How many pins?

[TestingH2O]

We've never done pin trading or even really considered it. Our travel friends enjoy it though, so I thought I'd get DD some pins so she could go with her friend on the ship.

How many should I get her to start with? I've seen starter sets on Amazon but that seems like a lot of pins for a little kid.

 

[WeLoveDisneyAlways]

Depends if you are going to WDW as well. There are pin trading events on the cruises but it's not really that big of a thing, at WDW you could trade a 100 a day if you really tried. My DD has over 200 pins she's been trading since 2 now 11 we always purchased the 20 packs and recently purchased a 50 and have been using it for the past 3 trips and still have a few for our next trip. We also always buy a pin with the year and location on it to keep as a keepsake.

 

[Geomom]

I'd say 5 pins would be fine. My kids did the 'Officer Pin Trading' on the last day at sea on our Alaskan cruise (it was in the evening between showtimes near the theater). They really enjoyed it.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

Our kids also love officer pin trading. They have gotten cool pins that way.

 

[PHamrick]

Where do you buy your pins? I just bought a bunch for our trip to Disneyland, but we also booked a cruise for summer 2018. I was thinking about buying all of the kids some starter pins to trade on board, but there will be 6 kids. I don't want to spend $$$$ per kid! Thanks!!

Also, any suggestions for pins that would work on the Northern Europe cruise?

 

[DisneyConvert]

My wife is on again / off again with her pins. She usually keeps 12 ~ 16 on her lanyard (goodness knows how many she's accumulated when they were a lot less expensive or from "other sources).

Only thing I would suggest is that your child think about a theme . . . and keep 5~8 that she really likes a lot and maybe 3 ~ 5 for "trading". The ones for trading can be purchased less expensively on Amazon, etc.

 

[apathetic]

You can usually get a bunch of the "common" Disney pins on ebay for a cheaper price. Then keep them separate so you know to trade them. When you trade for one you want, keep that new one in a separate place (usually lanyard). On the ships, a kid could easily trade 10+ during the officer pin swap, especially if they are first timers. Every pin is going to be new for them. The stores have pin trading books and they probably could find a bunch in there as well. It really comes down to their interest in trading. Some love it others are bored by it. I would tell you at least 10 pins, maybe even 20 if it is the first time. The officer pin trading has so many different ones and they are constantly changing as others trade. Check ebay to get the starter pins in bulk to save money.

 

[MUN]

We've never done pin trading or even really considered it. Our travel friends enjoy it though, so I thought I'd get DD some pins so she could go with her friend on the ship.

How many should I get her to start with? I've seen starter sets on Amazon but that seems like a lot of pins for a little kid.

You can buy them in bulk on ebay for a fraction of the cost. My family loves pin trading.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I liked that the shops had pin trading books too. This could be a good option for your daughter. (Did you say her age?) When you ask the person at the shop for their pin trading book you can stand and look at it as long as you like. This is helpful for anyone, but especially for younger children that might have trouble making up their minds. This way, no one is standing around waiting for her to decide. When the shops aren't too crowded, you have all the time in the world.

 

[TestingH2O]

I liked that the shops had pin trading books too. This could be a good option for your daughter. (Did you say her age?) When you ask the person at the shop for their pin trading book you can stand and look at it as long as you like. This is helpful for anyone, but especially for younger children that might have trouble making up their minds. This way, no one is standing around waiting for her to decide. When the shops aren't too crowded, you have all the time in the world.

That's a great idea! She's not quite 5, so yes, deciding takes time.