Pin Trading

[TimothyG]

How does Pin Trading work? Can someone clue me into the specifics. Also, how much does it end up costing if you really want to get into it. For example, how much for the lanyards, etc.? What do you get when you first start trading? Etc.

 

[epcotfan]

Pin trading can be a fun but expensive hobby. Retail prices for Disney pins range from $6.95 to $12.95. I think the last lanyard I bought was about $10.00. Obviously to trade with cast members you can buy a starter lanyard set which normally includes 4 trading pins and a lanyard for about $25.00. Some lanyard starter sets are more expensive since they include extra pins. Many people buy large lots of pins on Ebay to trade at Disney. You must be careful though to make sure they are pins that can be traded at Disney.
Here are Disney's Official rules regarding pin trading:

Disney Pin Trading Etiquette
Have Fun! Disney Pin Trading can be a great way to interact with and
meet Cast Members and other Guests.

The main criteria to judge whether a pin is tradable or not is that it
must be a metal pin that represents a Disney Event, Location, Character
or Icon. Some pins from our Operating Participants are also tradable,
but must represent the Operating Participant in a way that has a
specific Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort
affiliation.

Pins should in good, undamaged condition.

Trade one pin at a time, hand to hand, with the backs attached.

Guests may trade a maximum of two pins with each Cast Member.

Guests may trade only one pin of the same style with a Cast Member.

When trading with Cast Members, Guests should offer a pin that is
not already displayed on the Cast Member's lanyard.

Please refrain from touching another person's pins or lanyard. If you
need a closer look, ask the person wearing the lanyard if they can bring
it into clearer view for you.

Disney name pins may not be traded with Cast Members.

Monies or gifts may not be exchanged or used in trade for a pin.

In addition to the 12 pins on Cast lanyards, some Cast Members may
wear a "Showcase" pin. These "Showcase" pins are for demonstrations
to our Guests and are not available for trade.

 

[MICKEEP]

We have not been back to WDW since 2000. Pin trading was really poular at that time.

Has pin trading died down?

Do people still walk around with lanyards?

 

[weluvpluto]

Maybe it's just early but what does this mean?...

Disney name pins may not be traded with Cast Members.

 

[lovethattink]

Maybe it's just early but what does this mean?...

Disney name pins may not be traded with Cast Members.

Basically it means a personalized pin may not be traded.

In addition to trading with cast members, there are also pin trading nights. These are Thur at the All Star Sport resort and Fri at the Contemporary from 7pm-10pm. Also a pin trading afternoon at POFQ from 2-6pm.

Pin trading is a fun but expensive hobby. My son has been trading since 1999 and dh and I since 2003. We've formed many friendships with other traders over the years.

There is a collectors board here on the Dis that might be able to help. Also these other pin collecting web sites might help.

www.dizpins.com
www.pinpics.com

 

[Bev J]

our whole family loves pin trading!! We started in Jan 2000 and were instantly hooked.
it is not just the trading, it is talking to CM's and park guests we otherwise would not have.
If you are wanting to get started, there are lots of pin on ebay that are park pins and much cheaper than buying in the parks. Sometimes you can find a bunch of pins for sale for pretty cheaply and this is a good way to start.
Some CM's can only trade with children so if you have kids it is fun for them also. Each trip my son (9) starts a new collection, such as all animals, only mickey pins.. what ever.
Just have fun with it!

Bev

 

[RichmondTiggerFan]

If you can, go to one of the WDW outlets located in some of the outlet malls in Orlando(they are all offsite, so you'll need a car to get to them). I have seen lanyards in there for half-price and they have some pins, but I don't think there is any discount on those. In the parks, most pins are in the $6.95 to $8.95 range, with some of the limited edition pins in the $10.95-$12.95 range.

Also, if a CM is wearing a green lanyard, it means that the pins on the green lanyard are only traded with children. Some CM's only wear green lanyards and other wear both green and black lanyards(the pins on the black lanyard can be traded with anybody).

 

[jswalker1981]

I was at MK last friday and I saw several kids trading pins. My GF and I are collecting pressed pennies/quarters, and if we ever have a kid, we might get him/her started with trading pins.

 

[MinnieFan]

My DS (now 14) started collecting pins when he was 8 or 9. He saves up his money for each trip so he can add to his collection. He has a pretty impressive collection now. On our last visit we bought one of the pin display books so he has a nice way to keep and look at his collection. It is an expensive hobby though!

 

[soccermom5]

how many pins is a good for a kids first trip? i want to have them before we go and i only want to buy one special pin for each child in wdw ?

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

My kids love their pins, but aren't into trading. They don't want to part with the ones they have so carefully chosen!!!

I bought them each an empty lanyard, and they chose 5 pins this trip.

 

[kandeebunny]

You can buy lanyards atHotTopic (If you like NBC) or at Claire's (they sometimes have disney lanyards)

When buying on e-bay avoid SEDESMA pins or pins from Spain as sometimes it is difficult to trade them because not everyone recognizes them as Disney pins.

Look for pins where the price is under $4 per pin in large groups on e-bay. Trade those with CM's. At first just trade with CM's until you get the hang of it because there are people out there called "sharks" who are only out for their own gain.

www.pinpics.com is amazing and a lifesaver on bootleg pins!

 

[Brianne]

They have pin collecting starter sets---I want to say they're around $25? Each set comes with a lanyard and 4 pins (two different styles of pins; I presume it's so you can keep 1 of each style, and trade the other two).

If I can remember, the starter sets right now are Princess, Tinkerbell, Toy Story, Lilo & Stitch, and Pooh. There might also be a Villians one now, but I'm not sure (the other ones listed are ones my family & I own ).

One suggestion I always make is, make sure you buy the little package of extra backs!!! I don't know why, but it seems like the backs of the pins come off so easily.

We don't trade pins ourselves, quite honestly. We're out at the parks about twice a month, usually with my parents, so they buy the kids a pin every time for their collection. After a couple trips, my kids were so attached to the pins, they didn't want to trade any of them. Needless to say, after only a few months of collecting, my kids are about due for a new lanyard.

 

[buzz2400]

My ds is heavily into trading. I buy a lot at a time on ebay and get them around 2.50 a piece. ebay buyer is harval1. Pin trading is a major thing for him when we go every year. We trade at least 50 pins at least a day. I would never trade with anyone other than a cm. There are a lot of cm's that trade at the marketplace also. It is very addicting. If you buy pins from ebay, make sure they have disney written on back, they are not sedesma/spain pins and they must be metal and not broken.

 

[kandeebunny]

OH and don't try to collect everything...pick a theme or a character to collect and try to stick to it or you will go broke trying to collect it all lol

 

[lovethattink]

Just a word of warning for those young pin traders out there. My son started in kindergarten, 1999. We bought him a bunch Disney Store pins. We didn't understand how trading worked. He was so upset that no body wanted to trade pins with him. We didn't realize that he was the one who had to approach the CM for a trade, not the other way around. We were standing at Epcot outside of the Uk and a woman approached my son and asked if he would trade his Lady and the Tramp pin. He was thrilled! He traded and was so happy...until bedtime. He cried so hard because he missed his pin. We spent the rest of the trip looking for a Lady and the Tramp pin, but could not find one. Got home, went back to the Disney store and there was no pin left. Tried on ebay and spent a fortune to get him a pin similar to his Lady and the Tramp pin. From that trip on, we he was permitted to bring only the pins he no longer wanted. To this day, when he goes to make a trade with a pin we think he might want to hang on to, we remind him of Lady and the Tramp.

 

[ReninDetroit]

I too am very addicted to pin trading.

It gets expensive, but if that's your "main" souvenir, it's not that bad. I usually come home with a new lanyard full of pins every trip. (8-12).

Trading is fun but I'm more into collecting because I wouldn't have bought them if I didn't want to keep them! lol

But if you want to trade, getting a big collection on Ebay is a good idea and then you can keep the ones you want and trade the ones you don't like.

One tip: if you have any pins that you don't want to get rid of, just leave them at home or in your hotel room because it's alot easier to leave them off your lanyard than to have to say no to a child that wants to trade. Any limited editions, surprise releases, etc that are worth more than typical pins are best left in the room.

 

[ReninDetroit]

Just a word of warning for those young pin traders out there. My son started in kindergarten, 1999. We bought him a bunch Disney Store pins. We didn't understand how trading worked. He was so upset that no body wanted to trade pins with him. We didn't realize that he was the one who had to approach the CM for a trade, not the other way around. We were standing at Epcot outside of the Uk and a woman approached my son and asked if he would trade his Lady and the Tramp pin. He was thrilled! He traded and was so happy...until bedtime. He cried so hard because he missed his pin. We spent the rest of the trip looking for a Lady and the Tramp pin, but could not find one. Got home, went back to the Disney store and there was no pin left. Tried on ebay and spent a fortune to get him a pin similar to his Lady and the Tramp pin. From that trip on, we he was permitted to bring only the pins he no longer wanted. To this day, when he goes to make a trade with a pin we think he might want to hang on to, we remind him of Lady and the Tramp.

Yep. Leave them in the room if you don't want to part with them!

 

[MinnieFan]

If I can remember, the starter sets right now are Princess, Tinkerbell, Toy Story, Lilo & Stitch, and Pooh. There might also be a Villians one now, but I'm not sure (the other ones listed are ones my family & I own ).

They also have an Incredibles starter set now.

 

[soccermom5]

just received my pins and some are from dl can these be traded at wdw? i also received a few with dates
dramatic disney sea 2004
groundshogsday 2003
kodac celebrates 2004 are these tradable because if not i want to return them i payed 2.50 a pin but 6 fall in the above . please someone help i leave in 5 days and wouldnt want the kids to try and trade and be turned down tia