Show me (or tell me) about your pin collection

[AllieMallie]

I'm curious about this.

Do you have a pin collection? I would love to see some pictures!

How did you get started in pin trading?

Do you collect just one type of pin or different kinds of pins?

Do you buy 2 of each pin in order to keep one or do you just buy to trade?

I'm thinking of pin trading during our September trip. Is this a fun adult activity too?

 

[jenfromjersey]

I am always on the hunt for Muppet pins. Sadly no new set was released to go along with the movie release, which surprised me. I also look for Figment pins.

 

[VAfamily1998]

My kids (now ages 12, 10, 8, and 6) started pin trading on trip in 2009 (we only go every 2-3 years).

They each have a lanyard with some pins on it. Some of the pins are special ones that we don't allow them to trade--ones that commorate a certain activity (such as a pin for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, or Star Wars Weekends, etc) or sometimes ones that were more expensive or that I bought them for a certain reason--for example on our 2009 trip my then 3 year old was too small to ride on a lot of the rides so I bought him a pin with Yoda that says "Judge me by my size, do you"
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/pin?id=33332
We don't let him trade that one

But we also bought them sets of cheaper pins (and at Disney they will also sell "mystery pin" packs for a cheaper price) and those are the ones they are allowed to trade. If they see a cast member with pins they will trade--and they have ocasionally traded with other guests.

Our last trip, in May 2012, I noticed that I was seeing pins that *I* wanted--mostly ones for specific events like Star Wars Weekends, Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival, etc. So I bought a lanyard and a few of the pins I really liked. I don't plan on doing any trading though. I am only planning to buy pins that are "special" to me.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Oh, and a hint...

the little black micky head backs that come with the pins fall off VERY easily--and then you will lose your pin. My kids have lost a couple that way (they've also found a couple that must have fallen off other people!)

In most of the places where they sell pins, they also sell special locking backs. If you have pins that are special to you/unique/etc. it is worth it to buy the locking backs.

 

[t_catt11]

My entire family collects pins, and we all have our own themes.

My wife has nothing but Tinker Bell. In some ways, her collection is the most impressive.

I have a few interests... I tend to get pins of the parks and resorts. I also go after a few specific character sets - Jungle Book, Lion King, and Robin Hood, plus some pirate stuff. Unfortunately there are not many pins for these any more; I may branch out into odd characters in the future.

DD16 goes for villains, Nightmare Before Christmas, and some princess stuff.

DS14 does Chip & Dale (has TONS of these pins) and Aladdin.

DS4 does Mickey and the gang, Cars, maybe some Toy Story.

DS2 does Toy Story, Cars, Mickey, Dumbo.

We started pins for DS1 on our last trip (he was 4 months old)... all Nemo for now.

 

[Cherinva]

I started to collect/trade in 2008. In the beginning it was just to collect pins...now I'm fully into trading. I have 2 large pin books, one is almost full, and the other is half. My total amount of pins is somewhere around 160.

I look for pins that mean something to me....the rides I've been on, places I've stayed or eaten at. Last year, I was into finding full sets. I had been looking for a pin (tinkerbell set) for almost 3 years...it was one of 4, and I had 3. I finally found it from a professional trader in EPCOT...I was thrilled to complete it.

This year,my goal to find as many of the Princesses that I can.

Oh, and one of my goals was to get the alphabet pins that spelled my name, and I completed that as well.

It can be very time consuming (and costly), but I must admit it is a lot of fun.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have enjoyed collecting pins. That is pretty much the only souvenir I buy there for myself.

I don’t have pictures, but I like to buy different ones that represent each park or an activity I or one of the children particularly enjoyed, a character we really love or enjoyed meeting or one that represents the year. I got an It’s a Small World pin because it was our first ride on our first trip, stuff like that.

On our first trip I was unable to find a single pin with the year 2010 on it. Not sure if I just missed them or what, but I looked almost everywhere we stopped. It was Thanksgiving week. In October I did get us one with the year 2011.

I don’t trade though. I don’t even wear them because I don’t want to be approached for trading. Like a previous poster, I only buy ones that are special to me so I don’t want to give them up. Looking forward to more pin shopping on this trip. Eight more days

 

[princess124]

We just started the whole pin trading thing last year, so our collection is still rather small, but growing quickly.

I collect Figment (and DreamFinder) and Haunted Mansion
DH likes Hidden Mickey and anything rare
The kids just like picking and choosing, they don't have specific collections

We also like to buy whatever limited edition pins we can find. We keep them on the paper backing and have them tucked away in our pin bag.

Pin trading is something that we do as a family and we have found that we really enjoy it. Something about the hunt and chase - gets us every time!

 

[TavieP]

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6206/6...bac8b53f_z.jpgIt's all about Pete's Dragon for me, and old-school EPCOT (Dreamfinder Vinylmation was very exciting)

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6206/6...bac8b53f_z.jpg
I have an unnatural obsession with Pete's Dragon, though. Everything else is just filler.

 

[bytheblood]

I have a lot of them. Christmas, sets, cuties, etc. Most of them are still in a pin "binder", but I have some in shadow boxes on my wall. If I remember, I will post some pictures later.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

How did you get started in pin trading?

We went to Disney in 2000 when the pins had just started. We were poor college students and pins seemed like a fairly cheap souvenier.

Do you collect just one type of pin or different kinds of pins?

Different kinds

Do you buy 2 of each pin in order to keep one or do you just buy to trade?

We buy only 1 of each, and we do not trade. We buy them to display as momentos of our past trips. Accordingly, we do not wear lanyards, because we do not want people to think we are willing to trade away any of our Disney memories. We wear them on our hats.

I'm thinking of pin trading during our September trip. Is this a fun adult activity too?

I have heard many adults enjoy it.

 

[tmoret]

Do you have a pin collection? I would love to see some pictures!
After many years of going to the world DW and I just started to buy some last year.

How did you get started in pin trading?
Last year we took our nefews and they wanted them. we started looking and really enjoyed how they looked.

Do you collect just one type of pin or different kinds of pins?
For me I like the Muppets, Clasic Disney and Nightmare Before xmass. I am thinking about starting to get some of the ride pins also.

Do you buy 2 of each pin in order to keep one or do you just buy to trade?
I just buy one. If i really like it i put it in my pin book.

I'm thinking of pin trading during our September trip. Is this a fun adult activity too?
Yes it can be alot of fun just enjoy.

 

[CAStevens218]

We started pin trading on our second trip together, in 2010. It is a fun "game" for us!

We don't necessarily collect one specific theme....we will trade for anything that we find interesting. However, I will ALWAYS trade for a Chip 'n' Dale pin, and my fiance really likes Goofy!

We can't wait to pin trade again in July!

 

[tiggore91]

The hubby and I started pin trading about 2 years ago. I got a set off ebay and we started trading from there. You can get pins really cheap on ebay to start. There are many that believe these are "scrappers", but I don't care too much. If I know it is a scrapper, I don't trade it, but we build up a trade pile and go to town when we go to the parks! We buy about 10-15 per trip, but they get pricey at about $10 a pin!!! We usually only buy the event ones, but buy some others too.

 

[GraceMonica]

I started pin trading on my last visit and I LOVED it. I've been collecting on and off for the past few years, just depends how much money I was willing to spend that trip. Last trip I know I spent a good deal on just pins!

My favorite thing last trip trading a pin a cast member has never seen before! It was a great conversation starter. I'm a rather shy person, and normally I just don't walk up to people and start a conversation. It took a lot just to go up and talk to CMs to see their pins, but I got better at it as I went along.

I guess I have a thing for Mickey and Minnie, They seem to be what I've been after! A lot of these I've purchased, more than half, but I did trade for a lot of these last trip (Mostly the princesses! I bought the mystery two pin set and traded them!)

 

[tofubeast]

Love seeing/hearing your pin stories. I am going to come back here tonight and post some pics. I will say, next trip, my priority pin purchases will be 1. A pin featuring Walt. It really bugs me that I don't have a Walt Disney pin. 2. A pin for MVMCP. 3. A pin for DD representing her first trip to WDW.

Be back tonight!

 

[Maleficent53]

I collect mainly (99%) villains - any of them and all of them. I have collected so many over years I have a small shopping bag full. I have tried to come up with an idea of what to do with them. An idea I got was to make a background - either cross stitch or drawn - maybe just the word VILLAINS in Disney script - and then cover the rest of the background with the pins. This would all be then framed. In my mind it looks so awesome! If I ever get it done, I will post it for bragging purposes.

 

[Rosebud123]

Bought my kids lanyards and pins on e-bay before our first family trip in '06. They were only 4 and 2 so they really had no clue what it was all about. I had a blast "supervising" their trading. We bought some pins from WDW while we were there.

Bought about 10 more on e-bay before our second trip in '09 when they were 5 and 7. They had very definite opinions on what they wanted to trade, and it killed me to see them trade away pins that I really liked! Especially the ones I paid full price for from Disney!

On our trip a few months ago, I bought myself a lanyard and a ton of pins on e-bay so I could trade, too! I let my kids trade whatever they wanted w/out interfering.

We only approach cast members to trade, although on our last trip we were approached several times by other guests. My kids are very polite and didn't like saying "no" to another kid who wanted to trade. I had to let them know that they could nicely refuse a trade.

 

[kaligal]

I'm curious about this.

Do you have a pin collection? I would love to see some pictures!

How did you get started in pin trading?

Do you collect just one type of pin or different kinds of pins?

Do you buy 2 of each pin in order to keep one or do you just buy to trade?

I'm thinking of pin trading during our September trip. Is this a fun adult activity too?

The kids got into it. DS got really into it and I got sucked in through him. I can't really post pics. They're all in pin bags, so it would be a lot of pics, lol. It isn't a super impressive collection, I don't think...but I like it.

Pin collections are like iPods. Everyone has a unique one and everyone likes theirs best.

I get whatever pin I like, but I get every IASW pin I can. One of my faves were the lunch boxes (the ones that folded, with the chains) they did a few years ago. I got 4 of the 5...an incomplete set because I refuse to buy Tinkerbell pins, lol. Every time I stay in a WDW hotel, I get a pin from it, assuming there is a new one I don't have. I get the F&G pins...but not the big ones...yet.

I don't trade. If I end up with duplicates when collecting mystery-type pins, I'll trade those for HM pins.

Some adults like pin trading. I don't know why. To me, it is way more fun to select and have the pins you like best.

There is a pin I want that I'd trade a real collector for, but nobody ever has it. On the rare occasion that they have it,they either won't part with it or they want my castle pin with the moving door which I'm not giving up, lol.

I've spent a ridiculous amount of money on pins over the years. It's a ridiculous and expensive hobby. Avoid it if you can. If you can't, Welcome!

 

[Eljay]

I never trade and I never wear them.
Mine are put away in a box and I guess I should get going on displaying them in a shadow box.

I mostly have pins that I have gotten for taking tours, they are super special to me. I also have a few from events. My Pirate & Princess Party pin is really cool! I've gotten a few as gifts. I bought the American flag Mickey head pin after 911, they were almost impossible to find for quite a while. I once bought a hat that I didn't want, only because it had 5 pins on it, that you couldn't get anywhere else. The main pin was an AKL shield and there were 4 very small pins of Mickey, Donald, Goofy & Pluto in traditional African garb. I love this group, because it reminds me of the charming African CM's that have made my stays at the AKL so special.

So yeah, that's my story. I have a small pin collection and each one is a special memory for me.