Pin trading for 7 and 8 year olds- first trip- need advice!

[Minnie M6]

I did a search for pin trading, but most of what I found was people wanting to make specific trades. We are planning our first trip in December, and friends of ours who just went to WDW said their kids enjoyed the pin trading. My 8 yo DS who will be 9 at the time of the trip is interested. I don't want to just jump in and start buying without researching first. What are the best placed to buy before we go so he will have some to trade with CMs? Should we wait until we get to the park to buy a lanyard? He likes Toy Story- should we just buy pins that he likes? Any tips would be much appreciated!

 

[shellybelly72]

I did a search for pin trading, but most of what I found was people wanting to make specific trades. We are planning our first trip in December, and friends of ours who just went to WDW said their kids enjoyed the pin trading. My 8 yo DS who will be 9 at the time of the trip is interested. I don't want to just jump in and start buying without researching first. What are the best placed to buy before we go so he will have some to trade with CMs? Should we wait until we get to the park to buy a lanyard? He likes Toy Story- should we just buy pins that he likes? Any tips would be much appreciated!

They have sets you can purchase at most shops, I remember seeing toy story pin sets that include the lanyard..since you are not leaving until dec. you may check out ebay too..

I usually let the kids pick out a pin to keep and a pin to trade every trip..

 

[dairyqueenmom]

Be prepared to have the money fly out of your pocket if you get hooked on trading. We have been trading for years and my kids are hooked, and so am I. The first trip we purchase the sets in the gift shops, they are expensive. The sets run about $25-50, depending on how many pins are in the pack. On average you will spend $5-$6 per trading pin. My girls could burn through 10 pins per day.

What happens is the cast members have pins that are cast member exclusives and you can only get them by trading with a cast member. My girls would trade all there pins for cast member pins and want more. They are a bit obsessive, they will run down cast members to look at pins. We trade pins like some people get autographs.

I now buy pins on ebay and buy lots of 10-20pins at a time. I try and make sure I don't get scrappers, and they are authentic Disney trading pins. So far I have had no problem trading the pins in the parks that I have bought on ebay. I can get pins on ebay for $2-$3 per pin.

Good luck and happy trading, if you have any more questions feel free to pm me.

 

[Minnie M6]

Thanks to you both- this sounds like a lot of fun. I read that some of the resorts even keep pins on boards in the shops that kids are allowed to trade once a day. I think I'll buy them each several pins before we go to get started. Isn't there a discount store near Disney that sells them for $1?

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Your local Disney Store should also carry pins. They are just as nice (and tradeable) as the ones in WDW, but are a little cheaper. My store also just got a lanyard in, which I think retails at $9.50. It comes with one pin to keep and an identical pin to trade.

I would say to have your kids stick to pin trading with CMs. They have to trade you (unless the pin is untradeable or they have an identical one on their lanyard) so it keeps it fun and fair for everyone!

 

[dairyqueenmom]

Thanks to you both- this sounds like a lot of fun. I read that some of the resorts even keep pins on boards in the shops that kids are allowed to trade once a day. I think I'll buy them each several pins before we go to get started. Isn't there a discount store near Disney that sells them for $1?

Try mousepinsonline - they are running a special for Feb. $1.75 per pin.

 

[collcass]

I was very confused about pin trading. i think my older kids would have a blast with this.

 

[Aliceacc]

Try mousepinsonline - they are running a special for Feb. $1.75 per pin.

I ordered a 25 pin grab bag on Feb 1; it arrived on Feb 4. With shipping, it came to under $50. They're adorable. Each has the Disney logo on the back, so I imagine they're official.

I think my kids are going to love this! I hope I somehow find more money in the next few weeks and can order another set while they're on sale.

(And, for the record, the website lets you order grab bags of any size.)

 

[distherapy]

We bought a pin trading starter set when we got there - it was $22 and had four really nice pins (DD kept one of each) and a nice lanyard. The pins there were cheaper than on disney's site and, of course, had more selection. We let her trade 1 a day (but, of course, she's only 3 so that wasn't hard). It was fun and I can see how it would be so addictive! I'd think buying a grab bag would help - I couldn't imagine buying a cute one there and then trading it right away.

 

[MLIndy99]

Can you buy pins at the Disney Store in your local mall before you head down to WDW?

 

[cheesekate2005]

Yes, you can buy pins at the Disney Store before you go. I also get some great deals at Disney shopping online. I try to buy discounted pins that my children do not care for - so that they will have some fun trading for the ones that they want. Then, they buy special pins with their own money when we get to WDW that they don't trade.

 

[PiratesRock]

What do you mean by "scrappers"? Are these non-Disney pins? or Disney pins that nobody wants? I bought my girls a few pins for our first trip on e-bay but we didn't trade, we just collected pressed coins at the stores. It fit my budget better as I *knew* my kids would get into trading and want moremoremore!!! I'm thinking about buying more pins and letting them in on trading this time but don't want to waste money on these "scrappers"!

 

[aspramn]

subscribe

 

[Aliceacc]

I did a little research and started a thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1716578

 

[PiratesRock]

We've never actually traded so this is more a comment than a recommendation! I bought my girls several pins on e-bay for previous trip. We bought cute disney caps/sunvisors and put the pins on them. Just for display, not trading. Pins seemed very secure and are still displayed on the hats in their rooms! We may trade some pins this time, but we'll see.

 

[Minnie M6]

I bought each of the kids their first pin today from our local Disney store- Princesses for DD 7 and a Ratatouille (sp??) for DS 8. I wanted to pick one up for each of them for Valentine's Day, but if I buy any more before our trip it will be online. Our store had really limited choices- probably 20 pins total.

Have to add.....the Disney bucks are beautiful! I had no ideas they were so pretty- I'll hate to see them spend them. They would be great in scrapbooks.

 

[disneydreamgirl]

We are leaving for a week long trip, staying at POP, in 14 sleeps!
On our last trip, we bought a fishing-type hat for my son that included 6-8 pins on it for $35 at Animal Kingdom. He needed a hat and wanted the pins!!!
I have also bought off e-bay and was able to get 30 pins for $57. I purposely bought three identical sets so that there would be no argument about which to trade and which to keep. My son is nine and had a great time with his 10 yr old girl cousin last year pin trading. I purchased off ebay for the cost saving, but also because you can spend tons of time trolling the pin concessions! Also, if we spent time buying a pin, we were less likely to trade it. We did also purchase a reasonable pin set the last time we were at Disney just for trading.
I'm looking forward to doing some of the trading myself this time and recently purchased the same lanyard referred to earlier from a Disney Store for $9.50 - it has two identical pins on it and the lanyard has a plastic badge holder attached to it as well.

 

[mousescrapper]

thanks OP for starting this thread. I having nothing to add becuase I'm questioning for the first time too.

Just subbing in to keep for later and remember some of thse good sugestions.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Disney Shopping is currently running a sale on pins. You can get $14 off your order today if you spend $60. You can also get $5 shipping with code SHIPFOR5. If you spend $75 and pay with your Disney Visa with code VISA75 your shipping will be free!
Unlike the pins from eBay you can be 100% sure these pins are NOT counterfeit.

 

[collcass]

Disney Shopping is currently running a sale on pins. You can get $14 off your order today if you spend $60. You can also get $5 shipping with code SHIPFOR5. If you spend $75 and pay with your Disney Visa with code VISA75 your shipping will be free!
Unlike the pins from eBay you can be 100% sure these pins are NOT counterfeit.

I did this today. I ended up with 12 pins for $55 and change. I used the code for $14 off plus they had free shipping on all individual pins. I only purchased ones that were on sale also. I also got a pirates of the carribean pin set (3 pins) for just over $2 at the DIsney store this morning.

Not quite as good a deal as the grab bags, but not too shabby either

We decided that our two older kids would do the pin trading. I don't think my younger two would actually go up and ask