Okay so I'm at work today and (NHMickeys Question of the week... 11/5/01)

[NHMickey]

I get to talk to this couple looking for a trailer. Well we are sitting at my desk and talking about what the need and want (it's not always the same). Well after talking for a few mins we head out to the lot and I show them a trailer. During our walk out we go past my truck. She sees the Goofy ant topper and remarks that someone here is a Disney nut. Well I tell her it's me. After I show them a few things in the yard we head back in t see the costs. Well when we get in she takes off her coat. She is wearing a DISNEY PIN!!!! Well I ask her if she is a collector and she says no that a friend of hers gave it to her (it was the 100 years of magic pin that travel agents get) well I tell her about my little hobby and she asks if I would like the pin. I tell them I will trade for it (Always have a few pins in the truck). Well her husband says he will trade it for a few thousand of the price of the trailer... I aske dif they where ready to buy and they were not Oh well now I was just working on the pin. She said they really needed to go in to our store to get a pop-a-plate (it holds paper plates under the cabnet) so I ask if she would trade one of those for her pin... Well needless to say I now have a new pin for my collection. Besides the pop-a-plate was only 4 bucks (my cost).

So this week I thought I would ask what is your strangest pin trading story????

 

[pin addict]

Hi Nat. I have two stories. When we were at WDW last in Jan. I was looking for the annual pass holder's pin from 1999 for my mother-in-law I was about to give up when I met a man named Harold. He had one and when I asked what he needed for a trade(as I was wincing) he took it out of his book and just gave it to me and would not take a trade.
The other story is a very special cast member rembered that we had an anniversary in Aug. and sent us The Continuing The Tradition pin. In honor of our 29 years. That is what makes Disney magical for us, is the people. Kris

 

[Pins O Plenty]

My favorite pin story is one some of you may have heard before. I was at the Magic Kingdom event, in the wee hours of the day. I usually bring donuts and my dog to entertain people in the line. So I give a donut to a friend of mine and he gives me a DS pin in exchange. I told him that wasn't necessary but he insisted. He walked away and I started to put the pin in my bag, when the lady behind me saw it. It was the Cruella pin from last year and she had to have it. I told her no problem, that would be an easy trade. She then told me that she only had one pin on her for trade, and that was Dinosaur Gerte. Well that is an LE 1000 and was certainly not fair. I tried to get the lady to just take the pin she wouldn't. I told her when we get inside she could buy me a rack pin. She finally said,"I really don't like this pin and would rather you have it." So I said she would have to pick out another pin as well, so I could sleep at night. She did, another DS pin and was extremely pleased.

And that is how I got an LE 1000 Dinasaur Gerte for a Donut. Thank you Art!

Karen

 

[Raulandpinboy]

Honest to goodness Nat I have yet to make the ultimate trade, but I have gotten more enjoyment out of giving pins away to kids than collecting any for myself.

I guess the strangest pin story didn't happen to me it was to my son-in-law, we were trading at the Contemporary when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Ross came by. We had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to Mr. Ross who had some very old very rare pins, we later found out Mr. Ross is a VIP in Disney Circles and one of the nicest people around.

He had a pin that made Pintrader drool, but kinda kept teasing her with it, he looked through her book and didn't find anything that caught his eye. So my son-in-law said if there is anything in my book you like I'll trade it for her.

Anyway to make a long story short he was so touched by the act, that not only did he give Pintrader the pin, but later on when we went outside to watch the fireworks he came looking for us to give Malcolm a brand new Disney Watch that he had designed, for his offer to give up any pin for pintrader earlier that day.

So it goes to show you never know when and where it will happen, the Disney magic is everywhere. Remember its always better to give than to receive.

 

[JudithM]

Raul, Malcolm Ross used to be VP for the Studios. I forget where he is now. A bunch of park VPs changedpositions a few months back. He is a nice guy.

 

[JudySue]

Not exactly a pin trading story - but - several years ago I was at a computer show (you know - get all the pens, notepaper and frizbees you need for a year as well as look at all the great new stuff that the government will never get for you - but I degress). I was wearing a Disney pin, of course. The man at the Kodak booth said that he might have something I would like. After looking through a bunch of bags, he pulled out a box of the Kodak Euro-Disney Pins (the ones that are in the match-book type covers) and insisted that I take all of them.

 

[nigel-bigel]

I don't have a story of my own to share, as I have yet to make my first trade.

But what wonderful stories! You all are very kind and generous, and this is why others are to you in return.

I've been trying to learn all I can about pins and trading before going to WDW in a couple of weeks, and I was beginning to get pretty intimidated. It seems that everything I like is in high demand, and you have to be a real shark with great inventory to get what you are looking for.

But all of your posts demonstrated how truly NICE people are. They are only pins, when you think about it (is that a radical idea?!). You all have reminded me why I originally thought it would be fun to get my DD and me involved in pintrading - meeting terrific people!

Thank you all for sharing.

Nicole