-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Trading Pins, yay or nay?
- Thread starter J Porter
- Start date
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
It's kind of expensive. Each pin runs around $8-$15. That and I used to get very attached to my pins and didn't want to trade them. And sometimes you have issues where the backs fall off in the parks. Pin collection? Sure. Trading? Not a fan. If I buy a pin, it usually gets put away and put on display at home.
docdebbi
Well-Known Member
yes, we take kids that age and they enjoy trading. our biggest problem is remembering to do it because we are always in such a rush. but it gives them control over something, in a setting where they have very little control! and they LOVE getting a different pin, even though they are ready to trade it away five minutes later ??????
they love to walk up to a CM and get them to trade with them, and the CMs are always so nice and make the kids feel special
we also buy the cheap traders on ebay. not even sure they are real, although they claim to be, but CMs never ask, they just trade. these pins are really cheap, so get a bunch.
one of our big nights before leaving for vacation is when we lay out all the pins on the table and the kids get to take turns choosing what they want. takes forever! just pick a pin.......but they have a ball, so WE have a ball.
they love to walk up to a CM and get them to trade with them, and the CMs are always so nice and make the kids feel special
we also buy the cheap traders on ebay. not even sure they are real, although they claim to be, but CMs never ask, they just trade. these pins are really cheap, so get a bunch.
one of our big nights before leaving for vacation is when we lay out all the pins on the table and the kids get to take turns choosing what they want. takes forever! just pick a pin.......but they have a ball, so WE have a ball.
VitaminjTX
Member
The Ebay traders are a good idea. You can also get a starter set with a lanyard.
MickeyisMyBestFriend
Active Member
We always buy a lot of about 25 pins on ebay for pretty cheap and then trade them with cast members to get good pins. I say YAY to pin trading
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I think it's worth it and you don't have to break the bank doing it. Most serious traders are not in the parks trading the way young kids are. In light of this, I may treat my kids to a couple of pricey pins directly from Disney, but I usually pick up pin lots on the cheap on ebay. Around Christmas, I bid on a bag of 25 and got them for a little over $10. You also don't need to buy lanyards directly from Disney. I found Disney character lanyards for $1 each at party city and some others in this price range on ebay as well. While the girls weren't as into it last trip, their first trip pin trading...once they got a few trades under their belts, they were trading everywhere they went.
SAV
Well-Known Member
I think the 6yo will love it. The 4yo and 1yo will be a little young to get the full idea of the trading, but they will love picking the pin they want...just not be able to pick the one to get rid of.
I also get the pack off of eBay and let them pick what they want to trade or not to trade. The cheap lanyards are what we do since there is no real need for an $8 one.
Beware that the pin backs are just rubber and can easily fall off, so you need to be checking them often or they will lose them. They do make locking backs to put on any special ones you don't want to lose. I generally didn't have them wear the lanyards around the entire time and definitely took them off for the rides.
I also used it as a way to teach them the proper way to ask for something. Per the advice of someone on this site, I told them to say "May I see your pins?" and be real nice, you may just get a bonus pin from a CM for being so nice.
We will generally buy them an expensive pin to keep to grow the collection.
Also, many of the stores have a "pin board" that you can ask to see. What I have seen is it is covered, they give you a minute to look at the board and pick one that you want. You can always walk away if you don't see one you want to trade for.
Most of all, have fun with it.
I also get the pack off of eBay and let them pick what they want to trade or not to trade. The cheap lanyards are what we do since there is no real need for an $8 one.
Beware that the pin backs are just rubber and can easily fall off, so you need to be checking them often or they will lose them. They do make locking backs to put on any special ones you don't want to lose. I generally didn't have them wear the lanyards around the entire time and definitely took them off for the rides.
I also used it as a way to teach them the proper way to ask for something. Per the advice of someone on this site, I told them to say "May I see your pins?" and be real nice, you may just get a bonus pin from a CM for being so nice.
We will generally buy them an expensive pin to keep to grow the collection.
Also, many of the stores have a "pin board" that you can ask to see. What I have seen is it is covered, they give you a minute to look at the board and pick one that you want. You can always walk away if you don't see one you want to trade for.
Most of all, have fun with it.
englanddg
One Little Spark...
We have a rather large collection of pins that my kiddo has been working on since she was 4, her first trip (she's 9 now).
Every year we buy a lanyard and several "special pins" to go on it. For example, we buy a resort pin. A "What was our favorite ride" pin, etc...etc...etc...
These we will not trade. They are souvaniers of the trip.
In a baggie I keep our "trading pins" and she has a cheap lanyard to wear on the parks. But, most of the time we try to trade out of the baggie, because it is easier.
Why? Well...as mentioned, the plastic backs on the pins come off easily. Very easily. It's worth spending the money to buy the locking backs if you plan on wearing the lanyard around. But, the locking metal backs tend to hurt a bit if the lanyard is compressed to your chest.
It's great fun, and we enjoy doing it. I would certainly recommend it.
As far as cheap places to get pins before your trip, ebay has a lot of options, as does DisneyStore.com, but be careful with eBay. There are a lot of counterfeit pins being sold out there.
NormC
Well-Known Member
I do not recommend the backs with the allen key to tighten the set screw unless you never plan to use the pins any other way. The set screw will damage the post on the pin if over tightened or twisted. I recommend this type:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Locking-...421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad068d255
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Locking-...421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad068d255
DiSnEyF@n
Well-Known Member
I saw a whole lot of pins on amazon about 25 pins for $20. Check it out. My kids loved trading the pins
ZapperZ
Well-Known Member
I saw a whole lot of pins on amazon about 25 pins for $20. Check it out. My kids loved trading the pins
Please note that there is a high probability that these are scrappers. You probably do not want to trade these with other pin traders who are very particular about the authenticity of the pins. With cast members, that's a different matter. But I've seen a few cast members who checked the pins and reject certain pins when they knew that the pins being traded were scrappers.
So just be aware of that.
Zz.
ZapperZ
Well-Known Member
There is an even cheaper and better option. Go to your local hobby/handicraft store (such as Michaels) and buy those earring backs. These will stay on very tightly and I've never lost a pin using one of these.
Zz.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Pin trading is a fun hobby and very enjoyable for a lot of people. Ditto Vinylmation and other Disney collectibles.
Interest in it does depend on the child, however: we only make it to WDW once every 18-24 months and my children are exponentially more interested in attractions than in pin trading. They've seen others doing it and we explained to them what it was, but their reaction was a disinterested shrug of the shoulders (or in my son's case an indignant, "why would I want a bunch of PINS!??! On a necklace!??!"), which is just fine by me (and my pocketbook).
Interest in it does depend on the child, however: we only make it to WDW once every 18-24 months and my children are exponentially more interested in attractions than in pin trading. They've seen others doing it and we explained to them what it was, but their reaction was a disinterested shrug of the shoulders (or in my son's case an indignant, "why would I want a bunch of PINS!??! On a necklace!??!"), which is just fine by me (and my pocketbook).
G8rchamps
Well-Known Member
Started my son when he was 4 and it was all about the "action" of the trade. CM's are great for trading with and a good way to teach the little ones the proper manners/etiquite for trading. He once traded a rare Japan pin to a lady on a bus ride home from HS (where he got the pin from a CM)- she actually asked us if it was OK and gave him 3 for 1. (I wonder what that thing was worth). He is now 9 and still trades, but has started collecting Donald and a few specific sets. He is getting expensive. Have fun!
DiSnEyF@n
Well-Known Member
englanddg
One Little Spark...
If you are talking about the countdown timer in his signature, you can find instructions on how to set it up here:I was wondering where you got the countdown thing for your next trip??? Thanks
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/trip-countdown.880172/