How do I know if they are real?

[AshtonsMom99]

I just bought some trading pins for our trip in July off of ebay..I am not a generally suspicious person but you always hear stories of fradulent things...So how can tell if the pins are real?

 

[delmar411]

do they have the disney pin trading stamp on the back of them? Do they have the black mickey head backing?

if so then that's pretty much as good as it gets.

 

[*Seanaci*]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I've heard of other DISer's buying pins off Ebay for trading at the parks and they haven't had any problems that I've heard of.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

Guess I am good to go then...

 

[thelionqueen]

do they have the disney pin trading stamp on the back of them? Do they have the black mickey head backing?

if so then that's pretty much as good as it gets.

This is incorrect. All "scrappers" as fake pins are called have all the earmarks of an authentic Disney pin. They have the Pin trading stamp on the back, and usually even have the mickey backing (even those without backs can be authentic or not, not a good indicator at all).
The vast majority of pins sold in lots on ebay are fakes (I said vast majority, not all). The majority of fake pins are what are called "cast lanyard" or "hidden mickey" pins.
The easiest way to tell if your pins are fake, that you bought on ebay, is the price. If they are around $1-$1.75 and in a "lot" (more than say 10-20) they are scrappers. There is the occasional exception to this rule, but it is very rare.
It takes a very experienced eye to tell the fakes from the real Disney pins, but if you bought them off ebay for an unbelievably low price ($1-$2 when they sell for around $10-15) you got a counterfeit. If you know you have counterfeit pins, please do not trade and distribute them for the rest of us

 

[thelionqueen]

Guess I am good to go then...

There is a difference between "not having trouble trading them" and them being authentic. If you don't mind posting, how much did you pay for them, and/or who is the seller? There are many threads with the ebay ID's of those who have sold DISer's scrappers

 

[AshtonsMom99]

oh crap then I guess they all are fake...guess its best to buy off the Disney site or just wait till we get there...... oh well they are cute though...

 

[sueh]

I just recevied mine that I purchased from Ebay. The seller is bibbidi_bobbidi_boo_colectibles.
I paid $1.30 for each of them. I held one next to one I bought in Disney and I couldn't tell the difference. They both have the same markings on the back.

My kids loved them and even though I got them for them to trade I am sure that they won't want to part with them. LOL

 

[AshtonsMom99]

tradepinsforyou or something like that...

1.48 a piece

 

[delmar411]

This is incorrect. All "scrappers" as fake pins are called have all the earmarks of an authentic Disney pin. They have the Pin trading stamp on the back, and usually even have the mickey backing (even those without backs can be authentic or not, not a good indicator at all).
The vast majority of pins sold in lots on ebay are fakes (I said vast majority, not all). The majority of fake pins are what are called "cast lanyard" or "hidden mickey" pins.
The easiest way to tell if your pins are fake, that you bought on ebay, is the price. If they are around $1-$1.75 and in a "lot" (more than say 10-20) they are scrappers. There is the occasional exception to this rule, but it is very rare.
It takes a very experienced eye to tell the fakes from the real Disney pins, but if you bought them off ebay for an unbelievably low price ($1-$2 when they sell for around $10-15) you got a counterfeit. If you know you have counterfeit pins, please do not trade and distribute them for the rest of us

I said nothing about them being real or fake. If her pins have those markings then she IS good to go. Kiddie pin trading is very simple and straight forward and what does it matter if the pins are scrappers? It doesn't!

 

[thelionqueen]

On a previous thread, many DISer's posted sellers from whom they had personal dealings and received scrappers. Unfortunately, both of the sellers listed, bibbidy-bobbidy-boo has had very bad dealings with several members, all of whom got scrappers (this person was very rude in dealings when questioned about the authenticity of the pins they sold). Tradepinsforyou has also had people mention bad pins. I just looked at this person's individual pin auctions which look OK, but the lot pins are a HUGE red flag. I've never had personal dealings with this seller and cannot say absolutely I have received scrappers from them, but the auctions, the price and the sheer VOLUME of pins cheap would indicate they are fakes.

There are many threads on the damage that trading scrappers causes, I hope you can take time to search them out (on collectors board). If you think you have scrappers, please do not trade them or distribute them at the parks. On occasion, people have noted that CM's will not accept a trade when they are scrappers. If you have kids, and this were to happen, I cannot think of something more horrifying to a child who is just wanting to trade. With the volume of fake pins being distributed, the CM's and Disney are taking steps to curtail the release of these pins in the parks, shops, etc.

If you want to ensure you are trading authentic Disney pins, in the way pin trading was created to be, buy your pins @ the Parks, the Disney Store, or other authorized retailers on Disney property. YES they are more expensive, but pin trading is NOT a cheap pasttime; it is very expensive. If you cannot afford to buy the pins to trade, there are other things you can do at the parks that are just as fun (penny pressing is great, etc.)

I am grateful that OP is taking the time to investigate the authenticity of the pins they bought, and am in no way trying to place blame or make judgements. But if you think you bought scrappers, put them in your book and enjoy them, please don't trade them. The pin trading community that does buy authentic Disney pins and trades them, are the ones who are affected most by infiltrating scrappers.

Now that you have some knowledge as to which pins are real and which ones aren't, it is up to you to decide how to deal with your own situation. I urge you to make the right decision, not just the right decision for your pocketbook.

 

[Girldreamer02]

I also wanted to mention that sometimes the fake pins have a gasoline smell to them... particularly the mickey back on that pin....I know b/c i've gotten a few and dh has done a lot of research on this topic since we are major pin traders. Those went in the trash...they weren't that cute anyways and I wasn't going to put those into the pool at disney. Just a heads up!

 

[soccerchick]

Any feedback on mouspinsonline dot com?

Should they be avoided or are they legit?

thanks

 

[stitchlovestink]

First let me say, the title of this thread is quite eye catching! I had to open it, to see what the OP was thinking could be fake.

do they have the disney pin trading stamp on the back of them? Do they have the black mickey head backing?

if so then that's pretty much as good as it gets.

bolding is mine...
Not trying to be rude about this but...
having the black mickey head backing does NOT authenticate the pin. We went to WDW shortly after they first starting making the pins back in the 90's and all of our original pins (which were purchased in WDW) have metal catches. And sometimes, the backs get lost and if I happen to have a non-mickey one, I very well might use it if that's all I have.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

sorry..I guess I didn't look that deep into it!

 

[thelionqueen]

I said nothing about them being real or fake. If her pins have those markings then she IS good to go. Kiddie pin trading is very simple and straight forward and what does it matter if the pins are scrappers? It doesn't!

The OP's original post asked the question, you replied to it.
As for the does it matter? Is it OK to infiltrate counterfeit bills into the US economy? I mean, does it matter?

How is "kiddie" trading any different than adult trading? There is absolutely no difference. The trade occurs with a CM whether you're a child or adult. The only difference I can immediately see would be personally. That a child wants to trade anything, for the love of the trade (most kids do). But by allowing kids to trade fake pins, by justifying that "they're kids" or "kids don't care" or I can't afford that for my kids, is just wrong.

Scrapper pins DEFINITELY DO make a HUGE difference in the entire pin trading hobby and for everyone involved in it. If people continue to infiltrate counterfeit pins, then the integrity to which pin trading was established is GONE. So YES it matters greatly!! Do kids care if the pins they trade are scrappers? Probably not, but those kids who are trading, are then leaving that fake (and cheap) pin on the CM's lanyard for everyone else. What if everyone did that? Simple, there would be no more pin trading. Does that affect everyone? Yes.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

If it has the Disney logo on the back, you can trade it. Maybe it's a scrapper. Maybe not.

Here is my logic on pin trading. If I walk up to a CM with a pin I just purchased at a Disney store and trade it...I may come back with an authentic pin, I may come back with a scrapper. So I did my part-traded a legit pin, and now I don't know what I have..so when I go to trade it with someone else, it's going back into the "system" whether I start out with an authentic pin or not. There is no way in the world that these scrappers can be purged from trading, there are too many out there. So if it REALLY matters that you receive an authentic pin in your trading, you should stick to the Pin Trader's Store at DTD, where the experts hang out and most certainly will not have any scrappers. The only way to not have the scrappers keep recirculating is to have only the "experts" who know which ones are legit to do trading. That's not going to happen.

I know this is a a touchy subject for people who have been seriously trading for years, but I think you have to admit that the current scrapper trading-as unintentional as it is-is not going to go away. There's no way to get rid of all the scrappers that circulate back and forth from traders to CMs to traders. So the only way to be absolutely sure that legit pins are being traded is for EVERYONE to carry the receipts from the original purchase..again that's not going to happen.

 

[delmar411]

If it has the Disney logo on the back, you can trade it. Maybe it's a scrapper. Maybe not.

Here is my logic on pin trading. If I walk up to a CM with a pin I just purchased at a Disney store and trade it...I may come back with an authentic pin, I may come back with a scrapper. So I did my part-traded a legit pin, and now I don't know what I have..so when I go to trade it with someone else, it's going back into the "system" whether I start out with an authentic pin or not. There is no way in the world that these scrappers can be purged from trading, there are too many out there. So if it REALLY matters that you receive an authentic pin in your trading, you should stick to the Pin Trader's Store at DTD, where the experts hang out and most certainly will not have any scrappers. The only way to not have the scrappers keep recirculating is to have only the "experts" who know which ones are legit to do trading. That's not going to happen.

I know this is a a touchy subject for people who have been seriously trading for years, but I think you have to admit that the current scrapper trading-as unintentional as it is-is not going to go away. There's no way to get rid of all the scrappers that circulate back and forth from traders to CMs to traders. So the only way to be absolutely sure that legit pins are being traded is for EVERYONE to carry the receipts from the original purchase..again that's not going to happen.

This is also my view on the matter.

 

[pixiewings71]

OP (and anyone else interested in trading) please pop down to the Collector's Board for a list of sellers who appear to have good pins for sale. And someone asked about mousepins, I've purchased from them and have had absolutely no problems with pins I have received.

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh and ftr, the only way to tell if they are "real" or not is to simply buy them yourself and not trade at all.