Disney Has a Pin Problem

[castlecake2.0]

Over the years Disney Pins have gone through waves of popularity. Originally launched for the millennium celebration, they just celebrated their 25th anniversary.

In the last year or so their popularity is grown to levels higher than ever before. Social media is no doubt a part of this current wave. Now people are making it their entire social presence.

Adding to this is the resellers and live stream shoppers. We have seen park operations having to adjust pin release days like a new attraction is opening. Even Disney’s special government district has had to adjust normal ops to stop people from literally camping out overnight in their parking garages.

Pin trading with cast members, either through boards or lanyards has become a casualty as well. Every board is now littered with the same fake scrapper pins over and over again. When they’re refreshed, the seasoned pros swoop in and make away like a bandit with all the genuine pins.

Is there a solution to any of this? If there is can it be done without ruining the fun of trading for the normal day to day guest? Or is this another one of those things that will just never be the same?

Discuss…

 

[Stupido]

As someone with a serious Princess and the Frog pin collection, watching the environment change over the past year has been insane.

Pin Drop Tuesdays on the DisneyStore website completely shuts down the page with queues thousands of people deep. They announce the pins for sale online 15 minutes before they go on sale, and it's a complete blood bath if something catches your eye.

Sure, there have always been rare holy grail pins going for pretty penny. But nowadays it feels like every single pin is being resold at ridiculous margins. Check prices on ebay for all of these D23 pins that just were released, you'll be shocked. $500 for scrap metal and enamel. I've bought resale D23 pins that were marked up 20 bucks. But hundreds of dollars in markup? That's crazy.

All of the fun of this experience is being sucked out, and Disney is either going to have to end trading or start refining the process if they want guests to be excited about it again.

 

[nickys]

Disneyland Paris controls it very strictly. And it seems to work.

But in order to do so, CMs enforce the rules.
- They inspect the back of the pins and will only accept genuine ones.
- You cannot trade a duplicate of one they already have.
- You need to ask permission to touch their lanyard.
- And on pin board locations they will only accept like for like trades, so if you want a special edition pin you have to trade one.

Is there the will to change things in the US parks? Would the CMs be prepared to enforce rules like that? And would the public accept it?

I think confining it to pin board locations would be the way forward. And the CMs would have to be specially trained, probably with security nearby, sadly.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Disneyland Paris controls it very strictly. And it seems to work.

But in order to do so, CMs enforce the rules.
- They inspect the back of the pins and will only accept genuine ones.
- You cannot trade a duplicate of one they already have.
- You need to ask permission to touch their lanyard.
- And on pin board locations they will only accept like for like trades, so if you want a special edition pin you have to trade one.

Is there the will to change things in the US parks? Would the CMs be prepared to enforce rules like that? And would the public accept it?

I think confining it to pin board locations would be the way forward. And the CMs would have to be specially trained, probably with security nearby, sadly.

I think that’s all very reasonable. My previous role allowed me to wear a lanyard and I ended up ditching it because I just couldn’t keep
Up with keeping it stocked with genuine pins and it really just ruined it for me.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Disneyland Paris controls it very strictly. And it seems to work.

But in order to do so, CMs enforce the rules.
- They inspect the back of the pins and will only accept genuine ones.
- You cannot trade a duplicate of one they already have.
- You need to ask permission to touch their lanyard.
- And on pin board locations they will only accept like for like trades, so if you want a special edition pin you have to trade one.

Is there the will to change things in the US parks? Would the CMs be prepared to enforce rules like that? And would the public accept it?

I think confining it to pin board locations would be the way forward. And the CMs would have to be specially trained, probably with security nearby, sadly.

CMs are supposed to be rejecting pins that aren't trading pins (so, like, Loungefly pins with the crown stamp on the back) and not allowing duplicates.

And on pin board locations they will only accept like for like trades, so if you want a special edition pin you have to trade one.

Ooooh, that sounds like a fun one.

 

[nickys]

I think that’s all very reasonable. My previous role allowed me to wear a lanyard and I ended up ditching it because I just couldn’t keep
Up with keeping it stocked with genuine pins and it really just ruined it for me.

I saw it in action. Once or twice a CM just said “Oh I’m sorry, I can’t take that one”. But mostly kids went away happy with a trade. I didn’t notice the pin boards.

I think probably the word has got out that DLP won’t accept scrappers.

That would be a first essential step. Enforce that first.

 

[nickys]

CMs are supposed to be rejecting pins that aren't trading pins (so, like, Loungefly pins with the crown stamp on the back) and not allowing duplicates.



Ooooh, that sounds like a fun one.

I think from what I’ve read, with the pin boards, the puns are arranged in groups. So the CMs need to be experts at knowing pins etc. I assume that’s for adult traders more.

My kids got lanyards at WDW. Bought them a couple of packs they chose, and they maybe traded one or two. We bought specific pins on a couple of trips, but didn’t take the lanyards back with us. It wasn’t something they became obsessed about, thankfully!

 

[drizgirl]

Disney makes these pins scarce on purpose. They could solve it by making more. But of course they won't. They deserve any difficulty they get managing the situation.

 

[drizgirl]

the puns are arranged in groups.

Now this I could get behind.

 

[nickys]

Now this I could get behind.

What groups would you suggest?

 

[networkpro]

I personally would limit the personal pin traders to a single lanyard and get rid of pin trading areas with any seating to get rid of the pin pros. Collectively the pin pros are worse than Pokémon trading card scalpers.

 

[Spectro shire]

Over the years Disney Pins have gone through waves of popularity. Originally launched for the millennium celebration, they just celebrated their 25th anniversary.

In the last year or so their popularity is grown to levels higher than ever before. Social media is no doubt a part of this current wave. Now people are making it their entire social presence.

Adding to this is the resellers and live stream shoppers. We have seen park operations having to adjust pin release days like a new attraction is opening. Even Disney’s special government district has had to adjust normal ops to stop people from literally camping out overnight in their parking garages.

Pin trading with cast members, either through boards or lanyards has become a casualty as well. Every board is now littered with the same fake scrapper pins over and over again. When they’re refreshed, the seasoned pros swoop in and make away like a bandit with all the genuine pins.

Is there a solution to any of this? If there is can it be done without ruining the fun of trading for the normal day to day guest? Or is this another one of those things that will just never be the same?

Discuss…

Social Media (Youtube, Fakebook, Instagram) is part of every problem

 

[JIMINYCR]

At pin trading areas there should be signs posted describing what is and is not a valid pin for trading. They should post that they can refuse a trade with a non acceptable pin being offered to trade. They should not accept a trade of any scrapper pin and not display any of the scrapper pins on the pin boards. If a scrapper pin does get by then it should be trashed and not allowed back into the system.
They should not announce when specialty pins are being dropped and that stops "pin trading pros" from grabbing everything up for resale.
Disney should offer more pin selections for sale on the Disney Store site.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Disney makes these pins scarce on purpose. They could solve it by making more. But of course they won't. They deserve any difficulty they get managing the situation.

100% this, and they do it with all kinds of products… pins, popcorn buckets, special edition everything… scarcity creates demand and FOMO leads to panic buying without thinking first.

I chuckle because I have a bunch of Disney “crap” in my house I bought because I feared it would sell out, every time I do my spring cleaning purge I throw away (or donate) a handful of “FOMO” items, popcorn buckets everyone panic bought at $25, and many resold for $50-100 on eBay, aren’t even worth the hassle of selling on eBay now, you’re lucky to get $10-15 before losing half that to ship it.

Disney knows what they’re doing, they know it’s cheap crap no one needs, the scarcity is what actually sells it.

 

[Stupido]

100% this, and they do it with all kinds of products… pins, popcorn buckets, special edition everything… scarcity creates demand and FOMO leads to panic buying without thinking first.

I chuckle because I have a bunch of Disney “crap” in my house I bought because I feared it would sell out, every time I do my spring cleaning purge I throw away (or donate) a handful of “FOMO” items, popcorn buckets everyone panic bought at $25, and many resold for $50-100 on eBay, aren’t even worth the hassle of selling on eBay now, you’re lucky to get $10-15 before losing half that to ship it.

Disney knows what they’re doing, they know it’s cheap crap no one needs, the scarcity is what actually sells it.

But by this logic, wouldn't Disney want the profits from their scarcity? For example, this Tiana and Lottie pin from this year is limited edition, 500 made. It was priced by Disney at $34.95, and is on resale for over $200 and multiple have sold at that inflated price point. Disney sees none of that markup from panic buying or scare stock.

 

[jannerUK]

Its interesting how buying and collecting pins has really changed in less than two years. I find being in the UK it is different for me as I am pretty much restricted to DisneyStore purchases or E-Bay. When I do go over every other year I will make a special bag to bring them back.

I might be in a minority as I am someone that collects them only with the backing and stick mainly to genres. (Rides & Anniversaries). So I dont go anywhere near boards or trade with people. Every pin I have bought I have kept in a stored collection. Never to resell but to keep in orginal condition.

My concern is more the fact that fakes flood the market. I tend to avoid the mystery bags or the mystery boxes as those dont come with the lovely backing cards. I miss out on most of the scrapper aspects for that reason, yet I am starting to worry as it becomes more popular, even these LE ones will end up faked at some point. This creates a short term version of FOMO. If I wait too long to pick one up, say two or three years, it increases the chance it has been faked. We have the diamond ears but it wont be long before that is copied and a new demarking takes over.

 

[WorldExplorer]

But by this logic, wouldn't Disney want the profits from their scarcity? For example, this Tiana and Lottie pin from this year is limited edition, 500 made. It was priced by Disney at $34.95, and is on resale for over $200 and multiple have sold at that inflated price point. Disney sees none of that markup from panic buying or scare stock.

The big positive for them in all this is that they guarantee it sells out. They charge big prices and people will not only buy them, but buy as many copies of the same pin as they're allowed, because of the scarcity and supposed value of the item.

 

[jannerUK]

Do we have a general dedicated pin post on here? Never seen one and always suprrised not been one.

 

[nickys]

Do we have a general dedicated pin post on here? Never seen one and always suprrised not been one.

There’s a sub forum for merchandise, including pins:

Disney Merchandise, Pin Trading & Collectibles

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[Stupido]

The big positive for them in all this is that they guarantee it sells out. They charge big prices and people will not only buy them, but buy as many copies of the same pin as they're allowed, because of the scarcity and supposed value of the item.

I mean, it's D23 where people couldn't even get into the virtual queue to purchase these pins because there was such a demand for them. These pins would have sold out no matter what. There was also a limit of one pin of each style per person.