Pin trading: how to spot fakes?

[zaz]

Hello,

My 4 years old started a pin collection when she was given one by a CM on a Disney cruise last year.

I have bought a set of trader pin from a reputable web site (or so I hope). Now, in the parks, how do I spot fakes or how do I know that I've gotten a fake in the mail?

Thank you.

 

[stargazertechie]

You Might want to check out Pin Pics... there's also a link in my signature as to how to avoid buying scrappers. I should really update the document with how to spot scrappers

Scrappers tend to be "off" in color- think green hair on Cindy. With vinylmations, the mickey head stamping on the back is incorrect (see PinPics). They also feel lighter, the edges may not be smooth, and the lines between the colors may be printed instead of actually filled. You can feel the lack of a ridge.

 

[kaligal]

It is hard. Sometimes it is super-obvious...other times, harder (or impossible) to tell.

So many people buy those big lots of fake, cheap pins on eBay and trade them. If you trade with Disney staff, you will likely get fakes. Not always, but often.

People who just like to trade for the sake of trading don't generally care if the pins are real or fake. It is likely that your children won't know or care.

If you really care about having authentic pins, buy pins you like and hang on to them.

 

[Pirate Me]

pinpics.com lets you search pictures of pins and gives a notice if there are any fake pins out there. It usually describes or has a picture of what the fake pin looks like. Color is one of the more obvious ways to tell. Usually colors on fakes are dull or off. They might have spots of uncolored metal on the pin, are sharp, or could have a tiny hole where it shouldn't be. Usually, you'll be able to tell if you look at it carefully.

Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of fakes on CMs pins that people must have traded with for real ones. Always look at it carefully before trading.

 

[t_catt11]

Some are quite obvious. Some are absolutely impossible.

Compound this with the fact that I have seen official WDW pins, on the same rack in the store, with variances in color (different lot numbers).

If you don't want scrappers, don't buy online... and honestly, don't trade in the parks.

 

[2princesses1minnie]

Wow, I had no idea most of the pins on ebay were fake. I was going to buy some for my girls. Think I will check the Disney Store clearance instead. Thanks for the information

 

[AvatarKorra]

If I like the pin, I don't really care. I cannot take it with me when I die and it will not really ever turn into anything of any real monetary value. I prefer to enjoy the little things for the little time we spend on this earth, I guess.

 

[Rosebud123]

My family loves pin trading! We buy some in at WDW, but most are purchased ahead of the trip on e-bay. I've probably bought 100 or so and I can't tell the difference!

We trade for or keep what we like without worrying about whether or not it's "real."

 

[t_catt11]

I don't worry if pins are real or not, either. However, the OP asked.

 

[mountdew1]

As PPs have sad, check out pinpics. Their database and their forums have a good listing of known scrappers. Once it is a known scrapper, some people won't trade for that pin at that point.

Things to look for
- Weight. Scrappers tend to be lighter than normal pins
- Color discrepancies. Scrappers will have differences in color, sometimes obviously wrong (like dayglo yellow for Donalds beak)
- Back pattern. Some scrappers will have poorly done patterns on the back. This is really obvious with some of the vinylmation pins. Those should have Mickey heads on the back, but the fakes the heads stop short. So instead of running off the edge of the pin, there is blank space between the Mickey head and the edge of the pin
- Poor edges. Scrappers aren't always trimmed the best. Places where little pieces of metal should come off, don't always get removed. Kinda like how McDonald toys still have pieces of plastic where it came out of the mold.

But others, you can't tell. Even the pin team can't tell. People have brought them pins and asked if they were real, and the only way the pin team could tell they were fake, was that the pin had never actually been made. Outside of that it was perfect.

 

[t_catt11]

As PPs have sad, check out pinpics. Their database and their forums have a good listing of known scrappers. Once it is a known scrapper, some people won't trade for that pin at that point.

Things to look for
- Weight. Scrappers tend to be lighter than normal pins
- Color discrepancies. Scrappers will have differences in color, sometimes obviously wrong (like dayglo yellow for Donalds beak)
- Back pattern. Some scrappers will have poorly done patterns on the back. This is really obvious with some of the vinylmation pins. Those should have Mickey heads on the back, but the fakes the heads stop short. So instead of running off the edge of the pin, there is blank space between the Mickey head and the edge of the pin
- Poor edges. Scrappers aren't always trimmed the best. Places where little pieces of metal should come off, don't always get removed. Kinda like how McDonald toys still have pieces of plastic where it came out of the mold.

But others, you can't tell. Even the pin team can't tell. People have brought them pins and asked if they were real, and the only way the pin team could tell they were fake, was that the pin had never actually been made. Outside of that it was perfect.

Dead givaway that a pin is likely fake: you see more than one copy of a small run limited edition pin from a couple of years ago. Though proving it is often a different story.

Bottom line - if you want to ensure "value" of your pins, you need to have the original pin card and a register receipt. Otherwise, you just cannot say for sure if a pin is legit or not.

Since it is often such a pain to tell, I just do not worry about it. If I see a pin that I like, I trade for it and don't worry if I just picked up a scrapper.

 

[mareed]

Wow, I had no idea most of the pins on ebay were fake. I was going to buy some for my girls. Think I will check the Disney Store clearance instead. Thanks for the information

As others have said here, some if not the majority of what is on the cast member lanyards will be "fake" but you probably won't be able to tell. So, do as your conscience guides you regarding purchasing pins if the purpose is for trading with CM's, but realize that you will almost certainly end up with fakes.

We get lots of enjoyment from pin trading and realize that the majority of our collection is likely fakes, but I don't do it for any value-driven purpose (i.e. make money from these some day), but for the fun we have collecting and organizing them in our pin books.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Has anyone thought of looking for a Disney seal on the back?

 

[PoohsFan1]

Has anyone thought of looking for a Disney seal on the back?

I always thought that the way you can figure out if a pin was fake or not is by the Disney Trading seal on the back of the pin. If they have it then it is legit, if not then it is a fake. So from what I am reading, I guess this isn't always the case? I have bought a lot of pins off of ebay, once, and some of them had the Disney Trading seal on them and others didn't. I still have the ones that don't because I didn't want to trade a non-legit Disney pin.

On the other hand, I have bought pins from our local Disney Store (back when they used to sell them) and they don't have the Disney Trading seal on them, just wondering if those would be considered fake or not.

 

[Pirate Me]

Fakes usually do say Disney on the back.

 

[larryz]

Fakes usually do say Disney on the back.

Or "Dinsey."

 

[Nuli]

I always thought that the way you can figure out if a pin was fake or not is by the Disney Trading seal on the back of the pin. If they have it then it is legit, if not then it is a fake. So from what I am reading, I guess this isn't always the case? I have bought a lot of pins off of ebay, once, and some of them had the Disney Trading seal on them and others didn't. I still have the ones that don't because I didn't want to trade a non-legit Disney pin.

On the other hand, I have bought pins from our local Disney Store (back when they used to sell them) and they don't have the Disney Trading seal on them, just wondering if those would be considered fake or not.

The fakes can have a Disney stamp on them.

I saw someone selling a pin I have and it came with a Certificate of Authenticity. I didn't get a certificate when I bought mine, lol.

Business people lie. They all lie. Disney lies.

It's hard to know who to trust.

 

[t_catt11]

Fakes usually do say Disney on the back.

Yep. If you can fake a pin's layout, colors, etc... a stamp of the word "Disney" is trivial.

 

[AngelStitch]

I have a lot of Disney pins. I can tell by the colors of some. Like say Belle, the real ones are yellow, while the ones that are fake are usually like a greenish-yellow. Others, are the backs. The fakes don't usually look like a Disney Pin back.

 

[sleeperclan]

Interesting, I didn't know there were fakes out there. It really doesn't matter to me, but out of curiosity I'll have to check out our pins!