How many pins needed....OPINIONS please!

[McKelly]

We are taking my DD6 and DS4 to WDW and I know that my daughter will get into trading. I bought some pins off of E-bay to start out with, a total of 18. If I split that between the two kids that is 9 a piece. Do you think that will be enough for a week long trip. I know it depends and I am looking for opinions only. Do pin trading opportunites happen often, or do you have to search them out? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Cplofdisneynutz]

We are taking my DD6 and DS4 to WDW and I know that my daughter will get into trading. I bought some pins off of E-bay to start out with, a total of 18. If I split that between the two kids that is 9 a piece. Do you think that will be enough for a week long trip. I know it depends and I am looking for opinions only. Do pin trading opportunites happen often, or do you have to search them out? Thanks for any advice.

That should be plenty to start!! Look for CMs with green lanyards they will only trade with kids. CMs with black lanyards trade with anyone. We got a few fast passes from CMs that were amazed by DW2B's pin collection. As for trading with other guest our opportunities mostly came from waiting in lines and just casual conversation. Most of the time we were just comparing pins and someone would see something they really liked and would ask to trade. Its all very random with other guest. Hope your kids have fun and you all have a great trip

 

[Parkhopper]

That depends upon whether your children will "churn" their traders. In other words, will they trade for a pin and then trade *that* pin for one that they like more? Our DS10 will not do that. If he traded for a pin, he wants that pin...period. We have been to WDW with friends and their children will happily trade and re-trade their pins all day long. My DS is given 10 new pins each day and typically will have no traders left much after lunchtime.

He comes by it honestly though, I also have a tough time re-trading pins.

Suzi

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

I would say it is like when my friends come over for a football game. It doesn't matter if we have 10 cans of beer or 100 we always seem to use what we have. I have 3 kids and my oldest daughter is the most serious about trading, my middle daughter will trade a few pins, and my son is too young to trade. We brought 150 pins to trade on our last trip and probably could have traded more if we would have brought them. I would suggest that you talk to your kids about what they want to trade for so that they are looking for specific pins and not just looking to trade (which is what my oldest daughter does). During our last trip we discovered the lanyard series of pins and that helped give the kids some direction. I would say that 99% of the CM's have lanyards on and in a place like DTD you could have a chance to trade with 25 or more CM's in an hour.

Mike

 

[NJBlackBerry]

Our DS and DD are seasoned pin traders (a whole two years). I think they are taking around 50 each (guess who buys them) and they churn them a lot.

Start with 9; be firm - as in don't buy them more if they HAVE TO HAVE A PIN TO TRADE. OK, I say that, but I am the first to buy the pins....

It is very addictive.

 

[The Wolf]

Another tip for cheap trading pins especially with cast members is to hit the disney outlet stores for cheap pins that are ideal for picking up a handful for trading.

 

[babablacksheep]

What and where are Disney Outlet Stores?

 

[deadhedjen]

I'd like to know where the outlet stores are at too!
TIA!
Jennifer.

 

[SWVA BGSU Fan]

We were at WDW the first week of August and took time one day to go to Character Premier and Character Warehouse at the former Belz mall (I think it's called Primus now). All of the pins there were $6.95 and higher, just like at the parks. We were kind of disappointed, because we had heard that the pins were cheaper there.

 

[djs113]

my kids made 120 trades in 4 days

9 pins would have lasted until they got in the front gate of Magic Kingdom

 

[BONITATIME]

You have got me thinking about our next trip. We are going 9 days inthe hope to make the DLRP trading event (this covers 2 saturdays)
Even if there is not a event then I will need at least 10 each a day. Ebay here I come. At least I bought some in the DA sale.I wish it hadnt occured to me but it will be cheaper this way

Nikki

 

[Maleficents_Revenge]

my kids made 120 trades in 4 days

9 pins would have lasted until they got in the front gate of Magic Kingdom

Wonderful news... We have 80 for a seven day trip. I should have known that wasn't enough though.

My daughter (5) has me click on pin pics all the time. If I am on eBay she will come up to me and give me the you are my favorite daddy line if she sees one she wants.

She will be 6 when we go back and it will be the second time she has traded. The first time it took her an hour or so to get used to it. After that, it was Katie bar the door.

The funniest thing she did was the last time we were at Outback she asked one of the servers to see her pins. The servers there get a service type pin if they have over $1000 sold in one night I think. Anyway, it was hard to explain that she couldn't trade for those.