Advice for a beginning collector please?

[Animaniac]

OK, so on the advice of my brother in law last year I bought a blue 2010 lanyard with 4 2010 themed pins. I traded those for a Red Captain Hook (with a hidden mickey), a Jafar wish not want not that has him sans mustache (weird) a "monorl" license plate and a 4th which apparently went missing lol.

Question is...where do i go from here? New lanyard? More pins? A book? A combo of the 3? HELP! Want to get more serious when I go on my trip in 2 and a half weeks.

 

[Magical Dreamer]

Buy a lot of 20 to 50 pins on ebay.....Now your ready for park trading.

You should be able to get them for about .75 each if your patient.

We've done it several times and the kids have a blast.....

 

[Animaniac]

Buy a lot of 20 to 50 pins on ebay.....Now your ready for park trading.

You should be able to get them for about .75 each if your patient.

We've done it several times and the kids have a blast.....

Yeah but the only problem is that I really don't want to spend my whole vacation lugging a book of pins around :shrug:

 

[wishes2013]

Buy a bunch on eBay, as said before. Take your lanyard and each day put 5 to 10 pins to trade for the day. Then you don't have to lug a book around and you don't trade all your pins at once. If you want to display them at home get a bulletin board and stick the pins on it. Then just keep the backs in a drawer somewhere. I personally don't like the binder that they sell because when you use multiple pages the pin backs prevent the binder from closing right. If you really would like a book try the soft covered one.

 

[Animaniac]

Buy a bunch on eBay, as said before. Take your lanyard and each day put 5 to 10 pins to trade for the day. Then you don't have to lug a book around and you don't trade all your pins at once. If you want to display them at home get a bulletin board and stick the pins on it. Then just keep the backs in a drawer somewhere. I personally don't like the binder that they sell because when you use multiple pages the pin backs prevent the binder from closing right. If you really would like a book try the soft covered one.

Ah, good idea.

To Ebay!

Edit: Now I'm not sure what to buy or who to trust. Two lots I came across have had people accusing the sellers of making fakes.

 

[wishes2013]

Ah, good idea.

To Ebay!

Edit: Now I'm not sure what to buy or who to trust. Two lots I came across have had people accusing the sellers of making fakes.

We've done this three times and never had a problem. But I guess just look at reviews. Look again later and maybe there will be someone else.

 

[wishes2013]

And as for what to buy, I think we got ours from one of the people with a store where you could pick how many you wanted, if that helps at all. Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[Figments Friend]

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Welcome to the wonderful ( and completely engrossing..lol..) world of Pin Trading Around the 'World'!

Here are some tips for purchasing pins offered on eBay. I mention these to help folks like yourself from making the mistake of falling into traps laid by shifty sellers and outright bootleg offerings.

Tip #1 - Only purchase pins from a eBay seller with a 100% Feedback rating. If they are a major seller and have over a thousand transactions shown in their feedback, it is usually safe to buy even if they score 98%. Stay away from any ratings lower then this!

Tip #2 - If possible, buy from a seller who specializes in Disney Pins. Again, check out how many sales they have made and their Feedback score. There are many such sellers that are great to deal with and offer official Trading Pins.


Tip #3 - Always buy from a seller who accepts returns, so that if the pins you recieve are not genuine, you can get your money back.

Tip #4 - Be wary of 'fake' Trading Pins. These were rampant on eBay a few years back, so be careful as they are still around. Buying from trusted sellers that specilize in Official Pins will help insure you are paying for the real thing.

Tip #5 - As others have mentioned, buying a Lot of Pins is usually a good investment. You can buy a 10 pin Lot to start...or take the plunge and invest in a 50 Pin Lot. It is up to you, and depends on how much trading you want to do. Many times you pay only $1 to $3 per pin when you would normally have to shell out $6 to $12 in the Parks. Any pins you do not want can be traded away. It is definately worth looking into...just be careful and buy from good sellers.

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Now for some suggestions....

- Lanyards are great for displaying and wearing your pins. Remember when wearing a lanyard in the Parks - Wear ONLY the Pins you are trading! Any pins visable is assumed to be up from grabs..!

- Let your friends know about your interest in Disney Pins. You will find more often then not they will be forthcoming from them!

-Trading with Disney Cast Members is always easier and more enjoyable ( in my experience) then trading with Guests. Cast have many exclusive pins that are not for sale in the shops and can only be aquired by trading with them. It is always well worth checking out the scene at the various Pin Centrals located in the Parks.

- Many FL locals show up with huge amounts of pins at both Epcot's Pin Central and the main pin shop at Downtown Disney on weekends. Many are serious collectors and love sharing their enthusiasim for the hobby. Go and visit with them just for the fun of it, and enjoy looking through the massive binders stuffed to the brim with Pins. It will give you a good overall view of what is 'out there'...and you may end up finding one they trade with you! Be wary of anyone trying to 'strike up a deal' with you however...as sometimes 'sharks' cruise such locations looking to scoop things away from innocent newbies who don't know any better.

- If you ever have the chance to visit DisneyLand in CA, be sure to bring some WDW related pins with you to trade! These are not availible out there, and you will have a edge when it comes to trading with Guests/Collectors. I had several Guests approach me to trade when i visited there, and this rarely happens when i am in FL.

- HAVE FUN and enjoy the thrill of the hunt!

:wave: