Will someone explain pin trading to me?

[kaligal]

I get the general concept, of course.

And I ask this with all the respect in the world for the pin traders, whose group I recently joined in a small way by trading some duplicate pins I got when attempting to complete my IASW set with some CMs.

I don't understand all of it, though, I don't think.

I was at the pin place in DTD, checking out, when some woman came in asking if the new pins that were set to be released were in the store. I guess the staff had failed to remove the recently released pins from the Upcoming box and replace them with pins that were actually Upcoming. She was concerned with one specific pin.

I asked her if she'd been waiting for that pin and she said, "Oh, yes. It's highly tradable."

Why would a current pin that anyone could buy be "highly tradable?"

Why would people buy pins just to trade them? Is it because there are pins you want that you can't just buy, but have to trade to get? Why wouldn't the person who had the pin you wanted just trade it to you for cash and go buy their own pin?

I think I'm confused. Is there some website that everyone generally agrees is a good one for Pin Trading info?

Thanks to anyone who got this far.

 

[Tampa Mousekeeter]

Why would a current pin that anyone could buy be "highly tradable?"

The only reason would be that it is a limited edition pin and everyone who wants it will not be able to get it...therefore it would trade higher on the "pin market" than another pin. Back in the day once you had an LE pin that was in high demand you were able to trade it for more than just another pin, maybe 3 or 4 pins would be fair. Unfortunately along with other elements of pin trading that have been ruined by the thieves at DTD this part of trading does not fair as well as it previously did.

 

[chaoscent]

If a Figment LE pin comes out at a time that I am not in WDW it can become a highly desirable trader. For example, a friend of mine was just in WDW and I had them pick me up a coupld of LE's that I don't collect in hopes they may become future good traders. However, I have made some bad decisions buying pins that no one wants.
Penny

 

[Luv2Roam]

We all have bought pins we thought would be "highly tradable" only to still have them. And I would take what one considers "highly tradable" with a grain of salt. Quite of often it is hard to predict.
One buys extras for traders in the hopes of trading for another pin they normally do not have access to.
As example, maybe you would buy an extra pin to trade for a cast member or DVC pin, or an upcoming limited edition release you will not be able to buy yourself. Or maybe you would buy an extra WDW LE pin to trade for a DL LE pin.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Here is an example of a pin that a lot of people wanted when I was at PTN this past August. One of my friends who is a DVC member purchased the Bay Lake Tower grand opening pin for me the day it opened and it eventually sold out that day, plus it was limited edition of 300 which makes very valuable. So I had a couple ask me if it was for trade, however I was not trading it. Although if I wanted to trade it I could have got some very good pins in return.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Pin Trading is a concept to increase profits for The Walt Disney Company.

Prior to it being a specific profit center, pins were sold to people who liked them. Some pins were limited in quantity for special events (such as Disneyana Conventions) or to specific times.

There are/were people who are Pin Collectors. These are people who are interested in a certain character, event or theme. These people collected pins as they were an inexpensive way to display their interest(s). There was some trading going on, but again people bought pins outside their major interests as they knew ohter collectors would be looking for those particular pins, and might have some they wanted.

I know that at one of the earlier Disneyana Conventions, in the mid-90's, some people who were trading pins in the middle of the Contemporary's lobby were asked to move as they were interfering with the flow of traffic.

Disney decided to make this a profit center, just as they decided to make plush a profiit center. The making of plush destroyed the general collection of plush-type items. At one time Disney was producing more small plush that Ty, Warner and Universal combined.

Likewise, Disney has decided that pin Trading is the thing people need to get into; trading for the sake of trading alone. As a pin collector I will only trade for pins that I feel I need to add to my collection, and the only reason I will buy pins outside of what I collect is so I might have something of reasonable value to trade for a specific pin (or pins) I need to fill in a collection.

So pin trading for the sake of trading is evil!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

some people who were trading pins in the middle of the Contemporary's lobby were asked to move as they were interfering with the flow of traffic.

Actually when PTN was first started at the Contemporary it use to be on the 4th floor between their various stores, however in the begining was not sanctioned and was an unofficial event. Later on it then became an offical Disney event and etc, which started the kids trading area and etc. Finally as we know in the summer of 2006 it was stopped for a brief period of time, however it was brought back a year later and now takes place on the 3rd Friday of each month in one of the Contemporary convention center ballrooms.

Also around the same time when guests were having unofficial meets pin trading nights on the 4th floor of the Contemporary on Friday nights, they also did the same thing in the lobby of the Polynesian on Saturday nights. However those guests were asked to leave and I believe that is what you are thinking of.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Except I was not talking about the Friday night pin trading that Katherine started in 2000. It was October 1, 1999 that Pin Trading became a Disney "concept". The incident I was talking about was back in either 1994 or 1995 during one of the early Disneyana Conventions. And Katherine had the tacit approval of MaryBeth, at that time the GM of the Contemporary. When MaryBeth left for a different position (VP of Diversity) the new GM decided to make it official and take it over (which really ruined it; Katherine kept the Sharks out)!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Except I was not talking about the Friday night pin trading that Katherine started in 2000. It was October 1, 1999 that Pin Trading became a Disney "concept". The incident I was talking about was back in either 1994 or 1995 during one of the early Disneyana Conventions. And Katherine had the tacit approval of MaryBeth, at that time the GM of the Contemporary. When MaryBeth left for a different position (VP of Diversity) the new GM decided to make it official and take it over (which really ruined it; Katherine kept the Sharks out)!

Well I personally think it's better that the Contemporary decided to make it an official event. When I would trade there when it was not sanctioned I felt like an outsider and not apart of these click pin trading groups I have noticed. Now part of it was because I was just starting out collecting/trading pins, however I always got the feeling Katherine started that event for a few select friends and didn't like it when outsiders decided to start showing up. Again that is just my personal opinion of what I felt during those times.

 

[kaligal]

Okay, I guess I get it now. From all angles.

Thanks, guys.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You're welcome.

 

[Luv2Roam]

My understanding is the origins of this decade of Disney pin trading began with the millennium celebration. And that promotion encouraged guests to "Celebrate the Future Hand In Hand". Pin trading mirrored that. A pin traded from hand to hand.

 

[loveWDWalways]

Hi!

I'm not trying to take over the OP's thread, but I have a question. How do you find out when the most valuable pins (in terms of LE or event, etc.) are going to be released, and where? I guess some examples would be obvious, like the BLT opening, or the extra-ticket holiday parties, Flower & Garden, Food & Wine, etc. The Disney official pin trading site, does it provide all the information? I always feel like I'm a few steps behind all of you expert traders and feel like I'm missing out on being fully involved in a hobby I really enjoy. Do those of you who are experts buy every pin in an LE set?

TIA

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Hi!

I'm not trying to take over the OP's thread, but I have a question. How do you find out when the most valuable pins (in terms of LE or event, etc.) are going to be released, and where? I guess some examples would be obvious, like the BLT opening, or the extra-ticket holiday parties, Flower & Garden, Food & Wine, etc. The Disney official pin trading site, does it provide all the information? I always feel like I'm a few steps behind all of you expert traders and feel like I'm missing out on being fully involved in a hobby I really enjoy. Do those of you who are experts buy every pin in an LE set?

TIA

In my opinion the Disney official pin trading website would be the best site, since it lists all the brand new upcoming pin releases. As for how valueable they will be, well some like the grand opening of Bay Lake Tower would be an obvious one. However other LE pins might not be that valuable just because it's a LE, compared to when pin trading was popular and every LE pin was selling out. So it depends on what each collector thinks and how the pin would help their collection.

 

[loveWDWalways]

Thanks for your help, CR.

I just wish I could find more Peter Pan pins. They would be valuable to me whether they were LE or not. I'm also the type of person who will buy a pin just because it is LE. What makes a White Glove pin more desirable than any other LE pin? So many questions ... off to the pin trading site I go!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks for your help, CR.

I just wish I could find more Peter Pan pins. They would be valuable to me whether they were LE or not. I'm also the type of person who will buy a pin just because it is LE. What makes a White Glove pin more desirable than any other LE pin? So many questions ... off to the pin trading site I go!

You're welcome.

 

[bevgray]

Pinpics.com is an excellent database for discovering what pins have been released. Also, the members are very good at keeping it up to date with new releases. You can do searches for specific characters (i.e., Peter Pan) as well.