Pin trading for dummies - I'm clueless!

[SoNewToDisney!]

This is our first WDW trip & I think the pin trading would be a fun idea for my 6yoDS.

Can anyone give me the dummies, condensed version of how I get the stuff for him to get started? I want to just have what he needs to have fun with it (not become a pin-addict!) and be able to get a nice little collection.

Is the jist of it that we buy a lanyard and a stash of pins (how many?) to give away to CMs? So not ones that he might like to keep?

Sorry to be daft just have no idea on this one.

Thanks!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

That's pretty much the jist of it. Disney sells starter sets that you can buy for around $20-$25. Some sets include a lanyard with four pins (sometimes one or two more). Others don't have the lanyard but contain more pins. You might try buying one of those sets to start with to see if your DS likes the pin trading experience. You can always buy more pins later if you need them.

 

[NHMickey]

This may help as well...

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/index

 

[SoNewToDisney!]

thanks all.

so (dumb question, I'm sure) it's tit for tat, as in if I buy him 4 pins to start he will only end up with 4 pins at the end of the day if he does trading, right?

I have to find some cheap starter pins that he won't be too sad about parting with, I guess, to begin the process?

And will the Dis CMs see his lanyard and approach him, or does he go up to whoever he sees with pins and ask to trade?

I really am sorry for sounding so ! I just don't want to hand him these pins and say "trade them, it's fun!" and both of us be like, what's next?

 

[NHMickey]

Pretty much a pin for a pin when you start. I would stick with CMs with a green lanyard as those are for kids only. It is a great way to meet people...

 

[Brian_WDW74]

CMs will not approach you to trade. You must approach them. You are allowed to trade up to two pins with any CM wearing a pin trading lanyard (not all CMs wear them). Each trade is pin-for-pin. So if you trade two pins, you'll receive two pins. CMs wearing pin trading lanyards are obligated to trade with you and cannot refuse a trade, unless you're trying to trade a non-Disney pin (which they are not allowed to accept) or they already have the pin you're trying to trade on their lanyard. The only exception to this is the green lanyards that Nat mentioned. CMs wearing green lanyards are only supposed to trade with children and can refuse to trade with adults. But since it's your DS6 that will be trading, he shouldn't have any problems.

 

[4everWDW]

My sister did the same thing with her 6 year old daughter, she bought a plain lanyard for her and then bought a couple of pins that really didn't matter to her so that she could trade those if she saw any that she wanted to trade with a CM.
She really enjoyed it, walking up to the CM looking at what they had and trading. They ended up having to go buy a little bit more pins for her, she got smart about the ones she wanted to keep and ones she "had her eye on" to see if a cm would have it

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

In the parks you can buy sets of "cuties". They look like characters in a baby type format (at least that's what I think of them). They are the cheapest sets to buy and trade. I usually end up buying two sets because my DD loves those silly sets.

Enjoy. And just be careful about your pin trading fun. Ours started 4 years ago and has blossomed in to two bags full of pins and I'm going to need a third for our next trip. She ends up trading a good 30 or 40 pins a trip. You DON'T want to know how much money I have in these things. But on a positive note, they are a lot smaller to pack then stuffed animals!!