Vinylmations-- buying, trading, etc

[ilovejsparrow]

So I know everyone isn't into vinylmations.. heck I wasn't either until i received my first one and a black shot glass display case as a gift. Now I'm hooked! The vinyls really POP against the black case and there's plenty of room for more

But I have only since purchased these online. Can anyone give me the ins and outs of good places to buy at the parks (most selection), how trading works, and the best trading locations?

Also, please share with me your favorite vinyl/series.. I'm always looking for new ideas

Thanks!

 

[earthfaries]

My son got into Vinylmation trading when they first came out. You can buy them almost anywhere in Disney World. Pretty much all the gift shops have them.

You can also trade them in some of the shops in the parks and in the resorts. Vinylmation trading has become quite popular.

As for the series, it's a matter of personal tastes really. I like some of them, not all of them. They make so many different series now there are a lot to choose from.

My son likes vinylnation.net. They have a database of all vinylmations made, you can find ones you like there and try to trade for them at Disney.

You can also buy them on eBay, sometimes you can get some good deals on them, much cheaper than in the parks and then you can use them as "traders".

Good luck and have fun!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

There's availability for trading at lot of the different shops in the parks and the resort gift shops. One difference I noticed is that in the Main St. Emporium, the clear box is a 3x3 so you can see 9 options for trading if you don't want to do a mystery box trade. Everywhere else I've only seen 3 in the clear box.

I'm fairly new to the trading but it seems like the rules are very location and CM dependent. I would say just ask the CM before you trade what the rules will be. The general procedure is you'll ask the CM to do a trade. You can do the mystery box, which is a black box with 16 numbered slots. You'll pick a number and then the CM will show you what was in that slot. You usually can try at least one more mystery slot if you don't like the first one you get. There's also a clear box where you can see a few of the vinylmations. You can trade for those directly or after you've done your mystery trades you can trade for one in the clear box if you don't like what you got.

I think the general rule is you're only supposed to trade once per location per day, but I'm not sure if that's really enforced.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Thanks for the info so far

 

[mountdew1]

Check out vinylnation.net for loads of information about Vinylmation. The selection will tend to be like pins. Most stores will have a small selection, some have alot. The small selections tend to be 2-3 series of the blind boxes. D-Street at DtD tends to have the biggest selection, as well as getting them before the other stores do. Most of the other locations won't carry a selection go the 9" ones, D-Street carries pretty much all of them. They also sell one of a kind pieces made by artists. AK doesn't seem to carry a large selection anywhere, Epcot tends to carry them at Mouse Gears, DHS is Villains in Vogue and the first store on the left as you enter the park, MK usually the Emporium, or the Frontierland Pin Store. The online selection tends to have a really good selection, and carries some exclusives. Odds are if the stores carry it, they will as well. The only exception being some of the limited edition pieces.

Trading is supposed to be one trade per "black box" and one trade per clear box per person per store per day. Now there is no way to really police that, shift changes, simply getting a different CM, etc. Most stores that sell vinyls will have at least the 3 vinyl clear box, and the stores that sell more of them will usually have the black box as well. Now some CMs will be strict about the rules. Technically you are supposed to pick a number on the black box, and that is what you get. Other CMs will offer up hints, or let you pick a second number if the first one wasn't something you wanted. A good rule of thumb, is to trade black box first, and if you don't like it, you can then trade clear box. There is no real set location to trade vinyls like they have for pins. Some vinyl traders will hang out at the pin tables, or trade at the pin/vinyl trade nights.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Thanks mountdew! Lots of good info

 

[Mrs. Gumdrop]

vinylmationkingdom.com is another great sites for collectors.

As for collecting I am currently focused on DCL figures that just hit the Disney Store site. Otherwise I just collect what I like such as the Parks figures that are meaningful to me and the It's A Small World Jr. series. My advice is collect what you love.

Enjoy!

 

[mountdew1]

My advice is collect what you love.

Enjoy!

Ditto. Never collect based on what you think may be worth the most in the future, but collect what you will be proud to have on the wall in 10 years.

As a side note, the bottom seems to be dropping on some vinyls already. DS.com has a 2/$50 sale going on for a bunch of 9" vinyls. And they routinely have them on sale. With the exception of some of the rarer/more sought after early pieces they have flooded the market with so many choices people seem to be getting overwhelmed.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

I'm definitely trying to stick with purchasing my favorites, but I get torn because I love opening surprise boxes but it's nice to purchase right off eBay to get my favorites from each collection. It's so addicting though!

 

[kerri0616]

I bought 4 off ebay or amazon before our trip. I purposely chose unattractive, unwanted, inexpensive ones since I bought them solely for the purpose of having my 2 sons trade them.

They enjoyed trading...it gave us something to do while we waited for a fastpass time or an ADR. Of course, once they "won" one that they loved, it reduced the amount we had available for trading!

We must have gotten "Big Baby" about 3 different times in 3 different stores! And as other posters have said, the rules seem up to the CM. Most let us keep our original if we didn't like what was revealed in the mystery box.

It's fun!

Kerri

 

[SRUAlmn]

My family and I are interested in starting to trade during our next trip I've read lots of information about different series, about the trading process, etc..., but the one thing I can't seem to find (and maybe it's a silly question) is which sized Vinylmation do you trade? I'm assuming it's the 3" ones since a PP mentioned the black boxes are 3x3, but I just wanted to be sure before we bought some starters! Oh, and FYI, Disneystore.com is having a deal right now with code MYSTERY. You get a mystery 3" one for $1.99 with the purchase of any authentic Disney Parks Vinylmation

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Oh, and FYI, Disneystore.com is having a deal right now with code MYSTERY. You get a mystery 3" one for $1.99 with the purchase of any authentic Disney Parks Vinylmation

Awesome thanks! Yes it's the 3" vinyls that you trade, all except for the 'design your own'.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Awesome thanks! Yes it's the 3" vinyls that you trade, all except for the 'design your own'.

Thank you!! I just tried to purchase one that said it was Disney Parks Authentic, and the code is coming up as invalid. I'm currently chatting with a CM to find out why their own advertised code isn't working Will keep you posted!

 

[Mrs. Gumdrop]

Thank you!! I just tried to purchase one that said it was Disney Parks Authentic, and the code is coming up as invalid. I'm currently chatting with a CM to find out why their own advertised code isn't working Will keep you posted!

I have heard many first hand accounts of issues with using promo codes for vinylmations at ds.com. Don't give up! Good luck!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thank you!! I just tried to purchase one that said it was Disney Parks Authentic, and the code is coming up as invalid. I'm currently chatting with a CM to find out why their own advertised code isn't working Will keep you posted!

Quoting myself After my LONG chat with the online CM, she mentioned that not all of the Disney Parks Authentic Vinylmations are accepting the code, but they ARE all eligible. If you try to buy one that's not accepting the code, click on the online chat/call/email. They'll ask for your order number and then they'll go in and add the $1.99 and the mystery one

 

[goofyredraider]

Okay, so let me fully understand....if we have some NIB ones...we take can take them to one of the stores at WDW and do a "trade" for another?

My dd would love to do this... she just got her first one and is planning to buy more. I could get her some inexpensive ones to trade if so.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Something you said brings up a good point that I never thought of...do you need to show that yours is NIB? I'm hoping I won't have to carry any I have around in their boxes all day (for space sake,) but I guess it would prevent people trading any that were in bad shape, though.

 

[goofyredraider]

Something you said brings up a good point that I never thought of...do you need to show that yours is NIB? I'm hoping I won't have to carry any I have around in their boxes all day (for space sake,) but I guess it would prevent people trading any that were in bad shape, though.

I'm glad you asked...because I'd like to know, too....I have three kids and their junk to cart...I don't need more than I need...(says the pack mule). LOL.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Quoting myself After my LONG chat with the online CM, she mentioned that not all of the Disney Parks Authentic Vinylmations are accepting the code, but they ARE all eligible. If you try to buy one that's not accepting the code, click on the online chat/call/email. They'll ask for your order number and then they'll go in and add the $1.99 and the mystery one

Just another update. I just signed in to my account and this is listed as the $1.99 one they added to my order:

VINYL ANIMAL SERIES 1 3IN


I'm off now to look up what that might be

 

[DJSMOM]

We traded A LOT when we were in the Parks in November. we brought our duplicates with us, not in the box. If there was a card with the set, we also brought that. Disappointed that our local Disney Store doesn't carry any sets any more. we liked trading there too and it was easy to go and pick them up as presents for the kids.