Help with first trading venture, please

[lindamg]

I've been collecting pins since they got me hooked with last year's CP pin and lanyard, but I've never attempted to trade. I'm going to Christmas in the City on Saturday and thought this would be a good time to start, but I have a couple of questions on pins, if someone wouldn't mind sharing their knowledge.

I've like to have some sort-of good pins to trade. For a beginner how does this sound? I have the Mickey/Goofy slider from the pin event this summer and Ichabod Crane from Halloween.

I have a Queen of Hearts and Cruella from the Disney Store Millenium pins. Are they tradeable?

I have an extra pin from my "Undiscovered Future World" tour. Is that tradeable? Do people want those?

I also have an extra 1st pin from MVMCP, but I'd like to keep it in the packaging for whoever wants it. Does keeping it in the package make it more tradeable? How do you let people know you have it if you don't wear it on your lanyard? (Not enough pins for a notebook or bag yet)

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to help.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Hi, Linda!

I'd say you're off to a fairly good start.

I would hold the Mickey/Goofy slider and the Ichabod Crane pins for trading with other guests. These are both pretty good traders -- Ichabod maybe moreso than the slider, since A LOT of pin traders were at the August event and got that one, but not everyone was there for Halloween.

The DS Millennium pins as well as the 100 Years of Dreams pins are tradable with Cast Members.

The Undiscovered Future World pin sounds like the best trader you've mentioned so far. I don't know what might be a comparable trade for that one (mystery pin or low LE pin, maybe?), but I'd first shop it around or ask a few people here on the Collectors board for their opinion.

Pins are those rare tradables that being out of the original packaging or off the original card doesn't impact it's value or tradability. You could wear your keeper MVMCP pin on your lanyard and if someone expresses interest, tell them that you have a trader in the original package to trade.

I'm sure others will offer any advice.

 

[lindamg]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply! It was very helpful! That was a great idea about wearing my MVMCP pin. Sometimes the obvious ideas escape me! I am really looking forward to starting trading next weekend.

 

[jojo_ct]

Please be very careful about wearing pins on a lanyard. I've never tried without losing a pin. Even the rubber backs don't protect them very well. If you want to wear a pin that you would be heartbroken if you lost, try using PinSavers. These are special backs that attach with a little allen wrench. AZ Jazzy Jeff has some for sale on his web site. They are worth the investment.

 

[lindamg]

Thanks for the advise. As a teacher I am required to carry my key at all times so, I wear a full lanyard of pins every day with my key and watch hooked on the end. The lanyards have been pulled, poked and prodded by curious little hands and subjected to all sorts of abuse, and I've yet to lose one, so I'm pretty comfortable with wearing them. I'll be sure to keep on eye on them, though.

 

[nigel-bigel]

You might want to do a little more research into how tradable your pins are by checking them out at pinpics.com. It's also a good place to browse and develop a wish list (amazing how quickly it will grow!).

Have fun! Nicole