Pack or carry on for pins

[Rouster2]

Is it better to pack pins or carry on. Do they cause a problem at security ?

 

[Mrs Potato Head]

I carried on my pins coming home from WDW last May, and it was fine. It really depends on your airport. Most folks will say it's not an issue, but I was involved in another group that collects pins and we did all gather once a year from all over the country...there were folks who said their home airports made them check the bags...one person said the security guy confiscated her pins.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Yikes, no idea on this one. You could call the airport and ask?

When we cruised we put them in my carry-on, I was too nervous to check them, I'd addicted and would have been chrushed if my pins were lost or damaged so I rolled on an extremely heavy carry on.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

One time I weighed the Samsonite rolling carry-on with Judy's pins at an airport and it was 35 pounds. It had about 600 pins in it.

We never checked the pins but always used carry-on. The first time we flew after 9/11 was for the Columbus Day weekend less than a month later. When the case went through X-Ray the screener panicked. We asked (at Dulles) to be examined out of public sight. The screeners would remove the plastic bags and also open the pin books and leaf through the pages; then I would do the repacking.

Actually we travelled through Dulles often enough that at least one of the TSA supervisors got to know us. However, we learned to warn the person on the X-Ray in advance, and then for the back room screening Judy and I would talk to this supervisor about Disney while one of the screeners would go through the bag.

And of course at Orlando they are very used to pin collectors.

If you use a small airport you might call in advance and talk to (and get the name of) the TSA manager to make sure staff at that location are aware of policy. Then if you have any problem with a screener or first-line supervisor you can give the name of the manager you talked to and ask that they confirm what you said. Note that you should be polite but firm, and do not yell.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Yes please no yelling...lol

I can see the headline now "Pin trader tackled after getting fiesty with TSA screener"

 

[noodleknitter]

We carried ours, because someone (you know those infamous someones!) told me that people steal them out of the luggage if you pack them. I wasn't willing to chance it! When we were coming home, though the baggage checker remarked that we had done wome good trading! I guess that he works security at Disney and is a trader too!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

One time we had so much stuff coming back that we had about $500 worth of pins in the checked luggage and they were stolen. Luckily we had the receipts ajnd put in a claim to United and got paid, and we were able to have some frinds buy almost all of them for us.

 

[tubachick]

I've carried them on. If I think its gonna be a problem, I have them packed towards the top, and can always put them in a seperate bin (like a laptop) and there is never a problem.

Have a good trip

 

[daber]

I would NEVER NEVER NEVER put them in checked luggage. I always carry them with me. Way too valuable and easy to get stolen.

 

[Axel]

I ALWAYS carry mine. I keep my entire collection with me at all times when I travel to WDW (roughly $750 worth of pins, most LE or CME). I have had issues with security mostly because I'm so far from WDW nobody up here knows what they are. I never have trouble in Orlando, though. I don't have much faith in airline luggage transportation, as I have had my luggage lost twice already.

 

[pezpam]

I might check them if I had a TSA lock on the bag, but I carry them on because I get nervous about it and when we have a lot, they do start getting heavy and can tip us over the weight allowance......

I've never had a major issue with them. Both Orlando and our home airport (when we go with traders) have pulled us aside for a security check, though. The machines can't see through the pins, so they just doublecheck to make sure we aren't trying to hide anything under a pile of metal. They've always been polite and it usually takes just a minute or two, so no big deal.

 

[BONITATIME]

The first time we flew after 9/11 was for the Columbus Day weekend less than a month later. When the case went through X-Ray the screener panicked. We asked (at Dulles) to be examined out of public sight. The screeners would remove the plastic bags and also open the pin books and leaf through the pages; then I would do the repacking.

This is interesting as in Europe you have to show the pins. The security people opperating the machines do not seem to be allowed to touch your possessions.

I had about 500 pins in two carry-ons ( there were 3 of us) last may and had a terrible time repacking them back into the bags

 

[Amps]

I carried on my measly 9 pin lanyard (pin newb) when we flew out of Orlando in May. I was glad too because while we were waiting I stopped at the Disney store to get sme last minute presents for my gf and all the staff had lanyards on. Managed to get a few last minute trades in before getting on the plane.