Need newbie pin advice!!

[3kids4me]

Hi everyone!!

We are going to DisneyWorld in three weeks, and I thought it would be fun for my older kids (10 and 7) and maybe me as well to do the pin trading thing while we are there. So...we went to the Disney Store in New York City yesterday (we were in to see Lion King!) and bought some of the FDNY (Fire Dept. of New York) Disney Pins because the people behind the register said they would be good to trade. My son also bought one of the dwarves and my daughter bought a Belle pin.

So...my question is...do they wear a couple of the FDNY pins at a time so that people can see they have one to trade? What do you do normally when you have doubles? Should I buy them lanyards and if so, where do they sell them (they didn't sell them at the Disney store). Or do, people just wear them on their clothes? Are the FDNY pins good for trading?

I want to make this really fun for my kids, and it seemed like it could really add to their trip, especially if my son can find other dwarves! (He's very fond of Grumpy, but could only find Bashful.)

Sorrry for the very naive questions, but any help would be much appreciated!!

Thanks,

Sharon

 

[daber]

Hi Sharon, and welcome to the board!
There are no rules except HAVE FUN!
I normally only show one pin if I have multiples. (But then I also break my own rule sometimes)
The Mickey Fireman is a good trader, because you can only get it at the Manhatten store. There's also a Donald Duck Fireman pin.
Most people wear lanyards. You can buy them when you get to WDW.
But others wear them on hats, vests, etc.
As for the other dwarves, they are all represented on pins. Go to pinpics.com and do a search on Grumpy to see all the pins he is on. This way you know what pins to look for.

I will also be at WDW in about 3 weeks. Maybe we can set a time to meet and trade.

 

[3kids4me]

Thanks so much, and thanks for the site!! We have the Mickey pins but not the Donald ones. I also now know that his Bashful is from the 100 years of magic set...sitting in a mining car? Boy...amazing how much you can learn on the internet!! Somehow we ended up with two Bashfuls, but my son thought he got a Bashful and a Sneezy. Oh well...more to trade then! (Somehow he also managed to sneak a little green tinkerbell in there too...lol...and addict in the making!)

Now, do people actually pin the pins to the strap on the lanyard? So you have to unclasp them to take them off? Do they get banged up if you wear them around the park/on rides, etc.?

Thanks so much for your help!!

Sharon

 

[pin addict]

Hi Sharon. When we were there in Jan. the fireman pin traded very well. We had to give a 2000 LE to get it so it will do good for you. Start the kids out on castmembers first. Some times the other people can intimidate the youngsers. You must go see Scoops Sanderson at the Expo hall on Main street in the MK. He will explain hte proper way to trade. He has a seminar at 1:00 except Fri. and Sat. Ask him to tell the story of Rindercellar. Tell him Kris said so. Have fun it only gets better.
Kris

 

[3kids4me]

Thanks! Will the CMs basically tell you what would be a fair trade?

Sharon

 

[GotAnyPins]

You and the kids should have a ball...there are lanyards available at any pin cart, probably right at your hotel
..what some people do, is put their traders on one side, and their keepers on the other..the FDNY pins are
very good traders down here, I wanted one, and had to give a LE to get it, but to me it was worth it..

My daughter would love the Donald one...if you can..come to our pin meeting at the Contemporary Hotel
on Fri night.. from 7pm to ?? there is usually a good amount of families w/ kids, that enjoy trading
together.. Just ask for me, Raul (Ed) or our hostess Kathryn Pintrader..we would love to introduce you around.

My Daughter and her 3 daughters usually are surrounded by other groups of parents and kids..and they love it

When you are at the parks, the CM's love to trade from their lanyards, especially if they know that this is
the first times for the kids..

and while you are at MK go to the Expo Hall any day but Fri & Sat at 1pm to Scoop's pin seminar..
the kids will love it, and you will learn all about pins..he also has some great pin games for the kids..and the adults can
play too..this is a "don't miss event"..if you are a pin trader..

So come and have a ball at the "happiest place on earth" and it is..

Donna

 

[jojo_ct]

Sharon,

A lot of Cast Members aren't into pin themselves so they won't know if a trade is good or not. I certainly would not use up your FDNY pins on CM lanyards. You can trade for much better pins at meets like the one at the Contemporary.

Some Cast Members, like Scoop at MK, and the Super Traders at Epcot, will give you a lot of advice about trades and teach you more than you ever thought you could know about the little pieces of metal.

As far as lanyards go, yes, you attach the pin through the strap of the lanyard, and yes, they can get banged up if you wear them on rides. Even worse, the pins can fall off the lanyards. I would definitely get lanyards for the kids (they will love the attention they get when they wear them) but be careful and check the pin backs frequently. I would tend to keep most of your FDNY traders tucked away safely.

I wish I could watch your kids discover this wonderful hobby. Have a blast!

Cynthia

 

[Figgy]

I know you are going to have a great time. The DS pins are great to start out on the CM lanyards because they are not as expensive as the pins in the parks. One good thing to do is when you first get to the world go and check out the pin cart at DTD in the World of Disney Store and then the one at EpCot. Take a look at what pins are available for purchase. That way when you start doing the lanyard thing you will know what pins on the lanyard are NOT for sale and you can get some that are not everywhere.

Another thing is if any LE pins come out while you are down at the world be sure to buy one for your collection (if you like the pin) and at least one as a trader. I usually buy 3 or 4 with my hubby so that when I come home I can continue to trade with people online through pinpics for pins I don't perhaps have. Since I only get to the parks I "stock" up as much as I can on what comes out while I am there so that I can trade for things that come out later or that came out before I was there. Sometimes people get discouraged if the pins they buy don't become good traders right away but they usually do eventually. Also if you are going to the world and get their pins it is fun to trade with people from DL online when you get back for their pins because they can't get the WDW ones and then you both win...

I would let the kids take a minimum of 5 traders each from the DS so that they have a nice little set to start out with. If they want the pins from the DS for their own collection good idea to get an extra for them so that they don't have anxiety about trading on of their pins away. They know that they have that pin at "home" in their collection too. The neatest of the DS ones are the president's Day, the valentine, and the tinks as far as what would be really neat for those at the World.

The NY pins should not be CM traders as those are popular with traders and would give the kids a chance to trade with other traders. The difference though that you need to help them understand is that while on a CM lanyard they can trade any pin on the lanyard for any Disney pin they have with other traders they have to come to an agreement on what to trade. Good Luck and above all have fun.

figgy

 

[3kids4me]

Wow..this is getting complicated!! So, I guess I need to get them a couple of more pins?

Also, I wasn't sure I should let them just trade with people at the park because I didn't want them to be cheated or something. I thought we should stick to CMs, but it sounds like maybe that's not the best way to go either. (I thought that CMs sometimes have special pins though that you can't buy...no?) Mostly they only have one of everything though, so really the only thing they have to trade are the FDNY pins. (And my son has that extra Bashful.) Is there a President's Day pin coming out that would be good for me to get for them and trade? Is it okay for them to wear more than one FDNY pin at a time?

Lol...this is going to be one heck of a trip!!

Sharon

 

[Figgy]

LOL There was a president's pin released at the DS a few weeks ago. Most DS still have them though.

As for the FDNY pin and trading with other traders. I don't think it would be easy to take advantage of the kids for that one. A good place for them to maybe trade those with other traders would be at one of the pin seminars. That way if you have any questions there are some really great people around. I know a lot of the people that go to Scoop's seminar and they are pretty honest traders. I would not put more than one of the FDNY pins on their lanyards at once. 12 months of Magic this is a link to a pin group of some of the pins you might see at the DS that would be good to get for the kids to trade with the CM.

figgy

 

[jojo_ct]

If you do decide to let the kids trade a FDNY pin with a CM, hang around a little while and watch what happens when the next trader spots that pin. Every once in a while I find a GREAT pin on a lanyard and I get so excited I do what we like to call the "happy pin dance." I'm sure that show would be worth giving up the pin for!

And yes, some CMs have special pins so it does pay to trade with them, especially if your a kid, and especially if the CM is wearing a suit!!!

 

[3kids4me]

We are scheduled to go to the Hoop de Doo review at 5:00 on Friday, March 15th. So, after that is over at 6:45, do you think we should drive over to the Contemporary and go to the pin trading party? I also have a three year old (in addition to my 10 and 7 year olds). Will she be bored? For reference, we are staying off-site (at Vistana).

Thanks for any help!!

Sharon

 

[daber]

Definitely go to the Contemporary after Hoop De Doo!
Lots of great traders
No sharks (those who pin trade strickly with $$ in their eyes)
If a trade doesn't feel right, or if you feel you are being pressured, walk away!!!
You should make a rule that you have the final say in any pin trade between your children and any non-CM. I always check with the parent when I'm doing a trade with a pre-teen.
And since I'll be in town on the 15th, I'll see you at the Contemporary.

 

[goofymom/pop]

I started my kids on pin trading last May and I have been bitten badly by the bug.

Yes we mainly traded with the CM, they will trade one pin from their lanyard for one pin from you. Some have the rule that it needs to be a pin they are not wearing. But most will trade any pin with a child regardless of how many of the them they are wearing on their lanyards. My kids liked doing this best.

The reason everyone is telling you to hold onto your FDNY pins is they are highly tradeable with all collectors right now. You will find people at some of the pin stations with their books and pin bags out and ready to trade. If you want try trading with them. But please be sure to supervise your childs trade as you have some good pins. They are only available in Manhattan which makes them pretty valuable right now.

Definately meet up with Daber and the crew at the Contemporary. You will meet lots of good people there. Dave is the first board member I met in person and the first who traded with my 7 year old. He is a good pin buddy and very knowlegdable. Dont be intimidated by the amount of pins people have to trade, just relax, look at all that is available and ask questions. Raul and Pintrader will be happy to help you out too!! Most of all have fun, its a great hobby and one you can do as a family.

Hope this helps

Cindy

 

[3kids4me]

Thanks so much for everyone's help!!

Now, my last question is about lanyards. Rather than waste time trying to pick them out, buy them, and put the pins on them when we get to the park, I'd rather that the kids be able to walk in with them. Is there a reasonable place to buy them on the internet? Are there child-sized ones? Are there certain ones you would recommend? And, for reference, how much do they normally cost at the parks?

Thanks again so much!!

Sharon

 

[3kids4me]

Thanks so much for everyone's help!!

Now, my last question is about lanyards. Rather than waste time trying to pick them out, buy them, and put the pins on them when we get to the park, I'd rather that the kids be able to walk in with them. Is there a reasonable place to buy them on the internet? Are there child-sized ones? Are there certain ones you would recommend? And, for reference, how much do they normally cost at the parks?

Thanks again so much!!

Sharon

 

[3kids4me]

Oh wait I have another question (gosh, I'm making myself crazy with this!). Is there a little handbook that we're supposed to have so that we know how valuable a pin is....that can help us with trading? I guess veterens don't need this, but what do newbies tend to do?

Thanks,

Sharon

 

[daber]

I don't know of anyplace on the net that sells them, but sometimes there are generous people on this board who have lots of them hanging around and they just might appear in your mailbox. I don't have any, otherwise I would do it.
If you are still lanyardless, go to World of Disney store in Downtown Disney and get your lanyards. They cost about 8 dollars. There's also a starter set that has a lanyard and four pins, two Mickey trading pins, two Minnie trading pins. I think that sells for about $25.

There is/was a book showing pins that have been sold, but it really doesn't help. Value is a relative term. What one person may hate, another person might be search for years to find.
Generally speaking:
the lower the number of pins made (edition size) the higher the value.
rack pins are lowest on the totem pole.
pins sold only at one location are more valuable
Cast Member only pins are more valuable, but again edition size is a big factor.
Pins outside the country (euro disney and Japan) are harder to find and trade better.

Another real good way is to go on pinpics and look at a pin you want. Find out how many people want the pin and how many people have it for trade. Most of the pins I want have nobody trading it and over 50 people wanting it. These pins are up in the stratosphere.