Buying pin lots off Ebay

[Lsumatt72]

Would anyone recommend doing this as a beginning pin trader? I can't make myself spend $8-12/pin and see where you can get them in larger lots for around a little over $1/pin. I figure there will at least be some I'll like and the rest I can try to trade on my next trip

 

[Figments Friend]

I have done it, but you really need to look over the auction offerings carefully to find trustworthy sellers who sell legit Trading Pins.
There are so many 'fakes' and knockoff pins now you have to be very careful.


I have bought many pins off of eBay over the years, and several pin lots as well to use for trading in the Parks.
It can save you quite a bit of money buying in lots IF the pins are legitmate Trading Pins.
Most of what you will find in the legitimate multiple pin lot auctions are the smaller pins from various 'mystery box' sets sold at the Parks and Cast Lanyard pins.
These are fine for trading.


Some tips to help you buy wisely -

Only buy from sellers who have been on eBay for several years and have a 100% rating feedback.
This info is clearly visable on each auction listing for any item.
Also, only buy from a seller that has a return policy just in case.
If you get sent 'fake' pins or 'scrappers' ( official Disney pins, but 'unfinished' / 'seconds' ) you will want to get your money back.

When it comes to pin lots, try to buy from a seller who is showing you exactly what you will be getting so you can see what pins are included.
Versed collectors can immediately spot potential 'fakes', and folks just looking for a fun bunch of pins will see what they are paying for.

Avoid the 'grab bag' type auction offerings as eBay is full of them.
These typically offer a grouping of pins for a flat price but don't show you exactly what pins you are getting.
80% of the time, these 'grab bag' deals are filled with 'junk' and just a few decent pins.
Most also contain 'scrappers', the bane of the Trading Pin hobby.
Buyer beware!



Find a reliable seller, order a lot or two, and enjoy trading.
They are out there, just be careful you don't get tricked.

Happy trading!



-

 

[Lsumatt72]

can you explain this scrapper thing to me a bit more?

 

[PrincessL]

Yes, I have been wondering the same thing about buying lots off amazon as well?

 

[NormC]

Think of it like this: Disney has the manufacturer make 10,000 of a particular design for them. Manufacturer makes 20,000 of same design. Some are used to cover quality issues in Disney's order and the rest are sold on ebay. The bad ones are supposed to be scrapped. In most cases the "fakes" are the same pins from the same manufacturer but just not part of Disney's order. These pins may not have nicely smoothed edges and some may fail Disney's quality inspections but most are otherwise indistinguishable. Then you have the manufacturers that take a real pin and make a mold from it and duplicate it with cheaper paints and parts and dump them on the market for pennies. It is hard to tell with some but easy to tell with others.

 

[contrariwise]

Think of it like this: Disney has the manufacturer make 10,000 of a particular design for them. Manufacturer makes 20,000 of same design. Some are used to cover quality issues in Disney's order and the rest are sold on ebay. In most cases the "fakes" are the same pins from the same manufacturer but just not part of Disney's order. These pins may not have nicely smoothed edges and some may fail Disney's quality inspections but most are otherwise indistinguishable. Then you have the manufacturers that take a real pin and make a mold from it and duplicate it with cheaper paints and parts and dump them on the market for pennies. It is hard to tell with some but easy to tell with others.

So interesting. I had no idea. I bought a pin lot on ebay once for my daughter to trade. We didn't have any problems trading them, but then there are a bunch of people like me who would have no idea there were fakes out there. We mostly traded with CMs. Do CMs really take it seriously or just do it for the fun of it?

 

[NormC]

CMs do it for the guests, not their own personal collections. Some will recognize obvious fakes and tell you. Others will just trade it and dispose of it later, especially if it is a child they are trading with.