What has been your most "lopsided" trade request?

[RamVA]

"Lopsided" or as I sometimes call them "unbalanced" trade requests have always been a part of on-line trading, but it seems as though with the introduction of DA P.I.N.S there has been an increase in this occurrence--at least it seems that way to me.

Tell us if you have had a request that just really made you scratch your head in amazement--it could be lopsided in your favor or lopsided in the requestor's favor--(I've rarely had it come to me lopsided in my favor!). And how do you react when you receive one.

I have 2 recent ones that are an example, but actually not the most lopsided I've ever had.
The first one was DS Nightmare Jack, which is NOT limited, offerred for my DA Eeyore with Apples, LE 500. Their Pinpics trading ratio (how many people trading vs. how many want) were almost identical.
The second one was Mickey & Minnie CM Holiday Slider 2003, which is an LE of 3000, with a trade ratio of 72 trading to 115 want, for my DA Mickey Mouse Pocket Watch, an LE of 100, with a trade ratio of 7 trading to 56 wanting.

I confess that often I get annoyed--any of us that have been trading for a while know that pins have different values, and we know that to obtain certain pins, we have to trade a pin with comparable trading "power"--all pins may be created equal, but they don't all stay that way!!! So, if I receive a lopsided request from someone I know is an experienced trader, I do scratch my head and wonder what they are thinking; would they make the same trade if I proposed it to them? I usually reply with "no thanks" or "this trade would not work for me" or if it's really lopsided in my opinion, I tell them I prefer to trade for other pins of similar LE size and/or trading value.

If it's unusually lopsided in the "requestor's" favor, I reply that I would love to make the trade, but feel the trade is lopsided in my favor and verify they are aware of the difference in the pins (in case they are a newbie) or offer to add another pin to the mix.

Who else has had this experience, or has an opinion?

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I wish I could say my experience was limited to DA P.I.N.S.!

The trade I received over the weekend was so <i>bizarre</i> that I have actually partially blocked it out of my mind. Someone offered me their $6.50, currently available rack pin for this:

Oh! And I'd love to attribute this offer to a newbie trader whose name I did not recognize . . . <b>NOT!</b>

I really tried to figure out how anyone could have justified making that offer, but I have to admit my charitable thoughts just could not stretch that far.

 

[MadStrawberry]

Maybe the people just know you two are pushovers..........LOL !
Only kidding. I got one not to long ago for a rack pin for my WDW PTP. Yes, I did scratch my head and replied back with a polite no thank you.
Thinking " Are you out of your tree????"

Barbara
Ms Mad

 

[suzanneb]

last month, trading with a newbie...he had all his pins on a couple of foam sheets...
I liked a DL pin that I think is open stock and still available...48th anniv, I think.
Anyway, he looked thru my book and saw the DL Disney Classic "TV set" pins...I had three different ones.
He said that was all he saw that he liked...so I asked him which of those LE 1000 did he want...and without saying anything else said he wanted to keep his pin...I think he thought I was going to trade him all THREE for his pin..
I should have explained that the TV's were each sold separately, and each LE 1000, but I let that moment pass...oh well...

 

[Luv2Roam]

Too many to recall.
But hey Robyn -- I'll give youTWO (count 'em TWO) $6.50 rack pins for your set!
Oh heck -- I'll throw in some stickers too. Maybe even a napkin.

The ones that first come to my mind was when I had the CM leadership pin up for trade. Mostly I was offered one DS pin that was selling at a discounted price. I think I may have had a few LE's. Nothing worth remembering or noteworthy. Not even a offer for a surprise pin in trade.
One person out of I don't know how many replied -- Look at my pins and LMK what you want.
No wonder I turned to Ebay and sold it there.

I still receive several TAs for my LE1500's, or a low LE $12.50 pin, where they in turn want to trade me a discounted rack state pin. (The ones that anyone can get buy for $3 - $4 now, and are common on CM lanyards.)
I don't mind it when they are a newbie and that is all they can offer. (Even then you would think they would offer a few.)
Sometimes those with the worst offers have more pins than I do. (And I have a lot.)

 

[Mr. Plutonium]

Hi!
I recently shut my TA off. I think the straw that broke the the camel's back was the nerve of some people to insist on completely unfair trades. They all aren't newbies and they know better. On the other hand I was offered the backstage train tour pin for a regular LE. I asked the other person if they knew how valuable the pin was. I told them to check around and although I would love to do a trade I don't rip people off. They wrote back that they were going to hold on to the pin. I guess I'll turn it back on eventually but it is a lot of work to delete pins you've traded, let people know their pin is on the way, your pin arrived, leave references, wait for the other party who won't send you a pin 'till they get their's first...
Now I admit I'm spoiled because I can go trading 3 times a month in Chicago.
So it's not like I've given up trading. I guess I just got tired of the rude people who are just plain greedy.
-Gene

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

While I was reading this thread, I kept cringing hoping some trade I offered was not mentioned. I have only been trading for a week and I am sure I have offered some crazy trades.

I try to offer trades I might do if it was reversed. But it is hard to know what to offer when you a newbie. My pinpics id is seabreeze33. If I have made anyone shake their head in wonder, I am sorry!



I am open to any advice!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I have checked out your traders on pinpics, and I will send a (direct) trade offer some time tomorrow.

I think we have some of the older lanyard pins you're looking for, and you have a couple of rack pins that would make my DD very happy.

 

[RamVA]

I just want to reassure you that any of us that are "scratching our heads", and are frustrated with "lopsided" trade requests, are not frustrated with "newbies"! We were all new to this hobby at one time, and understand it takes some time to learn all the "ins and outs" of making trades. I think it's fair to say, that all of us in this "boat" are referring to long-time or experienced traders who know exactly what kind of request they are sending. And actually, one reason we get upset, is knowing that often it's the "newbie" who may end up on the "unfair" side of a lopsided trade request.

Many new traders do make lopsided requests simply because they haven't yet learned all the tools of Pinpics. At any time you can go to "My Pinpics", "Click Here to Review Your Pending Trade Requests", and you can see exactly what pin you are offering and what pin you are requesting in return, and who the trades are going to. You can then, delete any pins (or even a specific trader if you wish) if you find a request is "lopsided" or you just change your mind.

Personally the way I started out trading when I was new, was to write down all the numbers of the pins that came up as "available" in a trade when I would click "what could I get for trading this pin". Then I would look at every pin and make sure the LE size and the trading numbers(how many want, how many are trading) were similar, and then I would only check those boxes for the pins that I thought were a "fair" offer. It was much more time consuming that way, but it meant I didn't end up sending out hugely unbalanced requests--like "I'll offer you this rack pin that is still for sale in a park, for your silver jail scene". Now I know my pins so well, and the pins I'm seeking that I don't have to reference them as much--I know what is a reasonable offer to send out.

Hope this helps a little, and we are so glad to welcome you to the board!!

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

Eeyore's pal - thanks for looking at my trades! I look forward to hearing from you.

RamVA - thanks for the reassurence and the great ideas! I will try looking closer at the trading numbers. Maybe I will get some more "yes"s to my trade requests.

 

[daber]

Just got one today .....they offered a currently available WDW rack pin for the DA Tink presents LE 100 pin.

 

[Raulandpinboy]

Not a TA, but I did have one it started in 2002 after an event at the Poly pin meet, I had two girls sisters that wanted my old style Snow White set from the Disney store there were 9 pins the 7 dwarfs, Snow white, and the queen.

All they had was stuff from the event we had all just come from, They tried for hours to wear me down.

I finally said what the hey, I have had them for a long time and no luck trying to trade the set, everybody wanted either Snow White, or the Queen, but not the set, and said I would do it for 1… UNO… a single pin that was an LE of 1500, I even remember the pin Pluto on a spring, for 9 sold out, retired pins each an LE of what 1947 or something weird like that, the complete set with the boxes to boot.

All they had to do was get mom or dad to okay the trade. Well they got dad, I had the pins out of the book and ready to go the girls told dad and dad looked the trade over and said “no way that’s not a fair trade” I smiled and said I know its not but they really want the pins so I don’t mind, thinking he meant that’s not fair for me. Nope he meant not fair for them and told me “well I for one will not let you take advantage of my girls, and I plan on reporting you for trying to con them like that” My face went pale and I honest to goodness thought I was going to throw up. I tried to explain what these pins were and why the trade was more than 9 times fair for them, but he just would not listen and took he girls away and refused to let them trade with me anymore plus told everybody at the pin meet that I was a shark and tried to shark his kids.

I must have told the story to 20 people that night who all thought the man was nuts, I had to keep getting assured that it was a fair trade.

Well that was 2002 now in 2004 I finally made that trade, the same girls’ now older, same dad now wiser. You see I never traded that set, I put them back in the book and just plain refused to look at them again. The oldest girl remembered asked me if I still had the set I said I did, and we made the trade for a cruise pin as they had just returned from one, but I made sure dad was in on the deal. And I got to retell my tale and asked him to think way back on that dark dreary day, and remember the horror and shame he put me through.

Guess what? He didn’t remember at all, didn’t remember me, the poly, the event, the pins, nothing. But he did say he was sorry because the girls remembered for him.

Moral of the story keep trading one bad one will not destroy you, and in the end if you are honest it will come around.

Crazy pin requests, just for the heck of it say “sure why not”, but then ask for a wet paint as well.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

<i>Be careful of those lopsided trade offers.</I>

I don't have any details . . . so don't ask me . . . but I have heard that Donna <i>ended up with Ed</i> as part of some horrible trade <b><i>gone very bad. </i></b>

And, of course, this was all <i>before</i> pintrading, so gosh knows what was involved in the trade.

 

[mickeysaver]

I just had mine today. I was offered a chance to trade my cast member Team Stitch lanyard for a DLP pin trader Minnie. I looked at it and laughed knowing that I finally had something to post to this thread. lol Maggie

 

[OfficerChipmunk]

I have had a few of these. I think the worst was right after the DL Pirates event. In several TAs I was offered a single DS pin or a single rack pin for either the Pirate with Jewels or the box set from the event. Needless to say, I still have them both.

Recently it has seemed that some Japanese traders have been sending out lots of TAs offering an open edition for some of my LEs. I love the Japanese chip n dale pins, but I don't think they are worth LE 1500s.

I have done a trade that was in my favor. One night at the Contemporary I traded a retired open edition pin for the 2000 wdw security mickey pin. I had been talking to the guy for a while and he just offered it to me. I felt like I was taking advantage of him. I think I ened up giving him some random LE pin to make up with it. There have been other times when I knew a person really wanted a pin and so I took something of lesser value to make them happy. I think we all do that.

I know I have accidently sent a couple of lop sided TAs by accidently checking the wrong pin. Also before we could send messages, and when I didn't have pins that would be one-for-one on value for harder pins, I used to send some TAs that with several pins that I thought would add up to the value of the pin the other person had. If they emailed me back to decline I would usually email them back saying that I was offering both of my pins for theirs.
<B>If anyone has ever received a lop-sided TA from me, I'm sorry.</B>

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

As Becky said, I'm sure we've all <i>accidentally</i> checked the wrong box on the TA page

Also, we've all offered inequitable trades when we were newbies, or sometimes when we're not familiar enough with a particular pin, or forget to put a "will consider multiple trades" message in the box.

<b>No big deal.</b>

I've also been told that Japanese open edition pins are never restocked (anyone knew if this is <i>really</i> true???), which would definitely alter their value, in my opinion.

It's the <b>deliberate and repetitive</b> lopsided trades that erk me.

Check out this poll for more of my rantings on this topic:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=510363

 

[tigger2esq]

A while back was looking for a mystery pin (Cinderalla Stepsisters) at the time I had the New Years Eve pin and New Years Day pin for trade. I was willing to trade either of those for the mystery pin plus was willing to add an additional pin (rack, higher le etc.) but one persn who responded insisited on wanting BOTH of my New years pin. Well--I didnt want the mystery pin THAT bad and decided to pass.... but was kind of shocked that he even suggested it!!!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

You may not have been aware of it at the time, but the Stepsisters Mystery pin was more or less a <i>dud</i>.

You were lucky you did not give up both of those New Year's pins.


But you have to wonder about the person who was offering that trade to you. . . What did they know about the actual value of that pin?

 

[tigger2esq]

thanks! I found that out later when I found someone willing to trade it to me for a Disneyland rack Tinkerbell pin!!!!