WANTED: Pin trading tips from the experienced trader

[scuba]

Trip to Disney world and cruise in February, our DD4 has been muscled out of trades by older children, no department store rare toy brawls before Christmas, no Zu Zu pet hair pulling or anything, but our DD4 manages to lose pins from "time to time" because her laynard is dangling around her neck. We from "time to time" take her pins only to have us pop into line and then we find a CM with a pin she wants and sometimes lose a pin to someone behind her because we cannot get her laynard out in time. I also have found pins on a CM laynard while fetching ice cream or the such only to return with our DD4 to find that the pin was just traded for another by someone else.

Are there any quick draw tips folks have out there, I certainly want this to be our Daughters thing, and I don't want to carry a bunch of pins around in MY pocket. I also don't want to be the hovering parent demanding she trade pins either.

We have been in search of that special pin, doesn't have to be real special, just special in her eyes and I have spied a few, and without me spying she would have never seen the pin.

here's another question, some CM in que lines wear laynards, how in the world can my DD4 and I be prepared to trade and not hold up a line? One time we did go back through the fast pass line after a lengthy explination to the CM maning the entrance. I'm still not certain he completly believed me.

Here are a few things we have done thus far, we fill her layard with mostly pins she wants to trade off, the bad thing is her lanyard is filled with pins she doesn't like, as a kid that is huge, no princess would be caught dead with a lanyard full of Star Wars pins( not meaning to offend any star wars princesses out there). We have also bought here the last trip there a Tinkerbell shoulder case for her pins but she has really started filling that up.

sorry so lengthy, I would love to hear the input

 

[Dzny-pins-UK]

Trip to Disney world and cruise in February, our DD4 has been muscled out of trades by older children, no department store rare toy brawls before Christmas, no Zu Zu pet hair pulling or anything, but our DD4 manages to lose pins from "time to time" because her laynard is dangling around her neck. We from "time to time" take her pins only to have us pop into line and then we find a CM with a pin she wants and sometimes lose a pin to someone behind her because we cannot get her laynard out in time. I also have found pins on a CM laynard while fetching ice cream or the such only to return with our DD4 to find that the pin was just traded for another by someone else.

Are there any quick draw tips folks have out there, I certainly want this to be our Daughters thing, and I don't want to carry a bunch of pins around in MY pocket. I also don't want to be the hovering parent demanding she trade pins either.

We have been in search of that special pin, doesn't have to be real special, just special in her eyes and I have spied a few, and without me spying she would have never seen the pin.

here's another question, some CM in que lines wear laynards, how in the world can my DD4 and I be prepared to trade and not hold up a line? One time we did go back through the fast pass line after a lengthy explination to the CM maning the entrance. I'm still not certain he completly believed me.

Here are a few things we have done thus far, we fill her layard with mostly pins she wants to trade off, the bad thing is her lanyard is filled with pins she doesn't like, as a kid that is huge, no princess would be caught dead with a lanyard full of Star Wars pins( not meaning to offend any star wars princesses out there). We have also bought here the last trip there a Tinkerbell shoulder case for her pins but she has really started filling that up.

sorry so lengthy, I would love to hear the input

I would suggest maybe you buy her a small pin trading bag (easy access), at the moment it's the 10th Anniversary of Pin Trading there is a cool bag.
http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=72339&sid=8047.1263115660.v2

I have a few of them and 1. when it's hot to wear a lanyard sometimes can be a pain. 2. the small pin trading bags are not heavy and easy to wear (I sometimes wear mine as a messenger style) 3. she would easy reach for her traders

 

[pixiewings71]

If you're actively trading you need to have pins available quickly. Lanyards are good, but if you don't want to wear one use the small bag as suggested above, but if possible put your pins in small baggies to help protect them from scratching each other. Also, if your child has asked to see a lanyard first (or if YOU have asked first) then the CM is not supposed to trade with anyone else until YOUR trade is completed, if CM's are letting others "cut" in front of you you should speak up.

 

[disneym2m]

What everyone has mentioned above is a great idea. There really isn't an art to trading and unfortunately things happen. For me I carry a small amount of pins in a bag and if I see a pin on a CM lanyard I want to trade, I ask for a trade and then just stick my hand in the bag pulling out whatever pin. A CM is only suppose to trade with one person at a time and if you are in the middle of a trade then no one else is suppose to "cut" in front. You also should look for CM with a greenish/blueish (I believe that is still the color) lanyard. These CM's only trade with children. Look for these CMs near attractions fit for children. I was at Pixie Hallow at DL and was talking to a CM and she had a pin I really wanted to trade for but she informed me that she only traded with children. I already knew this and it was nice to see she was doing her pin trading job correctly.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do if you see a pin on a lanyard and have to leave to get your pins and come back to discover it has been traded. You may want to buy a small pin bag and just carry it with you always. If your daughter is losing pins, check the backs of the pins. You can buy "lock" backs at the Disney Pin Stores and they "lock" the pin so it doesn't fall off. OR make sure if your daughter really likes the pin, then put those pins in another bag and leave it in your purse. If you buy the "locks" ask the CM if the pin can be removed later, just in case. I haven't really tried them yet, but I know they exist. And I am not sure if they are permanently locked.

Also do some pin research before you start pin trading. That way when you daughter is trading you know what is going on. Some pin traders will trade pin for pin BUT some will trade based on what they think is value. One pin for like three of yours. I don't even bother with these traders. Also teach your daughter to say No to pin trades. Make sure she knows that she can say No to any pin that she doesn't find valuable to her. And since she is so young you too should also be able to say no. I would watch over her and these trades very carefully. When she is older she will know what to do. But since she is young, there are others that WILL take advantage. You better believe that other parents are teaching their child how to pin trade and it may not be in a nice way. And I bet because she is so young the older kids know they can get more than one pin from her.

For research, check out:

www.pinpics.com
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/search/results?newPins=true


They are so many out there, so if you don't like these then just google.

Have fun and remember that pin trading is suppose to be fun and not exhausting and crazy. And remember you are the adult and watch over your young daughter during trades AT ALL times. I am sure you do, but you turn your head for a minute and those other kids are watching they know how to get more than one pin. It is sad to think that other children will do this but you have no idea how their parents taught them to pin trade. And since pins aren't cheap and getting three pins for one pins looks good to them.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

When your daughter wears her lanyard have you thought about purchasing pin locks for the pins she likes to wear on it? I personally use them for the pins on my lanyard and have never lost one, however those pins I will never trade which is one of the reasons I use them. So unless she likes to trade the pins on here lanyard then maybe it's not the best idea, because it's easier to take off the regular pin backs since you will need a key to unlock them.

 

[tink576]

Consider having maybe 5 trader pins in your pocket so if you see something you think she'll like that you can grab for her without risking loosing the pin while you look for her. My mom doesn't trade, but she'll have a couple pins in her pocket so if she see's something I'm looking for or she thinks I'll like she'll grab it for me. If I don't like it, I just trade it again, no big deal, but none of us are kicking ourselves because we don't have pins when we need it.

When your daughter gets to a cast member, have her state which pins she would like first thing. So even if she takes a while to get her pin off, no one behind her will get the pin that she wants because the cast member will have it reserved for her at that point.