Let’s help new pin traders avoid the cheap pins

[PinCrazed]

The thing about this thread is that it is very long. Here is what I think sometimes happens on eBay:

People have some pins they want to sell. Authentic pins. They sell them. It goes well. They think "Hey! How cool was that?" They then begin to buy pins from other sellers with the intent to REsell those same pins. They get scrappers, they don't realize (or don't care), they resell them. Now you have a seller who started out with good pins but no longer has good pins.

I bought pins from a guy and they were wonderful. Later on I saw him bidding on pins from a seller who I KNOW sells scrappers, so going forward I wouldn't buy from him again. Too risky.

Obviously people are going to continue to buy from eBay. eBay sellers are going to continue importing thousands of fakes from China. I am going to continue to be very angry about it.

Everybody has to make their own decisions. I have posted my opinions on the subject, and I will continue to respond to folks who ask. I am strongly opposed to buying pins from eBay. I have never puchased from Mouse Pins or Pinseller or any of those other places, but I tend to think that overall there isn't a legitimate source for pins at less than $2 each.

I absolutely agree! That is the fact that no one really wants to face when they list off sites where people sell pin for around two dollars. They are all scrappers (imports) or they bought scrappers then traded them in the parks and are combining them with their china imports.

I have said it before, you can not buy pins from ebay (unless you run across the ultra-rare person who is selling their collection) who is not in some way using counterfeit pins.

If you want truly Disney collectible pins, stick to buying them from Disney online when they are having sales or go to Prime Outlets Disney Store in Orlando where they have discounted pins.

 

[angelofmusic]

I'm looking at some pins on ebay for my children to trade on our next vacation to WDW. I do not want scrappers or any other bad pin for that matter. Has anyone used the sellers PINSCHEAP or DISNEYPINMAD or PINSTANTGRATIFICATION or ALLABOUTME35?
You can leave me a private message if you don't want to reply publicly on the forums.

Thanks
Staci

I just bought from ALLABOUTME35. I do not recommend buying from this seller. Two of my pins had chipping paint and another had big chunks of paint missing. Out of 30 pins I bought, all were listed on PinPics as possible counterfeit/scrapper pins. Granted, I paid less than $2.00 per pin, but is that worth the possibility of a scrapper...nope, no way.
One thing - I am a teacher, so I'm using those pins at school as prizes for good grades. I've done this before and the kids (high school age) LOVE them. They don't care that they are not official Disney pins and I get at least some good use out of the pins I can't or in this case, don't feel comfortable, trading. (Despite this "good" use, I still won't buy from ALLABOUTME35 again.)
Hope this helps you out!

 

[astrodrummergirl]

Just a thought, that you can dismiss if you want, but since this thread is getting rather long to read, we should start a new one, summerising the information on sellers that has been given here.

It means that people who want to ask questions can read through the useful information rather than the discussion we held which may just confuse them (no offence)

Just an opinion, tell me what you think

 

[PinCrazed]

Just a thought, that you can dismiss if you want, but since this thread is getting rather long to read, we should start a new one, summerising the information on sellers that has been given here.

It means that people who want to ask questions can read through the useful information rather than the discussion we held which may just confuse them (no offence)

Just an opinion, tell me what you think

Since this thread has branched off in a couple of different direction I think maybe it is time. I am going to start a couple of threads later with vendors (who to avoid and who to buy from) and a general thread on pin trading in general.

 

[Vala]

Just out of interest, has anyone bought pins from Disney Shopping who live in Europe, would interesting how much you paid for in shipping although, every time I try to get to the website, it redirects me to the UK disney store, which sadly no longer sells pins

That's odd. I'm in Germany and it works fine for me. Which URL are you trying to access? Disneyshopping.com automatically redirects me to the store.

I tried ordering from them directly once and they were trying to charge me $ 25 for shipping of a single pin. That wasn't exactly an option.
Thankfully a friend of mine in the US has allowed me to have the pins I order sent to her address, and she's sending me monthly packages. That still works out cheaper.

 

[angelofmusic]

I just bought from ALLABOUTME35. I do not recommend buying from this seller. Two of my pins had chipping paint and another had big chunks of paint missing. Out of 30 pins I bought, all were listed on PinPics as possible counterfeit/scrapper pins. Granted, I paid less than $2.00 per pin, but is that worth the possibility of a scrapper...nope, no way.
One thing - I am a teacher, so I'm using those pins at school as prizes for good grades. I've done this before and the kids (high school age) LOVE them. They don't care that they are not official Disney pins and I get at least some good use out of the pins I can't or in this case, don't feel comfortable, trading. (Despite this "good" use, I still won't buy from ALLABOUTME35 again.)
Hope this helps you out!

As an addition to my post: When I say I do not recommend buying from ALLABOUTME35, I mean for serious collectors/pin traders in the parks. (Although I do not promote buying from KNOWN scrapper sellers, some of the pins I received do look authentic and could well be! This seller is only listed once in feedback as selling scrappers, so it's up to you to decide.)
I have contacted the seller about the pins that were missing chunks of paint and chipping - she has asked for photos and said she would exchange those pins. I also asked if she purchases her pins from the parks or directly from China. My email reply from her states the following: "The pins come within the USA, I do also a lot of trading at the parks. I spend nearly 12 weeks out of the year trading in orlando. I also get from a licensed manufactuer in orlando who has a disney license they sell pins to all the local walmarts etc. Otherwise, I don't give exact details due to adding more competition etc. Their is also many very deep discounted pins to purchase from stores in the orlando area."
So, if you are just looking for some cute pins to display or give away as prizes to non-serious collectors/students, she is good to buy from. However, please remember that unless you personally purchase your pins from the park, or if someone you trust does so for you, you are never guaranteed that your pins are authentic. Just a thought. And a bit of followup.

 

[kimsuenew]

As an addition to my post: When I say I do not recommend buying from ALLABOUTME35, I mean for serious collectors/pin traders in the parks. (Although I do not promote buying from KNOWN scrapper sellers, some of the pins I received do look authentic and could well be! This seller is only listed once in feedback as selling scrappers, so it's up to you to decide.)
I have contacted the seller about the pins that were missing chunks of paint and chipping - she has asked for photos and said she would exchange those pins. I also asked if she purchases her pins from the parks or directly from China. My email reply from her states the following: "The pins come within the USA, I do also a lot of trading at the parks. I spend nearly 12 weeks out of the year trading in orlando. I also get from a licensed manufactuer in orlando who has a disney license they sell pins to all the local walmarts etc. Otherwise, I don't give exact details due to adding more competition etc. Their is also many very deep discounted pins to purchase from stores in the orlando area."
So, if you are just looking for some cute pins to display or give away as prizes to non-serious collectors/students, she is good to buy from. However, please remember that unless you personally purchase your pins from the park, or if someone you trust does so for you, you are never guaranteed that your pins are authentic. Just a thought. And a bit of followup.

Just an FYI - Pins from Disneyshopping online are authentic Disney pins and are marked as such. I have never been to one, but pins bought from the Disney Stores are also official Disney pins!

 

[angelofmusic]

Just an FYI - Pins from Disneyshopping online are authentic Disney pins and are marked as such. I have never been to one, but pins bought from the Disney Stores are also official Disney pins!

Thanks for pointing that out. That was my idea when I typed that last part of my message, I just put parks - perhaps I should have said buying from an authorized Disney merchant! Thanks for clarifying my post for others!

 

[angelofmusic]

Since this thread has branched off in a couple of different direction I think maybe it is time. I am going to start a couple of threads later with vendors (who to avoid and who to buy from) and a general thread on pin trading in general.

When you create your new posts, would you mind posting the links here? That will give us all the chance to easily find and check out the new boards. Thanks!

 

[tnmomof4]

Since this thread has branched off in a couple of different direction I think maybe it is time. I am going to start a couple of threads later with vendors (who to avoid and who to buy from) and a general thread on pin trading in general.

That would be great. I would love to have all that info in one place.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I absolutely agree! That is the fact that no one really wants to face when they list off sites where people sell pin for around two dollars. They are all scrappers (imports) or they bought scrappers then traded them in the parks and are combining them with their china imports.

I've sold pins on ebay on a handful of occasions, and never bought a sedesma, propin or scrapper or any of the other junk pins. I resent your implication. And If I've done it, so have others. Disney themselves have sold pins for next to nothing on several occasions. And, many of us were smart enough to buy them at a buck or two a piece.

I guess you can go around assuming the worst of people, or assume the best, until you are proved otherwise.

 

[PinCrazed]

I've sold pins on ebay on a handful of occasions, and never bought a sedesma, propin or scrapper or any of the other junk pins. I resent your implication. And If I've done it, so have others. Disney themselves have sold pins for next to nothing on several occasions. And, many of us were smart enough to buy them at a buck or two a piece.

I guess you can go around assuming the worst of people, or assume the best, until you are proved otherwise.

First of all, read the entire post before getting bent out of shape. I said "sites" because the bottom line is if you find a site where people are selling pins for $2.00 or less 24/7 365 I WILL GUARANTEE THEY ARE NOT DOING IT LEGITIMATELY. Please list a legitimate site. I feel confident I can prove you wrong.

Now on previous posts I have said that occassionally you run into a person like you who happen to be selling their pins from their own collection. But you are one in a thousand. It's economics plain and simple. You would have to buy a pin for less than a dollar then sell it for at least two dollars to make it worth while.

And just by chance you think you are paying less than two dollars a pin from someone on ebay or a pin sales site and you do not recieve a scrapper type pin...guess what? they live near a Disney park and go there every day trading their scrappers for the pins they sell to you.

Disney on the rarest of occassions sell pins ultra cheap, but not consistantly enough to keep all of these people in business. Your best source for pins is going to be a Disney outlet or store or watching Disneyshopping.com closely for when they have their blowout sales. A few times a year you can get a really good deal.

 

[meandtheguys2]

read your post.

MY point is that by making blanket statements and generalizations, you potentially affect the reputations of people NOT scrapping. (Or selling their collection.)

No need to be huffy.

 

[PinCrazed]

read your post.

MY point is that by making blanket statements and generalizations, you potentially affect the reputations of people NOT scrapping. (Or selling their collection.)

No need to be huffy.

The entire point of this thread is help new pin traders avoid "cheap pins". I am sure we can all agree on that. If you will please go to ebay and search for "disney pin lots" then try searching "disney pins" Once you do this, I think it would be to accurate to say buying pins for less that $2.00 is going to get you cheap/scrapper pins. Yes it is a generalization, but guess what? In general most of the folks selling pins in lots are selling scrappers or the by-product of scrapper pins. (Make sure you read the rest of the post meandtheguys)

(Again) Yes there are a few legitimate people selling pins from their personal collections on ebay, but in general that's not the case. It is important for new traders to know that and not to labor under the delusion that they will be getting authentic pins from the ebay sellers when in fact the chances of that happening border the astronomical.

That really sucks for pin trading as a whole, but the facts are undeniable.

 

[Tomh]

What is equally undeniable, and perhaps more troubling is that those very same ebay purveyors are selling lots of 10, 25, 50, and as many as 200 pins on a regular basis. All of those pins (perhaps thousands a week) are entering the market, and I'd be willing to bet that most of them will eventually find their way back to the parks and CM's there.

 

[PinCrazed]

What is equally undeniable, and perhaps more troubling is that those very same ebay purveyors are selling lots of 10, 25, 50, and as many as 200 pins on a regular basis. All of those pins (perhaps thousands a week) are entering the market, and I'd be willing to bet that most of them will eventually find their way back to the parks and CM's there.

There is a lady selling pins in lots of 100 for $1200. I asked her where she got all the pins from and she said that same thing as a few posts ago, that she lives in Florida, goes to the parks on a regular basis and last, but not least, has wholesalers in Florida.....hmmmm.

I would really like to meet all there Florida Disney pin wholesalers. I am sure that they speak Chinese fluently

 

[astrodrummergirl]

Well, this tip is less about avoiding cheap pins, but to avoid a bad eBay seller. This seller is thinkerbell102. I'm only saying this as I bought 14 pins from her between the 18th January and the 24th January. Once I payed for them all, they disappeared from contact for a matter of weeks, and a dispute was filed through paypal. They then suddenly appeared again and the pins were apparently sent on the 11th February with the cheapest option of international shipping with no insurance. Now, I payed about $16 for the total postage, which would have been enough to upgrade to a faster shipping but I'm still here, waiting for my pins to arrive.

Although it maybe easier for you guys in the states to buy from her, I've had contact with another Dis'er who wasn't pleased with them either.

 

[lori1969]

hi there i am also new to the pin trading, i just bought my first pins from sunpins on ebay do you know anything about them? i should be getting them with in the next couple of days.
and where do i find more info on people i can purchase pins from as well as who do you trust?

i collect pirates of the Caribbean ( original from the ride as well as haunted mansion and retro pins of Disney rides as well as 50th anniversary) I have a total of 20 pins
thanks
lori1969

 

[PinCrazed]

Minnie M6, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I will chip in with a more detailed answer, but I'll give a shot at it. From what I've read here, I believe that the deal is this: Propins can be traded, however the more serious traders here frown on them because they are of lesser quality than the Disney pins sold in the US.

Tomh is exactly right. To be perfectly honest, I like pro-pins and have seveal in my collection. Some of the pins are really nice and are of great quality, but like Tomh said a lot of people frown upon them because you can buy them in bulk from Europe for a discounted price.

 

[silverarrowknits]

I just want to thank everyone for this thread. It has been extremely helpful for me. I must admit that I am less inclined to purchase pins through ebay now, but I do feel more informed about the whole process.