trip, because some CM told my husband they were worth a lot of money!

It seems to me that the pins on ebay are going pretty cheap, so I personally would find a "lot" that is mixed. There isn't really any reason to have duplicates, IMO.

 

[pbnjrockette]

Sorry! Guess my post wasn't very clear The lots have an assortment but the same seller has 5 or 6 similar lots that have the same pins. Then also are selling some of those pins individually---I just wondered how so many CM pins could be available to one seller.

 

[noodleknitter]

I'm sorry, I was teasing a bit. The point, though is still the same. With 8 of us trading we wound up with many duplicates. Just an idea as to how it can happen.

 

[hopemax]

At WDW, they hold pin parties for CMs, and cast members can bring up to 6 guests. At those parties you can buy pins for 75% off, and you can buy 25 pins per style. So if the lots include WDW rack pins, I would guess that's where they are coming from.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

I bought about 48 pins in bulk (lots of 12) before our August trip, 3 from the same seller with most of the same pins. Not a single pin was Sedesma. They were all tradeable. Some were rather unique - Mickey and sorcerer hat from 2004 hurricanes, a food an wine fest pin - but lots were the same. They were all Disney pins, no ProPins. I wound up paying about $2/pin and we came home with tons of great pins. I would split the pins up between me and DKs lanyards so that we did not have duplicates and since the kids get a little goofy with trading, I would take off the pins they had traded FOR and wanted to keep so they wouldn't accidentally trade them. I will definitely buy pins like this again next time we go.

 

[jobie61]

Look for the seller "PINCASTLE" on EBAY. She has only quality pins for sale. They also have a webite called PINCASTLE.COM

I have bought (6) 10 pin lots from them and never had a problem. I have gotten burned by other sellers on EBAY with crappy pins.

I usually pay between 25.00 - 30.00 dollars for 10 pin lots. You always get to see the pins you are getting prior to bidding and there is usually one Cast memebr only pin in each lot.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Just as a side note, not all Cast pin parties allow guests. The pin party just this last Thursday was Cast only. And I got some great deals.
A CM should never buy pins at a Cast pin sale (or anytime/any merchandise) and resell.
I don't buy on Ebay now, but use to years ago. I know there were people selling pins for a few dollars each and wondered too how they could do that.
I am sure where there is a will, there is a way.