Question about Trading Pins

[wfdiaff]

I was told that if you have pins on your lanyard and was approached to trade one of them, you HAD to trade. Is this accurate? I want to introduce trading to my kids when we go but I don't want them to get attached to a pin and then have to trade it.

 

[shanejoseph]

To answer your question, no they don't have to trade. Cast Members have to trade to a guest's request. My daughter has been a trader since her first trip and she still loves it! She has quite a collection. She has a separate portfolio that she has to keep them in. It's a great experience for your children, even yourself! It's a great way to teach children how to randomly react with others. Tell your children to place the pins they want to keep and not trade, on the reverse side of the lanyard. That means they're "off the table" for trades, but still allows them to show off their prized pins. Cast members are great resources for limited edition/available pins. They are great at spotting your children's lanyards, and approaching them, but have your children on the look-out.

 

[SKTiger]

Definitely not! A cast member has to accept a trade unless they already have the pin you're offering

 

[jenlynn0808]

My kiddos wear the ones they want to trade. When they trade and get one they want to keep we don't put it on the lanyard, we just put it in a baggy or a pocket and put it in our backpack. That way there is no chance of it being traded away. Just an fyi- my daughter did trade for 'backwards' pins. It was during the Year of a Million Dreams. The cm told her if she picked the special pin she would win a surprise. So she picked a backwards one and they traded and she won fastpasses for any ride she wanted that could be used at any time that day.

 

[figment_jii]

I was told that if you have pins on your lanyard and was approached to trade one of them, you HAD to trade. Is this accurate? I want to introduce trading to my kids when we go but I don't want them to get attached to a pin and then have to trade it.

As the PPs have said, you, the guest, do not have to trade. In all the years I've been to Disneyland and Disney World, I've never had a CM come up to me and initiate a trade. On the flip side, the Disney CMs must trade if asked unless they already have the pin on their lanyard, the pin being offered is not from Disney (e.g., no Universal Studio pins accepted), is in bad condition, or an adult asks to trade with a kids only lanyard (some CMs wear a teal colored lanyard that is supposed to reserved for trading with kids only). The CMs tend to be very friendly and happy to trade.

Now, there are also "professional" pin traders in the park. These are non-Disney people that also do pin trading. Unless you have something really rare/valuable, it's unlikely that they'll initiate a trade with you either. I'm sure there are some nice ones, but most I've come across are in it to make money, so be careful if try trading with them. They can (and often do) say "no" or ask you to trade more than one for their pin (i.e., two or more of yours for one of theirs) or ask you to buy them a pin from the shop. If the latter happens, I highly recommend walking away. If your daughter is just starting to trade, I'd avoid the "professional" traders.

 

[pixiewings71]

guests do not have to trade, I have many "keepers" on my lanyards that I wear in the parks and refuse to trade. I've been asked many times, by adults and children alike and I've never felt bad about saying "no, that's a keeper not a trader". With children I offer them something else, with adults they can ask for something else. lol CM's do have to trade, but guests do not. Regarding the "professional" traders, if they want something I have I'll see if they have something I want, otherwise it's a thanks but no thanks. Unfortunately they usually want something that I won't trade. LOL