Trading Pins from Ebay

[karrit2000]

To clarify the history of this pin it was a purchase with purchase pin. It was "officially" only available to those who participated in the Pirates of Castaway Cay event onboard the Disney Wonder ship in November of 2007. To be able to purchase this pin legitimately one had to be on the cruise, participating in the event and have spent $450 or more on event merchandise to be eligible to purchase this pin. If there are large numbers of these pins now circulating draw your own conclusion. I do own the "official" version of the pin since I was a particpant in the event. It really bothers me that people continue to make money off of those who are new to pin trading who think they are getting a great deal when purchasing off e-bay. I have a large number of scrappers in my collection that I have gotten trading off cast members and even off of boards at Official Disney Pin Trading Events. These scrappers & the scum that sell them have ruined a once enjoyable hobby. The Stitch pin in question did not come with any type of backer card. They were given to us in little plastic bags that were either sealed or stapled shut. Unfortunately this is how the majority of scrappers are sold. Many believe them to be legitimate because they receive them in these "sealed" packages. I had someone try to get me to trade for some "Official Cast Lanyard" pins that they had just purchased still in their nicely sealed bags. I politely said "no thank you" and walked away.

 

[thelionqueen]

Everyone has rules they have to live by, and as long as you're happy with the decisions you make then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I'm simply stating my opinion and agree with some points you brought up. But I don't rely on someone else changing the wrongs in the world, I do my part. I'm not going to sit back and say "well it's up to you to prove what I'm doing is wrong". I know what I do, and take responsibility for it, and don't make excuses for it either.

Sure the canvas bags I take to the store are a "drop in the bucket" in the effort to save the planet, but I'm doing my part. If everyone made an effort to do the same, well, the answer is clear.

I personally live my live as an example to my children and I've seen their honesty and respect shine through in many different ways and at unexpected times.

And I also stand by my comments; if you can't afford to pin trade as it was intended (buying and trading authentic Disney pins), then you should find another activity that works better within your budget.

Pin trading doesn't weigh up there with global warming or recycling, but in general it boils down to what works for you. Personally, damaging the integrity of a hobby that I love is something I'm not willing to turn a blind eye to, but that's just me.

 

[mareed]

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...

Well... Difference of opinion here obviously, because I'm not doing something I knowis wrong. I certainly like to think I know right from wrong, and I can sleep at night just fine with my decisions and I imagine you can with yours also! You may think I'm wrong, but as has been pointed out, obviously Disney doesn't think so or they'd stop CM's from trading for "scrappers".

I'm able to let my kids freely trade for whatever they want without having to tell them "no, that cast lanyard pin is a scrapper and you can't trade for it". That sounds rather sad to me. I prefer to let my kids trade for what they want.

We've been pin-trading since 2001. I started that trip by purchasing pins from the Disney store for 68 cents! I think I bought 100 of those Winnie the Pooh birthstone pins and wish that I'd bought 1000 of them! Since then, I've purchased pins to trade at various times from specials on the Disney Store and various internet sellers - generally paying around $2 or less. And I've had no trouble trading any of those pins at DL or WDW. It's only fairly recently that I've even heard the term "scrapper". I've looked at the pins we have to trade, and I don't see anything different about them from the pins that we trade for on CM lanyards.

I do really believe that there are different categories of pin-traders. My term of "serious" may not have been the best, but have you seen some of the people at the Downtown Disny pin-trading shop or outside the Epcot station near the fountain? This is what I was calling "serious" and I don't think that my kids' pin trading with CM's that may (or may not) end up trading scrappers has any effect on that other type of trader - whatever they may be called.

To the OP and others who are concerned about "scrapper" pins. Do what your conscience guides you to do. If you can't sleep at night for worrying that the pins you purchased from Ebay may be scrappers, then by all means throw them in the trash and get them out of circulation! If your question is "Will I be able to trade these with CM's at WDW?"... I can tell you the answer is "yes".

 

[mareed]

I worry that some CM will tell them that their pins are fake and not trade with them causing a scene and for my girls to become upset.

TIA Dave

OK - getting back to the OP's concern... No need to worry - the CM's will accept your pins for trade just fine and will not cause any sort of a scene and make your girls upset.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[thelionqueen]

Well... Difference of opinion here obviously, because I'm not doing something I knowis wrong. I certainly like to think I know right from wrong, and I can sleep at night just fine with my decisions and I imagine you can with yours also! You may think I'm wrong, but as has been pointed out, obviously Disney doesn't think so or they'd stop CM's from trading for "scrappers".

I'm able to let my kids freely trade for whatever they want without having to tell them "no, that cast lanyard pin is a scrapper and you can't trade for it". That sounds rather sad to me. I prefer to let my kids trade for what they want.

We've been pin-trading since 2001. I started that trip by purchasing pins from the Disney store for 68 cents! I think I bought 100 of those Winnie the Pooh birthstone pins and wish that I'd bought 1000 of them! Since then, I've purchased pins to trade at various times from specials on the Disney Store and various internet sellers - generally paying around $2 or less. And I've had no trouble trading any of those pins at DL or WDW. It's only fairly recently that I've even heard the term "scrapper". I've looked at the pins we have to trade, and I don't see anything different about them from the pins that we trade for on CM lanyards.

I do really believe that there are different categories of pin-traders. My term of "serious" may not have been the best, but have you seen some of the people at the Downtown Disny pin-trading shop or outside the Epcot station near the fountain? This is what I was calling "serious" and I don't think that my kids' pin trading with CM's that may (or may not) end up trading scrappers has any effect on that other type of trader - whatever they may be called.

To the OP and others who are concerned about "scrapper" pins. Do what your conscience guides you to do. If you can't sleep at night for worrying that the pins you purchased from Ebay may be scrappers, then by all means throw them in the trash and get them out of circulation! If your question is "Will I be able to trade these with CM's at WDW?"... I can tell you the answer is "yes".

There is no question that the pins can be traded at WDW, they can. It's been posted here several times that the fakes are hard to spot even for CM's, so I hope that clears up the question of "can they be traded"..YES they can. The issue is SHOULD they be traded, my OPINION is a definite NO.

The affect of your children trading with a "serious" trader or a CM is not the issue. I let my kids trade for whatever they want. And my sons usually pick ones that are the least desirable..so be it, they are desireable to them. The issue here is the damage to pin trading in general. It doesn't matter who you trade with, fake pins infiltrate the entire pin trading community in the worst possible way.

I have no problems with kids trading pins for what they want, but shouldn't they be actual pins? Actual Disney pins that is why pin trading was created for? the answer is yes. I have also bought pins at the Disney Store (those are ligitimate Disney manufactured pins and are tradeable at the parks) and on sale, but ALL of them are authentic pins. I always try to find a deal (Disney Store sales, past season markdowns, etc) to help my pin trading budget, but the bottom line is, they are all Disney pins! I know this because I buy them from Disney; easiest way to determine if they're real Disney pins as far as I can tell is to buy them from Disney.

Of COURSE Disney is going to trade "scrappers" with kids. Can you imagine what an absolute nightmare it would be if a child was denied a trade and a CM told them their pin was fake? They won't risk making pin trading less-than-magical for kids, who likely don't know any different. It's us as adults that make the decisions we live with. That's my point. There will always be someone to spoil it for everyone..the old saying "one bad apple" comes to mind.

I do not care how anyone else sleeps, and to state again, everyone needs to do what is right for them. People have different values than mine, which is fine by me. I make the decision to do what I do, and so do you..period.

The question here is what is morally correct. That is something each individual needs to answer for themselves, and I'm not here trying to make that answer for anyone. I'm stating my opinion, and what I do and pointing out facts that others may not know.

You can qualify and quantify buying and trading fake pins however you want, and you may think it's the greatest thing in the world. But the bottom line is, fake pins create issues in all areas of pin trading, and at some level Disney will either pull the plug, or make it a less than magical experience for those of us who enjoy doing it, and do it the way it was intended.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I am 100% certain I have traded for scrappers, bootlegs and lord knows what else from CM lanyards.
From personal experience it seems like whatever I trade for in the DTD falls into the unknown range. Some fake pins are more obvious than others. Not that this is not rampart in all WDW property.
As someone stated, unless you buy a pin direct from Disney you really have no way of knowing 100% it is not a fake.
Sometimes a fake is obvious. Many times no difference what so ever.
I go with the philosophy that as long as you like it...
The Disney powers that be will need to do something about this if it really matters to them. I let them be the pin police.
I would not buy pins from Ebay anyway for a variety of reasons. (Although I certainly use to years ago.) But easy for me to say when I am just miles from all the pins I could ever want.

 

[vorpalswrd]

Here's the way I see it. Until Disney stops producing pins in China this will continue to be a large problem (as opposed to a small problem if the pins were produced here let's say). Here is a document from eBay. I can't afford a bunch of pins, scrappers or otherwise. So I will stick with my pressed pennies. At least I get to do something besides hand over my cash. *crank crank crank*

 

[Luv2Roam]

I looked at the Ebay auction 190288965490. I don't know this seller or know anything about them, good or bad. However if ANYONE offered a LE175 pin in a pile of (what I call) common pins, and for a cheap price, that would be the first clue right there. (HELLO! )

And it could be this person just traded for these pins in the parks like anyone else. The Bad Apple pin, I doubt that very much though on that particular pin. Gotta be a fake. That's pretty much a guarantee there.

Your best bet is just keep what you have and report them to Disney attorneys, as someone else here has reported someone.

I always feel bad for those collectors and traders who have the real pin as it devalues theirs somewhat.

Always just get what you personally want. Not what you think may be an investment. You have to figure on collecting and trading pins for enjoyment only. Otherwise it no longer will be.

 

[DaveStroem]

I just got the email address & phone number for reporting counterfeits, scrappers & bootlegs to Disney.

The phone number is 818-560-3300 and the email is tips@disneyantipiracy.com

I have left negative feedback for the seller, and will tonight be filing a paypal dispute as well as forwarding this sellers information and details to the above email. I will not be returning these pins to the seller for her to rip off others.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this will make any difference.

 

[thelionqueen]

I just got the email address & phone number for reporting counterfeits, scrappers & bootlegs to Disney.

The phone number is 818-560-3300 and the email is tips@disneyantipiracy.com

I have left negative feedback for the seller, and will tonight be filing a paypal dispute as well as forwarding this sellers information and details to the above email. I will not be returning these pins to the seller for her to rip off others.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this will make any difference.

You DID make a difference!!! Thank you for doing what you did, you rock!!

 

[junebugTN]

There is no question that the pins can be traded at WDW, they can. It's been posted here several times that the fakes are hard to spot even for CM's, so I hope that clears up the question of "can they be traded"..YES they can. The issue is SHOULD they be traded, my OPINION is a definite NO.

The affect of your children trading with a "serious" trader or a CM is not the issue. I let my kids trade for whatever they want. And my sons usually pick ones that are the least desirable..so be it, they are desireable to them. The issue here is the damage to pin trading in general. It doesn't matter who you trade with, fake pins infiltrate the entire pin trading community in the worst possible way.

Well said, lionqueen. It breaks my heart when I hear parents say, "well my kids aren't serious traders, so it doesn't matter..." Remember that the pins you trade do go from the CM's lanyard to be traded to other kids at Disney. Do you really want to knowingly distribute pins to other children when you know in your heart that they're scrappers?

My daughter traded for some pins off of CM lanyards that, when she tried to trade them later, the next CM explained that they were fakes. The CM handled it well, but it was still an un-magical moment.

I know this sounds corny, but my favorite part of visiting Disney is the magic and innocence of the whole place. I hope those parents that knowingly trade suspicious pins will reconsider and keep the experience magical for ALL the kids.

June

 

[junebugTN]

I have left negative feedback for the seller, and will tonight be filing a paypal dispute as well as forwarding this sellers information and details to the above email. I will not be returning these pins to the seller for her to rip off others.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this will make any difference.

Dave, I also wanted to say thanks for doing this. I REALLY appreciate that you didn't take the easy way out and just trade the pins. I hope that you are rewarded with lots of magical moments on your upcoming trip!

June

 

[letthewookiewin]

You DID make a difference!!! Thank you for doing what you did, you rock!!

Totally agree!!

I just got the email address & phone number for reporting counterfeits, scrappers & bootlegs to Disney.

The phone number is 818-560-3300 and the email is tips@disneyantipiracy.com

I have left negative feedback for the seller, and will tonight be filing a paypal dispute as well as forwarding this sellers information and details to the above email. I will not be returning these pins to the seller for her to rip off others.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this will make any difference.

It may not feel that you have done much, but you have. If enough people get their money back from paypal for non-authentic pins then it will put them out of business. Have a magical trip and have fun with pin trading. We haven't really gotten to pin trade on trip before b/c we just didn't have the extra money. For this next trip I am saving money just for that purpose.

 

[mareed]

My daughter traded for some pins off of CM lanyards that, when she tried to trade them later, the next CM explained that they were fakes. The CM handled it well, but it was still an un-magical moment.
June

I'm curious as to whether the CM explained how they knew they were fakes... As I've said, I certainly haven't ever been able to tell anything different about pins I've purchased or traded, so I am curious what it was that the CM saw that made them determine they were fake. For knowledge sake, I really would like to know how to tell. It sounds to me like it was more a case of a grumpy CM, and we all know that unfortunately, there are a few of those around...

On a similar note, my DS really wanted a pin that I could tell was damaged in that it had a sort of hole in it where another piece should have been. He traded the CM for it, and has now decided that he no longer wants it and is putting it back into our "trader" bag. I don't feel right trading that back, and I expect the CM wouldn't accept it as it's obviously damaged, but he DID get it originally from a CM. My other DS traded for a silver monorail pin that originally had a name at the bottom, but that someone had done a pretty good job of polishing off the name. (Pins with names aren't tradeable.) I wouldn't feel right trading back that pin either because even I can tell that it's been altered (i.e. damaged). I suspect someone bought these really cheaply on clearance and polished off the names and then sold them as traders. These 2 examples are pins that clearly shouldn't be traded to me, but I have a much harder time with the concept of scrappers where you can't tell the difference.

I realize that most on this thread think I'm an evil thief, but I'm honestly interested in learning what it is that distinguishes a scrapper... Educate me!

 

[ttbell]

I just got the email address & phone number for reporting counterfeits, scrappers & bootlegs to Disney.

The phone number is 818-560-3300 and the email is

I have left negative feedback for the seller, and will tonight be filing a paypal dispute as well as forwarding this sellers information and details to the above email. I will not be returning these pins to the seller for her to rip off others.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this will make any difference.

Thanks Dave! I will forward my sellers info to Disney as well.

 

[DaveStroem]

I'm honestly interested in learning what it is that distinguishes a scrapper... Educate me!

This is another bogus pin that I found in this lot.

The pin on the left, is from pinpics.com and the one on the right is the one that she sent to me.

Notice that the fake pin does not have the Disney logo in the bubble on the left of the pin. This is a 2009 pin, so they are getting the fakes out fast. This was a pretty easy spot if you can compare them side by side. The trouble is, would you know that the one on the right was not correct if you looked at it by itself.

 

[mareed]

This is another bogus pin that I found in this lot.

The pin on the left, is from pinpics.com and the one on the right is the one that she sent to me.

Notice that the fake pin does not have the Disney logo in the bubble on the left of the pin. This is a 2009 pin, so they are getting the fakes out fast.

That is interesting! Thanks for sharing it. The one you received does look odd that it has the bubble without anything in it. I don't recall seeing anything obvious like this in any that I've seen.

 

[karrit2000]

Dave,

I have to thank you too for making the effort to report your experience to Disney & Paypal about the purchase you made. I'm sorry you ended up with the bogus pins. Until Disney takes a stand and polices their own events to try to shield the rest of us from the bad pins nothing much will change. They created this monster and from what those of us who have been collecting for years can see nothing is going to change anytime soon. But each time one of the baddies gets reported at least we are one step closer to making it better for everyone. Please don't let this experience turn you off the whole pin trading experience. As others have said, spend what you can afford to but buyer beware. I'm still trading but I usually only do so with cast members and at official pin trading events. I'm not into the whole DTD Pin Trader scene either at WDW or DL. The sharks who camp there spoil it for the legitimate honest traders and I don't have the patience to attempt to deal with each one to determine who is fair & who isn't. Happy Pin Trading.

 

[DaveStroem]

Good news. The seller just refunded my money and requested that I not file an Ebay dispute. At this point, I don't even think I can as I now have no loss other then time and anguish.

 

[vorpalswrd]

Devil's Advocate here: If (at least some) CM's can so easily tell scrappers why doesn't Disney have them NOT put them on their lanyard? Other than obvious fakes (like the one on his page) most experts agree that unless you have both pins and a discerning eye you can't tell.