No one warned me about ....

[babywewe]

No one warned me about .... how additive pins would be. Why or why did'nt someone warn me!?

So I warn all of you who do know know about pins in the parks or resorts. They are addicting and buying one will mean you will buy more!

 

[magicaldisney]

I totally agree. I started off with just a few now I have a collection. I don't trade them I just keep buying.

 

[taragl]

Here's a tip I just picked up recently. Buy pins you don't necessarily like cheaply on eBay before your trip, then trade them in the parks for pins you do like. But be careful... pins + eBay = too many shopping opportunities!

 

[lindakmonty]

pins are fun and so cute. how can anyone resist?

 

[bbump]

2 trips now and I am on my 2nd lanyard and DD is on her 3rd!!!!!

I guess I can justify the cost because each pin will represent a fun memory of our trip.
We still love looking at our pin collections, we have our lanyards hanging up in our rooms... yes, we are pin dorks.....
but NOT pin trading junkies (yet)

 

[disneynewbee]

After just one trip I was ready to check my oldest dd into rehab. She is horribly addicted and spent at least 300 dollars on pins in one trip. She is a trading junkie, she has a business mind and loves getting a good trade more than anything. I'm pretty sure this was her favorite part of the trip.

 

[MelanieC]

This is totally true!! I held off quite a few years but once I started buying them, I can't stop!! It's fun and addictive.

 

[apostolic4life]

I totally agree. I started off with just a few now I have a collection. I don't trade them I just keep buying.

Me too!!! I am an avid pin collector, but occasionally I can be persuaded to trade a pin or two. I base collecting and trading on a few simple rules: does the pin appeal to me; would the pin make me happy; does it fit into my exsisting collection. I am not someone who really cares about the monetary value of a pin; it seems if the focus is an "investment" it kind of loses some of the magic. IMHO.

Here's a tip I just picked up recently. Buy pins you don't necessarily like cheaply on eBay before your trip, then trade them in the parks for pins you do like. But be careful... pins + eBay = too many shopping opportunities!

Beware ebay auctions for pins. Many of the cheap pins offered there are fakes. You will not always know this untill you get the pin in your hand. Research the pin you are thinking of buying here: www.pinpics.com
When you buy those large lots of cheap pins, remember they will be filled with lots of pins that are counterfeit most of the time. Think about it, if you could actually buy large lots of authentic Disney pins at such a cheap price, why would we ever need to go to WDW again for pins. Some things are too good to be true, so be careful when you shop ebay for pins.

 

[domiii]

We love trading pins, too. Addicted isn't the word for it. DH likes to wear them, too. He has one for every occasion!!

Good tip on buying cheap ones from ebay before going to the parks. We did this last trip and it was great.

I love to give one away to some kid who admires our pins. A random act of kindness makes my Disney experience complete!

 

[apostolic4life]

If everyone buys cheap junky pins from ebay for trading to others, you may at some point be the recipient of a bad trade. I am not saying all pins from ebay are junk, but usually the large lots are filled with "scrapper", "counterfeit" and "non-Disney" pins. I am not a pin trading die hard, but I would hate to see the "traders market" filled with things that are not authentic Disney pins.

 

[Mickey1122]

Same. We started and buy a few new ones every trip. We display them on a corkboard. We have never considered trading because we like the ones we buy. It's also really cheap to buy an inexpensive pin and trade it to a CM for a nice one.

 

[torinsmom]

Some of the sellers on ebay will post pics of the back of their pins, showing the Disney trademark--these are the ones I bid on. Average price per pin(including shipping) on the lots I have bought was $2-$3 a pin. My son only trades with CM's and I have shown him to check for the trademark, in case someone has cheated the CM. He has a bunch of pins now, and will get more when we go back in September.

Marsha

 

[cavecricket]

Yeah

We discovered the pins last year...

The last 3 days of our trip we started collecting...

And seriously, we spent over $675.00 on pins and accessories / filled most of the book...not to mention all the pricey specialty pins at $12 a pop!!!
( we pretty much starved as we wanted the pins instead of meals!!! )

We wont be doing that again this year. We created a "pin budget" we are transferring the money in the "pin budget" to a prepaid Visa and will not allow ourselves to pay for pins any other way.

We are doing the same for our "dining budget"

and "fun stuff" budget for any extras...gifts ect!!! ( or pins...hehehehe )

 

[LizzySwan1022]

I got started really young with a figment pin. Now I have like five lanyards (2 of which I can't find), And I had to put them in a pin book. i always get the Lilo and Stitch lanyard because its the longest, an I already have those pins, so I M free to trade them guilt free!

 

[sammons70]

No one warned me about .... how additive pins would be. Why or why did'nt someone warn me!?

So I warn all of you who do know know about pins in the parks or resorts. They are addicting and buying one will mean you will buy more!

The truth is, you don't even have to buy one. When my wife and I went to Disneyland for the 50th, we were each given a Triple A Disneyland pin and Lanyard free since we booked with AAA vacations.
Needless to say, both of our lanyards have many more than just that one pin now. As I head to Disneyworld in 8 days for what is our first trip there, I have a goal of collecting one pin from each of the four main theme parks. Hopefully I stick to that goal, and don't go overboard. They could dedicate a forum to just Disney pins where people could type about all of their pin trading and post pictures of their finds on their trips.
In terms of Ebay, don't bid unless the seller's description mentions that the pin is authenitc Disney, or you see a picture of it first.

 

[dkostel]

QUOTE Beware ebay auctions for pins. Many of the cheap pins offered there are fakes. You will not always know this untill you get the pin in your hand. Research the pin you are thinking of buying here: www.pinpics.com
When you buy those large lots of cheap pins, remember they will be filled with lots of pins that are counterfeit most of the time. Think about it, if you could actually buy large lots of authentic Disney pins at such a cheap price, why would we ever need to go to WDW again for pins. Some things are too good to be true, so be careful when you shop ebay for pins. QUOTE

I got a lot of 20 of these fake Disney pins (complete with Disney TM on back). I read some of seller's feedback when I bought & it looked ok then, but then a couple of weeks later I read again & people were saying that CMs wouldn't trade with them because they were fake or the CMs traded but gave them dirty looks. I bought another lot of 20 for more $ from different seller, but they all seem to be authentic. So, be more careful than I was.

 

[Quinn222]

I don't trade either but I decided the best way to keep things at least slightly in control is to narrow my scope. Now I get pins from resorts that I have stayed at or visited and attractions I've ridden/seen. It still leaves a lot of pins avaiable to buy!

 

[domiii]

We also purchase pins from the Disney Broadway shows. They are only sold in NYC and are authentic Disney pins. They got us some great cast member exclusive trades when this all started in 1999!