Thoughts on Pin Trading at WDW.....

[DisneyRunner2009]

I arrived home on August 22, after nine days at WDW. The following are a few thoughts I have in regards to pin trading at WDW. I noticed the black backing cards are now black paperboard. The cards are no longer plastic with felt. Scrapper pins were definitely available on CM lanyards. I started asking if I could see the back of the pin before I traded. If I got a fake I just traded with a different CM. For example, I saw two vinylmation LGMs with no pupils. Other fake vinylmations, the color was off, the pin looked different from the start. Hidden Mickeys were plentiful. One good thing was the availability of fellow traders at EPCOT. I was able to trade for some pins I needed. I feel it is harder now to complete collections without fellow traders. The couple I traded with was fair. I would like to see more of this, but I believe halting trading at DTD was one way to stop illegal pins.

 

[debranator]

I arrived home on August 22, after nine days at WDW. The following are a few thoughts I have in regards to pin trading at WDW. I noticed the black backing cards are now black paperboard. The cards are no longer plastic with felt. Scrapper pins were definitely available on CM lanyards. I started asking if I could see the back of the pin before I traded. If I got a fake I just traded with a different CM. For example, I saw two vinylmation LGMs with no pupils. Other fake vinylmations, the color was off, the pin looked different from the start. Hidden Mickeys were plentiful. One good thing was the availability of fellow traders at EPCOT. I was able to trade for some pins I needed. I feel it is harder now to complete collections without fellow traders. The couple I traded with was fair. I would like to see more of this, but I believe halting trading at DTD was one way to stop illegal pins.

there is a really good chance..that if the traders you are referring to are the older couple..at the table in Epcot..in front of the pin store...
that..you got taken.
They do not make fair trades...they are pin crooks.
But..if you felt they were fair..good.
But,that is how they,,make their living.
as to the fakes on the lanyards....
I find very few..and I am there quite often.
Perhaps it is because I really cannot tell the difference..I am not sure.
I do know..that downtown the other night..the 22nd..
there was once again..a huge amount of limited editions..and..old pins... available..
and..I do believe..they are real..
but hopefully..I will find a pin fake expert..at the convention..to tell me...

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

No, it was not an older couple. I am by no means an expert when it comes to pin trading. I am however educated. I did not have to buy any pins to trade. I traded one for one of similar pins. DeeBee for DeeBee, vinylmation for vinylmation. I'm not buying a pin to trade a pin. No LE for a HM.

 

[debranator]

No, it was not an older couple. I am by no means an expert when it comes to pin trading. I am however educated. I did not have to buy any pins to trade. I traded one for one of similar pins. DeeBee for DeeBee, vinylmation for vinylmation. I'm not buying a pin to trade a pin. No LE for a HM.

Good for you!!!!
You seem to know about them..
but, if a newbie..were reading your note..they may not have known...that it was not the older couples..who are pin crooks.

 

[loveWDWalways]

Can somebody please explain more about what you mean by buying a pin for somebody and getting one from their collection in return? Thanks.

 

[debranator]

Can somebody please explain more about what you mean by buying a pin for somebody and getting one from their collection in return? Thanks.

what that means is:
they call you over to trade...
you see a pin that you like in their book....
you show them your pins...
unless you have a valuable pin....
they will say that you do not have anything that they want...
but..
if you want to trade...
there is a new, most likely expensive pin or 2 or 3..
in the nearby store..
that you can buy them...
and..then they will trade for that.
and normally....
most folks in the parks..are only looking for common pins..like hidden mickys and cast lanyard pins..
so..they are taking you to the cleaners.
then..they either add the pins you have just bought them..
into their collections..
or more likely..
put them up for sale on Ebay.

 

[loveWDWalways]

what that means is:
they call you over to trade...
you see a pin that you like in their book....
you show them your pins...
unless you have a valuable pin....
they will say that you do not have anything that they want...
but..
if you want to trade...
there is a new, most likely expensive pin or 2 or 3..
in the nearby store..
that you can buy them...
and..then they will trade for that.
and normally....
most folks in the parks..are only looking for common pins..like hidden mickys and cast lanyard pins..
so..they are taking you to the cleaners.
then..they either add the pins you have just bought them..
into their collections..
or more likely..
put them up for sale on Ebay.

Earlier this year, I made some trades where I bought them pins! I looked through their books, picked out the ones I liked, and then bought some from Mouse Gears/the Epcot pin station in return. I didn't get "common pins," like you mentioned, but picked out some special event ones and things like that. What do you think? Thank you for the info, too.

 

[debranator]

Earlier this year, I made some trades where I bought them pins! I looked through their books, picked out the ones I liked, and then bought some from Mouse Gears/the Epcot pin station in return. I didn't get "common pins," like you mentioned, but picked out some special event ones and things like that. What do you think? Thank you for the info, too.

That is what they do.
and..a lot of the time..if you give them the bag...
they return the item for a store credit.
If you got special event..LE pins..then...
that is fine..as long as the values were similar...
I see nothing wrong with that.
although,they make their bread and butter...by doing it to folks..for the common pins that you can always get on the bay or elsewhere in the 2-3 buck range.

 

[Broncobilly83]

I remember the older couple at Epcot from my time there in December. Their trade did seem a little lopsided, so I walked away. That is rule #1, do not get upset and if you feel weird with the trade, walk away!

I also remember this other couple at DTD's pin shop whose wife seemed really upset that I had traded a Unicorn Parking Pin earlier that day. That and they were monopolizing my time with my pin bag, where others wanted to look and trade but walked off since they could not get near.

Otherwise, when I was there in Dec, it seemed that everyone, CMs and other guests were fair to trade with and Oohed and Aahed at the cool stuff.

 

[olbear]

rule #1, do not get upset and if you feel weird with the trade, walk away!

This is the BEST rule when trading whether you are new or old to pin trading. I've been trading since April 2001, and still live by this rule.

I believe I know the "older couple" being referred to as crooks. I have done very few trades with them. They have offered lop sided trades to me over the years. When it doesn't feel right, I simply say no thank you and move on. Unfortunately there are some who take advantage of another traders lack of pin knowledge. They key is to know your pins and what you're looking for as well. That is where I suggest looking at pinpics.