Pin trades

[beautyqueen]

Please explain to me how this works. I'm thinking about getting the "starter sets" of pin/lanyards for the kids for easter, since this is our first trip I'm not 100% how the trading works in the parks. TIA

 

[neld257]

My 2 kids had a lot of fun collecting pins on our first trip in 2008! You can ask any guest you see in the park if they would like to trade pins with you, however, we did not trade with other guests. We did take advantage of trading some pins with cast members. The kids simply asked them to trade and chose which pins they wanted and which they wanted to give to the cast member.

 

[beautyqueen]

Ok, sounds easy enough! how many pins did you start out with to get you going good on trades?

 

[pwmitch237]

There are many pins of various attractions and collectors pins. They can either be collected just by you, or you can trade them with other guests and Cast Members. If you see a Cast Member who is wearing a lanyard, feel free to talk to them, and express your interest in their pins. If you see one you like, feel free to ask them for a trade, you may get a Cast Member Exclusive pin (Hidden Mickey) in return. (Note: If you see a Cast Member wearing a GREEN lanyard, they can only trade with guests aged 12 or younger.) It is common courtesy that during a trade you trade two pins of equal value (i.e. don't trade a simple mickey symbol for an elaborate attraction pin with moving parts). Also, please only (you) trade a pin that they don't have already on their lanyard for one in return. And, if you're trading with a Cast Member, please only 2 trades per guest with each Cast Member.

That being said, I have collected some pretty cool pins over the years, and I've even met Scoop (a character on Main Street who loves pins as much as anyone else, (he's a Cast Member) and he will often trade 1 for 2, and he only has Cast Member exclusive pins for trade. The fun of pin trading is getting pins, and then wearing them around the parks. As well, as expressing interest and seeing other guests and Cast Member's pins.
You'll most likely trade with Cast Members, but you never know if a guest will approach you about them.

One thing my dad did with me was for each attraction I went on I got to receive a pin based on that attraction. It's gotten me on several rides, I know I wouldn't have without knowing that I'd get a pin when I was done. And I now love the attractions.

In short, Pin Trading is fun!

Hope this Helped!
-pwmitch237

Note: See CR Resort Fan 4 Life's link below (.pdf) for the Etiquette guide about Pin Trading.

 

[billybobblockhead]

My kids love trading. My youngest will trade his entire collection in a shop, then go to the next shop and trade everything that he got from the previous place. Actually, this did quite a bit for my oldest child's self confidence by seeing that folks won't bite her head off if she talks to them.

Edited to add. I just bought 25 pins for my kids on EBay for a little over $1 each. I figure that we'll keep the good ones and the ones that they don't want we'll take with us for trading when we go down in June.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/Etiquette122004.pdf

 

[0hLovely]

One thing my dad did with me was for each attraction I went on I got to receive a pin based on that attraction. It's gotten me on several rides, I know I wouldn't have without knowing that I'd get a pin when I was done. And I know love them.

This is a really good tip! It will be my dd's first trip and trading so, I may need to use this to get her to try things!! Thanks.

 

[Chrisbeary]

If your kids really get into the trading, it can get expensive. I believe the starter sets were about $29.99 for 6 or 7 pins. My DS10 really enjoyed it on our first trip in November, but we spent a lot on pins just to trade. You might want to check out eBay and maybe get some to trade before you go. You can usually find auctions for pin lots that work out to about $1.00 per pin. I have already started buying some on there for trading for our next trip and then my kids can buy special pins at WDW to keep. Also I suggest buying a bag of the locking pinbacks for the ones they want to keep. We had just bought a $9.95 pin for my DD5 and it fell off in a line. By the time she told me, it was gone. Of course she was completely upset and after the ride I went and bought the same pin again and a bag of the locking pinbacks!

 

[pwmitch237]

This is a really good tip! It will be my dd's first trip and trading so, I may need to use this to get her to try things!! Thanks.

No problem!

You might want to check out eBay and maybe get some to trade before you go. You can usually find auctions for pin lots that work out to about $1.00 per pin. ... Also I suggest buying a bag of the locking pinbacks for the ones they want to keep.

One word of caution: Pins on eBay can be a great way to buy a lot of pins, but, they may not be official Disney pins, and therefore not "legal" to trade at the parks. Make sure they have "© Disney" on them. Then you should be good to go.

As far as the locking pinbacks, they are a necessity. I've lost some pins too without these on.

 

[stormer]

No problem!

As far as the locking pinbacks, they are a necessity. I've lost some pins too without these on.

How hard/easy are these backs to get on and off? We always use the black backs on our traders, but without fail someone always trades for a pin they love and then loses it. I was thinking about getting locking backs and then letting the CM keep their back when we trade. Will that be a pain in the neck?

 

[jngwright]

I just wanted to mention that the pin lanyards are a good way to id your kids, too. I had a tag made with my boys' pictures, my name, cell phone and emergency #s. I attached it to the lanyard and felt better knowing they had the id info on them at all times!

 

[Tinker_Tam]

What is a good age for Pin Trading? My daughter will be almost 5 when we go. I am wondering if this is too young.

 

[pwmitch237]

In order to remove, or add the locking back. You need to use the Allan wrench provided with the set of locking backs.

 

[erincon23]

What is a good age for Pin Trading? My daughter will be almost 5 when we go. I am wondering if this is too young.

If she's not painfully shy, she should be fine. My DS was doing this at about 5. It's a nice way for the kids to get comfortable with cast members (in case they get lost, they'll know who they can approach). Most of the CMs are really good with kids.

And one more -- a PP said that you should try to trade like-value pins -- with CMs, it really doesn't matter. Don't worry about trading a small pin for one that's really fancy. They just got it from another guest, and if you tried to buy big pins to trade for big pins, you'd go broke. But if you try to trade with other guests (which I never really do, anyway), you'd better be trading same value pins -- and guests can turn you down for trades, which cast members generally won't do.

Erin

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

One other thing to remember if your kids ever did trade with other regular guests they have a right to say no, unlike the Cast Members who must always say yes every time they trade with guests.

 

[beautyqueen]

Great info guys!

Where do you get the locking backs, just from disneystore.com?

 

[Chrisbeary]

One word of caution: Pins on eBay can be a great way to buy a lot of pins, but, they may not be official Disney pins, and therefore not "legal" to trade at the parks. Make sure they have "© Disney" on them. Then you should be good to go.

You definitely only want to buy from a seller with good feedback. The last batch I got even had some hidden mickey ones in it that my DS10 had traded CM's for in the parks.

Great info guys!

Where do you get the locking backs, just from disneystore.com?

You can get them at the stores or the stands that sell the pins. I bought mine from a pin stand in AK. I believe they had them at the resort gift shops also.

 

[Tinker_Tam]

This is going to sound like a dumb question but... what does everyone do with their pins when they are not in Disney? Do you display them somehow?

 

[jmkjr72]

we have a huge book of pins that we thumb thru every now and then and take with us to trade from
its also like the photoalbum we sit down with friends and family and show them the new pins from this trip

there is a tread on the collectors part of the board that show the good and bad people to deal with on ebay

my son and neice have been trading with cm sense they were 5 or 6 i cant think of a time when they traded with any one other then a cm

we dont let the kids have all the trading pins on there lanyrds i keep a few with me in my fanny pack that way if i see a pin i would like to trade for or some times when thereis a young kid wihtout any pins on there lanyard to give to them to trade

 

[lollisfamily6]

We traded pins last year when we were at Disney. I think my husband was more excited than my daughter. It can get expensive. It is very fun. We really liked going to Downtown Disney for pin trading.