Pin Stress!!!

[VisitingMinnie]

Hello pin experts!

I have never traded pins before, never even thought about buying them - so I know nothing....absolutely nothing.

Our kind neighbor came by yesterday after my son telling her we were going to Disney and handed me about 20 pins for the kids to trade. She said they were around the house from her grown daughter, so they might as well by enjoyed by our kids instead of "collecting dust".

I split them between the kids and explained how trading worked - they're supper excited.

Anyway...I just learned all about the existance scrappers etc etc. I haven't the faintest idea where these came from or if they're ligit. I'm can pretty confidently say our neighbors don't appear to be professional counterfeiters.

What happens if we get to the park and the pins aren't real? Would the CM turn down the trade? I can see this as potentially being very upsetting to the kids! Any ideas? I'm finding these little pins way to stressful.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

I've never had a CM turn down a trade. As long as the pin is Disney related, you should be fine. Don't worry and have fun.

 

[figment_jii]

Scrappers are not legitimate pins, but most folks can't really tell the difference (at least not the casual trader). I've never had a CM reject a trade. There a few rules, that might stop them from trading. The main ones are, they cannot trade for a pin they already have and they can only trade for Disney pins.

 

[AprilRenee]

just look on the back of the pin, as long as it has ©Disney on it it's good to trade. The collectors are the ones who are looking at scrappers, the CMs will trade really any pin as long as it's a Disney trading pin (ie not the big button type pins).
I'm sure the ones you have are fine! Enjoy and have fun trading! It can get addicting!!

Check out Party City to find some cheap Disney Themed lanyards for your kids to carry their pins around on. I think I got some at Party City for $1-$2 each.

 

[Pikezh638]

Something else you may not know/have been told, if a cast member asks you/them what they are looking for tell them!

My girlfriend and I just got back and she is doing the WDW Alphabet, we told a CM that and she told us to wait and came back about 15 minutes later with 15 pins for us to take, and only took 3 from us.
They are very good about helping you find the pins you are looking for (at least they have been with us).

 

[VisitingMinnie]

Thanks everyone - I won't sweat it then. The panic came about when I was looking for some basic info on trading and 99% of what I found was on scrappers. I started having visions of crying children with "bad" pins. Maybe a slight over reaction. Better safe than sorry though. Thanks again.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Another tip, if a CM has a green lanyard, only children are allowed to trade with that CM.

 

[Pikezh638]

Oh, and something else, remember to have fun

 

[ChrisInVenice]

Best tip is to get to WDW at opening and go see "Skip" on main street. He has The best pins of any cast member. Most are LE or rare pins. I got a Artist Proof pin last trip.

 

[muushupork]

Is Skip on some sort of schedule? i remember hearing about this before but have only found him once in the last few times ive been there.

 

[Mickey527]

Best tip is to get to WDW at opening and go see "Skip" on main street. He has The best pins of any cast member. Most are LE or rare pins. I got a Artist Proof pin last trip.

That's Scoop. Scoop Sanderson is the character on Main Street that is the newpaper reporter. You might find him walking down the street. He is also sometimes the character that does the announcements at the opening of MK.
Ask any of the other costumed characters on Main Street and they will tell you if he is there that day.
He is very knowledgeable about pins, but he is also a fantastic person to know. He will help you out with any information you might need to know regarding pins, and if you have a favorite character he can always manage to find you a fantastic pin with your character on it.

 

[muushupork]

Tyvm!!