Questions about Disney Pins

[OneMoreTry]

I got started on pins and before I knew it I'd spent $1,500 or more and am now "on the wagon." Here are some things I learned.

I bought LE pins and lots of Opening Day movie pins mostly on Ebay. You can buy "Buy it Now" LE pins directly from Disney Auctions. They used to put up new pins every Monday and Thursday. The Stitch pins usually sell out within less than 30 seconds if they are LE250. If a pin sits there for more than a day it's unpopular. You can also buy NON LE pins directly from Disney, so check that out before you bid more than the original price on Ebay.

Before you bid be sure to check the shipping charge. Some sellers make their profits on the shipping.

If you're thinking of bidding on a pin that's about to close, check the recently listed pins first. I've seen "BUy it NOw" pins newly listed cheaper than pins about to close. (Especially if you consider shipping.) If a pin seems high, wait. Prices usually come down a while after they've been released.

Some sellers BID AGAINST themselves to raise the price. They will bid you up using another screen name and computer. So don't keep increasing your bid at the end. Bid what the pin is worth to you. Not more.

Many pin sellers are downright mean and nasty. Take everything you're told with a grain of salt. Everyone has an agenda. That said, out of all my purchases, I was only ripped off once, for $45! The seller kept making excuses and I fell for them until I passed the deadline for reporting him.

I can tell you some stories. Be WARY and shrewd!

Stick to your budget and have fun!

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

OH DEAR One More Try....yep, it's time for you to stay on the pin-less wagon!

i thought a seller was doing just what you posted (bidding up the price in the last few minutes)....but I kinda tested my theory and at least in this case, probably not. (I had 4 pins from this seller all closing in relatively the same time...two were bid up at the last sec, but the other two...which were actually the better 'deals' re being rather rare...they stated the same. So it was 'just my imagination' and now I'll being singing that song (just my..)all night...ohno!!!.

I ended up with 27 pins,
$140 including shipping. so less than $6 each. There are only 10 of them that I'd be willing to trade...the rest I really like and want to keep!

But man, it takes a lot of time to search out these pins, look em up in the 'history' book, then stay at the computer the last 5 minutes before they 'close'...WHEW! I need to get a life!

Well, I think I am about done for a little while at least. There are a few that I saw that I realy liked...so maybe I will check in once in a while to see what they are going for.

Anyone go to any of the pin trading fairs? I think I'd get a headache with so many...actually there are too many even on EBAY....but I am really happy with the ones I got.

One More TIme: did you stick with pins that you built up as sets? Like all the DVC pins and such? Or did you just buy whatever looked pretty?

CB

 

[OneMoreTry]

I bought pins I liked. Like I said, mostly LE's. I like Goofy, Jiminy Cricket. I bought Opening Day pins of movies I liked: Pirates of the Caribbean and Nemo. My favorites are a set of 5 or 6 LE1000 of a train: each car with a different character and Mickey as a conductor. I think I have 4 full sets of those and some partial sets (not completed when I decided to quit buying for a while). I bought some other sets like last years flower and garden flower pins (characters inside a flower).

There is usually a big pin event at Epcot each September and there is one pin trading cruise each year. Throughout the year there are pin trading events with LE releases. LE's are sold based on a lottery held before the event.

I would go to the September event but I would never be able to convince my wife to go. I'm not hard-core enough to fly to WDW for the other events. I think most of those pins go to the "pinmongers" (my neologism) that live near WDW and sell on Ebay.

I would like to get back into it again, but it's hard to control!!

 

[lsutigger2]

thanks for reminding me why I need to stay away from Ebay!!!

Len: would love some more information on the shadow box you purchased. Do you rememeber where at DTD and if you don't mind sharing, how much it cost?

I've gotten several pins through the years. And had always planned to do wall hanging size quilts with each park icon on them, but ........

Then when we were at WDW in Oct, I purchased a child's bucket of sponges to paint with and have now gotten some cork board pieces and plan on sponge painting an icon for each park and putting the pins on those pieces, one of these days ...........

Would like more info on how those of you that have put them on cork pieces get them to stay, or what you used to secure them.

A great collection would be one for every letter of the alphabet!! I'm going to try and take pics this trip (May - can it get here faster, please!!!!) of alphabet stuff. There are lots of good ideas for this on one of the other boards.

Thanks for sharing all the good ideas!!

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

Believe it or not, the pins just stick into the corkboard and they hold there fine. So far, I just bought the little corkboard with Mickey on the front at the big Pin Traders in DTD last October. It is completely full though

 

[lenshanem]

lsutigger2, I think the shadow box was $55? It was at the big pin station at DTD. Actually, they only had a display - you have to ask them to get one from their storage. We also saw them at the Contemporary Resort pin station. These were out and not boxed up. The one we got a DTD was all wrapped up.

It is very nice. Black wood and glass, a WDW pin inside you can move around. The pins just stick into it, no need to worry about the backs. It has hangers on the backside. We already have ours hung.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

We started collecting by buying a huge cheap lot off ebay for the kids to use as traders on a trip a few years ago. It was a great idea! Course, most of the pins they traded for were princesses.

I now collect pins for all the resorts we stay at, DVC pins and any special events we attend. I'm hoping they'll have a spring break pin this year. We also like attraction and restaurant pins.

Last trip we bought a cool pin shadow box at DTD for our resort pins. It looks great!

Anyone know when the next DVC pin this year will be out and what it is? I got the starter Chip and Dale and AK Stitch. Wow, I hope they all don't have Stitch on them!

hey shan just wanted to let you knowthey do have a 2005 springbreak pin

2005 Spring Break Pin

 

[sjdisneywedding]

have you guys bought the pins exclusive to the disney visa card?

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

Shan,

What size is the shadowbox? How many pins could you put in it? It sounds really nice. I don't have a lot of pins. I only collect the ones I really like.

Trying not to redo the Beanie Baby thing. I try not to think about the amount of money I have invested there.

TIA

 

[Pinmaniac]

Shan,

What size is the shadowbox? How many pins could you put in it? It sounds really nice. I don't have a lot of pins. I only collect the ones I really like.

Trying not to redo the Beanie Baby thing. I try not to think about the amount of money I have invested there.

TIA

Not trying to but in, but the shadow boxes are available at most of the resorts. I bought one at Epcot at the pin station last week (the boxes they are in were hidden behind the left side cash register), and at the pin kiosk at AK last time I was there (January). The cost as was mentioned earlier was $55.

I have also purchased them from Disney on ebay for around $35. They don't show up all the time on ebay but I did manage to grab 2 when they were available.

The boxes hold a fair number of pins. Think of two keyboards next to each other and you have a rough idea of the size.

Hope that helped.

 

[lenshanem]

hey shan just wanted to let you knowthey do have a 2005 springbreak pin

2005 Spring Break Pin

Thanks! Think they'll still have them early April or do I need to worry about getting this one NOW?

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Well I am still lurking on Ebay.

I ran into one of the sellers that OneMoreTime spoke of...that had horrendous shipping fees. He even said that his fees were to cover the cost of EBAY fees and 'offering items at a discount'. Hmm. Anyway I bid on something at 3:00 AM and, thinking he was a different seller who did consolidate...2 more things . won all 3 for a total of $10, ( some lanyards to use for pins and Bunko, a pin and a Disney denim purse) but the shipping was $16. So I wrote him a sweet note, explained the sitch and he nicely reduced the shipping to $10. THEN I bought a ticket to WDW because I KNEW that today I would find out I passed ROFR....
And today I got the call that I had passed. Yippee!

Thanks for the shadowbox info...it really sounds nice . Maybe I'll find one on EBAY! HA!

I officially STOP buying pins today. Really. I mean it this time. At least til May.

CB

 

[Pinmaniac]

Well I am still lurking on Ebay.

I ran into one of the sellers that OneMoreTime spoke of...that had horrendous shipping fees. He even said that his fees were to cover the cost of EBAY fees and 'offering items at a discount'. Hmm. Anyway I bid on something at 3:00 AM and, thinking he was a different seller who did consolidate...2 more things . won all 3 for a total of $10, ( some lanyards to use for pins and Bunko, a pin and a Disney denim purse) but the shipping was $16. So I wrote him a sweet note, explained the sitch and he nicely reduced the shipping to $10.

As a long-time ebay seller I would say that most sellers are pretty reasonable. If you use e-bay check-out after winning several of my auctions the shipping would be astronomical as well, but when I send a confirmation e-mail to the high bidder I always combine shipping. The reason most sellers have it set-up this way is so that if they sell several different size/weight items to the same bidder they do not under charge for the shipping.

I have had in the past some anxious bidders pay the over-inflated shipping, and I sent them a refund. As worked for you the best thing to do if you are unsure is to send a nice e-mail to the seller. Condescending or rude e-mails will usually be met with the respone "sorry, that is the shipping price"

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Thanks! Think they'll still have them early April or do I need to worry about getting this one NOW?

I bet you'll be ok in April. Its not being released until 3-14 so it should be around still, but I guess you never know, it is limited to 2000 pieces.

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

I have the 4th of July and Halloween Disney Visa pins My oldest, DS15 said his favorite pin of mine was the Visa Halloween pin with Donald and his nephews

 

[OneMoreTry]

One more comment about pins. Watch out for SEDESMA Disney pins. They are made in Spain and are of a lower quality -- plastic. The WDW pin traders at WDW will take them, at least the ones I saw, but I felt a little guilty trading them. Many of them are cute and great for little kids, but I don't think they're good collection-quality. They are frequently sold in large sets.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Thanks,
I saw someone on EBAY saying 'these pins are NOT Sedesma ' and wondered what that meant. I'll be checking mine when they arrive!

I am booked into my 'home ' resort of BWV for May and hope I'll be able to get a BWV pin while there....Do any of the Boardwalk CM's wear these resort pins and are they eligible for trading?

 

[Figment2]

It's not unheard of to find resort pins (I found a CM Coronado Springs pin at MGM) but it's rare. This past trip I put some older resort pins on lanyards only because I was tired of looking at them in my trade book.

You'll find several BW pins at Downtown pin traders.

Cyn

 

[OneMoreTry]

Most of the CMs with pins have so-so pins on their lanyards. I saw some great pins once but they were on a GREEN lanyard (trades with kids only). You have to keep an eye out.

Their is a pin cart out on the boardwalk -- they will trade pins from a book. You can leaf through it and trade.

Check the official disney pin trading site. They will list anticipated new releases. Sometimes the other (non official) pin sites have info before they do. They will also list surprise releases. The best releases sell out quickly after they are announced, so if you're real serious bring a computer for internet access. (The DTD pin station has access to the official disney site. I found out about a great LE surprise release there -- being sold at BW pin cart while I was staying at BW. I dillydallied getting back and missed the last pin by a few minutes: sold out 500 of em by noon. And I had walked by the cart that am without checking!! There were some seriously suspicious things going on with the cast members and who got the pins.) The moral is, if you want a pin, get their quick if it is less than LE1000.

Better yet, don't get that serious about it.

 

[cseca]

Hi CB1,
Have you checked out dizpins.com?
Oh by the way, welcome to the pin traders family...

There is a Sale Board specifically on that board and they list out the price and shipping cost up front. No auctions.

Good luck on collecting and trading. I've been doing both for about 4 years now and it can be fun and frustrating at the same time.
Don't get too discouraged if it's hard to trade in the beginning. You'll get a hang of it after awhile.

PM me if you have any specific questions.
Be glad to help.

Again welcome to the family!

Cynthia