Pins Pins Pins?!?

[BarleyJack]

I'm afraid I might be getting addicted to collecting pins. Yikes, another expense LOL. Here's my question: do I have to trade? Can I just wear them on my backpack or something? Just curious....the more I read about this the more I'm realizing that pin trading is HUGE apparently....

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Only Cast Members on duty wearing an officially issued lanyard (or similar) have to trade. For Guests, including Cast Members off duty and not in costume, this is totally an option.

For example, I have a lanyard which is my "show-off" lanyard. All the pins on it are very rare and have locking backs. There is no way I will ever trade any of these pins away, but I do like to brag. I am willing to let people look and tell them about the particular pins. But I will not be wearing it when I am working.

 

[siskaren]

I collect pins rather than trade them, and no one has ever given me a hard time about it. If anyone asks if they can see my pins (usually kids), I say sure, but that I don't trade. And I do wear them on a lanyard.

 

[DanMedix]

I just gave my DS his pin lanyard from our last visit (when he was 2), with his first official pin on it. He's been marching around the house with it on ever since I gave it to him! I think he'll catch on once he gets into the swing of things down there.

My DD, DW, and I do like pin trading, but aren't as fanatical about it as some people are. For example, I had one KID (couldn't have been more than 10) who kept looking at my pins, and telling me how much they were worth, and how rare some of them were.

What he failed to realize is that I don't trade pins for their value like that. My pins' value lies in being a remembrance of a previous trip, or other identifiers to me, or my family. My "Incredibles" pin represents my family (the movie hits home with me to an extent, with my family as well). My Magic Kingdom Fire Dept pin...well, you can guess there. My Monsters Inc pin represents our 2001 trip, when we saw it at WDW. My U.S. Flag Mickey head pin represents my pride in my country. My Milo Thatch pin represents my favorite of the underdog Disney movies: Atlantis. etc etc etc.....


But I digress......No. No guest has to trade if they don't want to.

 

[DisneyBride2000]

How do you know what pins are more valuable? I like to buy pins on my trips, but I am not a collector. Just curious if any of mine are rare.

 

[Pirates4me]

Value of a pin lies not in the wallet but in the memories that it congers. We trade but don't have to. I trade pins that I may doubles of or a pin that has no significant story hitched to it. It can be addicting though, my DD now has over 100 pins.

 

[Vemnox]

How do you know what pins are more valuable? I like to buy pins on my trips, but I am not a collector. Just curious if any of mine are rare.

Pins are only worth what you or someone else think they are.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

How do you know what pins are more valuable? I like to buy pins on my trips, but I am not a collector. Just curious if any of mine are rare.

If you go to www.pinpics.com you can search on the pins. Each listing shows the number of people who are wanting the pin and the number willing to trade. Look at the ratios.

If you see a pin (such as some of the older Figment pins) with 100 or 200 people wanting and 0 or 1 available that will carry a high (eBay) purchase value. If you see one where the number of willing to trade is close to or even more than the number of people looking for a particular pin, that is a much lower value.

For example, pins 2973, 2991, 2999, 3001 and 3021 will all go for over $200 on eBay whenever they are put up for sale.

 

[CanadianGuy]

There is a board dedicated to those who collect Disney stuff here on the DIS. And there's a large group of pin collectors over there.

I'm going to move this thread over there.

Thanks!

Knox

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I think the move from collector to trader is driven by the type of pin you want to collect. If you buy a pin or two on each trip to commemorate the event or a special occasion, that you can continue collecting without trading. But if you move toward focusing on all pins for a certain character or attraction or theme, you will be limited by what is available for sale. If you start looking for old or retired pins, or pins from other countries, you could avoid trading and start bidding on eBay. But many hard to find pins never go to auction, or show up only once in a year or two. If you want to add something like that to your collection, you will probably end up trading.

Do not judge all of pintrading by what you see in the parks with CMs, or some of the regulars at DTD. There is a tremendous middleground that is comprised of pinpals who trade online, get together regionally, come to the pintrading events in the parks, and are part of a huge social network. Most experienced traders are happy to coach newbies. We were all new to this hobby at some point.

 

[Luv2Roam]

As already stated you never have to trade any pin. It is your pin afterall.
Locking backs are a good idea if you will be wearing the pin, esp in the parks, and don't plan on trading the pin.
You will see others wearing peacock lanyards, vests, hats, bags, whatever. Nothing wrong with that. It is often fun just to see others pins, and quite often pins you may not otherwise see.

 

[mrbillonooo]

I am not a big pin collector but I have some pins from 2000 that when I bought them at the Disney store was told they were the 1st ones sold. Is this ture? What web sites can I go to and find the value of them?
Thanks
mr bill
mrbillonooo@yahoo.com

 

[Pirates4me]

Like someone said earlier, pins are only worth what you or someone else are willing to pay for them

 

[daber]

I am not a big pin collector but I have some pins from 2000 that when I bought them at the Disney store was told they were the 1st ones sold. Is this ture? What web sites can I go to and find the value of them?
Thanks

No the ones from the Disney store in 2000 were not the first pins sold. Disney's been selling them as far back as the 1980s or earlier. I know of some Figment pins from back then. As far as value, since they were not Limited Edition pins, they aren't all that valuable, except maybe the CM one and the Davy Crockett error.

Again, pinpics wants/trades ratio is as good as any value indicator.

 

[kjetjl]

Pins are only worth what you or someone else think they are.

I am so glad to hear that. We resisted pin trading for our kids until our last trip. I hate how something fun gets hi-jacked by someone in it to make money. We have six kids and I thought it would be too expensive but it turned out the pins were cheaper than some of the other stuff they bought and now they can bring these back on our next trip. And I have to tell you, the kids had a ball trading the pins.
At one point, my daughter had all tinkerbells and the next thing you know she was onto something new....
My oldest had the most fun trying to trade for the million dreams set with Mickey and Minnie/Donald/Goofy and wouldn't you know...he got it. He was so excited.
I am glad we finally discovered pin trading!!
Have fun with it and make magical memories!

 

[portia9]

I am addicted too. I am doing some Ebay shopping and I have four kids but I am not sure which ones I will let my kids get their hands on LOL.

I think this is a good thing for them to collect and nice and easy to transport home.

 

[BarleyJack]

Random pin related question: will the pins be allowed as carry on for my flight down or should I check them?

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

No problem bringing pins as carry-on. Sometimes TSA will want to open the bags to check more carefully, but there is no restriction to carrying pins on a plane.

 

[jchutch72]

My wife objects to my recent decision to start collecting pins. She is convinced that it is a meaningless and overly expensive hobby. I think it adds to the Disney experience. Can anyone provide me with a compelling argument? Thank you.

 

[JeffM]

I would just tell her you like it. My wife did not like the idea the first time we went to the World. She's not a collector like me but she isn't opposed to it anymore as she knows I like it.