"Odd" Disney Pins

[DavidH]

There are some really weird authentic Disney pins out there. I purchased my kids another Grab Bag of pins off Ebay for our upcoming trip. DD had them out this morning just sort of looking through the bag - some of them are just plain odd....

I have a Pluto's Root Beer bottle, a Mickey Ear shaped strawberry and several minor characters in the shape of letters.

She was trying to decide what theme she should trade for this year. I think it was princesses for her last time and baby Mickeys for my other DD. We thought an "Odd Pin" theme would be interesting.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

This might get interesting. PPL have some very strong opinions about buying crappy scrappers off Ebay then trading them at Disney for REAL pins.

If they are less than ONE DOLLAR per pin you can bet they are made in China fakes. Anybody can stamp AUTHENTIC on the back of the pin the same way they put the actually DOONEY logo on fake purses.

But you have to decide what you are comfortable doing. Just know that of all the fake scrappers your daughter may be trading she could very well be getting fake scrappers right back because of others trading fake pins.

 

[LovinPooh]

My DD got us into the pins. I have to agree, some are very odd. She has one that is a cabbage in the shape of mickey ears lol. She has issues trading cause she loves them all. She has a soda pop bottle, think its Minnie. Now she wants the hole set. I think thats why I love the pins, I love the scavenger hunt of it al.
We are looking into a medallion this time around. Taht lanyard swiinging up around her next on rides and such was annoying her.
Have fun!!!

As far as ebay goes, just read the feedback. Spending approx $15 for 25 than $13 for 2 pins is alot more feasable for many families.

 

[kaligal]

There are all kinds of weird Disney pins out there.

Sometimes those scrappers are actual Disney pins. They run a bunch for Disney and then run some more for themselves to sell. Same pins, cheaper price. Woo hoo. Not Disney-approved, though.

Other times they aren't actually Disney pins. They make up their own. IMO, if you like the pin, who cares if it is an actual Disney pin or not? Certainly not Official Disney!

Some are knock-offs and really poor quality. I got suckered once a long, long time ago and no longer buy pins on ebay.

You also can't even trust that the pins the CMs give you are Disney-approved pins.

If you want Disney-approved pins, you have to buy them from Disney.

But if you don't care, you don't. My guess is Disney doesn't, either. Whatever hooks the kids and gets them to say, "Oooh, I want THAT pin!" while they're in the parks.

 

[mountdew1]

Check out pinpics.com to see all the pins available. They have been doing CM lanyard pins for 10 years now, and are trying to find new and different things they can do. Pinpics has almost 88,000 pins in their listing, so they have done alot of designs by now. There is usually a tie in of some sort that may not be completely obvious. Something you may notice about the CM lanyard pins, they tend to be simpler smaller pin and designs. So doing a mickey head shaped piece of fruit is much easier (and cheaper) to make than a pin on pin one, or a glitter one, or most of the larger ones that they sell at the carts.

 

[DavidH]

This might get interesting. PPL have some very strong opinions about buying crappy scrappers off Ebay then trading them at Disney for REAL pins.

If they are less than ONE DOLLAR per pin you can bet they are made in China fakes. Anybody can stamp AUTHENTIC on the back of the pin the same way they put the actually DOONEY logo on fake purses.

But you have to decide what you are comfortable doing. Just know that of all the fake scrappers your daughter may be trading she could very well be getting fake scrappers right back because of others trading fake pins.

My intention was not to debate crappy counterfeit pins, but rather the variety of unusual pins available. By definition a "scrapper" refers to a unauthorized pin made from a authorized Disney mold - it should have been scrapped. A fake of something weird, like Pluto's Root Beer Bottle, is still a pin depicting weird subject matter.

To the best of my knowledge our pins are genuine. They are consistent with the pins purchased in the parks and given to us be cast members.

 

[carebee21]

As far as ebay goes, just read the feedback. Spending approx $15 for 25 than $13 for 2 pins is alot more feasable for many families.

If you can't afford to or won't spend the money to purchase real pins, you have no business collecting or trading them.

 

[FigNewton]

Sometimes those scrappers are actual Disney pins. They run a bunch for Disney and then run some more for themselves to sell. Same pins, cheaper price. Woo hoo. Not Disney-approved, though.

"Actual Disney pins" in that they are from the same factory, sure. Same pins? Not usually. They don't have to stand up to Disney's acceptance standards for merchandise so they get made with cheaper materials which flake over time, have wrong or poorly applied colors, or they are poorly molded. Some scrappers are just that - made during actual Disney-ordered production runs, but were supposed to be scrapped because they didn't meet standards the pins were supposed to meet.

 

[erincon23]

Geez! That's harsh. So if you don't have the money to buy fresh-from-the-factory furniture, and have to buy second-hand, does that mean you have no business owning a sofa? There's a secondary market for everything. I've been a pin collector for years, have bought tons full-price at Disney, have bought some cheapo on ebay, and now sell some of my collection, fairly cheaply on ebay. To quote Woody, "YOU ARE A ... TOY!!!!" It's Disney's business to go after (or not) the knock-offs, not yours to condemn those who unwillingly (or maybe knowingly) purchase them.

Yes, there are a HUGE number of designs out there! It's fun, isn't it, to see the wide imagination the pin designers have! I've collected that whole fruit series -- strawberry, lime, orange, etc. And the alphabet ones are cool. I love the really complicated ones -- I've got one that's a Christmas pin where a window opens on a hinge to see Mickey and Goofy in a living room scene. Love it!

 

[FigNewton]

Geez! That's harsh. So if you don't have the money to buy fresh-from-the-factory furniture, and have to buy second-hand, does that mean you have no business owning a sofa? There's a secondary market for everything. I've been a pin collector for years, have bought tons full-price at Disney, have bought some cheapo on ebay, and now sell some of my collection, fairly cheaply on ebay. To quote Woody, "YOU ARE A ... TOY!!!!" It's Disney's business to go after (or not) the knock-offs, not yours to condemn those who unwillingly (or maybe knowingly) purchase them.

Yes, there are a HUGE number of designs out there! It's fun, isn't it, to see the wide imagination the pin designers have! I've collected that whole fruit series -- strawberry, lime, orange, etc. And the alphabet ones are cool. I love the really complicated ones -- I've got one that's a Christmas pin where a window opens on a hinge to see Mickey and Goofy in a living room scene. Love it!

Hahah, man, that's a terrible analogy. We're not talking second hand, and we're not talking about doing something that only affects the person purchasing them. When you trade with Cast Members, you are in effect trading with other guests by proxy. Trading fakes and scrappers to CM lanyards directly affects the experiences of everyone else trading pins.

Here's another analogy that's not perfect but is a lot closer: Should people who can't afford to go to Disney pay for it with counterfeit bills?

 

[LexiC123]

If you can't afford to or won't spend the money to purchase real pins, you have no business collecting or trading them.

Are you serious?! You're actually trying to tell someone what they can or cannot collect?!

Did they pass a new pin collecting law when I wasn't looking, or did you just appoint yourself as the Disney Pin Poobah?

 

[stargazertechie]

Are you serious?! You're actually trying to tell someone what they can or cannot collect?!

Did they pass a new pin collecting law when I wasn't looking, or did you just appoint yourself as the Disney Pin Poobah?

I think you honestly bolded the wrong part of that. IF you can't afford to buy authentic pins, you really have no business trading them. You have no right cheapening someone else's collection because you buy counterfeit merchandise.

 

[LexiC123]

I think you honestly bolded the wrong part of that. IF you can't afford to buy authentic pins, you really have no business trading them. You have no right cheapening someone else's collection because you buy counterfeit merchandise.

No, I bolded the correct part of the previous poster's comment.

I'm not talking about trading them. I'm talking about purchasing them for a private collection.

 

[rachel09985]

I am not a pin trader or collector, but I agree, if you can't afford the authentic pins then you shouldn't be trading them. You can collect, but not trade. The only way you can guarantee they are authentic is at the parks or Disney related stores. I would be pretty upset if someone told me that the pins I got were not real, after I gave someone one of my pins that was real.

 

[joncorr3]

Are you serious?! You're actually trying to tell someone what they can or cannot collect?!

Did they pass a new pin collecting law when I wasn't looking, or did you just appoint yourself as the Disney Pin Poobah?

Welcome to the disboards. Where all pin lots from ebay are fakes.

 

[LovinPooh]

wow...
I love to see the interaction between a child and CM during a pin exchange. To a kid, its all about that pin! If it helps a family then why not! Go for it on ebay!!!
2 pins for $13... that is crazy, and no fun.
I have bought pins on ebay myself, and they were all 100% authentic.
Some just take this too seriously???!?!? If you go to trade a pin with a CM and see its fake, then dont trade!!!

 

[LovinPooh]

If you can't afford to or won't spend the money to purchase real pins, you have no business collecting or trading them.

You are just incredible!!!!
It just boggles my mind some of the things that come out of peoples mouths. Tell that to kids then. If you want to dump more money into Disneys pockets for the same exact thing someone else spent less on... then have at it!
I am soooo over this!
Sorry OP, there are just "undisney like" people allll over this board!

Disney Pin Poohbah....

 

[MoonFaerie]

When y'all are done bickering, I'd actually be interested in getting back to the original topic. We like weird and unusual pins, and we don't really care so much about if they're "real" or not. We don't trade, just collect.

 

[FigNewton]

wow...
I love to see the interaction between a child and CM during a pin exchange. To a kid, its all about that pin! If it helps a family then why not! Go for it on ebay!!!
2 pins for $13... that is crazy, and no fun.
I have bought pins on ebay myself, and they were all 100% authentic.
Some just take this too seriously???!?!? If you go to trade a pin with a CM and see its fake, then dont trade!!!

A child's enjoyment trumps all other concerns?

What is too seriously? It ruins the enjoyment for many going to the parks to trade when they only find mainly cheap illegitimate pins on CM lanyards. I used to love trading with cast members. Now I don't really bother, because it's become an exercise in frustration.

 

[DavidH]

Note to self - put the stick down and back away from the hornet's nest

What I meant to say was, I have noticed some very unusual Disney pin subject matter, while holding a place in line for the rest of my group at another resort's pool, while waiting for my 39-1/2" tall child to get the lifts in her shoes.

If you are a true collector, I don't think you will be eyeing that "G" shaped Piglet my daughter just swapped with the CM ready to trade your 1/25 LE pin. I couldn't imagine anyone trading FOR the weird pins I was talking about. Used to be a CM and still know a bunch. The weird pins go to the Island of Misfit Pins (aka The Box) and they reload their lanyards with "good pins".

I have a friend who is a Disney Design Artist. My personal collection is trying to find all the pins that he designed - I still have a few to go. If you have an Astro Orbiter, I have a Mickey Pilgrim Hat....

Sorry for all the swarming hornets. Hope y'all were able to sleep last night