Should I?

[GrillMouster]

Over my hundreds of visits to the Disney parks I've resisted the temptation to collect pins. Recently the temptation has grown. This past Saturday I almost bought two pins, a lanyard, and locking pin backs. I was in line to check out, but at the last minute I backed out.

When I got home I started researching pin trading online and found out about "scrappers" and counterfeit pins. This saddened me greatly, because deep down inside I want to trade pins, but I'm concerned about trading a legitimate pin for which I paid $9 for a counterfeit or scrapper that is worth nothing. There are so many thousands of pins, and there is often no way to differentiate an authentic pin from a scrapper. Some people suggest that collectors frequent pinpics and other sites that expose scrappers; are you kidding me? I don't have the time or the memory to memorize all those pins. Sure, I might be able to identify a fake by the poor quality of the pin front & back, but what about the scrappers, many of which look just as good as the originals? If I just wanted to buy and keep pins, this would not be a problem, because I'd always buy them from Disney. But if I'm interested in trading at the parks, I don't have the resources of the web at my fingertips for every trade.

Any advice?

 

[actionvaughn]

Do it! Do it! Do it!

I started collecting last month and the only time I regretted it was when I realized that I had already spent about $350 in that short of time. It's a great hobby, though expensive. It is hard to tell a scrapper from another pin though and unless you directly buy it from a park store, ANY pin can be a scrapper. And even though you want to trade in the parks, there's never any pressure to do so and in my experience, I've never run across a CM that had a problem with me asking to see the back of a pin before I traded it.

I promise you'll get some scrappers in your pin trading future, but with that you'll receive some really great pins you'd trade your car in for before you gave it away.

 

[GrillMouster]

...I had already spent about $350 in that short of time. It's a great hobby, though expensive...

That's one of my fears...it could turn into an expensive hobby. I tell myself that I will only collect a handful of pins--only what will fit on a single lanyard. If I see another pin that I really want, I'll have to give one up to make room.

I just hate the idea of trading a pin that cost me $9 for a scrapper.

 

[Parkhopper_Vince]

Pin trading is a wonderful hobby in my opinion, but it isn't for everyone. If you enjoy the pins and are interested in doing a little trading then you might want to give it a try. Start small and do as much or as little as you like. A good way to go about trading is to purchase one of the starter sets with the lanyard and pins. That way you get the lanyard and you start out with duplicates of the pins that wouldn't be hard to trade away. You need to be willing to have some pins that you aren't attached to at all times when you go to the parks looking to trade. You can't trade if you have nothing you are willing to give up. While scrapper pins are not helping this hobby it is not necessarily something that you should worry about. The secret behind pin trading is to trade for something that you like and when you are trading in person you get to see the pin for yourself so you are deciding if you like it or not. The other part of trading is that if you trade for something and you find you don't like it as much later you can always trade it for something you like better.

I am going to put a little disclaimer warning on this....pin trading and collecting can be somewhat addicting. I do remember going to the parks and having only a lanyard of pins, then a little later having a lanyard and a pin book, then always walking around the parks with a lanyard and a backpack, and then getting a pin binder to put some pins in, and then needing a few more binders, ....you can see where this is going.... and some of you out there have seen where it has gone

On the other hand I will say that it has been a great hobby and although I have mentioned this a number of times in the past it is very important to note that it isn't just about trading and collecting pins, but collecting friends and shared experiences and memories. I have collected a number of pins rolleyes1 ), but along the way I have collected my best friends, some of my best life experiences, and a whole treasure trove of memories and good times that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

 

[Mickey527]

Vince,
You forgot to put in your disclaimer about how you rent a stroller in the parks FOR YOUR PINS!!!!!. LOL

 

[Parkhopper_Vince]

LOL....I was trying to be encouraging....not scary!

 

[canwegosoon]

And you will turn around and trade your scrapper for another pin you like....don't over think the process...buy pins you like to keep(I keep holidays and special event pins)- then I trade the others on a constant basis.

 

[ilovecoasters]

Last Saturday at MK, DS8 traded pins with a CM. About 200 feet later we realized it wasn't even a Disney pin. DS was upset as he traded with a pin we had bought him recently. We went back to the CM and she quickly gave him his pin back and stuck the "fake" pin right back on her lanyard Like the other poster said, expect to get some bad ones. Pin trading is a great way to interact with other guests and CM's at the park. There are some days when that is all we do. Get ready, it is expensive and very addicting! You might want to try to buy some pins off of ebay to get you started.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Go at what ever pace you need and always remember you can always just trade away when in doubt.

I went to Vinces place with DD for a Pin Event and we had about 30 Pins total. Well it's been a bit of time and I have about 6 or 7 special to me pins and DD has a few Hundred now.

It is really fun and has helped DD get away from her shyness.