pin trading tips please

[girlsmom]

we are doing pin trading instead of autographs this yr for the first time for DD6 and DD4 for our trip in a couple wks. I got them each lanyards from ebays for $3 and a "lot" of 20 pins...is that enough to start w/ ...?
anyone have any tips?
will CM's approach us to trade? are there "rules" about trading? do you trade with other guests at WDW or only CM's?
TIA!

 

[pixiewings71]

CM will sometimes approach but most times we approached them. Please use caution when buying pins from eBay, please follow the link in my signature for an eBay super thread which will provide a lot of good information on finding good pins. It's a very long thread but it has a lot of good info. Most times we just approach the CM's and ask to see their pins, we trade if we see something we like, if not we say thanks and wish them a good day. Pin trading is very fun but it is also very expensive so be aware that it might cost you more then you expect. Have fun with it!

 

[gerows]

If you buy them in the World, I would suggest getting the "Mystery" pins as these are the cheapest, then you can trade them away for something you want with a CM.

I would suggest you pick up a small bag of extra pin backs. The rubber mickey head backs fall off often. You may walso want to pick up a bag of the locking backs for those "Special" pins that you don't want to lose.

 

[danielephant]

can someone tell me why "pins" are so exciteing? i have not been in years and just se alot of people talking about pins

thanks

 

[gerows]

can someone tell me why "pins" are so exciteing? i have not been in years and just se alot of people talking about pins

thanks

I'm sure it appeals to different people for different reasons, but I think it’s mainly due to the fact that they represent Disney Memorabilia and they allow people to interact with other guest and CM's where they otherwise would not. I think a lot of people collect all kinds of Disney stuff, but you don't necessarily walk around the park displaying your snow globe collection on your backpack, nor would you want to trade Mickey shirts with someone else. In that respect its kind a unique purchase that you can make.

For us, our kids always want to buy souvenirs from any trip we take (Disney, beaches, skiing, etc...) and this is a way to spend a small amount of money to satisfy that request, but then, as with most kids, their interests change, and rather than having to throw away that pin from 3 years ago that they now think is to "babyish" for them, this provides them the opportunity to turn it into something that they would rather have like a Jack Skellington pin. Kids tend to want to trade their stuff (think Mighty Beanz, Pokemon cards, matchbox cars, silly bandz, etc...) and this is just an extension of that, but on a much much larger scale than the playground at school.

 

[danielephant]

gotcha!!! So the CMs have there pins on with the purpose of tradeing them, or is there a chance if you ask to see their pins they will say "no" ?

 

[pixiewings71]

gotcha!!! So the CMs have there pins on with the purpose of tradeing them, or is there a chance if you ask to see their pins they will say "no" ?

Only if an adult asks to see a kids' lanyard, then they will say something like "I'm sorry, this is only for kids 12 and under". They can also turn down your trade if it's not an official Disney pin or if they already have that pin on their lanyard.

 

[disneyfab]

Only if an adult asks to see a kids' lanyard, then they will say something like "I'm sorry, this is only for kids 12 and under". They can also turn down your trade if it's not an official Disney pin or if they already have that pin on their lanyard.

How can you tell the CM Kids' lanyards from a CM general one?

 

[newdrama12]

How can you tell the CM Kids' lanyards from a CM general one?

CM Kids' lanyards are green. general ones are black

 

[kathyell]

At 6 and 4, I would take the number of pins you have that you are willing to trade and divide it by the number of days you will be at WDW. Then cut that in half, and that's the number of pins each one of your kids have available to trade each day.

You can, of course, be flexible when they find a pin they just *have* to have and they've already done their trading for the day, or if they look around all day and don't see anything they want to trade for.

I do think that having a guideline number of pins to trade per day will help you mete the trader pins out over your entire trip, so the activity will be enjoyable for the kids over the length of your trip. This will keep them from getting so excited early on in the trip that they trade all the traders away and then they will be bugging you to buy more so they can keep trading.

There are some pin trading specific boards out there on the internet where you may find a truckload more information and pin traders who can give you all sorts of information. I agree with the previous posters that you do want to be careful of the authenticity of the pins on eBay (not saying all the pins there are fakes, but I know that there are *some* unscrupulous sellers there) and that you may want to look into getting some extra pin backs that are better at keeping the pins on lanyards/clothing than the Mickey head backs the pins come with. You can find them in some craft stores, or online by searching for "security pin backs", "safety pin backs" or "locking pin backs".

I hope your kids have a blast trading. It's been really great for me to see my daughter (almost 5 now, 3 when she started trading) interacting with the cast members with increasing confidence over the period of time she's been trading. You may also learn a few things about your kids when they trade pins! I had no idea she liked some of the characters she does until she picked out pins with those characters on them while she was pin trading.

 

[solfan68]

DS8 has done pin trading on our last two family trips. He and I are headed to the world in January and I decided to get in on the action. So I've got us some fresh lanyards and some pins we can split. His biggest thing has always been wanting to hold on to the ones we get specifically for trading.We'll see which one of us comes away with a cooler collection.

 

[pixiewings71]

How can you tell the CM Kids' lanyards from a CM general one?

CM Kids' lanyards are green. general ones are black

this is exactly right! And don't feel bad if you do forget and ask a CM with a kids' lanyard to trade, I've done it before and the CM's are very nice about it.

At 6 and 4, I would take the number of pins you have that you are willing to trade and divide it by the number of days you will be at WDW. Then cut that in half, and that's the number of pins each one of your kids have available to trade each day.

You can, of course, be flexible when they find a pin they just *have* to have and they've already done their trading for the day, or if they look around all day and don't see anything they want to trade for.

I do think that having a guideline number of pins to trade per day will help you mete the trader pins out over your entire trip, so the activity will be enjoyable for the kids over the length of your trip. This will keep them from getting so excited early on in the trip that they trade all the traders away and then they will be bugging you to buy more so they can keep trading.

There are some pin trading specific boards out there on the internet where you may find a truckload more information and pin traders who can give you all sorts of information. I agree with the previous posters that you do want to be careful of the authenticity of the pins on eBay (not saying all the pins there are fakes, but I know that there are *some* unscrupulous sellers there) and that you may want to look into getting some extra pin backs that are better at keeping the pins on lanyards/clothing than the Mickey head backs the pins come with. You can find them in some craft stores, or online by searching for "security pin backs", "safety pin backs" or "locking pin backs".

I hope your kids have a blast trading. It's been really great for me to see my daughter (almost 5 now, 3 when she started trading) interacting with the cast members with increasing confidence over the period of time she's been trading. You may also learn a few things about your kids when they trade pins! I had no idea she liked some of the characters she does until she picked out pins with those characters on them while she was pin trading.

Exactly right! Not all pins on eBay are scrappers, I sell pins on eBay (here and there) and I make very sure my pins are legit, if I can't be sure then I state that in my auction. Most auctions on eBay do not do that, they just say "100% tradeable" which can be an indication of scrappers. I really suggest that people check out the eBay super thread on the Collector's Board, there are quite a few of us who put a lot of effort into that thread. We did it to help others in their quest for good pins to trade at a decent price. Hopefully it helps!

I also agree that it was a joy to watch my DD10 (she was 7 when we started to pin trade) come out of her shell and learn how to interact with the CM's. That was part of why we started too.

 

[lanirh]

My kids (DS11, DS9 & DD5) have enjoyed trading those silly bands and they think that trading pins at the park would be fun and a great souvenir to bring home. I would like to buy a starter set with more than 5 pins for each kid, is there an online store(other than ebay) to purchase these, or do you just buy individual sets/pin at the World once you get there?

Thanks,
Lani

 

[marymac123]

we are doing pin trading instead of autographs this yr for the first time for DD6 and DD4 for our trip in a couple wks. I got them each lanyards from ebays for $3 and a "lot" of 20 pins...is that enough to start w/ ...?
anyone have any tips?
will CM's approach us to trade? are there "rules" about trading? do you trade with other guests at WDW or only CM's?
TIA!

You have to let me know how the pin trading instead of autographs went over with the girls. If they missed the whole autograph thing or not? We started on a real small scale w/pin trading last week & I think DH & I were just as into it as DD5 was. It was kinda crazy juggling autograph books & lanyards & loosing pins. I would suggest getting the little locks for the ones they really like. Have Fun!!

 

[5stljayhawks]

I bought a 20 pack on ebay- legit ones and loaded up the lanyards we bought at home. Well after a few hours they started to get heavy, so the next day we limited the pins to 5 each and removed the keeper pins.

We are headed down again in three months, I will probable pick up an additional 30 or 40 pins allowing for more trade outs and fun. As I look over my shoulder my DD is hanging in sight from some deer antlers.

 

[disneydreamer74]

My family and I are avid pin traders..started out as just a novelty a few years ago...and now we really look forward to it each trip. One tip I have learned that is a must for us: We purchase our pins on Ebay, usually like 50 for the 3 of us, and I have always used the same seller every time because I know they have authentic pins and none of the are duplicates. Also,many of the pin sellers on Ebay will ship them to your hotel for you at the Disney parks (or offsite), so we will be doing that for this coming trip! We like to pick a few pins and try to trade for all of the pins in that collection, with the goal of trying to finish those collections by the time we leave. Buying online is A LOT cheaper than purchasing sets of pins to trade in the parks, which cost me $29.95 per set of 6 pins a month ago. As posted above, the pins on the lanyard can get really heavy around the neck, especially for kids,so I would limit how many you put on the lanyards each day. Enjoy!

 

[lanirh]

Thanks for the information! I am thrilled with the idea of doing this, it sounds like so much fun.
Lani

 

[ddoconnell]

Your kids will love pin trading! My DD has gotten so many pins that we bought her one of the backpacks with the pages for pins that she wants to keep. She only puts "traders" on her lanyard.

I have been approached by CM's for a pin that I have. It was a gimme back before pin trading got popular. It is Mickey flying a plane. I get asked by a CM to trade for it at least once a trip!

This is a great way of doing something together with your kids!!