Our kids always asked the CM's they traded with if they could keep their pin backs. This was never a problem with any of the CM's. I felt our pins were new and our backs were still tight whereas some of the pins on the CM's lanyards were old and some of the backs were stretched out or they had those little gold backs which I don't think stay on as tight. But I'd definetely ask to keep your own pin back durring a trade.