Parents of Children Pin Traders Beware

[canwegosoon]

ALSO BE SURE TO READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE #3
Just back for a nice trip, with one very sad occurance was my 2 sons pin trading. My sons are 8 and have been pin trading for 3 years so I am not fearful to let them trade. But beware....here's what happened to my boys.

A young boy about 7 comes up to them in a dark spot(on Buzz),"do you want to trade?"...my guys are like sure...they each take a pin off (a large Castaway Clay and a Cast Member pin)and the little boy takes 2 pins off his laynard and gives them to them...the boy runs off and my boys come back to me 3-4 feet away and show me the pins they traded...a pin from mexico and an eagle..NO DISNEY trademark ...so I find the boy, and say "you can't trade these, they don't have the disney logo on them...his father comes over to me "is there a problem"? "Yes there is, your son traded these pins and they are untradeable because they do not have the the disney logo on the back..." He says "well my boys don't want to trade them back".... that's when I knew it was a scam.."They'll give you 2 pins instead he says...I said "NO..they should not be trading them". Then I got a look at the boy's(and his 2 brothers)laynards...Low and behold right side will filled with disney tradeable pins, and left side had a few mexico and eagle pins left on it.... I got so mad (but it was my own fault, I let my kids trade with strangers).

New Rule: NO Trading with anyone except Cast Members(sorry other good kids out there)!!!! And FYI I went to the Hospitality House at MK to check on a lost umbrella, and while we were there a nice young man (CM) listened to my son's story about the "bad pin trading" He asked if this boy looked like he was from a certain country, I said possibly. He sounded like it wasn't the first time he heard the story(and looked a little upset-but professional), and brought my son 3 pins to replace the 2 bad ones...which I though was extremely nice of him...

So PLEASE be AWARE....NO PIN TRADING EXCEPT WITH CAST MEMBERS!!!

 

[pooh2001]

Good point - I guess the motto "buyer beware" exists in WDW

 

[Joanna71985]

It's true. We have to be aware of what people trade. Sometimes we have to refuse pins if they are not tradeable.

 

[canwegosoon]

Funny thing is I have had kids come to me and say no thanks to pin trading because they didn't see anything they liked on my laynard...but I would have never thought of this...goes to show I am WAY too trusting!!!

 

[Luv2Roam]

Sharks come in all sizes and ages.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

DD has always only traded with CM's we also like to use the Pin Bags so others can't even see her pins unless she decides.

She is now 13 so it's not that much of a problem but i do have to remind her and DW that everyone even at WDW is not Mary Poppins.

And it's sad but it seems like the father was encouraging it

 

[CampbellScot]

Oh my goodness...I think my step daughter was nearly scammed in the same sort of situation...don't know if it was same kids but it sounds VERY simaler with the lanyards full of tradeable pins on one side and junk on the other...and it was a Mexico pin that they were trying to trade! We did a quick trip in November and a child approched my SD and asked if she wanted to trade. I told her she could and my step son at that moment tripped on...air...or something and stubbed his toe and started howling...so I was involved with him for a moment. We were all sitting on the same bench, but my attention was was on scraped toes! I heard my step daughter say "Ummm..." which is what she says when she is trying to be "nice" but is not happy with something and unsure how to deal with it. When I looked over I saw that he had taken one of her new pins with Mickey and Minnie behind a door that opens up and he had given her a banged up looking pin that said Mexico on it. I immediately said "Uh-uh, no way. That's not a fair trade." And I took the pin back from him before he could run off. My step daughter gave him back the Mexico pin and the kid told us we were stupid and ran off. It wasn't two seconds before a guy walked up and asked me if I had a problem. I told him that we don't trade with people who won't make fair trades and that we were at Disneyworld to have a good time not to fight over pins. He tried to tell me that it should be between the kids and blah blah but then my husband walked up and suddenly the man was gone.

We went to guest relations to let them know what happened and it was quite clear we were not the first people to report unfair trades that day. The CM was VERY nice to my step daughter who said "Minnie and Mickey do not like name calling" He gave her a pin with Minnie in ballet slippers. She was a very good girl and started to find a pin to give to him, but he said that she deserved a "good citizen" award. She beamed for the rest of the day over it and she declared she will never trade that pin!

anyhow, not trying to hijack the post...just commiseratinig...it's frustrating that something like Pin trading can become a "scam". We only allow trading with CM's now too.

 

[jensen]

Thank you so much for posting this story! My kids aren't quite to the pin trading age, yet. But, they soon will be. I'm so glad I'm aware of this scam. Those pins are pricey. Do you suppose those scammers are the ones who sell pins on ebay so cheaply?

 

[Luv2Roam]

They probably don't need to Ebay. Sounds like they seem to do quite well in the parks.
I think CampbellScot did right by complaining to GR right then and there. That is what is needed.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I don't trade pins we only purchase pins for special occasions. In Dec while we were there my dd6 wanted to trade a pin that she had so she trade her Snow White Pin for a Pin that the CM told her was from disney in Paris. It has no type of emblem on it like the pins from wdw. From this experience we definitely don't trade pins not even with CMs. The moral of this story check the pin before you trade. Best of Luck to all!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

thanks for the heads up. DS7 just got into pin trading with the CM's and hasn't encountered anyother kids yet, but now I'll have to make sure that I keep my eye on any potential trades.

 

[huskies90]

Am I missing something here? How is this a "scam"? Your sons traded the pins. If the other kids stole the pins that is different but your sons made a fair trade one pin for another. The "disney only pin" is only applicable for trading with CM's. Yes, it makes sense for guest trading to be Disney pin to Disney pin but guest trading is not mandatory like it is for CMs.

If your sons made the trade because they liked the pins they traded for then who cares and if the value of the pins is what is important to you, then you should not allow your kids to trade pins...

We had several other kids come up to our 6 and 9 year old trying to trade pins with them and if they did not like what they saw, they said no thanks. And this happened several times in reverse when they approached other kids.

 

[bytheblood]

Am I missing something here? How is this a "scam"? Your sons traded the pins. If the other kids stole the pins that is different but your sons made a fair trade one pin for another. The "disney only pin" is only applicable for trading with CM's. Yes, it makes sense for guest trading to be Disney pin to Disney pin but guest trading is not mandatory like it is for CMs.

If your sons made the trade because they liked the pins they traded for then who cares and if the value of the pins is what is important to you, then you should not allow your kids to trade pins...

We had several other kids come up to our 6 and 9 year old trying to trade pins with them and if they did not like what they saw, they said no thanks. And this happened several times in reverse when they approached other kids.

Not trying to be rude, but I think you should reread the situations again.
You would not trade a $5 bill if you knew you were only getting 3 quarters back!!!

A CM at POR "kindly" started my ds with the pin thing (although it didn't last long), and did mention that there are people out there doing this. He didn't trade as he's only 4 but when we did peek at the pin kiosks in the various parks, more than 1 cm mentioned the scams. It's sad that a handful of people ruin it for everyone else.

We're not doing the pin thing next trip. If he wants a pin we'll buy it, but we're not trading.

That is my take on it this time around, too. Not until my daughter is old enough to understand what is a true Disney pin and what is being used as a scam.

 

[kribit]

A CM at POR "kindly" started my ds with the pin thing (although it didn't last long), and did mention that there are people out there doing this. He didn't trade as he's only 4 but when we did peek at the pin kiosks in the various parks, more than 1 cm mentioned the "scams." From my understanding, the pin trading in Disney is that...Disney pin trading with "official Disney pins." Correct me if I'm wrong...I don't trade. Either way, it's sad that a handful of people ruin it for everyone else.

We're not doing the pin thing next trip. If ds or dd want a pin we'll buy it, but we're not trading. I will say that I didn't realize they had Pin Conventions...yikes!!

 

[Joanna71985]

Am I missing something here? How is this a "scam"? Your sons traded the pins. If the other kids stole the pins that is different but your sons made a fair trade one pin for another. The "disney only pin" is only applicable for trading with CM's. Yes, it makes sense for guest trading to be Disney pin to Disney pin but guest trading is not mandatory like it is for CMs.

If your sons made the trade because they liked the pins they traded for then who cares and if the value of the pins is what is important to you, then you should not allow your kids to trade pins...

We had several other kids come up to our 6 and 9 year old trying to trade pins with them and if they did not like what they saw, they said no thanks. And this happened several times in reverse when they approached other kids.

It sounded like the kids didn't pick those pins when trading. Trading is a 2-way trade. They see one they like, and the others trade it for one they like.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Am I missing something here? How is this a "scam"? Your sons traded the pins. If the other kids stole the pins that is different but your sons made a fair trade one pin for another. The "disney only pin" is only applicable for trading with CM's. Yes, it makes sense for guest trading to be Disney pin to Disney pin but guest trading is not mandatory like it is for CMs.

If your sons made the trade because they liked the pins they traded for then who cares and if the value of the pins is what is important to you, then you should not allow your kids to trade pins...

We had several other kids come up to our 6 and 9 year old trying to trade pins with them and if they did not like what they saw, they said no thanks. And this happened several times in reverse when they approached other kids.

The general rule on what constitutes a tradable pin is that it is a cloisonné, semi-cloisonné or hard enamel (all or in part) Disney pin, or an acceptable operating participant pin (House of Blues, Rainforest Café, ESPN Zone), that represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character or icon.
Only operating participant pins that show a Disney, Disneyland Resort, or Walt Disney World Resort affiliation will be accepted for trading.


That is from laughingplace.com. Those are disney rules...it must be a disney pin or it is not a fair trade. Those children were SCAMMED/HUSTLED.

 

[mommykds]

Thanks for posting this. My kids are only allowed to trade with CM's. I have the locked pin backs on all their pins on the lanyard so they can't take any off. Only I can (with the little key-thingy) anyway, it stops them (since they are young) from just popping on off or trading it to someone like whom you experienced. I am sorry this happened to you & it was nice of the CM to give you child new pins to try to make up for it.

Thanks again for the info!

 

[huskies90]

Not trying to be rude, but I think you should reread the situations again.
You would not trade a $5 bill if you knew you were only getting 3 quarters back!!!

True and I wouldn't give my kids a $5 bill to trade. But alot of us don't trade or collect pins because of their "value" and if you care about the value, you shouldn't be pin trading and certainly shouldn't be giving your kids pins to trade (God forbid). But if you do it for the love of trading and the kids are happy with what they traded for then who cares???

We did a grab bag at christmas with my neices and nephews. One of my kids got a $50 gift card for Game Stop but traded it with my nephew for a $30 iDog because she does not have any video game counsols at home. Should I report my nephew as a "scammer"? My daughter loves the iDog and was happy with the trade so who cares??

I did re-read the post and I don't disagree that this person is upset and it sounds like the other kids DID in fact have a motive to try to rip off her two boys. To that I say be more careful next time but if the kids love to pin trade, I would not stop pin trading with other kids.

 

[huskies90]

The general rule on what constitutes a tradable pin is that it is a cloisonné, semi-cloisonné or hard enamel (all or in part) Disney pin, or an acceptable operating participant pin (House of Blues, Rainforest Café, ESPN Zone), that represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character or icon.
Only operating participant pins that show a Disney, Disneyland Resort, or Walt Disney World Resort affiliation will be accepted for trading.


That is from laughingplace.com. Those are disney rules...it must be a disney pin or it is not a fair trade. Those children were SCAMMED/HUSTLED.

That was taken from the CM to Guest Trading section which I clearly stated. This is ALSO from laughingplace.com

Guest to Guest - Trades between Guests only have one hard and fast rule - no monies are to change hands during the trad.- Guests asking for money or those accepting payment can be asked to leave the park or trading location. Beyond that - anything goes and any pin is tradable. While trades with Cast members are one for one, trades between Guests have no limits

Please understand that I am not supporting what the other kids did, and I am not trying to be rude, I just think the OP was over reacting. It is not a big deal and certainly not a huge scam...

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Technically, you're correct...the rules state that any pin can be traded between guests. And if the OP's son had a mint-condition Babe Ruth rookie baseball card, and was offered a used Pokemon card as a trade, should she step in and offer guidance? Or should she let him make the trade and be taken advantage of?