Pin Trading

[mjmoon]

Ok.. I don't know why I hadn't really thought much about pin trading for our upcoming trip but now I'm thinking I should hit ebay and get some pins.

What should I look for? I noticed the term "hidden mickey", "rack" and "CM" coming up a lot in the auctions. I take it there are pins that are more desirable than others?

What are the general rules of pin trading in the parks? Are there some you're not to trade? Do the cast members have to trade with you? Do they reject certain ones if they do generally trade?

TIA

 

[daleswife]

if they dont have that little world on the back of them then try not to trade them. Cast Members will trade with you unless they have a green lanyard on then they will only trade with children under 12. If you are buying off of ebay, try for a "lot" sale. You will get pins you dont like then you can trade them for pins you do. That way you aren't paying a whole lot for pins that you are just gonna trade off. I got a lot of 40 pins for $60. We didnt like any of them, so when we went to Disney, I just traded for pins I did like. It gets really addictive though!!!! Good luck.

 

[set1208]

My DD8 is really looking forward to trading. We bought pins from two different ebay sellers. We got good lots. Thanks for the info about the green lanyards...I never knew that. I agree that it is definately addicting. We have pins from our last trip but she is saving those ones as her momories from that specific trip. I can't wait to see what she ends up with this time!

 

[JFrey4240]

I always buy pins for my DD on ebay before we go to WDW. What you need to look for is no sedesmas, propins or europins in the listing. Those pins are not as nice and seem very cheap. If you look carefully enough you can get some good deals. I just bought 50 pins for $85. They were all pins with the official trading logo on the back and very nice. We'll be keeping about 5 and trading the rest on our next trip. Pin trading keeps my DD from spending less money on all the impulse things kids want to buy. When we go in the shops it's more because she's looking to trade pins with the CM's and not to shop.

 

[mjmoon]

carefully enough you can get some good deals. I just bought 50 pins for $85. They were all pins with the official trading logo on the back and very nice.

I just bought a lot of 50 for that amount too. The auction said that none of the ones you mentioned would be included but we'll see when they arrive. It also said, "No 2000 Dancers", is that another undesirable make? The person selling the lot also claims that all of them were traded with cast members at DW. I'm looking forward to seeing them.

 

[DRS_Are_Best]

We went to ebay and got 30 pins for $1.85 (or so) each. We figure that this is just a starter set and we bought them for both myself and dh as well as ds(3). This way we all get a starter collection of 10. Just make sure they are "Official Disney Pins" -- that's all that matters.

We don't know much (at all) about pin trading, but if you are just starting out, keep these things in mind:

1. Chances are, whatever pins you are starting with are intended to be traded. Therefore, it doesn't matter what they are.

2. Cast members will trade regardless of the "value" of the pin. All you have to do is go up to them and ask for a trade of this pin for that. There are very few rules that prevent them from trading any pin you want. Value has nothing to do with it as far as cast members are concerned.

3. When trading with other collectors, that's when you have to consider value. Again, if you are starting out, this is less likely as you are still trying to "build your collection". Just don't let yourself be taken advantage of since you are vying against someone else's wishes and/or desires and/or view of what is valuable and what is not.

So, don't worry about the quality of pins you get online in your starter set -- "hidden mickeys" and "limited editions" are no more valuable than a plain ordinary Mickey pin (or anything else). Just get a starter set and have fun! That's what we're doing!!!!!

 

[Joanna71985]

What are the general rules of pin trading in the parks? Are there some you're not to trade? Do the cast members have to trade with you? Do they reject certain ones if they do generally trade?

TIA

Some things to remember when pin trading are:
*CMs with green lanyards only trade with kids 12 and under
*You can trade up to 2 pins at one time
*CMs can only accept Disney pins. If it doesn't have the Disney logo on the back, they can't take it.
*If the CM has the pin you want to trade already on their lanyard, technically they aren't supposed to accept it (they are not supposed to have duplicates on the lanyard)
*Please remember to try not to grab the CM's lanyard. If you want to see the pins better, just ask

Have fun! Pin trading is so much fun, but so addicting.