Pin backing -- (pieces of history) did I get fooled?

[FigmentJason]

I ordered the figment piece of history pin for myself and my mom. One came with a black mickey shaped backing that is hard plastic with the copright Disney down the center part (this looks like the other pieces of history backings I have). The other pin (the one in question) has a pin backing that looks like the other at first glance, but it is more rubbery and the copyright disney is not down the center, but off to the side. Is it possible it is legit, but just different or did all pieces of history pins have the hard plastic (copyright along the center) backing?

I'm just curious if the trader lost my black mickey pin clasp/backing and used another type.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

The new pin backs on many pins are softer and more rubbery.

 

[~Kathie]

There are many different pin backs.

A pin back has nothing to do with the legitimacy of a Disney pin.

Some cast members and traders are under the mistaken impression that if the pin doesn't have a Mickey Head pin back, it's not a Disney pin. How traders and CM's got this idea is beyond me and I find it very frustrating. Most of my pins (even the ones I trade with CM's) are older.

Contrary to what you might believe, Disney did NOT start pin trading. Pin trading started waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy back at the Olympics.

Pin Trading at the Olympics

When I first started buying pins at Walt Disney World in the 1970's, they had metal backs. When pin trading took off at the Disney parks, the pin backs were metal. Disney gradually switched over to plain black rubber pin backs, and more recently Mickey head pin backs.

Be Aware!!! If you trade for older pins (say the first 1000 #'s or so listed on Pin Pics) through Pin Pics you WILL most likely get a metal pin back. Look for the Disney © on the PIN. The pin back is not what makes a pin a valid, tradable Disney pin.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Occasionally a pin I buy will have a softer Mickey head back. I actually like those better. I esp appreciate them when working a lot on organizing my pin binders, like I am now. The softer rubber backs are too few and far between!

 

[FigmentJason]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I e-mailed the seller and guess what I found out... he openly admits that he mixes up the pin backs and I might not have received the correct backing! That was all he said -- no offer to get me the correct one or anything.
I'm alittle mad because when I see "mint" I would think that means the backing as well would be correct. So someone (maybe a fellow dis member might have my back and I have theirs ).

My question is... would you still consider this mint?

Would it bug you? What would you do.

I enjoy the smelly wrong back pin, but it is annoying how some ebay members do business.

 

[figment_jii]

No, I would not consider it 'mint.' To me 'mint' means that it's never been opened (if in a package), never removed from it's backing (for pins) and never, ever used.

To me this pin would be 'like new', but not 'mint.'

It would bug me if I was buying it because I wanted a collectable version. If I was buying it because I wanted one (for my pin collection that's never being sold or traded) then probably not. I normally take the pins off the backs and put them in my bag anyway.

However, I would probably leave a 'neutral' review for that seller and say that 'item was not as described, not in original condition' or something like that.