Pin Exchange

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
All,
I am visiting in 3 months time for the first time, from the UK.
I am interested in having my son (7) swap pins to make the trip more memorable
What is the pin exchange and how does it work? I know its swapping pins, but where does this happen and how etc
Also, where do I get pins from that my son can use to exchange?

TYIA
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
"Pin Trading" can occur between guests or guests and CMs. When your son sees a CM wearing a pin that he likes (usually on a sash or a pad), he should approach that CM and ask them if they'd like to trade that pin for one he's wearing.

Pins can be obtained from the online Disney store, sellers on many online sales/auction sites*, or in just about every retail shop in Disney Marketplace (including an exclusive "Pin Traders" store), the resort hotels, and the parks. I'd wager that if you have a Disney store located somewhere in your immediate vicinity, you can find pins there as well.

*Beware of "scrappers," i.e. manufacturer overruns, defects, rejects, or counterfeits.
 
Last edited:

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
"Pin Trading" can occur between guests or guests and CMs. When your son sees a CM wearing a pin that he likes (usually on a sash or a pad), he should approach that CM and ask them if they'd like to trade that pin for one he's wearing.

Pins can be obtained from the online Disney store, sellers on many online sales/auction sites*, or in just about every retail shop in Disney Marketplace (including an exclusive "Pin Traders" store), the resort hotels, and the parks. I'd wager that if you have a Disney store located somewhere in your immediate vicinity, you can find pins there as well.

*Beware of "scrappers," i.e. manufacturer overruns, defects, rejects, or counterfeits.
So will they trade any pin? I am going to look on ebay for a bulk lot, do they need to be Disney related or would the CM exchange any sort of pin?

TYIA
 

jloucks

Well-Known Member
So will they trade any pin? I am going to look on ebay for a bulk lot, do they need to be Disney related or would the CM exchange any sort of pin?

TYIA

They should be Disney related, and preferably authentic. ebay can make the latter tricky. ...but ebay is the route we went.

That being said, they sell starter packs at WDW for pretty cheap, so honestly that is probably easier than dinkling around with ebay. If we were to do it again, we would just get the on site starter pack.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Look for the CM's wearing GREEN lanyards. They will trade with kids only so sometimes you may find some better pins on their lanyards.... however... because lots of people are buying discounted pins lots on ebay that are inferior, and are being traded over & over, even their lanyards are full of "bad" pins. There are many pins available in WDW in their shops + kiosks, so if your child wants to start a collection you can find some very interesting sets that are themed for characters, rides, resorts, etc. There is an sizeable pin area set up in DS.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Buying Disney trading pins on eBay can be tricky.
Be careful of fakes and 'scrapper' pins, which are basically seconds from the factories in China sold 'illegally'.

Pin lots are often full of these 'junk' pins.
You can avoid this by buying from trusted sellers with 100% feedback and a FULL return policy.
Read all the fine print before buying.
If you suspect you have received 'fake' pins in your lot, return them and get your money back.

There are a few that do sell authentic, real Disney Trading Pins lots on eBay, but they are few and far between these days it seems.
I have bought pin lots on eBay from a couple of folks years ago and they were all legit.
So it is possible.

Just be careful, and get your monies worth.
Most important of all though, is to have fun trading pins in the Parks when you DO get some!
It does enhance a visit in my opinion, as you just never know what you will find on any given day in the Parks.

Enjoy!
:)
 

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
Thank you all so much for your advice
Does anyone know roughly how much starter packs are in the parks, also does anyone have a link of genuine starter packs from eBay
 

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
When our kids were 7 and 9 we ordered a bunch of pins on ebay before our trip, and they had an absolute blast trading pins with CMs everywhere. It adds an extra something to the trip.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
So will they trade any pin? I am going to look on ebay for a bulk lot, do they need to be Disney related or would the CM exchange any sort of pin?

DON'T buy the bulk lots on ebay, Amazon, etc. Those are sure to be fakes and scrappers. Please avoid those like the plague. For those that take the collecting a bit more seriously, it's very frustrating how fakes and scrappers (rejected pins due to low quality) have flooded the market and made it much harder for those that want real pins. I don't care how legit you think they are, if the came from a bulk lot at under $2/ pin they aren't.

Sometimes you can find individual pins for sale on ebay that are real ones, but even then I tend to be skeptical unless it's someone I see recommended in the pin trading community.

You can buy real, official Disney pins online at shopdisney.com which is the official site, and they sell individual pins along with starter sets and packaged sets. Most pins start at around $8 US and go up, but you can get them cheaper in the sets.

There are also some private sellers that sell real pins for less. Do a google search for PinderellaShop who sells real, legitimate pins individually and in grab bags and you can get them for $3-5 a pin typically. Highly recommended source.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
So will they trade any pin? I am going to look on ebay for a bulk lot, do they need to be Disney related or would the CM exchange any sort of pin?

TYIA
Don't do this. They are fake. Ruins it for everyone else. Just do it properly and buy official pins from the parks/resorts and the Disney Store. And when trading make sure you are getting an official pin back. There are many guides online how to tell.
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
Don't do this. They are fake. Ruins it for everyone else. Just do it properly and buy official pins from the parks/resorts and the Disney Store. And when trading make sure you are getting an official pin back. There are many guides online how to tell.
This is the best advice, I couldn't agree more!! I have had many a discussion with folks that feel they've been "taken" by a CM with fake pins. The fact is CM's volunteer to pin trade , they are not obligated to insure the pin the are receiving is authentic. So many people will purposely buy cheap knockoffs so they can trade for real pins. This is not the CM's fault that people are gaming the system. It is up to the CM to go and get their lanyard refreshed at their convenience. That could be a few days. CM's don't like fakes but they can't refuse a trade. My advice is buy from reputable sources and know how to spot fakes. This is the big reason why I don't pin trade , the fakes are very abundant and I don't want to contribute to spreading them. I make Magic by keeping myself well stocked with transportation cards, safety cards and stickers. I have never had to refuse a request because I ran out. In fact if I still have some at the end of my shift I just start giving them till their gone. Trade carefully, hope this helps 😊
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
How can you tell if it is a "fake" pin? Does it have a different appearance?

There are a number of website and youtube videos that will help walk you through ways to tell fakes from real ones (I've even done one myself). There are a variety of ways, but the most common are a lighter weight/ cheaper metal, colors being off a little bit, seeing obvious paint/ brush strokes, or misprinted/ mispelled/ non aligned backs. If you get them in a bulk order and they are each in little bags, then they are also obvious fakes as that's how the fake manufacturers ship them.
 

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