How strict are CM's when trading pins with kids?

[ploto]

Well, it looks like I may have messed up. I got 12 pins off EBAY for my kids to trade on our trip next week and, though they are stamped Disney and supposedly genuine, they just don't have the look or feel of the pins we purchased on sight last year. Do the CM's look at these things closely when young kids are trading? If so, anyone have a suggestion of a store near WDW to pick up a few on clearance for kids to trade just for fun? Thanks.

 

[WDSearcher]

Hey there ... welcome to the DIS!

CMs may notice that the pins don't have the right "feel" or "weight," but they're not going to refuse to trade, especially with kids. But they'll likely hold onto the pins until they can check on authenticity before they trade them to anyone else.

 

[Jockaroo]

There are several places that make legit Disney pins. You may have pins from Germany or Spain. These look and feel different. You might want to search for your pins on pinpics.com and see what info comes up. Also you might want to ask at dizpins.com on the message boards.

The clearance outlets (I think there are 3) sometimes have some pins. 2 outlets are at the Belz outlet center. Not sure location of the other. Sorry I can't give driving directions.

I don't have kids, so I can't comment on the way CMs trade with kids, but typically if it is stamped Disney it is accepted. If you aren't sure, you can always ask the CM. As an adult, I've not noticed too many of them checking the backs, but they are probably trained to know the pins. The only ones I've had them look closely at were pins from the foreign parks--and that was just to say "Cool, I have'nt seen this one before."

Good luck. Hope all works out well for you and the kids.

 

[Flower4Pwr]

It does say in the "official rules" that only official pins can be traded so a CM could technically refuse the trade. They wouldn't outright refuse it but they might insist on a different pin.

 

[WhispyPixie]

The CM's are wonderful and trade with a wonderful and happy smile!...Don't give it a second thought!

 

[trola2]

on our last trip, one of my DD's got a pin from a cast member that she traded for and then later another cast member wouldn't take the pin because it wasn't "right". It was a Disney pin, but it was definitely different. But she did trade that pin with another cast member later. We became more selective after that and even handed a pin back to a cast member when we decided that we didn't like the trade. Over the years though, we have had many many cast members just hand the kids pins...
Happy trading!
~~Beth

 

[Ratpack]

You should be fine. If they have the Disney stamp the CM's should trade with the kids no questions asked. I had some pins that were subject but they did have the stamp so I gave it a try. Turned out that they were bootleg pins, but the CM didn't hesitate to trade, she just put them away and not on her lanyard. Told us this is another way for them to get the bootleg pins out of circulation. The only ones I would worry about are any that don't have any stamp at all.