My DD10 wants to try pin trading???

[AngelaVHull]

How do we even start? Where do we buy them? I want to have some before we go so she is ready to go.

Thank you!

 

[mousehockey37]

Go to a local Disney store/outlet, they normally have a few starters, or you can get them in the parks or online at Disneystore.com. When you're there, you'll see CM's with pins on. I'm sure someone has the list for pin trading etiquette... if not, it's actually on the back of starter pack.

Biggest thing I can say is that you want to go to Michael's or any craft supplier and get metal pin backs. The rubber Disney ones aren't the greatest and you don't want to lose the pins!!!

 

[AngelaVHull]

Go to a local Disney store/outlet, they normally have a few starters, or you can get them in the parks or online at Disneystore.com. When you're there, you'll see CM's with pins on. I'm sure someone has the list for pin trading etiquette... if not, it's actually on the back of starter pack.

Biggest thing I can say is that you want to go to Michael's or any craft supplier and get metal pin backs. The rubber Disney ones aren't the greatest and you don't want to lose the pins!!!

Great advice! Thanks so much!

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I'll get flamed for this, I'm sure. But don't go spending lots of money on pins at the Disney stores!!! If your daughter is really about trading, the vast majority she's going to get from the CMs are the same scrappers you'll buy on Ebay for next to nothing. Go on Ebay, get a large lot, and let her trade away! The thing is it's silly to spend a lot of money on pins that she's going to trade away for others that are worth a whole lot less. And, honestly, many people will tell you they can spot a scrapper. But most of them can't. If you get a lot of pins on Ebay, they'll look authentic. They'll have the stamps on the back. They'll have the Mickey head backs. And the CMs will trade for them! This is what we do every year and have never had a problem. I also let my boys pick out one or two pins from the shops at Disney, but they know those are keepers--not to be traded away!

Thing is, we're not in it as an investment. We're in it for the boys to have fun, to collect pins they lick, to interact with CMs. They don't care if the pin cost $1 or $10--they like what they like, collect what they want. Save your money and let your daughter have a blast.

 

[mousehockey37]

I'll get flamed for this, I'm sure. But don't go spending lots of money on pins at the Disney stores!!! If your daughter is really about trading, the vast majority she's going to get from the CMs are the same scrappers you'll buy on Ebay for next to nothing. Go on Ebay, get a large lot, and let her trade away! The thing is it's silly to spend a lot of money on pins that she's going to trade away for others that are worth a whole lot less. And, honestly, many people will tell you they can spot a scrapper. But most of them can't. If you get a lot of pins on Ebay, they'll look authentic. They'll have the stamps on the back. They'll have the Mickey head backs. And the CMs will trade for them! This is what we do every year and have never had a problem. I also let my boys pick out one or two pins from the shops at Disney, but they know those are keepers--not to be traded away!

Thing is, we're not in it as an investment. We're in it for the boys to have fun, to collect pins they lick, to interact with CMs. They don't care if the pin cost $1 or $10--they like what they like, collect what they want. Save your money and let your daughter have a blast.

That's why there's pin etiquette. Contributing to the problem doesn't stop it. I'll agree that it can get to be an expensive hobby, but to those that do like to trade for the value, the scrappers are like using Monopoly money for real products. If you know what you're looking for, you CAN spot the scrappers... Scrappers are very much frowned upon, it makes it less of a hobby and a loss for those of us who pin trade with REAL pins. Nothing like giving away a REAL pin for something fake... Your kids may not care, but to the enthusiast that comes behind them and trades and gets the junk that you bought on ebay, it's annoying. Also, I believe CM's are to take their pins and check them for authenticity and if they're fake, they toss them. So yeah...

OP, do the right thing. Go to your local store, find some that are on clearance, get a starter set and have at it.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I agree with the PP. We buy pins from Disney - we buy ones on sale or mystery pin sets and so my kids trade the ones they don't want without spending that much money.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

That's why there's pin etiquette. Contributing to the problem doesn't stop it. I'll agree that it can get to be an expensive hobby, but to those that do like to trade for the value, the scrappers are like using Monopoly money for real products. If you know what you're looking for, you CAN spot the scrappers... Scrappers are very much frowned upon, it makes it less of a hobby and a loss for those of us who pin trade with REAL pins. Nothing like giving away a REAL pin for something fake... Your kids may not care, but to the enthusiast that comes behind them and trades and gets the junk that you bought on ebay, it's annoying. Also, I believe CM's are to take their pins and check them for authenticity and if they're fake, they toss them. So yeah...

OP, do the right thing. Go to your local store, find some that are on clearance, get a starter set and have at it.

Well, if it's so easy for you to spot a scrapper, then you'd never make that bad trade, would you? I would assume anyone trading for the value would know the difference and would only be trading for "real" pins anyway.

And you really think the CMs know the difference???

 

[klo1335]

I bought a grab bag set via a Facebook group for $12. I got 8 real pins..4 for each of my kids. And if they do trade at the parks, I will be checking the pins before they make the trade. I don't want any scrappers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/disneypintrading.selling/

This group is so knowledgable and helpful with getting started.

Good Luck

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

For those who are real collectors, how do you know the difference between a "real" pin and a scrapper?

 

[mousehockey37]

Well, if it's so easy for you to spot a scrapper, then you'd never make that bad trade, would you? I would assume anyone trading for the value would know the difference and would only be trading for "real" pins anyway.

And you really think the CMs know the difference???

Let your kids trade the real ones... then see what they get back... If they get fakes, don't be upset please. It's being taught to them that it's okay to swap junk pins for real pins. So let the real ones ride one trip.

For those who are real collectors, how do you know the difference between a "real" pin and a scrapper?

Nice..... A little late now...

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I'm asking because most of the people who are absolutely sure they can tell the difference, really can't. And the things they'll list as clues to a "real" pin are exactly what I'll see on the pins I get in the Ebay lots. THAT was the point of my question, not to ask for guidance.

 

[jsutherin1]

The fact that you said immediately that you would get flamed for your statement leads me to believe that you have had this discussion before and that you also deep down realize that what you are doing is not the right thing to do.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Yep, have had the conversation before. Nope, don't have any deep-rooted, horrible guilt that keeps me up at night over pin trading. I knew I'd get flamed because there are some people that take this way too seriously. For us, it's a fun hobby for the kids--who don't know and don't care the exact value of each pin in their collection, the way it should be. It is supposed to be about the kids having fun, right?

 

[mousehockey37]

Yep, have had the conversation before. Nope, don't have any deep-rooted, horrible guilt that keeps me up at night over pin trading. I knew I'd get flamed because there are some people that take this way too seriously. For us, it's a fun hobby for the kids--who don't know and don't care the exact value of each pin in their collection, the way it should be. It is supposed to be about the kids having fun, right?

There are lots of people that DO take it seriously. Pin trading has become a pretty big thing and it does upset them very much that there are people out there that want to trade "on the cheap" and will buy the counterfeit pins and try to trade them off.

 

[IrisG1]

Pin trading is awesome! Order them ahead of time and lanyards as well!

 

[CarolinaGirlTiss]

If you are on Facebook there are a large variety of Facebook pages where people sell authentic Disney pins at reasonable prices with very reasonable shipping fees. They also have great trading pages as well. Look up Disney Pin Trading and start there.

 

[CPFromTheBigE]

From personal experience, there are CM's who can tell the difference between a real pin and a scrapper, but they are few and far between. They are allowed to swap them out for real pins if they do come across a scrapper, but trading a scrapper to a CM is still extremely frowned upon. A lot of cast members at least know when they are being traded crappy pins, and trust me, they do not like you for it. Especially when people start pulling the pins out of tiny, individual plastic bags, most CM's are trained to know that it's a scrapper. I would usually inform guests, politely, that trading fake pins is against Disney rules, because it really is. It also sucks as a CM having crappy pins on your lanyard just because some kid's mom found a great deal on Ebay, because the next kid that comes up to trade only sees the same pins they have seen 40 times that day on other lanyards because the same scrappers are everywhere, because you all bought the same crappy pins. Just spend the extra $5-$10 on real pins from reputable people on the FB pages already mentioned and make the lives of everyone easier.

 

[AngelaVHull]

ust spend the extra $5-$10 on real pins from reputable people on the FB pages already mentioned and make the lives of everyone easier.

That's what I ended up doing. As my husband likes to say "Stones in a rock pile!" We spent too much on this trip to worry about spending a couple of extra dollars on pins for our daughter to trade.

 

[CPFromTheBigE]

@AngelaVHull Great! Once you start really looking at the cast lanyards, you'll know which ones you probably shouldn't trade for if you want to keep nicer pins in your collection. Have fun trading, it really is a great little bit of extra pixie dust on your trip!

 

[cadawson]

That's what I ended up doing. As my husband likes to say "Stones in a rock pile!" We spent too much on this trip to worry about spending a couple of extra dollars on pins for our daughter to trade.

Yeah!
Another vote for doing the right thing and trading only authentic pins. My DD is also 10, and she just started trading in the last year. Having to train her to watch out for "scrappers" is so annoying and so NOT magical!