Tell me about pin sharks please...

[pbnjrockette]

I'm going to WDW for the first time in 15 years in December. A friend recently turned me on to disney pins. I have bought some special "Mickeys" (the only ones I intend to collect) and would like to wear them on my lanyard. Is this a bad idea? I don't intend to trade these pins. But I love them and would enjoy having them with me.

I have purchased a few dozen traders and hope to learn how to trade with CM (I'm verrry shy!). But what is it about sharks? Where are these people and what do they do?

 

[NJBlackBerry]

It's a great idea to wear your favorite pins on your lanyard! Why not! I always put a few favorites (totally non tradeable) on my lanyard.

Sharks, in pin trading as in other enterprises, feed off of others. They try to pressure you into trades, or take advantage of you by trading a valuable pin for one that it less valuable.

JUST SAY NO! If you don't want to make the trade, don't. Pin trading is a really great way to get over shyness - it worked wonders with DD.

Disney has shut down a lot of the gues pin trading areas; they used to have them Thursday night at All Star Sports and Friday night at the Contemporary. No more. That's too bad.

Of course you can always trade with a Cast Member (as long as they don't wear a green lanyard)....

 

[t-beri]

Once upon a time when I was a new pin trader I was in awe of the ppl w/ Books of pins.(not to say that everyone with a million pins is a shark-not at all!!!) They seemed to know everything about every pin. WOW and I only had OE (open edition ie; still in stores) to trade. But why wouldn't I want more valuable pins? discontinued or limited edition... So I found a Tink pin I loved the guy said that I didn't have anything worth trading but that there was a pin set of 4 in a collectors tin that was fairly cheap (considering it was 4 pins) and he would trade me the pin I wanted if I bought that set to trade. I did it. I didn't think much about it at the time but later after starting to investigate further I felt like I will never know enough about pins to know if I'm being taken. I don't even know what pin that was now or if I have it anymore. I decided then that I would abide by disneys pin trading rules and set some of my own. I don't care about value. I trade for pins I like. I only trade 1 pin for 1 pin. this is a rule I do not break. I trade for FUN. I currently am on hunt for the set of parking lot marker cast member pins. I have gotten almost all of them in my last 3 trips. It doesn't bother me at all to trade only for those specific CM pins although I have to say that if I see a CM pin I try to snag it regardless of wheter I like it or not. I tend to see kids with all of their starter pins still on their lanyard and say hey, do you want to trade with me. we keep a lot of the tradables on my dd's (1) lanyard cause she can't object then I can say this pin is a CM pin or there are 3 more in the set to look out for or whatever. I totally trade for fun. Mostly with CM's and always with children. Any child who asks can trade 1 for 1 with ANY pin on my lanyard, I don't display pins I'm not trading or I keep them on a seperate lanyard. I like to remember that it is fun and about the hunt. I could buy the CM pin sets I am collecting now on e-bay but that wouldn't be very fun would it? My last stead fast rule is have fun- If I am concerned about the value of a pin then it has ceased to be fun (now I'm worrying and that's not fun) if I don't feel 100% about a trade I don't do it which usually keeps me stearing clear of adult traders unfortunately. I hope you have a blast at wdw and have a wonderful trading day!!
...t.

 

[chaoscent]

I have a bad memory and never remember what pin is worth what so I only trade with Cast Members unless I am at a pin trading event. Last week at the pin trading event I did a lot of trading with other collectors for the first time. I traded 3 pins that were in high demand for a pin that has been on my holy grail list for a long time. I knew what I was giving up and I knew what I was getting and I was happy for the trade. I agree with the last poster, if you aren't happy with the trade, don't do it. You can go through the parks & resorts and only trade with CM's. That's what I do all the time. Some of the resorts (I know WL does) have a pin trading book that you can go through once a day. I got some good traders out of the book.
Have fun and good luck in your pin pursuit.
Penny