Disney World Pin Trading Secrets?

I'll second that. I'm intrigued, and we have a very few, but I'd like to know more. So anyone that would like to give us a quick tutorial, that would be great.

We don't know the values of pins or anything like that.

First thing we were told is pick a theme to collect.

I do figment, rides I like, holidays we are there for and sebastian and flounder. DH does pooh, tigger and villians.

We met one man that does just donald duck.

The hidden mickey pins have a mickey head on the image somewhere, they are part of a series and the back will say 1 of 6 or something like that.

CM's with green lanyards can only trade to kids, other lanyards can trade to all, and they must trade with you. Guests can say no.

To get a build up of pins to trade you can buy mystery boxes with a theme inside. We also bought a lot of randoms on ebay.

Be selective with the ones you buy, otherwise you can spend a ton quickly. Make trading the hunt more than the buying to save money.

Some guests will only trade hidden mickey for hidden mickey, or special edition for special edition. I trade what I want for what I want. When I run into someone who's more concerned about value of pin than the content of the pin I usually move on, others walk away from me for not caring about the value. It's all in fun though.

Wow - so much to keep straight! I think I'd like to "shadow" a trader. I think I have pin "hoarding" tendencies - I just think they're so cute!

Lol, I am not a trader by any means but I do have a lanyard just full of pins I like. I started off buying a set on eBay for about $5.00 and I got about six random pins. Then I traded those away for ones I wanted.
MouseGears has a really cool pin trading bulletin board that they keep covered. They let you look at it for 30 seconds then they cover it back up and you have to make your choice. I don't know if they do that all the time but they did that with us once.

Ahh, the pressure! I think I'll just be a pin hoarder. Like, the Ebenezer Scrooge of pins.

I guess that is the catergory that I fall into as well. Every trip the wife and I each go to WDW with an empty lanyard and purchase pins that are significant to us, such as that years DVC pins or AP holder pins or pins pertaining to the resort we are at with the year on it etc. etc. We never trade because we WANT all the pins we purchase. We then come home with full lanyard and lighter wallet and put the pins in some of those large looseleaf type bo0oks they sell at the stores and pin selling locations. We have been approached by CM asking if we want to trade, but when we explain it, they all understand.

I love CM trading. I have had some wonderful conversations with CM's while trading, it's really fun. I started off wanting just a few Nightmare Before Christmas ones but now I am so hooked!!
Pinpics.com has a page on trading etiquette, things like... You can trade 2 pins per CM per day.

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*Jennifer Lynn* NDW #38

Check out my blog at Jennifer's Disney Adventures

Vettelover -- I've always had fun purchasing pins that are meaningful to me. I get the pins from the Halloween and Christmas parties I attend, my favorite restaurants and the hotels I've stayed at, etc. I'd never trade them. They're like a pointy scrapbook.

WyckedPhoenix -- Great website suggestion! I never knew you could only trade 2 pins per CM per day.

I love that site! There are other etiquette points like.. Teal lanyards are for kids 12 and under only.
You cannot trade a CM with a pin already on thier lanyard.

If you look uner "my pin pics" there is a way to search the collections of registered users.. My name on there is also WyckedPhoenix.. I have a small collection but it's a start!

__________________

*Jennifer Lynn* NDW #38

Check out my blog at Jennifer's Disney Adventures

I never knew about the colors and the 2 per day. I have seen some nasty pin traders in my lifetime. Including a grown woman literally knocking her child out of the way to get to a CM and said "Gimmie that lanyard". I was proud of the SM he nicely put her in her place and said he loved to pin trade but only with people who said please.

My family got into it our last trip, and I definitely agree with picking a theme because it can get overloading when looking at pins from others. I collect Stitch mainly, but with some Nightmare Before Christmas and whatever Roger Rabbits I can find, which is tough.

We buy some trading pins on eBay every once in a while so we can take them to Disney this year, and trade them. Much cheaper to do it that way.

CM's have what's traded to them. I've found alot off of them. Plus, if you get to know a cm, some will hold on to one's you are looking for. The cm in the Pop Century store knew I was looking for the Figment "emotions" series, and the actual words I still needed. She held onto them for me during the week if she got any. On our last day waiting for the ME to go to the airport I still was missing one, she saw us sitting in the lobby and ran it up to me, she'd held it from the night before hoping we'd stop in one last time. She didn't even take a trade in return. She'd loved helping/trading with us so much, it was just a gift.

Actually... not all the time. lol

Best bet is this: Do the bulk of your trading in the morning. Cast Members will have special pins in the morning, and by the time afternoon comes around. Most of them just have what has been traded to them. This next trip were going more prepared. Were getting up, going to take advantage of any park opening early, and trade trade trade.

Just saw over on the Disney site pins are on sale! Up to 50% off!

Disney Pin Sale

We just started Family Fun Pin Traders in our Hobby Store in NJ. PM if you are in the area and want to join.

Sooo love pin collecting, have to go to the disneystore now!

I would LOVE to get this one!

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I also just got about 15 new pins from my parents trip! w00t!

That looks like someone on an acid trip OR someone looking through a Kaleidoscope, is that a series of pins or a set or what.

http://www.disneystore.com/pins-pins-art-collectibles-on-sale-kaleidoscope-mickey-mouse-and-friends-pin-set-6-pc/mp/1277662/1000211+1001152/

Kaleidoscope Mickey Mouse and Friends Pin Set -- 6-Pc

I wanted to read and restart this thread. I am trying to plan a pin trading event for kids (targeted at 7 to 13 YO kids) and wondered if there were any tips or tricks out there. Or maybe good places to buy trade pins? I have a volunteer staffer that is helping me who is pretty pin trading savvy but I love to hear your thoughts.

I was shocked at how many fake pins there are at wdw, eBay if rife with them too, if buying make sure there are good photos of front and back.

Www.pinpics.com is a great place for trading and chatting with members.

Www.disneypintradingforum.com also has sales and trades.

Please note that if you buy from Disney, you are guaranteed that you are not buying scrappers.

The problem comes in when you trade. Even with cast members or from pin boards, it is not a guarantee, because they put pins that they traded with guests back on their lanyards or trading boards, and those might be scrappers. If you get a new board, or cast members who have a fresh set of lanyard pins (i.e. they are just starting their shift), then your chances improve on getting authentic pins.

It is a crap-shoot when you buy from ebay or other online merchants.

I have stopped collecting cast lanyard/Hidden Mickey pins, because there are simply way too many scrappers flooding the market.

Zz.

Wow. That is unreal. This past trip my friend came for one day (She has an AP) and we pin traded together so I could learn her tricks. I would love to be able to afford to buy all the needed pins for my staff from Disney but there is no budget for that. I will have to be careful. Thanks for the links as well.

I found a couple of pins at a local flea market and will try trading them when we go. I may buy one of the starter kits too!