Trading Pins from Ebay

[DaveStroem]

I did hear back from her. She claims to be a "fellow pin trader" that gets her pins from Disneyland and other pin traders. She apologized for the one pin that I was able to identify as being a scrapper but insisted that I return the pins if I want a refund. (so she can sell them to the next dupe).

I have gone over many of the others and have notice upon close inspection things like a small dimple in the enamel or missing enamel in a small section.

I can't understand how Ebay and Disney let this go on. There are tons and tons of these pin lots all over the Internet. Selling these counterfeit pins is a crime. Once they mail them using USPS like mine came, I believe it elevates to a federal crime.

This whole pin trading mess has given me a massive headache and is about as far away from Magical as you can get.

 

[WDWTigger72]

What exactly is a pin backing? Is it the plastic piece the pin is attached to when you buy?

Yes, Its usually that black plastic card that has the price of the pin and sku number on the back of it.

 

[DaveStroem]

My other concern, is if I return these pins and purchase pins in the park for the kids to trade, what will keep them from getting junk pins from a CM's lanyard.

Disney needs to figure out a better way to control this. Also, why doesn't Disney put the pins # on the back of them?

 

[lugnut33]

OK, so mine might be "scrappers" since I bought them on E-bay. However, I do know that he ones I got are all really high quantity runs that go for pennies on the open market whether they are real or fake.

 

[ttbell]

This seller is just giving me a run around and honestly it's too much of a headache to pursue this. While he took down the previous item (which I bought), here is the next lot he/she has up. Note: My pins did not come from this particular lot. But maybe you can tell if he's on the up and up?
ebay item #190288965490 (can't post the link, only 7 posts so far)
I think #50 is the Bad Apple pin!

 

[DaveStroem]

It sure is. Hmmm, LE of 175 and they are showing up everywhere. LOL

 

[letthewookiewin]

I did hear back from her. She claims to be a "fellow pin trader" that gets her pins from Disneyland and other pin traders. She apologized for the one pin that I was able to identify as being a scrapper but insisted that I return the pins if I want a refund. (so she can sell them to the next dupe).

I have gone over many of the others and have notice upon close inspection things like a small dimple in the enamel or missing enamel in a small section.

I can't understand how Ebay and Disney let this go on. There are tons and tons of these pin lots all over the Internet. Selling these counterfeit pins is a crime. Once they mail them using USPS like mine came, I believe it elevates to a federal crime.

This whole pin trading mess has given me a massive headache and is about as far away from Magical as you can get.

Honestly as long as Ebay is getting their money, I don't think they really care. They don't like to get involved with disputes between sellers and buyers. It would really be better to get Disney legal involved and get your money back through paypal. An unhonest seller isn't going to come out, and admit that they are anything other than authentic.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Honestly as long as Ebay is getting their money, I don't think they really care. They don't like to get involved with disputes between sellers and buyers. It would really be better to get Disney legal involved and get your money back through paypal. An unhonest seller isn't going to come out, and admit that they are anything other than authentic.

I agree. It's unfortunate and appauling but I don't forsee anything changing anytime soon.

 

[letthewookiewin]

I agree. It's unfortunate and appauling but I don't forsee anything changing anytime soon.

I don't either. My mom and I saw a lot of good honest sellers ran off of Ebay b/c they didn't like the changes that Ebay made. My best suggestion for anyone buying anything off of Ebay, is to ask before bidding if the seller can prove that the item they are selling is authentic and to save the response they give you. The only Disney thing that I bought off of Ebay were antenna balls and I bought off of someone with over 10k feedback.

 

[ctaci]

Thanks for this thread. DS10 got 6 pins while down in WDW last week and came home wanting more off of ebay.. he must have heard it from the world that they were on ebay as well. I told him I wouldnt get him the pins off of ebay because part of the pin trading experience is just that -- the experience.

Ill get him some pins when I go down. Ill take his laynard that he started and buy some more and maybe also trade while Im there. Itll be a collaborative effort.

 

[mountdew1]

The problem with pins is that for the most part, there is nothing to determine what one pin costs more than another other than scarcity. Yes, some that have moving parts, gems, whatever, are a little more, but what separates a 8.95 Stitch pin from a 14.95 Stitch pin other than the text on the back that says LE of 1250? Not much. So there is alot of motivation for people to create the knock offs. When people can prove to ebay that something is a fake, they will take it down. But when many people can't tell the difference between them, it's hard for Disney to make a case. The odds of finding a legit rare pin on a lanyard now are slim. The market has been flooded with pins. 5 or 6 years ago I got some great LE's off of lanyards right after the CM walked on stage, but the variety of pins was greater. Now many lanyards have the same pins on them. As long as you are looking to trade for a pin that you like, shouldn't matter to you if it was sold by Disney, or fell off the truck. If you are looking to profit on them, well, thats tough.
Not all bulk sellers sell lost of scrappers. Many sellers do buy large collections from collectors who are getting out of it, and just want to make a few bucks back. Outside of the small trading market, not much value for pins. So if Joe Schmo lives in NY, not a big community he can sell the pins to unless he goes online. So he sells em to a power ebay seller, who cannibalizes the good pins, and then dumps the rest for cheap.

 

[Tomh]

I can't understand how Ebay and Disney let this go on. There are tons and tons of these pin lots all over the Internet. Selling these counterfeit pins is a crime. Once they mail them using USPS like mine came, I believe it elevates to a federal crime.

This whole pin trading mess has given me a massive headache and is about as far away from Magical as you can get.

My other concern, is if I return these pins and purchase pins in the park for the kids to trade, what will keep them from getting junk pins from a CM's lanyard.

Disney needs to figure out a better way to control this. Also, why doesn't Disney put the pins # on the back of them?

I'm sure this post will incur the wrath of the pin gods, and start a giant flame war, but here it goes: Disney is indeed the ONLY entity that can stop the counterfeit pin selling, yet they aren't stopping it. They choose to manufacture their pins in China, knowing full well that the factories are making lots of extras, and selling them illegally, and they do nothing about it. The fakes can often be nearly impossible to identify, indeed many of them are identical to the real thing, manufactured to the same specifications in the same factory.

There is NO way for the average person to tell with 100% certainty that a pin is legitimate, unless it comes with the backing and receipt, and I bet it won't be long before someone will be marketing fake pins with those included as well.

As many very experienced pin traders have said here on the forums many different times, even the CM's often have fakes on their lanyards, so even if you are buying legitimate pins for your kids to trade, there is no way to be certain that they won't wind up with scrappers when they trade with CM's.

Those who are really serious about pin trading can request backing, and receipts for pins they trade, and as for everyone else who is letting their kids trade with the CM's, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Odds are half of the pins that they get FROM the CM's are going to be scrappers, so trade what you got, and don't sweat it too much. If it doesn't bother Disney enough for them to do something about it, then you shouldn't let it bother you that much either.

 

[thelionqueen]

I did hear back from her. She claims to be a "fellow pin trader" that gets her pins from Disneyland and other pin traders. She apologized for the one pin that I was able to identify as being a scrapper but insisted that I return the pins if I want a refund. (so she can sell them to the next dupe).

I have gone over many of the others and have notice upon close inspection things like a small dimple in the enamel or missing enamel in a small section.

I can't understand how Ebay and Disney let this go on. There are tons and tons of these pin lots all over the Internet. Selling these counterfeit pins is a crime. Once they mail them using USPS like mine came, I believe it elevates to a federal crime.

This whole pin trading mess has given me a massive headache and is about as far away from Magical as you can get.

I TOTALLY agree that hunting down fakes and hemming and hawing if they are real or not is as far from magical as it gets.

That said, that is why it is even more important to do our part. Send the pins back, get a refund and contact Disney legal. Believe me, I have had long conversations with Disney legal and (as slow as it goes) they ARE working on this huge problem.

If we can educate and have people do what we are doing, we can at least let these sellers know that WE know what they're up to. We can make it a little more difficult to sell the pins (by leaving negative feedback, getting refunds, etc.) I'm hoping that just a PHONE CALL to some of these sellers from Disney Legal dept. will let them know they are being watched.

I can tell you that the seller I reported is NO LONGER selling pins, so that is one victory. It will take time and effort, but I for one LOVE pin trading and want its legacy to continue for my kids and theirs, that's why I'm doing my part.

I'm glad that there are some people learning more about this and taking action to preserve their pin trading experience and also being more aware of the problem. That being said, don't give up on pin trading, it's a blast, just be aware and informed!!!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Collectors board.

 

[mareed]

Those who are really serious about pin trading can request backing, and receipts for pins they trade, and as for everyone else who is letting their kids trade with the CM's, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Odds are half of the pins that they get FROM the CM's are going to be scrappers, so trade what you got, and don't sweat it too much. If it doesn't bother Disney enough for them to do something about it, then you shouldn't let it bother you that much either.

I'm in the category of people with kids trading with the CM's and agree with the post quoted here... I've also purchased some pins online and some of them may be scrappers. I don't know and don't really care. My kids enjoy pin-trading with CM's and there's no way we'd be doing it at Disney's insane prices. We may be trading with and for scrappers, but that's fine with me!

I don't expect to trade with the "serious" traders who are set up at the key pin-trading spots with their huge books and I'm sure they wouldn't be interested in anything we have to trade anyway! IMO that's a completely different category of pin-trading and is not what we want at all.

We don't see pins as any kind of investment at all - it's just a fun activity to do while at Disney and a fun way to remember the trips later (looking at the pins). This is manageable at under $2 per pin, but not at Disney's prices!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I am a recreational pin trader, and I really love the hobby so I am also really concerned about buying fakes off ebay. When I was first starting I'm sure that I purchased scrappers and traded them in the parks, because I didn't even realize that there was such a thing as a fake pin. Now I've gotten a little more savvy, but I'm sure I still come home from the parks with a large portion of scrappers. I don't think there is really any way to avoid it if you are going to lanyard trade with CMs. I've even pointed out some fakes that Cms have had on thier lanyard, and most of them didn't seem too concerned.

I have found that a large majority of fakes are the hidden mickey cast lanyard pins, so I've pretty much stopped trading for them. I also will not buy cast lanyard pins off ebay. I try to buy most of my pins from the Disney outlet, which has decent prices and that way at least I know that I'm not putting junk on lanyards (even if I sometimes recieve junk in return). If I do buy off ebay, I will buy from people that don't list large numbers of pins, and pin lots that don't contain a majority of cast lanyard pins. I figure if you buy from someone who doesn't have a large quantity or doesn't usually sell pins that they are probably not big time dealers in conterfits. I don't know if this is the best option, but it helps me sleep better at night.

 

[thelionqueen]

I'm in the category of people with kids trading with the CM's and agree with the post quoted here... I've also purchased some pins online and some of them may be scrappers. I don't know and don't really care. My kids enjoy pin-trading with CM's and there's no way we'd be doing it at Disney's insane prices. We may be trading with and for scrappers, but that's fine with me!

I don't expect to trade with the "serious" traders who are set up at the key pin-trading spots with their huge books and I'm sure they wouldn't be interested in anything we have to trade anyway! IMO that's a completely different category of pin-trading and is not what we want at all.

We don't see pins as any kind of investment at all - it's just a fun activity to do while at Disney and a fun way to remember the trips later (looking at the pins). This is manageable at under $2 per pin, but not at Disney's prices!

I think there is a misconception here. Because your children enjoy trading (and I totally get the "I just want to trade" children's philosphy) they are in a different category than "serious" traders? It seems to me you're seemingly justifying buying and trading fake pins because you're not trading with "serious" traders.
The whole idea for pin trading is that it's for everyone. I agree that Disney's prices are high for pins, as they are for everything they sell. My opinion is that if you cannot afford to buy the pins, that Disney created pin trading for, then you should not be trading. I don't mean to sound harsh, but it's true.

By that analogy I should not be working because making counterfeit money is so much easier and, since not too many people can tell, it's ok (yes I understand the legal ramifications of counterfeit currency, just a dramatic comparison )

I totally understand that the majority of people who buy pins off ebay don't know they're fake. But if you're buying pins for $2 or less a piece in huge lots, bottom line, they're fake, no matter how much they look authentic.

I agree with the PP re: cast lanyard pins as well. The majority of them are fake. Sadly, we have opted to stay away from them as much as we can..it is SO tempting too..UGH!

Sorry to be so direct, but it just really aggravates me when people intentionally do something they know is wrong...rant over...

 

[zuly]

I just bought some pins from ebay (tradepinsforyou) last week, I am waiting for them to arrived (theyre supposed to arrived this week).That was my first time buying on ebay my firsts Disney pins since I have always wanted to began in pin trading and nevr took the chance .This year after a lot of thinking and trips I ask my DH that I want a lanyard ,pins and this is my birthday gift my innitiation in pin trading for our upcoming trip this summer .I was so excited and I think Im still am but this thing with fake pins is driving me crazy
I just want to have fun and collect pins that I find pretty just for me !!!!

 

[Tomh]

By that analogy I should not be working because making counterfeit money is so much easier and, since not too many people can tell, it's ok (yes I understand the legal ramifications of counterfeit currency, just a dramatic comparison )

I wonder, if the government weren't doing anything to stop counterfeiting (and we all know that they are), and counterfeit money was being handed out everywhere, including at the bank when you cash your paycheck, and no one, including the tellers at the bank could tell the difference between the real money, and the fake money, and you earned some money in good faith, then began to question it's authenticity after receiving it, would you go to great lengths to determine if it was real or not, or would you simply use it, and figure if someone refused to accept it, then you would deal with it?

I'm a pretty honest person, or at least I like to think that I am. I have to tell you though, if there were no real penalty for having counterfeit money, and it were handled the way that trading pins are, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Now then, would I purposely buy pins that I KNEW were fake, no, that wouldn't be right. However, if the pins are purchased in good faith, and I later begin to question whether they are real or not, unless I know for certain 100% that they aren't good (and I have a couple that fit into that category), then I don't worry myself about it. If my kids should try to trade a pin with a CM, and be told that the pin is not authentic, then I will put that pin away, they can keep it and enjoy it for themselves (hasn't happened yet), but as long as the CM's accept them, then I will assume that they are good. If the CM's don't know the difference, well then I guess Disney isn't putting too much effort into training them. In the end, I stand by what I said before, it is up to Disney to control this, and if, with all their resources, they can't do anything about it, then I don't feel that it is my responsibility to spend hours trying to authenticate every pin that my kids get.

 

[ttbell]

I just bought some pins from ebay (tradepinsforyou) last week, I am waiting for them to arrived (theyre supposed to arrived this week).That was my first time buying on ebay my firsts Disney pins since I have always wanted to began in pin trading and nevr took the chance .This year after a lot of thinking and trips I ask my DH that I want a lanyard ,pins and this is my birthday gift my innitiation in pin trading for our upcoming trip this summer .I was so excited and I think Im still am but this thing with fake pins is driving me crazy
I just want to have fun and collect pins that I find pretty just for me !!!!

This is the ebay seller that I am having the problem with. I asked him to provide documentation for authenticity and he just keeps responding back telling me that I need to provide documentation they they are fake. I'm not going to let my kids trade these and am just going to chalk it up to $40 lesson learned. I'll know better next time!