My DD10 wants to try pin trading???

[5stljayhawks]

I have bought ebay and my 3 kids have a great time. Over our past three trips I bought new lanyards and pins for each trip. My plan is to present them with the lanyards and pins in a few years sort of like a disney pin time capsule. Let see .50 per pin ebay * 45 or $5 * 45... Not a hard one for me, when I just spent $1600 on tickets and $700 on a campsite.

 

[Crystal824]

Count me in as another who buys on Ebay. I did buy from a seller who guaranteed the pins were authentic. They cost a bit more than some other lots. However, my four year old doesn't know the difference between real and scrapper pins so I'm not going to spend a ton. I told her she could trade for any pin she wants. I'm pretty sure we have some scrappers although for some reason on our last trip, she tried to collect all the pins from the current starter set

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

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.

So I'm confused. Do they know or don't they? My guess is not.

And even those who claim they can tell, really can't. My kids had one CM at HS study and study the pins they wanted to trade. He gave them a speech about "real" pins and not being able to take the fake ones. He turned it over, took the pin back off, held it up close, felt around it, etc., etc. Then he said, "Yep, that's fine. You've got real ones here." Of course, those came from the eBay lots that we buy! He had no idea, even though he thought he did.

I had no idea there were actual rules against it though. Would love to see what the exact rules are.

 

[cadawson]

So I'm confused. Do they know or don't they? My guess is not.

And even those who claim they can tell, really can't. My kids had one CM at HS study and study the pins they wanted to trade. He gave them a speech about "real" pins and not being able to take the fake ones. He turned it over, took the pin back off, held it up close, felt around it, etc., etc. Then he said, "Yep, that's fine. You've got real ones here." Of course, those came from the eBay lots that we buy! He had no idea, even though he thought he did.

I had no idea there were actual rules against it though. Would love to see what the exact rules are.

Here are guidelines:
http://disney.go.com/eventservices/howtopintrade.pdf

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

So all the pins we trade are "cloissone, semi-cloissone, or hard enamel metal Disney pin that represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character, or icon." They all show a "Disney, Disneyland Resort, or Walt Disney World affiliation". They are not "plastic, rubber, or other non-metal, epoxy-coated, etc." And the "trading cast member makes the final determination."

As long as they fit that description, they should be good. And every pin my kids have traded have fit that exact description. How am I supposed to know if they're "counterfeit or lower quality"?

 

[Jarmo]

"Counterfeit pins and lower quality pins will not be accepted for trading".

It's plain as day. I'm sure you can pull one over with high quality counterfeit pins, but it is explicitly not allowed.

Let's say someone makes counterfeit money and gives it to you when you make change somewhere. Then somebody with a trained eye recognizes and tells you you have counterfeit money. You wouldn't care?

 

[joannamet]

Wow. Sounds like there are 2 camps here. The serious traders and the rest of us. I have to admit that I've gotten pins for my 10 year old on eBay twice. It said they were authentic. She sorts through them and chooses some to keep and some to trade. Since I don't even know what scrappers are there is no way I can be expected to tell the difference.

We just do it for fun and CMs have always been willing to trade with her. I respect the serious trading point of view but don't expect everyone else to share your level of commitment.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

"Counterfeit pins and lower quality pins will not be accepted for trading".

It's plain as day. I'm sure you can pull one over with high quality counterfeit pins, but it is explicitly not allowed.

Let's say someone makes counterfeit money and gives it to you when you make change somewhere. Then somebody with a trained eye recognizes and tells you you have counterfeit money. You wouldn't care?

So how exactly do you tell a counterfeit? I can't do it. And the pins I have meet every single description in the guidelines. So unless a CM tells us otherwise, I guess we're good to go! Yes, I buy super cheap lots on eBay so maybe I can assume, but I really don't know for sure. They told me they're tradeable and no CM ever said they weren't.

And the analogy should be someone gives me counterfeit money. I can't tell it's not real. I go into a store and use it because I assume it's real. It turns out to be counterfeit. Is that really my fault? I had no idea. Someone told me it was real and I believed them.

 

[Jarmo]

So how exactly do you tell a counterfeit? I can't do it. And the pins I have meet every single description in the guidelines. So unless a CM tells us otherwise, I guess we're good to go! Yes, I buy super cheap lots on eBay so maybe I can assume, but I really don't know for sure. They told me they're tradeable and no CM ever said they weren't.

And the analogy should be someone gives me counterfeit money. I can't tell it's not real. I go into a store and use it because I assume it's real. It turns out to be counterfeit. Is that really my fault? I had no idea. Someone told me it was real and I believed them.

Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you were knowingly buying counterfits on eBay to trade.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you were knowingly buying counterfits on eBay to trade.

Nobody advertises "counterfeit pins" on eBay. Yes, they're large lots. Yes, they're cheap. Yes, they're 100% tradeable and accepted by every CM. So are they counterfeits? Don't know for sure.... How do I know the difference? They're metal. They're stamped with a logo. They're "cloissone". They represent something Disney. They have Mickey ear pin backs.

 

[CPFromTheBigE]

@mom2AidanAndEli they are not 100% traceable or accepted by every CM. Walk into the Emporium and there are cast members (whom I worked with, and I did the same) who will straight up tell you exactly this: "I can't accept that pin because I believe it is counterfeit, if you believe that you received the fake pin from a cast member you can bring it to City Hall and they will help you from there." They may be few and far between, but do not assume that every cast member will accept pins that they suspect to be fake. It's not that every CM who cares is an avid collector or pin freak, they just understand how fake, non-park authentic pins are taking away from the magic of pin trading.
There is no way that if you have seen real Disney Authentic pins that you haven't at least seen one in your lots that you've gone, "well that's fake." There is a quality to Disney pins that is significantly different than the quality of pins off lots. If only you could see the crap I used to see on the store pin board, you would understand just how annoying it is for everyone. There is a fun to pin trading for everyone, not just people who collect to the extreme, that is just becoming less existent. You do you, i'm not trying to put anyone down because people will do what they want and that's not my place to judge you and your choices, but just understand that fake pins are becoming a problem and if you choose to add to that problem, knowingly or unknowingly, so be it.

 

[mandis77]

We love pin trading! If you live by a Disney Store (or an DS outlet, even better) they often have clearance pins for $1. I always stock up whenever I see them and we use those to trade. My daughters always get lots of attention from CM's and characters looking at them.

 

[bhartman]

How many pins would be a good amount for starting out? The starter sets have four, right? Is that enough to get going?

 

[CPFromTheBigE]

How many pins would be a good amount for starting out? The starter sets have four, right? Is that enough to get going?

The starter sets are great, the have ones that have between 4 and 8ish. They even have some discounted sometime on the disneystore.com. So between 4 and 8 is a good start!

 

[TaylorEar]

I bought my nephew a "starter" pin lot from ebay to trade with. I have no idea if they were "real" or not... the quality looked and felt exactly like the other pins I have purchased on Disney trips. I specifically looked for a small lot that showed a picture of every pin. I think I paid around $18 for 15-20 pins? He loved them - picked out the ones he wanted to keep on his lanyard and traded the rest - all the CM's he traded with were wonderful and encouraged him to pick the pin he really wanted!

 

[Tod&CopperFan]

So, we went for our first trip last year, first time pin trading, my 6 yo son really got into it! We bought all his pins and lanyard in WDW. I assume that all pins being sold in WDW are "real". I had no idea that I should watch for scrappers or fakes. He made lots of trades, so I should check his lanyard before we go back to look for "fakes"? How will I know if he has any fakes? It sounds like as long as there are none that are obviously poor quality then I can assume they are real and I can continue to allow him to trade without feeling guilty? Wow, never knew I needed to watch for this!

 

[busymommy2pink]

Well shoot...I bought some on Ebay. The ad said 100% authentic and trade-able and now I'm questioning everything Can someone message me, I don't want to embarass myself or my children by something I was not aware of. I would rather scrap them and buy cheaper mystery ones when we arrive. We used them last trip and now I'm having anxiety over the fact that I may have ruined someones experience or upset a CM. Literally had NO idea. A friend suggested checking ebay..so I did We go again in November, and I don't want to use them if they are fake. Can someone in Disney verify individual pins for me? I mean they feel heavy, are stamped, painted properly and have mickey backs. I feel like a fool!

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Well shoot...I bought some on Ebay. The ad said 100% authentic and trade-able and now I'm questioning everything Can someone message me, I don't want to embarass myself or my children by something I was not aware of. I would rather scrap them and buy cheaper mystery ones when we arrive. We used them last trip and now I'm having anxiety over the fact that I may have ruined someones experience or upset a CM. Literally had NO idea. A friend suggested checking ebay..so I did We go again in November, and I don't want to use them if they are fake. Can someone in Disney verify individual pins for me? I mean they feel heavy, are stamped, painted properly and have mickey backs. I feel like a fool!

Only the handful of very vocal "professional" traders will really care. Use your pins, have fun, and don't worry about it!

And, honestly, even if someone tries to tell you how to spot a scrapper, most people can't. Even the "fakes" are metal, painted, have the logo, have the right pin back, etc., etc. I've asked a bunch of times here and no one's been able to explain the difference. Even the CMs can't. All that really matters is your kids have fun and like the pins they get!

 

[laurafaith]

subbing

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

@mom2AidanAndEli they are not 100% traceable or accepted by every CM. Walk into the Emporium and there are cast members (whom I worked with, and I did the same) who will straight up tell you exactly this: "I can't accept that pin because I believe it is counterfeit, if you believe that you received the fake pin from a cast member you can bring it to City Hall and they will help you from there." They may be few and far between, but do not assume that every cast member will accept pins that they suspect to be fake. It's not that every CM who cares is an avid collector or pin freak, they just understand how fake, non-park authentic pins are taking away from the magic of pin trading.
There is no way that if you have seen real Disney Authentic pins that you haven't at least seen one in your lots that you've gone, "well that's fake." There is a quality to Disney pins that is significantly different than the quality of pins off lots. If only you could see the crap I used to see on the store pin board, you would understand just how annoying it is for everyone. There is a fun to pin trading for everyone, not just people who collect to the extreme, that is just becoming less existent. You do you, i'm not trying to put anyone down because people will do what they want and that's not my place to judge you and your choices, but just understand that fake pins are becoming a problem and if you choose to add to that problem, knowingly or unknowingly, so be it.

I've traded in the Emporium, no problem. And your way sounds a whole lot less magical for the kids! Do you really think the little girl who just wants a Cinderella pin really cares if you bought it on eBay or the Disney Store, whether you paid $1 or $10? She likes Cinderella. Simple as that. Instead you're going to tell the little girl, "Sorry, you can't have that one because the pin you have is a fake and I won't take it. Come back with a real one and maybe your Cinderella one will still be here. If not, oh well."

If it's so easy to spot a fake, and such a tragedy to get a fake, and everyone was annoyed at all the fakes, don't you think Disney would change the rules? They don't. They want it to be fun, as it should be. Look, I'm not seeing this as an investment. I'm not going to cash in my pins some day and retire on the proceeds! I want my kids to have fun, talk to some CMs, collect something with good memories, and not worry about it. And that's what they do.