Let's talk pins...

[Plutos Pal]

My wife and I started collecting a couple of years ago. We don't trade, just collect. It looks like we follow the same rules as most people on the forum ( only buy pins for events we attended or places we stayed at). We got our 5 year old started on it last year and got our 2 year old a starter set for our next trip. Our collection is slowly building up. Not quite to the 100 digit mark yet.

 

[lobelia]

When I first took my 5 year old son to WDW we received two pins with our paperwork. I had no idea of the significance of these pins. During the trip a CM also gave my son my favorite pin, which is the Mickey ears shape with the American flag on the front. One the way home he wore all three of these pins proudly.

While I was planning our next trip and same son was 10 years old, I discovered pin trading. So perhaps blasmephous, I purchased a set of 20 of misc pins on ebay. I really didn't care what they were because I wanted my son to actually want to trade then away. Another family joined us on this trip and I gave half to their son. Later on the trip the other family was given a lanyard and pins for the Year of Magical Dreams promo. They shared a set with my son.

For us it is not really about the pins, although he does get to be a bit choosy when trading, but rather encouraging him to interact with the Cast Members. We took him back at 12 years of age and he still likes to trade and seems to collect the Disney babies pins and Pluto. If he sees a firefighter one he also trades for those since his dad is a firefighter. He goes back with his band this spring. It will be interesting to see if he participates in pin trading with his friends watching or if he will be too busy watching girls.

 

[Phonedave]

I collect, I don't trade.

I buy Donald Duck pins, and "limited edition / exclusive" pins if they interest me. I will look at the AP, DVC, or any limited run pins, but only buy them if they look good to me. Quite frankly, I don't end up buying many. The last time I bought more than one or two pins during a trip was, I think, during EPCOT's 25th anniversery.

 

[Goofnut1980]

I took my partner to WDW last October for his first trip ever... My mistake was showing him pins.... He came home with about $350 worth of pins and I had to create pin boards for him to display them. I make my pinboards by taking 1 bigger and 2 smaller embroidery hoops... connect them together with small wire and fill them with solid color fabric. This allows me to pin the pins on a Mickey silhouette for the display.

Same with the Disneyland trip we took in May! more pins *smh*
He is always looking for Figment!

The trip we are going on in 16 days, he pre-purchased 30 pins from ebay so he could trade them. What a nerd! ha.

I only collect pins from the rides I like, or the resorts we stay at. However, now I am a DVC member, I will just go visit other resorts so I can get their pin.

I miss when they would only do certain pins at special locations and not sell an Epcot pin at Magic Kingdom... Kinda makes the hunt for them, boring!