Pin trading at the parks

[DisneFamily]

I think we may start my DS8 into Pin Trading. He loves collecting things and I feel he is old and smart enough to understand Pin Trading. I have a few questions:

1) What is the best way for us to get him started?
2) Where are the best place for trading in the parks?
3) Can he trade with any Cast Member?
4) Are there any unspoken rules around trading?

TIA

 

[Mome Rath]

You choose what "rules" you have for him to start; what pins are off limits for trading ("keepers"), such as the ones you buy that are more expensive, that is the more "collecting" side of pins. Then, choose which ones you would like him to trade; it's always a good idea to look at prices and figure out the unit price. Lately if I actually want to trade I'll buy either the single mystery pins, or mystery pin packs.

The big pin stores are the main place you may find other guests trading. For example, there is "Pin Central" in EPCOT.

Yes, he can trade with any Cast Member that has a lanyard and/or a pin board of some sort.

The unspoken rules are different depending on who you ask. But, the regular rules are; the pin you are trading needs to have a back with it, and usually make sure the back is on it so it doesn't poke anyone, you're supposed to only trade 1 or 2 pins with the same CM per day, and guests are only supposed to trade official Disney pins with the CM's. Trading with other guests is different; other guests can refuse to trade if they don't like the trade, CM's will trade any valid Disney pin.

If you want to avoid "scrappers" or fake Disney pins, the only 100% way is to buy the pins from an official Disney source, but if you are trading CM's it's hard to avoid, as other guests will bring in scrappers and trade with CM's. ShopDisney has pins on there if you want to order some ahead of time.

Have fun, but be careful, those little pins add up! lol

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Do the pin collectors feel like the large and vast amount of fake pins have ruined this hobby? Just wondering.

 

[Haley R]

I started pin trading last March and I love it. We don’t have kids and we still find it really fun. We bought our first sets on amazon. It’s a set of hidden Mickey pins. I think we got like 30 pins each. After awhile you get a lot that you want to keep.

I do see A LOT of the same pins. I’m not sure that they’re fake but they are clearly pins people don’t want. But I still usually find at least one that I like. Sometimes I just thank the cm for letting me look and I go on my way.

We normally go in stores just to trade with cms. It’s definitely added a fun hobby to our trips

 

[CJN]

We found it helpful for our kids to think ahead of time about what characters or themes they might be interested in. Because pins are expensive and so numerous, it helps to have some focus to it. Our 15-year-old still goes after every Chip ‘n’ Dale pin he can find.

 

[MaryKM]

My daughter got into it when she was 7 and it's been a fun added bonus way to enjoy the parks since.
When we're overheated or need a little break in the action, we duck into a shop and check out pins the CMs have. Most CMs have a little pouch they wear on their belt that has pins for trading. Restaurants and resort lobbies have a bigger communal pin board (our favorites are at Wilderness Lodge and Hollywood and Vine). In the lobby of AKL (Jambo) there is a CM who is really into pin trading - he goes by King Pin. Meeting him is an experience! He has set hours where he's available for pin trading; you can ask at the gift shop or lobby. It seems there are often one or two CMs in a shop that are the pin gurus - they know a lot about the pins, they have little games they'll play, and really make it a fun experience. A big part of what I love about Disney is talking to the CMs, so this is a great way to interact if you're into that sort of thing. Our favorite shops to trade are the gift shop right near Splash Mountain and, in HS, the shop just next to the entrance for the Beauty and the Beast show - the cast members were so into it there when we went in December. It was great fun.
We started off buying a bag of pins from eBay to get her started. She has since found a few sets that she really likes to collect, and a few character trends, too. It evolves as you go, which is part of the fun! I don't put a lot of parameters on her about what to trade or keep - it's her thing to enjoy. If we buy a commemorative pin, I do ask that she keeps it, but that's kind of a given. To speed things along when she's trading, she has one lanyard full of keepers, and another one with the traders (she keeps them in her bag a lot of the time because they get heavy around her neck). She also has a mentos gum tin full of the good gold backs, because the rubber mickey shaped backs tend to fall off. I ordered the extra backs from Amazon.
Have fun with it. I'm so glad we started. It gives her a break and has cut way down on the souvenir purchasing, because she feels like she "gets" something every time she trades a pin. Bonus!

 

[starry_solo]

Do the pin collectors feel like the large and vast amount of fake pins have ruined this hobby? Just wondering.

It can if you let it, but I don't. I do see a lot of new people get misinformed about pins in other forums/groups and its really irritating sometimes.

 

[over50visits]

I think kids trading with cast members is a wonderful idea of Disney's. The CMs have always seemed pleased to trade, they interact with the kids and always complement their pins, and sometimes help them trade for a hard to find pin. Makes for a great moment the kids will remember. I highly recommend it.

 

[LibbyG]

We Love pin trading. It's a nice thing to do while some are riding and others can't. It also makes for great little gifts throughout the year, easterbasket fillers and stocking stuffers!

 

[Mome Rath]

Do the pin collectors feel like the large and vast amount of fake pins have ruined this hobby? Just wondering.

I don't think it ruined it, but changed it.

Pin collecting is now different than pin trading. Pin trading for any type of "collecting" has been ruined for me; most pins on eBay and Amazon are fake, especially groups of pins (I do buy on eBay but only right after a limited release is offered that I want and I can clearly see where the seller lives, how many pins they are offering and for how much). I don't trade any more unless I see something that I don't care is fake or not, however, I still collect which means buying from a Disney source.

I also don't ever expect any money to come from the collection... I guess I just look at it as memories for me because I buy trip specific pins to remember events or hotels, or traveling companions.

 

[Justplainchy]

Do the pin collectors feel like the large and vast amount of fake pins have ruined this hobby? Just wondering.

I've been collecting/trading since 2004. There has definitely been a HUGE influx of fakes. It's a lot harder than it used to be to trade for authentic pins. Like someone said above, now I just see it as two different hobbies: the hunt of the trade at the parks and then collecting authentic pins I like. I love trading pins with cast members so I still do that, but I definitely don't take out my best pins to trade away because I know most of the ones I'll pick up are likely fake -- doesn't mean I don't like them or enjoy the trading though! I have some "fakes" that are some of my favorite pins. But I don't want to sell my collection or make money off them; I just like them as neat souvenirs from my Disney trips. Also; we found that if you go after the cast lanyard pins that are just released, they're a lot less likely to be fake.

But then each trip I also buy "rack" pins, and I love hunting in the five-pin-per-bag mystery bags to try and find the ones I like. I'm just less likely to trade those away to a cast member since I know the ones I'll get back are likely scrappers, if that makes any sense. So those are my "collection" pins, that I buy purely to add to my pin display knowing that they won't be traded except maybe to other non-cast member traders.

 

[tbholc81]

Great info! Thanks our DD who is 8 is going to start trading on our trip in 3 weeks!

 

[Haley R]

I forgot to mention that we get a new pin every time we stay at a new resort. It’s kind of fun to see them all on our bulletin board at home

 

[SarahC97]

I've been collecting/trading since 2004. There has definitely been a HUGE influx of fakes. It's a lot harder than it used to be to trade for authentic pins. Like someone said above, now I just see it as two different hobbies: the hunt of the trade at the parks and then collecting authentic pins I like. I love trading pins with cast members so I still do that, but I definitely don't take out my best pins to trade away because I know most of the ones I'll pick up are likely fake -- doesn't mean I don't like them or enjoy the trading though! I have some "fakes" that are some of my favorite pins. But I don't want to sell my collection or make money off them; I just like them as neat souvenirs from my Disney trips. Also; we found that if you go after the cast lanyard pins that are just released, they're a lot less likely to be fake.

But then each trip I also buy "rack" pins, and I love hunting in the five-pin-per-bag mystery bags to try and find the ones I like. I'm just less likely to trade those away to a cast member since I know the ones I'll get back are likely scrappers, if that makes any sense. So those are my "collection" pins, that I buy purely to add to my pin display knowing that they won't be traded except maybe to other non-cast member traders.

Same.

My kids love to pin trade, but we only trade pins that we have already traded for, not pins that we bought brand new. I don't want my kids to spend $10-15 on a pin that is essentially not worth anything. But we do buy pins every time we go for our own collection -- I just don't expect to get anything but scrappers in the park if I'm trading with CMs.

 

[abuck75]

I’m curious, is there a way to distinguish fakes?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I’m curious, is there a way to distinguish fakes?

Yes I use https://www.pinpics.com/index1.php Its a database of pins. In the notes section for each pin it will tell you if the pin has been identified as being fake

 

[starry_solo]

I’m curious, is there a way to distinguish fakes?

I use https://www.pintradingdb.com
It doesn't have as many pins entered as PinPics but a lot of them have pictures of the front & back of the pins.

 

[TheSpooph]

How do you ‘store’ the line while in the parks? I’ve tried to keep them on a lanyard I wear around my neck, but it’s both cumbersome and the pins fall off. I would love to hear some fun tips - especially for my DD8 and DS5.

 

[B-Ride]

My kids (now 23 and 25) love trading pins. They never trade with guests, just cast members. Even mom and dad get involved with finding specific pins to complete a set.

 

[Sjm9911]

Ok quick question. My daughter wanted to do this, so i too bought a set on amazon that was guaranteed to be real. I checked and as far as i can tell its like 25 percent real, 75 percent fakes. I did look them up. So , my dilemma is, since i know there fake, i told my daughter we cant trade them. Shes 7 and realy dosen't care about fake or real. So is it dishonest to trade with cms ? Or from what im reading there stuff is the same? Should i just go with it and let my daughter trade them with cms only?