will you keep collecting and/or trading as much

[Quentin Disney]

Money is getting scarce for me these days. While I'm fortunate to actually have a job in Orlando's very crappy economy, you never know if they will drop you. With the recent budget cuts at UCF, there is a reason I should be afraid.

Pin trading is a fun hobby for me. It actually gives me something to do (other than go to the parks). You know, socialize, learn about different experiences and what not. Because I have little money, I have a short supply of traders, so this is why so many people get frustrated when I have little to trade!

Anyway, this year, I have carefully planned what pins to purchase. The list of pins coming out on dizneypins is very helpful. I will try not to deviate from the pins that I plan to purchase. It really helped to actually see some of these prototypes at the Chirstmastime in the City event. For example, I would not be shocked if the Goofy manhole LE that is supposed to come out in a few months is more than $12.50 due to its interesting (but probablly pricy) design.

For those that are "on a roll", I guess you might be new to this game. I have been doing this stuff for more than a year and things have changed. You would be lucky to find an LE that costs less than $10.50 these days. You would never have to pay to have an opportunity to purchase pins on top of park admission a year ago. If you were an AP, you actually got a pin for renewing for free and they expect us to pay for a special $10.50 pin a few months later.

Eventually, something has to give. If too many people get irritated in paying higher prices for pins, this hobby will fall face first really quick!

 

[ScroogesNephew]

. . . their chosen hobby, probably. Maybe they've had to cut back a bit on the booze and cigarette budget in order to handle the higher prices. Who cares? Shall we take a poll?

 

[pintrader]

your were no help at all I can't tel lhubby I gave up cigarettes, booze or men. He alreadys know I NEVER took any of them up (or vise verrsa) . Any of you other 40 somthing people who voted "nothing can stop me" got a good line I can give the DH? I may just end up like them majority of people who are posting their "whys" Thanks for the insight though Donald. any one else care to jump in?

I NEED HELP !!!

 

[DisneyFan0304]

I've had to cut back, too. Living in New York, I have to get the bulk of my pins either from auctions or from someone who's going to the parks to get them, but charges a little extra for each pin. I certainly don't begrudge the person the extra money for the pins. I feel she deserves something for her time and trouble. I'm just going to have to cut back on what I buy and try to do some trading. I'm going to go through my collection and see what I can part with and sign up at PinPics and try to do some trading. I still love the pins, but am not too thrilled with all the new fancy ones. I stopped buying the flashing ones because so many of them have fallen apart. I bought the puppet ones from the Epcot event, but I'm not too thrilled with them.

On the other hand, I love the new POM series of the animation legends and the series of Walt quotes. The new Epcot stamp pins that are coming out look nice, too. I'd love to get the pins from the upcoming princess event, but I just can't afford them. My credit cards are still crying from Christmas and November's trip to WDW.

 

[wdw4us2]

We started cutting back last year when there were so many new pins released. The prices increases really slowed things down for us. It's been especially hard for my 10 year old DD who uses her own money to buy the pins she wants. I agree with the others here who stated that it seems as though Disney is (inadvertently) trying to kill pin trading. What are they thinking?

 

[RADPinLady]

I have also cut WAY back on pin purchases. Unfortunately I was laid off my full time job 2 weeks before Christmas so the pin budget is pretty much gone.
I too went overboard in August at the event and the leftovers don't even seem to be tradable!! I'm going to stick to my original themes of Villains and Sorcerer Mickey, and since they don't come out with too many of those.. I should be safe for a while!!
I think I'll concentrate on trying to trade what I have for the new ones that come out... so look for me a lot on here from now on and thru PinPics!!
I know I don't post much... but now I have a LOT more time on my hands!!

Leslie

 

[eeyore0062]

Has anyone seen the new Storybook pins at TDS? They are little mini pin sets with up to 4 pins at very reasonable prices, when you consider the cost of one pin is usually $4 or $5. I now have the Princess Minnies, Springtime Pooh, Fab 4, Beauty and the Beast, Return to Neverland,and Cinderella II. Can't wait for more. The pins are really nicely done, and affordable. I may switch to these, and back off on some of the individual pins.. .as for the interactive, flashy, or big pins, I have to agree... I would rather have my $4-$6 variety...that way i can afford to have more!!! I started this with the Disney Store Millineum pins, and have all of them. Then we went to WDW twice within 5 months, and I went a little crazy. Now I try to limit myself to character groups, resort pins (but only if I have actually stayed there), Eeyore pins and CM exclusive pins, unless they are at the Disney Store, which is more affordible, as well as more convenient. I too, have stopped buying multiple pins. As for the Disney Store pins, I am collecting the birthstone, calender, holiday and movie poster pins, as well as the above mentioned Storybook pins.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Have to say that we, too, have cut back considerably. We have always only bought the pins we liked not usually to trade. The rising pin costs have made it difficult to justify spending the extra money. I loved the way it was before when we began collecting but i am finding that i don't frequent eBay anymore and my first interest is to trade and not buy. We have many pins that i could easily have lived without - may get a list together and trade them off - but when we are there next month, our primary interest will be to relax, enjoy and feel the magic once again.

 

[PanamaMike]

I've been collecting Disney pins for more then a decade, but I have had to cut way back.

Not only are the prices getting out of hand, but with the Canadian $ at record lows against the US $, a $12.50 pin costs me over $20.

 

[chef's wife]

We're definitely feeling the pinch and trying to slow down. When I look back at what I bought at the beginning (2 years ago) I could kick myself. Oh well, I'm now just trying to be more selective and trade more instead of buy. Last weekend (MLK holiday) I was sooo proud of myself! I only bought the Donald/Mexico stamp pin during our four days there! I did LOTS of trading, though. The Contemporary and Poly meets REALLY help me get pins through trading. They bring many people together for the sole purpose of trading (and socializing) and even the pin trading guests from out of the country know to go there also. The price increases are hurting everyone and the hobby as a whole.
Michelle

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm new to pin collecting with my 8 year old. I'm more interested than he is! LOL! I have to admit that I have gone overboard purchasing pins. But I REALLY like them and wanted to get a good start. My son is in scouts, and they asked him to bring a collection of his to the next meeting. I first thought of sending his pin collection and then thought...they're so expensive! I would hate for any to get lost or for him to forget them somewhere. So I don't think it's going. We'll have to find something less expensive to send. What a shame!

 

[Glinda]

They ruined for me with all the hype and commercialization. The socializing and comradery (sp?) was so much fun. I met a lot of good people. I'll miss that aspect.
For now I'm back to picking up pins that I like when I'm visiting the parks. I'll trade with someone if they see me in the parks with my lanyard on but that's about it for now. It's become too commercial for me at this time. Spolied the magic

 

[SnoWhite]

I obviously have cut way back on most things Disney in the past 7 or 8 months. I haven't been on the boards much at all and have had to sell a lot of my pin collection. I still love Disney and would love to get back to the park, but I think that I went overboard at a time when I probably shouldn't have. Now I'm paying the price for doing so. I hate getting rid of my pin collection, but I still have a lot of great Disney things and I refuse to give up my Tink pins or my Pirates pins, so those are staying. I think that a lot of us got really caught up in the pin craze when it first started, at least I know I did. I had to have one of each, or at least one of each of the cute ones, and there are just so many of those! I do miss you guys and hopefully I will be able to get on the board more often. My life has not been cooperating with me lately but things seem to be on an upswing! Hopefully I will see some of you when I get the chance to get back to WDW or DL!

Lisa

 

[CarolA]

I thought I would post a different reason for cutting back. I am not cutting back because of the money. I am lucky in that so far the economy has not hurt me. However, the August Pin event last year exposed me to a side of Disney I NEVER want to see again! While the fellow DIS people I met were nice, overall people were rude and cutthroat. That to me is NOT Disney! I hate to say this, but you should NEVER invest in something like pins to make money! (Check your closet for Beanie Babies) I now buy pins that have meaning for me. For example, I took my mom to the Flower Festival and I bought that pin. I have acutally given pins away to kids I meet at Disney. I am not sure what I am planning to do with my collection.

 

[flyinglizard]

I don't collect pins (except real old ones) but my wife does, and I try to be supportive and some times I see one that I really like as well.

on our latest trip to WDW last week, she saw several of the Christmas character pins that were still available in EPCOT. When she turned them over and saw the $12.50 price on each of them, she put them back on the rack. I know she really liked them, but I think she was put off by the prices. She only buys the pins that she really likes, the "aw so cute" ones. Although we still had to check out every pin cart, she bought very few this trip.

The Cast Member lanyards were so dull and monotonous, that after a while, she stopped checking them out as well. This may have been the "turning point" in DW's pin collecting...

BUT I doubt it!