Trading Pins with CM's??

[nurseypoo5]

My friend said the best place to buy some pins was ebay. Is it true that CM's will trade you for your pins. Do you get to pick which pin you want and vise versa? Obviously he doesnt have any great pins, i was wondering if everytime he traded, they would take the one he just got lol ...im sure it will be better than what he can buy on ebay! (were trying to be cheapo's at this...its his allowance he is spending!) thanks

 

[makinorlando]

You choose what you want, CM does not - they only ask that you not trade them something they already have. You can trade up to two pins with each CM. DD generally does just one, and it is fun to come home with new pins each visit.

They will only trade for genuine Disney pins that have the Disney mark on the back. I'm not sure what is out on EBAY, I know many people by them from their, but we have not done that yet.

 

[mickeysaver]

I love trading with CM's! Yes, buying pins on eBay is one way to start. You could also take your chances on finding some discounted Disney pins at the Outlet stores in Orlando. Warning, it's an expensive and highly addictive hobby. Try to pick a theme to collect. Gabby focuses on Stitch, Jessica Rabbit and Patriotic pins. I love Timon & Pumbaa, LGM's, Dory, and Brother Bear. Have fun! Maggie

 

[lowie]

My friend said the best place to buy some pins was ebay. Is it true that CM's will trade you for your pins. Do you get to pick which pin you want and vise versa? Obviously he doesnt have any great pins, i was wondering if everytime he traded, they would take the one he just got lol ...im sure it will be better than what he can buy on ebay! (were trying to be cheapo's at this...its his allowance he is spending!) thanks

you can get pins, that are trade-able, on ebay for as low as $2 each! and the CM's will trade with you. i never buy my kids expensive pins. we buy less expensive one and look for good trades.
if you don't buy on ebay, you can buy multi packs at WDW for about $5 per pin and trade up.
next month i'm starting my own collection!

 

[Marseeya]

They also have pins for trade in the gift shops at the resorts! At AKL, they had a book sitting out with pins on it for customers to trade. It was pretty much on the honor system, but every time I saw anybody doing it, they traded pin for pin. DD ended up getting a couple of extremely nice princess pins from that book.

 

[Joanna71985]

Also, if a CM is wearing a green lanyard, that means its for trading with kids only (12 and under I believe). A gold/black lanyard is for trading with anyone. And, as someone else said, they are only supposed to have one of one kind of pin on the lanyard (no duplicates).

 

[lowie]

Also, if a CM is wearing a green lanyard, that means its for trading with kids only (12 and under I believe). A gold/black lanyard is for trading with anyone. And, as someone else said, they are only supposed to have one of one kind of pin on the lanyard (no duplicates).

another cute thing we discovered on our last trip is that some CM's will wear their pins facing in so you can't see what you're trading, it's called mystery pin. of course if your 6 y.o. son gets a princess and doesn't want girly pins they'll re-trade! my son had an absolute ball doing that, he also made mystery pins on his lanyard
and...
look for hidden mickey, cast member lanyard series, pins. they have tiny hidden mickey's on them and my dd10 only traded for those last time.

 

[Meezers]

I may get flamed for this...but....

Our last trip...we found that SO many people had gotten "cheap" pins to trade that if you were not "up and at 'em" at a very early time of day or catch someone who had just refreshed their lanyard or was coming on shift...their lanyard was full of "junk"...pro-pins and sedesma....not even any fun rack pins! We stopped trading after about the first day....just wasn't fun at all!

I will not wear a pin on my lanyard that I am not willing to take home and love...yes it gets a little more expensive....but what some people are doing I consider cheating...and it makes pin trading not quite so fun any more....

 

[apostolic4life]

Our whole family has gotten into pin trading as a hobby and we love it.

I consider myself a pin collector vs. a trader. I buy pins and keep them, but every now and then I will trade for a pin that catches my eye. I have purchased many pins on Ebay, and I have been very happy about the results of my purchases. Two weeks ago I purchased a cast member Food & Beverage LE pin for $6 plus shipping. I found the same pin this week being sold for an opening bid of $75.........you can make out if you ask the correct questions and are dilligent in your bidding.

Try Ebay and if you see a pin you like, research the pin on dizpins.com. You could get a collection worth something for very little expense.

 

[lowie]

I may get flamed for this...but....

Our last trip...we found that SO many people had gotten "cheap" pins to trade that if you were not "up and at 'em" at a very early time of day or catch someone who had just refreshed their lanyard or was coming on shift...their lanyard was full of "junk"...pro-pins and sedesma....not even any fun rack pins! We stopped trading after about the first day....just wasn't fun at all!

I will not wear a pin on my lanyard that I am not willing to take home and love...yes it gets a little more expensive....but what some people are doing I consider cheating...and it makes pin trading not quite so fun any more....

i understand completely.. but my kids don't only go for expensive pins, they go for what catches their eye. i know many people who don't trade, just buy the pins they LOVE but i'm still all for 'cheap pins' cause it can be a very expensive addic... oops, i mean hobby.
p.s. what's sedesma? i've seen that on ebay and wasn't sure.

 

[Meezers]

I guess I should have said this as well...

I have gotten some GREAT deals on e-bay....there is one store that has hundreds of pins for $5.95 with NO shipping and handling....GREAT PINS....I buy from this store about once a week! Cast member pins and other really nice ones that we searched high and low for!

I just hate seeing lanyards full of stuff that I don't think even kids will like.

Oh...I don't trade for monetary value....if I don't like it I won't trade...and will trade something I have to a little one if they love it as much as I do!

My brother wears two lanyards...one to love and one to trade....I usually have one side to trade and one to love....and I do really enjoy my pins.

DM doesn't trade...and boy did some guy give her a really hard time this last trip! He just would not take no for an answer....kinda scared Mom! And ticked me off!

But I will still spend hours decided what pins to take next trip...just cause I love it...and meeting people...and giving lessons to kids...and...and...and...

 

[Meezers]

wrote this for another board a long time ago...but thought it might be helpful!

Oh boy...this could be a LONG answer so forgive me if I ramble.

Starter sets are a good way to go. Plus they come in neat colors...I think Tinkerbells is Lavender!

All CM's must trade if the pin you want to give them is not already on their lanyard. These lanyards and pins are Disney property so don't feel bad! CM's wearing green lanyards only trade with children.

There are so many pins it is hard to even imagine. It seems the most sought after are the "cast lanyard" series. These are given to cast members only and can't be purchased. I personally don't get all weird about them...I mean I am not looking for resale or anything....

That said...I have to limit myself....you have to really pick a character or theme or you will just be overwhelmed! I have started trying to find the smallest pins I can....but once again...only if I like them. My "themes" are Beauty and the Beast...Lion King...and tea (the drink from England!).

Pins are traded hand to hand only and don't feel bad asking to keep your "good" black rubber Mickey backing. I haven't lost any pins but do check the backs regularly.

I have been buying some pins on ebay. If you can get a buy it now with a good shipping rate you can actually save money. The lowest pin cost at WDW is (I think) $6.50....if I can get a pin from ebay for $5.95 and get several and comine shipping and handling I do it. Once again....only pins I like....you never know what you may or may not be able to trade.

All this said.....if you child lucks on to a really good pin....there are some less than honorable people out there (children and adults) who will try to trade a "you can get in anywhere" rack pin for her very special pin. This happened to my Mom....who is 64! She just told the person she couldn't trade without asking her children.....said person disappeared! A good thing cause I would have wrung her neck. So....I wouldn't let my little one trade without asking Mommy!

Warning....you get very attached to your pins....my Mom had a hissy fit when I wanted to trade a Dumbo....there she was...in the middle of Epcot..."Oh no....you can't trade Dumbo". Now Mom collects and my brother and I trade!

I plan on taking my cork boards (really just several cork trivets) with me on our next trip so I can change out pins when I want...plus if I buy any I don't want to wear on my lanyard this way I don't have little bags all around the room that wind up getting lost!

Have I tired you out yet?

I plan on downloading and printing the current lanyard series from dizpins just before I go....cause sometimes it is the fun of the chase.

If you have any mini pins....very hard to find...there is a guy in AK who works at one of the shops...all he trades are mini pins....from a stuffed frog I believe. Mini pins for mini pins...his name is Brian...guess he is getting kind of famous.

Okay my hands are tired and a cop just made fun of me for typing so fast!

Good luck....PM if you have any more questions...although I am sure you are going to get many many responses from many people here!

PS...added Chip and Dale to my collection this last trip...boy those chipmunks are EVERYWHERE!

 

[familyfirsttimer]

I know there is probably a wide range on answers on this but here goes...

At what age did your kids start pin trading? I think it is really cool but I know it can be an expensive hobby. We would like to take a trip to WDW every 12-18 months so I think it could be a really cool tradition to start.

My olders DD is 7 so I think she would be really into it but my litte one is 4 and that seems too young. Do you think I should just wait another year or two and start them both? BTW, the older one had no idea what it was all about last year, never even questioned what all the people were doing earing the lanyards!
Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I started collecting last Oct, about halfway through my ten day trip. So, I didn't do much trading, but I did end up spending about $500, on pins. (And then I wonder where all my money went. ) After getting home I discovered Pin Pics, (you can view my collection there - disneyfav4ever as well as my wants and trades.) Also, I've bought dozens of pins off of E-Bay, which is my main way of collecting now.

I agree with what a previous poster said, most of the cast lanyards are filled with Sedesema and Pro Pins later in the day, and while I collect the pins I like, and don't care about the actual money value, I do want just "official" Disney pins. I did, at WDW buy a few starter sets for around $5 a pin, but they were official, so I didn't feel bad trading them away.

For my next trip, in Dec, I plan to buy a lot of official pins off of E-Bay, to use as traders. I may take a few from my collection, that I don't feel are "must-haves," but for the most part, my collection will stay home, where it is safe.

As far as buying in the parks go, I probably won't buy many, if any. Who am I kidding, even if I say I'm not going to buy any, that'll probably only last a day. But, I'll try and limit myself to LE's, like the ones from the MVMCP's I go to, and special Christmas ones and such.

For the most part I've been limiting myself to princess and animal pins, though I just can't resist some other ones, like the postage stamp pins, art of celebration, friendship, and romance. I started collecting, thinking I was just going to go after Jasmine and cat pins. But then there was an adorable Lady, and a pretty Belle one, so that lasted about five seconds.

Some of my favorites are - Scar, from the Disney masks collection, Simba from the 2004 Flower and Garden Festival, which is a LE of 2500, the princess pairs and icons collections, the Jasmine original dress from DLP, as well as the one with her and Ali dancing, also from DLP. Some of my favorite pins where only available from Disney Auctions, there's one of Marie, from the Aristocats that is an LE of 250, a winter flurries Belle, that is a LE of 250, and one of Belle and the Beast with the rose, which is a LE of 500.

When I trade, I look for any pin I like, regardless of if it's a Cast Lanyard exclusive or not, though I do really like the new Chip and Dale series with the Disney desserts.

 

[RN2BIA]

I purchased pins and lanyards on ebay. There are certain places and times to trade pins. I took them on our last trip but the kids were so small it was just a hassel for me. So perhaps this year the kids would enjoy doing it. Make sure on ebay you get new pins and don't pay a lot for them. The new price ususally runs $2.99 and higher. The only time you want to pay a lot of money for a pin if it is a collector pin. But check it out on google to make sure it is a true collector pin.

 

[nurseypoo5]

Thanks ya'll! Great and entertaining idea's for my son (and me lol). I think I got lucky ( you tell me) on ebay...i found the lilo and stitch starter lanyard with 8 pins that sell for 50.00 in the parks for 30.00 including shipping, i figure it was around 3.00 per pin and a couple for the lanyard.

PM me if anyone has duplicate pins or pins that arent that cute they want to dump...we plan on trading up when we get there


The thing ive found about ebay is that the shipping is so high for 1 pin that its not worth it to me unless i get lucky enough to buy atleast 3 from an individual. So thats a pain.

Thanks again ya'll!

 

[WDW LOVR]

I thought Disney CM's couldn't trade for any pins that weren't "official Disney" pins?

I know I've had CM's turn a pin over to make sure it's "Disney". I guess for me it doesn't really matter as long as the pin is cool.

 

[Meezers]

The Sedesma and ProPins are official Disney. They are made in Spain and Germany and are out of some type of very soft metal. The back of the pins break off easily and the colors just don't seem quite as bright as the ones from the US and UK. You will notice a difference as soon as you seen them.

If anyone would like to know the name of the ebay store I found that sells official pins for $5.95 a pin with no S&H let me know....he also has quite a few Cast Lanyard pins for the same price! Yep, this store gets part of my paycheck every couple of weeks...for pins I wind up giving away!

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

At what age did your kids start pin trading? I think it is really cool but I know it can be an expensive hobby. We would like to take a trip to WDW every 12-18 months so I think it could be a really cool tradition to start.

My olders DD is 7 so I think she would be really into it but my litte one is 4 and that seems too young. Do you think I should just wait another year or two and start them both? BTW, the older one had no idea what it was all about last year, never even questioned what all the people were doing earing the lanyards!
Thanks for sharing your experience.

In my opinion, 4 is not too young. I started my oldest at 4. My yougest started at 3 1/2 (to keep up with his two big sisters). Each kid geat a lanyard. I don't have them wear the pin we are going to trade in (it feels less like giving away something of their very own). I keep traders in my pocket. They know to go up to the cast member (the CM's are friendly and welcoming which helps the little ones feel at ease) and ask for the pin they like best, and then I hand my child the trader and say, Ok give him this one, and they do fine with that. They love it at a young age -- especially when a bigger sibling is doing it. Then they feel really big, too.

With your guidance, the youmger one will do fine. The only thing is it does take a little bit of time (choosing is sooo hard sometimes!) We usually do one or two trades a day. We pick CM's off the the side of things, like at an unbusy vendor cart so that we don't hold anything up.

Hope that helps. Enjoy!

 

[familyfirsttimer]

Thank you SnowWhiteRabbit for the great ideas. I ended up ordereing today after seeing the post about the codes stacking and free shipping so I did get @20 pins for $39.75 shipped. That is a great way to start and not too expensive. I think my kids will love it and thank you for letting me know how you handle the trades and helping them choose.
BTW, where do you get the lanyards? I'm sure I can find them but I have never even looked. Thanks again for getting me hooked (wait, should I be thanking you or cursing you for another addiction? LOL!!!!!)