Relative value of pins?

[KarenUK]

Hi there everyone!

I was just wondering how you determine the relative value of pins.

I understand the principal of 'supply and demand' but get very confused as it doesn't seem to be that simple LOL

I have been trading my (very) few traders on Pinpics lately and, in general, have tried to say yes to any trade that is offered as all the pins on my wanted list are...well wanted! And as I live in the UK it is not often possible to get these pins first hand.

Until now I have made very few requests myself for fear of offending and the only trades that I have initiated have been UK Disney store pins for US Disney Store pins - thought I was fairly safe there LOL.

I only have a few DLP pins left to trade now although some are LE but I don't really know their 'value'.

Which do you go on the most? The LE number, the ratio of those wanting to those trading, the price it is selling for on the auction sites? There are so many factors to take into consideration!

ANy advise would be gratefully received!

Many thanks

Karen

 

[daber]

Hi KarenUK,
I try to go with the LE size. Notice I said try.
I don't trust that Internet auction site prices since they fluctuate wildly.
As for the ratio of those trading vs those wanting, I just don't have the time to constantly go to pin pics and look that up.

That said, if you have an LE 1500, I try to offer something close to that. But if it is a pin I REALLY REALLY want, I bend the rules. For example, I want the Nightmare Before Christmas LE 150. (don't even look at the e-**y price, if there's one up for sale). I'd offer all of my LE 100s + some more. But every trader is different. So the main idea is to start the discussion and see where it goes from there. (and as they say in POTC.....ahoy mates, there be rough water ahead.)

 

[Luv2Roam]

It's very hard to judge. Some racks are much more coveted than some LE's.
Seems like I go by how much in demand it is almost, if not more, than if it is an LE or not. While others are insulted by a LE vs non-LE trade offer.
Requests and trades range in a very broad spectrum. I have sent multiple requests out and have the first response as a YES right away. While the next person has a cold "How dare you" tone to their No.
I have had some make offers to me that almost made me fall off my chair and even gave them more than they asked for. And of course I have had them at the other end where they want a very HTF pin for a very common pin. I think it all evens out in the end anyway.
We all hate it when traders bring up Ebay prices. But, quite often we judge our own pin's value by that. It's just secondary market prices are very fluid and some people apparently have too much money. Which leaves most of us out. That's why we trade.
When I make TA offers, I have Pinpics up in two windows. One to see what pins I can trade for. Another to check to see how closely the desirability of the pins match. And even then it's hard.
Just go for it. You can't offer anything we haven't already seen!
Happy trading!

 

[RamVA]

Karen,

I don't think you will find a consensus of opinion on this subject!! There are all those variables that you mentioned and more,(LE, original retail price, e-bay price, CM pin, pinpics-defined "supply and demand"), and I have found in my short trading experience, that everybody has a different priority that they consider when trading.

I personnally feel, that if most of your trading is internet-based (as mine is) then pinpics supply and demand is very important, and sometimes more important than LE. If I'm trading mostly from pinpics, and that's the pool I have to pick from, then if there is only 1 person trading a pin, and I want it, then that's a pretty valuable pin. But, I have found when trading in person, most people could care less about supply and demand, and will trade strictly LE for LE, and for comparable numbers (like a 1500 for a 1500, 5000 for 5000, and so on). And in my opinion, like "luv2roam", there are lots of LE pins that are all over the place, and nobody wants, and you might find a really rare rack pin that no one has to trade--which is more "valuable"? To me, it's that rack pin that you might never find, not the LE pin that is "limited", but you could trade for from anybody. This is the part of "in-person" trading that I find frustrating, becuase to me all LEs are not created equal! I have also been definitively told by some traders that they will not trade a comparable LE and comparable "supply/demand" pin because it it selling for a high price on e***, so it is worth a multiple number of pins simply because of that price. Same goes for original retail price--if it's an $18 pin (unusual, but there are a few) then they want at least 2, if not 3 pins to match their $$investment in that pin. Some people will not make multiple trades--they think their one pin is the same as your one pin--a piece of metal with a sharp pointy back that you both paid a very similar price for.

The hardest part for me is learning to say "no" to a trade, after I have decided what my personal "trading criteria" are. For me, it is really a combination of LE (or CM or rack) and Pinpics supply/demand ratio. (secondary considerations are original price, and e*** price). It's much easier to say "no" through e-mail of course--in person is definitely harder; you're looking the person in the eye, you're probably having fun, you don't want to reject their offer, or hurt their feelings, you really want the pin they have and it's RIGHT THERE! I've definitely made trades I might not have made through the internet, so I am still working on this!

Don't know if this has been much help, and sorry to "ramble on"; I'm sure that as you encounter all different kinds of traders and trading experiences, you will determine what's most important to you, and then try to work your style into trading with others who have similar styles!

Have fun!

 

[KarenUK]

Thanks everyone .....I have started giving it my best shot! I have tried to offer trades that appear to be fairly even based on the info on Pinpics, but if I have offended anyone who visits these boards please accept my appologies and rest assured that it was purely unintentional!

However I do have some more questions about Pinpics etiquette...so I have put that in a different post!

Thanks again!

Karen