Pin Trading Newbie DUMB Question

[mmorris72]

We will be in WDW in December and my 2 sons want to do the pin trading. I have purchased them each the lanyard and a couple of pins each. Now for my questions. What would be a good amount of pins for each of them (7yrs & 4yrs) to start with and how exactly does the trading work? Do they just go up to CM and ask them to trade????? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but they are asking me what they do.

TIA,
Michele

 

[GoofItUp]

The how many question is hard since it depends on how "into" it they get. I would think 5-10 pins each might be a good starting place. Plus, that's really plenty on a lanyard that they probably are NOT going to want to wear around all the time. Those things can get bulky and heavy! I've bought pins for my niece and nephew before off of ebay. Just go for the pins that are least expensive and don't worry about if they're cute or not -- remember the point is to trade them which will be easier to do if you don't like them! Make sure, though, that they are pins that are trade-able in the parks as I think there were some "frauds" out there some years ago (and I'm sure probably still are) that are not Disney-licensed or something and can't be traded with CM's.

HTH!

 

[ScotsMinnie]

My 6 year old traded pins for the first time this year and she loved it. She had some pins to start off with and we inevitably had to purchase more. Make sure the ones you get them are not ones that they will want to keep otherwise they won't trade them!

My little one was a bit shy to approach the cast members and ask to trade but after she did it once there was no stopping her. She just went up to them and asked nicely if she could look at their pins. If she saw one she wanted to trade she would just ask if she could trade and the answr is always yes!

We avoided other traders. Mostly because they attached different values to different pins and would not always trade. I thought that trading with CMs was safer for them - she knew the answer she would get if she asked nicely.

All of the CMs she traded with were great and most used it to start a conversation with her or share a disney secret or two if they were not too busy. She traded for the first time with a lady working on Spaceship Earth who was so lovely. Gave her some hints or where to spot characters and little secrets. Really boosted DDs confidence. Another CM gave her a special pin as a present to spread the magic - she was delighted and refused to tyrade that special pin.

When we got home i got a picture frame and took out the glass and replaced it with a cork tile. The pins stuck in the cork and they are displayed on her wall. A lovely activity for kids.

Lx

 

[piratemamaof3]

thanks for the tips. We aren't going for a while But I wanted to get a small stash for the boys. That way I have some to give them for rewards to help them look forward to their trip (starting after Christmas that is). Things like doing some thing w/o me asking, good grades or others stuff that we can reward them for.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

thats a great idea! I would say about 8 would be a great number to go with. Any more than that and the lanyards get very heavy.
Lx

 

[mmorris72]

Thank you for all your answers. So I am thinking about 8 each then. I don't know what I would do without this board

Michele

 

[natnelliesmom]

Definitely get your pins for trading on Ebay. You can purchase a variety of basic pins for a cheap price. I think I paid about $.50 apiece for a lot of 20 pins. It was worth it though since my daughters then had pins to trade that were not important to them.
I too bought a shadow box to display them in. I found an inexpensive shadow box frame at our local craft store and added a layer of cork tiling to the back. I just stuck the pins in and each daughter has a great display piece for their wall.
Another tip- if you are traveling near a holiday you can purchase special event pins that are only available around that time. These are dated and become special mementos. We have a St. Patrick's Day pin, Easter and even a fourth of July pin from the Disney Store in NY City.
Good luck and have fun with it!
-Sarah