Pin trading rules?

[MPwifey]

We love Pin trading, especially our 5 year old daughter. She will give away anything and take whatever she feels like at that moment. My DH and I also like to trade, although it was somewhat different than what we are used to at WDW and DCA. Are there official rules for DLP? Or am I missing something? Thanks.

 

[Danauk]

The rules should be the same. I have traded at WDW, DL & DLP and have not noticed a difference in the rules.

 

[Vala]

The rules are the same.

But a lot of the times CMs will make up "rules" on the spot. I lately had a CM refusing a trade because my pin said "made in China" on the back. True story.

If you think the trade is worth putting up with those ideas go along with it. Just don't bother to complain. Everyone will side with the CM.

 

[MPwifey]

Vala- I had a CM throw a pin down on to the counter because my pin I was trading was not big enough. She asked if she could pick which pin to trade, I was a bit taken back as this is not done normally in WDW. I gave her a choice between 3 pins, because I wanted one of hers. She said no, I want the pegasus one,( not one I have any plans of trading.) I politely declined and said no thank you. She took of the pin from her lanyard and asked if I still wanted it. I said yes, but you can have this pin and gave her one. She didn't like the fairy one and said " I don't like it, its ugly and small, I want a big one" At this point I was frustrated, my daughter was dumbfounded because she didn't know what to think, so I just asked for the fairy pin back so I could leave. She said no, it was hers now, and threw the other pin down on the counter. My face must have been because another CM saw what happened, picked up the pin on the counter and politely guided us to another part of the store. Where she apologized and let my daughter pick a pin from her "special" lanyard. She told me some CM's like to choose pins, but I do not have to give them one I do not want to trade.

I was in shock and was kind of scared to trade for the rest of the day. Thankfully my daughter thinks pin trading is almost as good as rides and was dragging me into all the stores to ask pin sil vous plait with her biggest smile. I just had no idea if I had done something wrong. The second day I wore my trader pins on one side of my lanyard and my keeps on the other side so I could still give them a choice if they wanted. I had 2 others ask if they could choose, and when I gave them a side to choose from they were happy.

 

[that-a-way]

The second day I wore my trader pins on one side of my lanyard and my keeps on the other side so I could still give them a choice if they wanted. I had 2 others ask if they could choose, and when I gave them a side to choose from they were happy.

Oh my goodness, what a BRILLIANT idea! I am an avid trader with CM's and I am worried sick to wear my favorite pins. Can you post a picture of what it looks like with the double sided lanyard?

Right now, I am in the process of buying two lanyards to fill with my trader pins - this might be the perfect solution to my problem!

 

[Vala]

Vala- I had a CM throw a pin down on to the counter because my pin I was trading was not big enough. She asked if she could pick which pin to trade, I was a bit taken back as this is not done normally in WDW. I gave her a choice between 3 pins, because I wanted one of hers. She said no, I want the pegasus one,( not one I have any plans of trading.) I politely declined and said no thank you. She took of the pin from her lanyard and asked if I still wanted it. I said yes, but you can have this pin and gave her one. She didn't like the fairy one and said " I don't like it, its ugly and small, I want a big one" At this point I was frustrated, my daughter was dumbfounded because she didn't know what to think, so I just asked for the fairy pin back so I could leave. She said no, it was hers now, and threw the other pin down on the counter. My face must have been because another CM saw what happened, picked up the pin on the counter and politely guided us to another part of the store. Where she apologized and let my daughter pick a pin from her "special" lanyard. She told me some CM's like to choose pins, but I do not have to give them one I do not want to trade.

*sighs* Yeah, that story happens way too often now. I have it happen at least once or twice a trip. The throwing a pin on a counter part is new even to me though. Kudos for the other CM for coming to the rescue.

Thankfully there's still a couple of nice CMs around. During my early May trip I saw the Dreams cast pin on a lanyard. I didn't really think she would trade - but when I mentioned it she said yes, she was trading it as long as I had a "nice LE." Cue major panic as we had just come from the pin event and I dropped most bags at bag check - this was back at Indiana Jones. But she fell in love with an Yzma pin I had gotten from the event boards. So I got to trade with her and I don't think she even understood why I was so totally excitedand thanked her 20 times.

 

[frankieeyre]

I experienced similar things to previous posters. I had CM decline trades with me because they didn't like the pin I was offering (I didn't realise this was allowed, i still don't think it is?). Cast members asking for a specific pin in return, but when I said i didn't want to trade it they were fine. I had some cast members that didn't want to trade away a pin on their lanyard so when I started to walk away they said they were joking and traded it?

 

[Jonjo]

I've never had a bad experiance at trading pins at DLP. When I trade in the parks, I normaly don't give the CM a choice with what I'm going to be trading with them unless it's the CMs own lanyard, and then I only wear pins I want to trade on my lanyard and any pins I want to keep go in my bag or on my jacket.

I was tradiing with a CM in the store at Hotel New York once and she asked me to wait and popped back stage in the store and she came back with 5 of her own lanyards and she cleaned me out of tinkerbell pins and I got a few DLP Staff pins in return.

 

[Vala]

I experienced similar things to previous posters. I had CM decline trades with me because they didn't like the pin I was offering (I didn't realise this was allowed, i still don't think it is?). Cast members asking for a specific pin in return, but when I said i didn't want to trade it they were fine. I had some cast members that didn't want to trade away a pin on their lanyard so when I started to walk away they said they were joking and traded it?

It is not allowed. A CM can not refuse a trade and they can also not ask for a specific pin as long as they are not trading from their private collection - which has also become a quite popular excuse, suddenly the pin you are asking about on the company lanyard is "their own one."

Problem is, there's more and more CMs that do not care about these rules and they get away with it. Their supervisors back them up, I've seen that happen more than once.

The "keep the stuff you don't want to trade in your pocket" doesn't exactly work out either, at least most of the time. It's not about giving the CMs a choice voluntarily. More and more CMs will go "have you anything else" and demand being given a choice.

Three weeks ago a CM in the DLH boutique did trade me, but I got a lecture on how that's not how it's supposed to work and normally she "gets to choose". I ended up walking away. Filed a complaint, never heard back.

 

[MPwifey]

I am not sure if I can take a picture well, but I spaced out my pins well on my lanyard and put the trader pins on the back, so the CM's would still see the mickey backs on it, but not the pins. it was a pain for me. My DH just used our mini pin trading book and only put trader pins in that one, and did not trade off of his lanyard at all. He did not have any issue. I was thinking of taking velcro to stick 2 lanyards together so the CM's could not see the mickey backs.


There were 2 or 3 CM's that had their personal pin on a separate lanyard that were not willing to trade, but enjoyed showing those pins off, and traded from their company lanyard.

 

[Vala]

I think I know what you're talking about. Kind of like the US CMs often do with mystery pins, right?

I got to admit that I even stopped wearing a lanyard on my last trip, and on the one before I only wore it during the event. The way your husband did it was much more hassle free.

 

[Donald Ducks wife]

what I usually do is take a set amount out with me each day, when I go to trade I pick a pin off there lanyards, and then let them choose anything off my lanyard, and some are usually happy getting to choose. When I get a pin I really like, it doesn't go back on my lanyard just incase I trade it, so I hide it away in my bag, and when I get back to the hotel at night, Its then I get to have a good look at them, and if I decide not to keep them then they go on my lanyard for the next day.

I find the CM's in the Disney store in the village great to trade with, there all happy to get to choose what they want off my lanyard, and on our last visit, asked me to come back each night with more of my pins for them to trade with. Well I didn't mind, as tradition on our trips, we always pop in there on the way back to the hotel at night, so my son could pick a toy, so he got a toy, and mummy got some pins

 

[magicbob]

I only put pins that I am willing to trade on my lanyard. I offer all CMs a choice... many say they don't care and I just take off whichever one is easiest to reach at the moment. But I've found that even CMs who may not collect for themselves get a kick out of being given a choice.

When trading at WDW, where the CMs are very consistent about taking whatever pin you offer, I will give them a choice IF I'm getting a large, fancy pin from them. Although there's nothing wrong with trading a small, common HM pin for a LE beauty, I feel good about keeping another nice pin in circulation in it's place (and sometimes they pick the simple HM pin anyway!). I end up with lots of "nicer" duplicates. Sometimes they are gifts, but more often than not, I forget that I finally broke down and bought a pin on our last trip that I'd been eyeing for a while, and I buy another of the same thinking I don't have it yet.

I put away the pins I traded for in a zippered pocket of the tote we carry with us, so they are not available for trade.

I have had a few CMs who did not want to trade because they didn't like what I had. I don't let that get to me. I just walk away. I haven't had anyone who was downright rude, though.

My wife doesn't enjoy trading at DLRP because she the additional scrutiny by some CMs makes her uncomfortable. She didn't notice it, but the CM at the pin trading outpost in Frontierland who was manning the board, actually "weighed" the pins we traded (tossed them gently in one hand), I assume to make sure they weren't cheap counterfeits. There were 5-6 "sharks" at the tables outside the store, so maybe it wasn't US he was worried about. I don't think the grandfatherly guy pushing his wife around in a wheelchair exactly look like suspicious pin counterfeiters!

 

[MPwifey]

We take a magnet with us to see if any are fake pins. Most of the fake pins will stick to the magnet, and most of the real ones will not.

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Although there's nothing wrong with trading a small, common HM pin for a LE beauty, I feel good about keeping another nice pin in circulation in it's place (and sometimes they pick the simple HM pin anyway!).

What do HM and LE mean please?

She didn't notice it, but the CM at the pin trading outpost in Frontierland who was manning the board, actually "weighed" the pins we traded (tossed them gently in one hand), I assume to make sure they weren't cheap counterfeits.

I'm assuming heavy means genuine? Actually that is what puts me off wearing the lanyard, it's just so heavy round my neck!

We take a magnet with us to see if any are fake pins. Most of the fake pins will stick to the magnet, and most of the real ones will not.

I'm off to test our pins now! Most of them are special ones we have chosen on our trips but we do have a few bought on Ebay to swap with CMs in the boutiques occasionally.

 

[Tink1987]

Some great tips on here - thank you

Just to let you know my experience of pin trading as well at DLP, various CM's tried to 'bully' me into giving them WDW pins, it really put me off in a way. One man in the Main St Emporium became very stroppy at one point because I wouldn't give him one of my keepers.

 

[Vala]

We take a magnet with us to see if any are fake pins. Most of the fake pins will stick to the magnet, and most of the real ones will not.

If you noticed that trend it was just pure chance. That story keeps making its rounds, but there's really nothing substantial behind it.

I'm assuming heavy means genuine? Actually that is what puts me off wearing the lanyard, it's just so heavy round my neck!

It is an indication, but not the only factor. The fakes keep becoming higher quality.