AngiTN
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
The CM won't refuse. So it's not an issue to worry aboutDo you ever worry about buying from eBAy and not being able to trade them? Where else do people purchase pins?
The CM won't refuse. So it's not an issue to worry aboutDo you ever worry about buying from eBAy and not being able to trade them? Where else do people purchase pins?
Do you ever worry about buying from eBAy and not being able to trade them? Where else do people purchase pins?
There are ways the experts can tell. All those private individuals that gather outside the pin station at Epcot know. I don't bother with them, because I figure 90% of what we have are likely scrappers since I order off ebay and trade for what we like from CMs, who probably don't have all that many real ones either, if they've been trading much that day.Is there any way to tell the difference between Disney pins and scrappers?
I know the first couple of times we went, trading was big, not so much the last few times.
14 years ago, my daughter ended up with a few Disney pins that had gold palm fronds behind the character. A CM told us that they were limited production. Does any one have these or heard of them?
This is exactly what my DD did when she started when she was about 4 or 5. A CM gave her a pin once. She held on to it and never knew about pin trading. We were leaving the park and come upon Scoop. He is doing his pin trading session. DD watched him with others for about 15 minutes. After everyone finished and Scoop was about done, he got down closer to her and asked her if she wanted to trade. DD was not giving up her only pin. It was just a junker pin, but she didn't understand. He showed her all of his lanyards, inquiring about her favorite character, and started narrowing in to a special pin for her. He told her if she gave him her pin that she could take the pin she really wanted. She said "please" "thank you", etc, and traded. Scoop made such a big deal about it and announced it on Main Street. He proceeded to giver her one of his "special pin trader of the day" pins. That got her hooked.My DD7 and DD4 do it for fun. We purchased online a bunch and they just had a blast doing good things around the house for rewards. It is the action of trading that is the fun with CMs. They trade at hotels and all over the place, and could care less if they are scraps and fake. Anyone they get for going on rides they keep.
As for the "pro" traders... eeeeehhh... I avoid them. Seen them. Never talked to one. Having been a nerd and collector who frequents comicons all my life... guys like that usually aren't looking to make you a deal, they're looking to make a deal for themselves. I'm sure some are nice and occasionally generous, and I'm probably stereotyping. People are a diverse lot. But... I'm sure I'm not entirely wrong either.
There are ways the experts can tell. All those private individuals that gather outside the pin station at Epcot know. I don't bother with them.
We just bought our first pins to trade on our first trip to Disneyland! Very excited!
Thanks for the insight on some of the Epcot private traders. I really did think all of them were the uber serious sorts. Nice to know they aren't always.I have been pin trading since 2000. I have many pins. I have multiple shadow boxes filled with pins I love. But tastes change, and I have some nice pins to trade. I could just trade with CMs, but as stated above the quality of pins on their lanyards has decreased over the years. So I bought a book for trading. I felt the same about the "pro" traders as you do, and there are some that are real sharks. I also found a lot of really nice people who just like pins like I do. I live villains, they like whatever.....and we make mutually agreeable trades. Sometimes I love one of their pins but they aren't interested in anything of mine or vise versa. Then there is no trade. I've gotten some great pins and met some very nice people.
I am no expert. I have read threads on spotting fakes. One said to look for rough edges. In April I was going to buy a pin in HS, and when I looked closely, it had a rough edge! I put it back and bought another one with smooth edges. So other than the obvious fakes that are off color, I have no clue. I do think there are some really serious traders who know all about pins, but there are many of us with pins in Epcot who are blissfully clueless and just enjoying pin trading. As long as you don't get upset when the other person doesn't want to trade for any of the pins you have, you can have a good time, look at some nice pins, and possibly make a mutual trade that you feel happy about because you traded a pin that you no longer wanted for something you love.