Pin trading at the parks?

[Susiesnowflake]

Lorik,
My new Birnbaum's didn't have a free pin coupon in it this year. Did you get the coupons in the 2006 book?

 

[welovewdw]

I think you'll find that after you pay shipping you'll spend about the same $6.50 per pin you would at the Park. At least that's what I've found. The exception is if you invest in a set... but those are usually collectables that you wouldn't want to break up.

We buy pins in lots of 20 or more on ebay and pay an avg. of $3/pin or less including shipping. (but you're right - you have to factor in shipping) Having 3 kids that trade pins, it really saves us a ton of money!

My 3 kids collect different characters, like dd #1 collects Tinker Bell, dd#2 collects Minnie Mouse, ds collects Donald and Star Wars pins - it helps to narrow down b/c there are an overwhelming number of pins out there! They have shadowboxes in their rooms w/ their collections -

 

[willis37862]

Thanks for all the info. Didn't know there was so much I didn't know!

 

[TallyLassie]

I bought my DD 7 a lanyard and Tinkerbell pin while we were at the MK last week. A very nice CM explained pin trading to my daughter, and ask if she wanted to trade. My daugter picked a pin, and she told her since this was her first trade she would give her the pin that she picked.

I wish that I had bought more pins while I was at the park, I didn't realize that they are much cheaper there.

 

[webmomom]

One more thing. Cm's have to trade with you. Resort guests don't. We had a lady come up to me and wanted to trade, and I told her no that I did not want to. She got really mad at me and starting yelling that since I was wearing an lanyard "I HAD TO TRADE WITH HER'. I tried explaining to her that no I did not and it was the cm's that had to trade. Finally a cm's came over since he had heard her yelling and explained the same thing to her. She was not happy but finally went away.

 

[willis37862]

One more thing. Cm's have to trade with you. Resort guests don't. We had a lady come up to me and wanted to trade, and I told her no that I did not want to. She got really mad at me and starting yelling that since I was wearing an lanyard "I HAD TO TRADE WITH HER'. I tried explaining to her that no I did not and it was the cm's that had to trade. Finally a cm's came over since he had heard her yelling and explained the same thing to her. She was not happy but finally went away.

WOW. Sounds like that lady needed to chill out. I like the idea of pin trading but not enough to yell at people!

 

[webmomom]

I just happened to have a pin she said she has been looking for; for a long while. She said she was soooo happy when she saw it on my lanyard. I offered her anyother on of my pins, except that one as it was one of my favorites and that she when she starting yelling.

 

[willis37862]

I will be hiding any pins I don't want to trade then.

 

[buzz2400]

I have been trading for a few years now with my ds. The cm's might have a thing attached to their waist that has pins on it. I found that it was hard to find the cm's who wore these kind of lanyards. The gold lanyards are for anyone and the green is just for children (which the age varies by the cm but is between 9-12). The best cm's to trade are the management that you might see walking around occasionally. A cm does have to trade with you except for these rules, they don't have to trade if they already have the same pin, your pin is broken or damaged or if the pin has a name on it like "karen". Also the pin does have to have "disney" stamped on the back. The park maps will have a logo for pin trading stations. You can also trade at disney marketplace and sometimes at the water parks in the store a cm will be wearing a lanyard. Also you can trade two pins with a cm at one time. Right now mousepinsonline.com is having a special. This is where I got a lot of my pins. On ebay I also buy from harval1. It is best that you buy the pins before you go because you can get them for $2-4 v. over $6 at disney.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

One more thing. Cm's have to trade with you. Resort guests don't. We had a lady come up to me and wanted to trade, and I told her no that I did not want to. She got really mad at me and starting yelling that since I was wearing an lanyard "I HAD TO TRADE WITH HER'. I tried explaining to her that no I did not and it was the cm's that had to trade. Finally a cm's came over since he had heard her yelling and explained the same thing to her. She was not happy but finally went away.

Same thing happened to me at Epcot Pin Central a few weeks ago. This woman demanded that I trade two new Lanyard series 4 pins. Even after I explained that I was not a CM she insisted....

 

[willis37862]

Wow. Sounds like there are some really pushy pin traders out there. I will have to watch my back. Like I said before I will just hide anything I am not willing to part with. I would hate to have a confrontation with anyone while there. Thanks for warning me! I am sure these people are the minority not the majority.

 

[jodistar]

One more thing. Cm's have to trade with you. Resort guests don't. We had a lady come up to me and wanted to trade, and I told her no that I did not want to. She got really mad at me and starting yelling that since I was wearing an lanyard "I HAD TO TRADE WITH HER'. I tried explaining to her that no I did not and it was the cm's that had to trade. Finally a cm's came over since he had heard her yelling and explained the same thing to her. She was not happy but finally went away.

Wow - that is one rule that I didn't know about. That was very rude of the women.

 

[In a hurry]

Normally, pin trading while working is fun, but i've had some not so fun experiences
- people that come up and just stare at my lanyard without saying anything. It's not too hard to ask "can I see your pins please?" (not such a major issue for me, but it is more of an issue for female co-workers)
- people that would come up and grab me by the pin lanyard (hello, there IS a person attached to this lanyard)
- people that expect me to interrupt whatever I'm doing to pin trade

My kids always ask, but have had answers like "huh, well, yeah", "aren't you all ready?" we had just walked up.

Funny, I walked up to a man, and asked, and said I would like to trade, thinking he was a CM! His jacket was so similar, and he had a name tag! He was so gracious!

 

[raksha2]

Most non-cm traders are nice, but there are always a few that can sour the barrel.

I have found the best solution is to put any i won't trade away in my pack, so no-one sees the ones i won't trade and i don't loose them either.

If you want to find out more info on any pin you have traded for check out

Pinpics - pin info

and if you go to this site, they have lots of info on what pins have been released across all the parks, and often have links to upcoming events at the parks too.

Dizpins News

We started collecting in October 1999, and have around 600 pins in collection and about 200 traders.
We also use pinpics to arrange online trading as we havent been to WDW since 2001, but we will be there in 10 days

If anyone has specifc questions on trading please feel free to ask, if i don't know the answer happy to point you in the right direction to find it.

Toni

 

[LUV2DZNEE]

After reading about the Sedesma pins on this board, we were very careful not to take any Sedesmas that we had (unknowingly from EBay) when we went to MNSSHP last week. I figured I wouldn't want to receive them so it's not fair to trade them. Well, my DD's first trade with a CM was for a small Tink. When she showed it to me, you guessed it, it was a Sedesma. She didn't realize it before she traded, but said she didn't care because she liked the pin anyway. I don't know if she'll be more careful on future trades. I guess if she likes a pin, she doesn't care about Sedesma. I just hate that she traded away a nice pin for an inferior one.

My younger DD traded with a CM for a princess pin and the pin she traded him was an AK parking lanyard pin. He was nice enough to point out that it was a lanyard pin, but I told him we only trade for fun and don't do it looking for collectibles. He said that we were the kind of pin traders he liked to meet because it was meant to be fun.

Pin trading is a great way to chat with CM's.

Chris

 

[willis37862]

Thanks everyone for the posts and links. I am learning a lot about pin trading. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[willis37862]

Spectacle of pins in november? I saw this on another thread. What and Where? Any info would be greatly appreciated. THanks!!

 

[NJBlackBerry]

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/event?id=10680

Right on the home page of http://www.odpt.com

 

[lorik]

Susiesnowflake The coupon for the pin was in the 2005 Birnbaum's.

 

[willis37862]

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/event?id=10680

Right on the home page of http://www.odpt.com

Thanks so much for posting the link!