Pin trading CMs?

[Mike Bartenhagen]

We did fly into Orlando and the pins were in our checked bags.

 

[motherhen17404]

We we on the Wonder last month, and my DS was just getting started with his pin trading. He went to the first pin trading night and "the pin lady" (Wish I could remember her name) was so nice to my DS. She asked him if he would be interested in being a CM for a night. So on the last night of the cruise, my DS was given a lanyard with pins and he got to stand with the officers and trade pins just like the real CM's do. All the officers were so nice to him, he had a blast.

Another tip we got about pin trading-

In the parks, some CM's have a "Mystery" pin on their lanyard. You have to look very carefully. The pin will be turned backward and you will see the backing. Most of the time it is a good pin, but sometimes it is a stinker. You just have to take the chance, but it is fun to see what you get.

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

The CM with the vest had several pins turned backwards on the bottom of his vest. This must have been the reason. I just thought they were pins he did not want to trade.

 

[MelissaE1]

I would love to learn more about pin trading for our upcoming cruise and trip to WDW. I did not get involved last trip because I didn't feel like I knew enough.

Two immediate questions come to mind:

1. How do you get started without spending tons of money? It seems like if you liked a pin well enough you would want to have two so you wouldn't have to trade yours.

2. When we were at WDW in May I saw a little boy trade the boring Amex pin with a cast member for a regular Disney pin. Is this common practice? I think I can dig up our two Amex pins for my kids.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

I watched E-bay for several weeks and found 50 pins for 60.00. As long as the pin has Disney C (the copyright symbol) you can trade it. If you are trading with a Disney CM you pick the pin you want and give them the pin you want to trade. The pins we got were nothing special and the girls were able to trade for some nice big pins. You might also try cheappins.com

Mike

 

[kackie]

What a hoot it is reading about pin trading!!!

DH and I just got back from a cruise/WDW trip. It was our 5 trip together, (My 7th) in the past 3 years. This trip we finally did the PIN thing.

I was the one to NEVER buy a pin, get wrapped up in collecting, too much money, its Disney $$$ etc.......

We took the plunge one day innocently buying 1 pin.......Now a couple of hundred dollars later and 30 pins later, I think we have made up for lost time. WE are pin fanatics now.

It all started with his love of steam boat willy(?spelling) We told a CM that we wanted that pin and she said, "the only place you can get it is on the WONDER".....Well, we were there the next day. And that is how it all begins.............

 

[SueEllen]

As long as the pin has Disney C (the copyright symbol) you can trade it.

That is no longer true. The pin must be enamel, cloisonee, or semi-cloisonee (sp?) and have the (c) Disney on it. This is to deter the people that were trading cheaply made pins for the regular Disney pins.

Pin trading can be a lot of fun. You can get some really good bargains on DIS auctions and on ebay also.

Sue Ellen

 

[Penny12]

We do have a few pins in the UK Disney Stores, but at present nowhere near as many as you can get in the US or Japan stores. Current/recent offerings are the Princess mood pins and a Lilo & Stitch set. They make excellent traders too Also, they are only £2.99 (inc tax) a pin which works out to about $4.50, so it actually works out a little cheaper, even if you are only interested in trading for a rack pin.

Pin trading is great fun - and so was the pin meet I attended back in August on the Wonder, where I had the good fortune to meet Sasha - a very nice man who trades in the 'true spirit' of it all

 

[Scratch42]

Thanks everyone for all this great info!

My DD and I got started 'cause of AMEX. We didn't get any of the Easter one's last year 'cause started after but picked one up yesterday at the Disney Store 'cause they were 50% off. Glad to hear that they have pin trading scheduled on the cruises! Even picked up a green lanyard! Thanks for the tip regarding the pins attached the wrong way. I also assumed that they were pins that they received and did not want to trade. Now I know better.

We even got friends from her school hooked. It was their first trip just last week and they started too!

Thanks again.

Scratch

 

[bengals01]

pins are on sale at the disney store now

 

[sistert]

Originally posted by MelissaE1


Two immediate questions come to mind:

1. How do you get started without spending tons of money? It seems like if you liked a pin well enough you would want to have two so you wouldn't have to trade yours.

2. When we were at WDW in May I saw a little boy trade the boring Amex pin with a cast member for a regular Disney pin. Is this common practice? I think I can dig up our two Amex pins for my kids.

#1 The Disney Stores have the cheapest pins (typically $5 and under). When buying pin FOR trading, they don't have to be something you like because you're NOT keeping them! They're just for trade. Some people do buy duplicates of pins that are "hot" so they can keep one for themselves and one to trade for something else "hot" with a non-CM. You may be able to get some good deals on eBay but you have to look carefully. Like any purchase on eBay, research before you buy. You can also check around the stores in the Orlando area for pins (I've heard the Wal-Mart and that grocery store across from WDW have pins), just make sure they are official pins and not knock-offs.

#2 Again, as long as the pin is a legal trading pin, you can trade it. A lot of people will trade the Amex, travel company, and club member Flex pins because each member of the party gets one when they check in. Just because you find it boring, someone who didn't book using the Amex card didn't get one and may want it. I just checked and if I'm looking at the same pin, I saw one that went up today with a starting price of $9.99 on eBay.

Check the collecting board here, www.Dizpins.com, or talk to any lanyard wearing CM. Pin collecting isn't hard, is tons of fun, and is very addictive! I've long lost count on how many I have but I think I'm around 800 or so.

 

[MelissaE1]

Sistert,

Thanks very much for the info. Uh-oh, I think I might finally get sucked into the pin trading craze. That's all I need is another obsession. lol.

Guess I'll check out the Disney Store a few times between now and January.

 

[bengals01]

ALL THE OLDER PINS ARE $2.00 AT DISNEY STORE

 

[sistert]

Originally posted by bengals01
ALL THE OLDER PINS ARE $2.00 AT DISNEY STORE

Oh great! Now everyone will know and get to TDS before I can get off from work. Thanks alot!

Happy trading everyone. And remember, you too can join in the frenzy and stand in front of TDS at 5am waiting for the new releases just like the rest of us!

 

[bengals01]

THERE ARE PLENTY TO GO AROUND