How does pin trading work?

[100AcreWood]

We've been to Disney many times but never tried pin trading. This year our oldest will be 9 so I think she might enjoy trading. Could someone explain how this works? I bought her a few pins on sale at disneystore.com to start.

Any tips or warnings from other parents?

 

[t_catt11]

We've been to Disney many times but never tried pin trading. This year our oldest will be 9 so I think she might enjoy trading. Could someone explain how this works? I bought her a few pins on sale at disneystore.com to start.

Any tips or warnings from other parents?

Here is a pin trading primer for you.

Pin trading is easy - you approach any cast member with a pin lanyard or card and ask to see their pins. If you see one that you like, you offer them any of yours, and a trade is made. As long as you offer an authentic Disney pin, and the CM does not already have it, they will trade with you.

Tips or warnings?

Pin trading is addictive, and can get expensive.

As with everything, check early in the day, beore the pins are picked over... or after shift changes. That being said, keep an eye out at all times.

Don't be surprised if your child trades way pins that you think are "good". Let them. For most kids, the trade is the truly fun part.

Beware pin sharks - typically, these guys will set up outisde of a large pin store, and will display books or boards full of cool, older pins. They will trade with you, but often only for certain pins - usually the most expensive in the store. They'll send you in to buy one (or even two) in exchange for a pin they paid next to nothing for.

Otherwise? Have fun!

 

[photo_chick]

My kids and husband got into trading this last trip. I had the kids only wear the pins they wanted to trade to make it easier. It's a lot of fun and if you can find a bulk lot of authentic pins you'll have good stock to start trading with. And watch out for those rubber backs. They like to fall off. They sell locking ones at the stores.

 

[Splashboat]

My daughter loves it (me too)! You can buy a 'lot of pins' on EBAY pretty cheap. You don't know what you're getting but who cares, you are going to trade them anyway. We try to think of a theme each year and she tries to collect pins from cast members for her collection. (Last year she did a finding Nemo lanyard) We have all the different lanyards hanging in her room on her closet door.

 

[buzz2400]

We buy our pins online before the trip. We then trade those pins. I don't wear a lanyard because we always seem to go when it is hot and having the lanyard on my neck is way too much. I keep the pins in my fanny pack. You can trade with any cm that has pins. Some have them on lanyard and some have them on their hip. Green lanyards are only for kids to trade. CM's have to trade with you if you have a disney pin (will have the disney copyright on back) that is not broken. They don't have to trade if they already have the same pin on their lanyard and if the pin has a person's name. You can trade at the parks, hotels, marketplace, pleasure island, water parks. DO NOT trade with guests. Some of them are just downright nasty and sneaky. Just trade with cm's. This is very addictive but it is like a treasure hunt. Sometimes you get so excited when you get a pin you really like.

 

[LovinPooh]

After gettign 2 pins for $12 or so at the parks, I bought a lot of 25 on ebay on a whim for under $20. They are all authentic and look good. So I guess I got lucky. The problem my DD had was that the lanyard kept creeping around her neck, or would hit her on rides. So I got her the little pin trading pouch, which also stores her collection. Plus we are thinking maybe a lanyard medal might help weigh down the lanyard so it wont creep so much...??
It was pretty sad last time we went. She had 6 pins to trade, almost had a complete set, but wanted to keep trading. So there went the set. So this time around she is going to complete sets lol.

 

[donaldandpirates]

The CMs who traded with us on my DD's very first trade last trip told us we wouldn't believe the number of kids that put pins in their hand pointy side down. Ouch! I made sure my DD got into the habit of being careful when handing her pins over.

Have fun with it, though! My DD still likes finding different ways to display her pins on her pin board.

 

[stargazertechie]

My daughter loves it (me too)! You can buy a 'lot of pins' on EBAY pretty cheap. You don't know what you're getting but who cares, you are going to trade them anyway. We try to think of a theme each year and she tries to collect pins from cast members for her collection. (Last year she did a finding Nemo lanyard) We have all the different lanyards hanging in her room on her closet door.

99% of those large cheap lots on eBay are scrappers- counterfeit pins Disney did not authorize production (or did not authorize a second, third run etc). It is unlikely that if you are paying less than $2/pin that you are getting the real deal.

Scrappers ruin pin trading for the rest of us. Please don't do this!!!

 

[lokin4deer]

Everyone else has covered the basics of pin trading. My DD9 has been trading for the last 4 trips and I let her make her own choices. We buy her 15 or so off of Ebay and let her trade them as she sees fit. This pic is one of my favorites. These are all bosses in WDW and they all stopped what they were doing and did some trading my DD. Thats the kind of stuff that keeps me coming back!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I doubt your 9 year old would want to do this but on the 1% chance she wants to trade pins with other guests those people have a right to say no to any trades because they own their pins. When you trade pins with Cast Members they don't own those pins and they can never say no to any trade, as long as she isn't trading them a pin on that is already on their lanyards and to make sure it's an official Disney pin.

 

[100AcreWood]

Thank you so much for all of the advice guys!

So it sounds like I need to be careful about authentic pins, and have dd only trade with CMs. I don't want her to approach other guests anyway because you never know what will happen .

Very cool! I think this might be fun. Or completely time consuming. We'll see!

 

[Uno Mas]

I've never had a problem buying lots of pins off of ebay - have bought multiple lots and have never encountered a counterfit pin. You just have to research from whom you buy before you do so. It's a much more economical way to trade. It's a total obsession in our family - my DH now wears two lanyards to the parks - his keepers that he likes to display that day and his traders. he's threatening to triple lanyard it this trip! He does get approached a lot by small children who think he's a CM for some reason and he's always very kind about trading with them. He often collets multiples of a popular pin for that very reason. it's a lot of fun.

 

[psupple]

Here is a pin trading primer for you.


Beware pin sharks - typically, these guys will set up outisde of a large pin store, and will display books or boards full of cool, older pins. They will trade with you, but often only for certain pins - usually the most expensive in the store. They'll send you in to buy one (or even two) in exchange for a pin they paid next to nothing for.

!

I have to disagree with this statement. I actually "traded" a pin with an individual set up outside the main EPCOT pin station. I was looking for a pin that would complete my set of 4, it was retired and from 2006 or 2007, and I could only find it on Ebay for $45! This pin trader had the pin and asked me to purchase her an $11 pin in exchange. I think maybe "I" was the pin shark LOL!!

 

[t_catt11]

I have to disagree with this statement. I actually "traded" a pin with an individual set up outside the main EPCOT pin station. I was looking for a pin that would complete my set of 4, it was retired and from 2006 or 2007, and I could only find it on Ebay for $45! This pin trader had the pin and asked me to purchase her an $11 pin in exchange. I think maybe "I" was the pin shark LOL!!

That's fantastic!

Obviously, this is not what I was talking about. We've traded with other guests, including those that appear to be "pros". I'm talking about the ones that are clearly trying to take advantage of people - especially kids.

 

[NHBelle]

So can someone please tell me how I can be sure if a pin is an authentic one???

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

My kids got into trading on our last trip, here is what we learned:

Tell the CMs the kids are new to trading... sometimes they bend the typical trading rules (allowing more than the allotted trade per day).

Help save time with the CM by having your kiddo take the pin they intend to trade OFF before approaching - get that back on there too!

Talk to CMs off the beaten path. I met a wonderful young man (CM) near Tiana that was actually a trader himself. He had some more interesting pins on his hip pouch than what we saw on the lanyards.

Don't forget your manners!

 

[Tykels]

99% of those large cheap lots on eBay are scrappers- counterfeit pins Disney did not authorize production (or did not authorize a second, third run etc). It is unlikely that if you are paying less than $2/pin that you are getting the real deal.

Scrappers ruin pin trading for the rest of us. Please don't do this!!!

Completely untrue. We have never had a problem with our purchases from ebay. I am not sure what you even mean by "..ruin pin trading for the rest of us." The majority of people who trade pins do it for the fun of pin trading, not because they are looking to find one worth gold. As a pin trader, you have the option to trade or not trade so there is no reason to trade for anything that is not a disney pin or anything you do not want to accept.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

What they're saying is by purchasing scrappers, you devalue the pins on the market. Don't buy the scrappers and unusables and have a blast!

 

[staceyhzoo]

Completely untrue. We have never had a problem with our purchases from ebay. I am not sure what you even mean by "..ruin pin trading for the rest of us." The majority of people who trade pins do it for the fun of pin trading, not because they are looking to find one worth gold. As a pin trader, you have the option to trade or not trade so there is no reason to trade for anything that is not a disney pin or anything you do not want to accept.

It's very true! If I purchase a legit Disney pin and my kiddo wants to trade it for one on a CM lanyard I truley deserve a legit pin. With all the scrappers being sold 'cheap' on ebay and being traded with CM, it ruins it for the rest of us that are doing it the right way. Many times we've traded with CM only to look at them after ward and realize they are no legit pins. I'm not going to tell my kids they can't trade. So I'm either stuck tossing it or keeping it.

The fun of trading is to interact with CM and possibly other guest and find pins we want to keep and display in our house or lanyards. Not to end up with junk.

I'm not looking for 'gold' but would like it if people didn't cheat and order the crappy pins off ebay that are not supposed to even be produced.

Also, OP the CM with green lanyards can only trade with kids 12 and under. My kids love trading and obviously started at a younge age, with help from us

Here is great info on scrappers and a list of good/bad ones.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2213419

Also, check out Pin Pics. I would be happy to share the good ebay seller I've been buying legit pins from for a few years.

 

[Uncle Remus]

Here's a serious pin collector: