Ideas for 12-year-old boy with autism, please!

[FortForever]

I have also seen (on multiple occasions) CMs turn down a trade for a non Disney pin even with children. If someone is successful making a trade with a CM for a nonDisney pin, then they have found a CM who isn't truly aware of the rules. They aren't even supposed to do it as a Magical Moment!

I've never seen it. I'll admit I was doing a bit of assuming here. I assumed that they would just turn the fake pin in to be destroyed or something. I have never purchased pins anywhere other than Disney, and never gotten a close enough look at what other people are trading.

I'm sort of glad to hear they don't take them. Maybe if people realize that ordering them in large quantities from eBay dirt cheap, just for trading isn't going to work, then the market for the fakes will go away. I've stood in line for special pins at the parks, that are very limited. I have Animal Kingdom anniversary ones that I literally stood in line for two hours to buy. They were limited to a production of something like 2500. If you search the same pins on eBay right now, there are like 10k of them for sale.

Because I buy all my pins at the parks, and pay top dollar for them, I just get what I want and don't want to part with them. For that reason, I have never gotten into trading. It looks like so much fun, though! I just can't part with any of my pins.

 

[DisneyOma]

Great idea, thank you! So, he will be carrying a waist pack. Would the pins be safe pinned to that? I know he can handle wearing stuff around his waist, but anything around the neck gets deemed "itchy." My guess is he will use the lanyard as a storage once he gets home and puts it up on his wall.

I would bring a piece of flannel or fleece to put the pins on, and then he could put that in his waist pack. I wouldn't pin them onto the pack itself - they could fall off and I'm guessing he'd get really upset about losing a pin? Especially if he went to look for it and couldn't find it?

 

[stitchlovestink]

I've never seen it. I'll admit I was doing a bit of assuming here. I assumed that they would just turn the fake pin in to be destroyed or something. I have never purchased pins anywhere other than Disney, and never gotten a close enough look at what other people are trading.

I'm sort of glad to hear they don't take them. Maybe if people realize that ordering them in large quantities from eBay dirt cheap, just for trading isn't going to work, then the market for the fakes will go away. I've stood in line for special pins at the parks, that are very limited. I have Animal Kingdom anniversary ones that I literally stood in line for two hours to buy. They were limited to a production of something like 2500. If you search the same pins on eBay right now, there are like 10k of them for sale.

Because I buy all my pins at the parks, and pay top dollar for them, I just get what I want and don't want to part with them. For that reason, I have never gotten into trading. It looks like so much fun, though! I just can't part with any of my pins.

I think you may be confusing non Disney pins with scrappers. Scrappers are Disney pins that are damaged, unauthorized, or otherwise inferior quality pins. Unfortunately, CMs will trade for scrappers. Actually there are some scrappers that are so good even pin enthusiasts (who know their stuff) have a hard time telling they are scrappers. The only 100% way to be 100% sure your pin is legit, is to only buy directly from Disney. I have bought pins directly from Disney that have been rough around the edge (the edges are supposed to be super smooth) or have had a bit of an indentation in the enamel (also another sign it is 'probably ' a scrapper), etc... The pin quality isn't as good as it used to be and quality control apparently is weak.

I would bring a piece of flannel or fleece to put the pins on, and then he could put that in his waist pack. I wouldn't pin them onto the pack itself - they could fall off and I'm guessing he'd get really upset about losing a pin? Especially if he went to look for it and couldn't find it?

Actually what works very well and holds its shape (fabric will just become a little bundle) is the quarter inch craft foam. And it's very inexpensive at the craft store. He can use one color for his traders and another color for the ones he wants to keep. And the great part is craft foam can be cut to whatever size you want and it also helps the pin surfaces from getting scratched. I use those sheets for storing extra pins.

 

[mamabunny]

I think you may be confusing non Disney pins with scrappers. Scrappers are Disney pins that are damaged, unauthorized, or otherwise inferior quality pins. Unfortunately, CMs will trade for scrappers. Actually there are some scrappers that are so good even pin enthusiasts (who know their stuff) have a hard time telling they are scrappers. The only 100% way to be 100% sure your pin is legit, is to only buy directly from Disney. I have bought pins directly from Disney that have been rough around the edge (the edges are supposed to be super smooth) or have had a bit of an indentation in the enamel (also another sign it is 'probably ' a scrapper), etc... The pin quality isn't as good as it used to be and quality control apparently is weak.

Actually what works very well and holds its shape (fabric will just become a little bundle) is the quarter inch craft foam. And it's very inexpensive at the craft store. He can use one color for his traders and another color for the ones he wants to keep. And the great part is craft foam can be cut to whatever size you want and it also helps the pin surfaces from getting scratched. I use those sheets for storing extra pins.

Scrappers! I forgot about Scrappers! LOL We were told a few years ago by an off-duty CM that any pin they traded (that they didn't want to keep on their lanyard) could be tossed into a collection bin backstage, and that they had another bin of "approved" pins that they could grab a handful of to give/trade from their lanyards while on duty. Don't know if that was true or not... but there is a part of me that loves the idea of buckets of pins that someone gets to dump out and sort through... kind of my ideal Disney job!

We use the craft foam to create our own pin books too - just remember NOT to use the kind with the adhesive on the back! Our daughter was a "Shriner's Kid", and she used to have her own trading pin, and when we went to the Hospital, she would wheel and deal with those Shriners like an old pro, and she has an enormous pin book full of all kind of pins!

 

[DisneyOma]

Actually what works very well and holds its shape (fabric will just become a little bundle) is the quarter inch craft foam. And it's very inexpensive at the craft store. He can use one color for his traders and another color for the ones he wants to keep. And the great part is craft foam can be cut to whatever size you want and it also helps the pin surfaces from getting scratched. I use those sheets for storing extra pins.

But that would be a bit bulky for a waist pack? The flannel bunches up, so it can fit in the waist pack. My daughter used to trade skating pins back when she skated synchro - she could fit a lot of pins in her little flannel book, and it fit nicely in a small pocket of her skating bag.

 

[stitchlovestink]

But that would be a bit bulky for a waist pack? The flannel bunches up, so it can fit in the waist pack. My daughter used to trade skating pins back when she skated synchro - she could fit a lot of pins in her little flannel book, and it fit nicely in a small pocket of her skating bag.

And when you let them bunch up like that, they are much more likely to get scratches/damage from one another.
They can cut the foam to any size they want that will comfortably fit in the waistpack. And he can start out with a new "keeper" sheet each day if he wants.

 

[DisneyOma]

And when you let them bunch up like that, they are much more likely to get scratches/damage from one another.
They can cut the foam to any size they want that will comfortably fit in the waistpack. And he can start out with a new "keeper" sheet each day if he wants.

Other stuff in the waist pack can scratch the pins as well, especially if they are all spread out on foam. The flannel rolls nicely, and that covers the pins and keeps them from scratching each other. If i can post a picture of the flannel 'book' I made for my daughter's pins, I will.

I guess you could cover the pins on the foam with flannel to keep them from getting scratched by the inside of the zipper on the waist pack, etc.

 

[MandLBee]

We got the lanyard and I spoke to him about how heavy and annoying it would get. He popped it on and agreed, until he figured out he could wear it like Chewbacca (he said!) and he walks around the house with his BB-8 pin attached to his BB-8/R2D2 lanyard I'm sure at some point in the day, it will all get tucked into a bag somewhere, but for today, he is happy. He got up early this morning to finish all his day chores so he could earn a pin.

 

[HipsterPeterPan]

As an autistic/anxious/panic-disordered person myself, pin trading and little activities to keep minds busy work wonders! I'm doing a pin hunt on my trip in October, specifically Figment and Nightmare Before pins! Good luck to your son, and all of you have fun!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Other stuff in the waist pack can scratch the pins as well, especially if they are all spread out on foam. The flannel rolls nicely, and that covers the pins and keeps them from scratching each other. If i can post a picture of the flannel 'book' I made for my daughter's pins, I will.

I guess you could cover the pins on the foam with flannel to keep them from getting scratched by the inside of the zipper on the waist pack, etc.

I have been carrying my pins this way for YEARS and have never had anything else in my bag scratch a singleone of them.
I'm sure the OP is quite capable of determining which is a better way for them to carry their pins in their situation.

 

[DisneyOma]

I have been carrying my pins this way for YEARS and have never had anything else in my bag scratch a singleone of them.
I'm sure the OP is quite capable of determining which is a better way for them to carry their pins in their situation.

I've seen the pin sheets that are what you describe, and I've seen girls have their pins get scratched by other stuff when they were left that way in their skate bags. Of course skate bags have so much stuff in them compared to a waist pack. And of course the OP can decide what is best for them. Just stating what I have observed, and what worked best for us.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I've seen the pin sheets that are what you describe, and I've seen girls have their pins get scratched by other stuff when they were left that way in their skate bags. Of course skate bags have so much stuff in them compared to a waist pack. And of course the OP can decide what is best for them. Just stating what I have observed, and what worked best for us.

Yep, just as I stated what worked for us...only difference, OP and I are trading pins at WDW and carrying them in a bag which will be taken into an amusement park, not a bag with skating equipment.

 

[unwritten01]

We got the lanyard and I spoke to him about how heavy and annoying it would get. He popped it on and agreed, until he figured out he could wear it like Chewbacca (he said!) and he walks around the house with his BB-8 pin attached to his BB-8/R2D2 lanyard I'm sure at some point in the day, it will all get tucked into a bag somewhere, but for today, he is happy. He got up early this morning to finish all his day chores so he could earn a pin.

As a parent of a movie, Star Wars loving autistic son I hope all of you have a Fantastic time!!!