Pin Trading Help/Questions

[cherokeemamma]

My DS12 and DD7 are interested in purchasing the trading pins. Our trip is planned for Sept. We will be staying at POP. Problem is....I am completely clueless about the entire process.

Looking for information on where to purchase. Cost of pins and lanyard. What is the best and least expensive way to get started. Tips/Rules for trading.

Thanks guys!

 

[tinknme]

I have been buying pins on Ebay, much cheaper than buying them at the parks. My 2 ds got into pin trading when we went Oct. of last year, I spent quite a bit to get them started They now have a good selection to trade this Oct. & I will not have to buy any while we are there. The laynards I did buy at the parks & they are only around $5.00. The cm that have yellow laynards will trade only with children. My boys really enjoyed it & look forward to some more trading! They have certain pins that they want to keep, so those will stay at home.

 

[Sonno]

My DS12 and DD7 are interested in purchasing the trading pins. Our trip is planned for Sept. We will be staying at POP. Problem is....I am completely clueless about the entire process.

Looking for information on where to purchase. Cost of pins and lanyard. What is the best and least expensive way to get started. Tips/Rules for trading.

Thanks guys!

Here's a couple links for ya
http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue018.htm
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/specialindex?id=DisneyPinTradingPage

 

[Rella Bella]

Once you get to Disney there are Kiosks everywhere selling pins and lanyards. They are also sold in every store there. Some are packaged with 4 'starter' pins and some just have a decorative hanger.

We started DS with a starter kit, they get 2 each of 2 different pins, so they have something to trade right away. Then he picked a few he liked. Most of the pins are $6.50, some fancier ones are $10.50.

I have also bought some on Ebay, but be sure to check what the seller is charging for shipping. Sometimes you can end up paying the same price you would at Disney. Also some are not Disney quailty... if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. I've gotten the best deals buying sets. Then you get several pins for one shipping cost and you can come out ahead.

DS collects Pluto pins, so that's what I am usually shopping for on Ebay... but it is a good way to get started too. Have fun!

 

[NJBlackBerry]

The cm that have yellow laynards will trade only with children.

The CMs with green lanyards will only trade with children.

cherokeemamma - pin trading can be a lot of fun. And it can get expensive too (I don't want to tell you how many pins my family has accumulated over the years). But it is a very social, fun activity. Set a limit/budget for the boys. What happens is they will trade all of their tradeable pins (ones they don't want) and have a lanyard full of keepers. With no more pins to trade. You have to set the limits. Yeah, easy for me to say. I'm sitting here looking at a bag with maybe 100 pins in it ready for my next trip to WDW.

eBay is the place to get pins. But be careful because there are non-Disney pins there that can not be traded at the parks. Also some pins are of a lower quality and there may be difficulties trading them.

Not sure when you are going to be there in September, but the annual pin trading event (1200 very active pin traders) is at Epcot on the 9-11th.

http://www.odpt.com is the Official Disney Pin Traders web site (Disney operated).

Check out the Disney Collectors forum here; lots and lots of information there.

Good luck!

 

[tinknme]

Oops sorry Thanks for setting that straight!

The CMs with green lanyards will only trade with children.

 

[ShannonP]

So, pin trading is still a big thing then....we last went in 2004 and my girls (and I must confess, we parents did too) got really into it. They were wondering if they should bring their lanyards and pins again this time....18 more days!!!

 

[NJBILL]

I just purchased a few from E-bay for my kids to start with. I figured it would add another facet to their trips and give them something to thi k about when waiting in the park.

 

[tinknme]

Oh yes bring them! Lucky you 18 more days, have fun!

So, pin trading is still a big thing then....we last went in 2004 and my girls (and I must confess, we parents did too) got really into it. They were wondering if they should bring their lanyards and pins again this time....18 more days!!!

 

[bbump]

We have been collecting pins for 2 Disney trips now.
I am on my 2nd lanyard and DD is on her 3rd one.
We purchase pins for "trading only" and we also end up purchasing pins as souveneers. The parks always sell unique pins like holiday pins, year pins, happiest celebration etc....

By trading pins, we also added some unique pins to our collection that were no longer for sale in the parks.
We prefer to pin trade with Cast Members, because there are some die-hard pin traders out there that want to make "shady deals" with you. (example: "I'll trade 2 of your lanyard pins for this pin...")
Cast Members were always very friendly and would talk with us when we traded pins. It was cool to meet people from all over the Country.

Yes, pin collecting can get very pricey!!!
But we hang up our lanyards and every once in a while, DD and I will look over our pins and remember the fun times we had on vacation.
We also like showing the pins to the other kids in our family.

I love Disney pins!!!
Have fun pin trading and collecting on your next trip!!!

 

[plutolovr]

My daugher and I collect pins. I collect Pluto and she collects Mickey.

Start with one of the starter sets, there is usually a duplicate pin in the set to start trading.

To keep costs somewhat down, try to collect a certain category of pin, say a character, princesses, attractions, resorts, etc. It makes hunting for them a lot of fun.

 

[sameyeyam]

Check your local Disney Store if you have one. Ours was recently selling a 3 pack of Disney Chronicles of Narnia pins for $7.00. The kids thought they were ugly, but they can trade them with a cast member when they get there. I would rather pay $7 for 3 pins, than $7 each at the parks!

I have read that others sometimes find them in the Disney Store clearance areas for cheap as well, so just keep checking.

Also, you can fill in the empty gaps of your lanyard with other non-Disney pins. Makes the kids think they have more pins than they actually do. My son was very happy when we filled his lanyard up with cheap, regular Disney pins, rather than the tradeable/collectable pins.

 

[cherokeemamma]

Thanks everyone for your insight on pin trading. As always, the DIS is an amazing place for ideas and information.
I definately think we are going to participate in pin trading on our upcoming trip. I have been lurking on Ebay a little and trying to find a deal. Last fall we noticed several folks with lots of pins and of course we noticed them in all the stores but we didn't buy any. It was our first trip and we were all just in awe of everything.


73 days and counting til we reveal our secret trip to the kiddos!!!