Originally posted by DisneyInsider
There was a streetmosphere performer on Main Street who had suspenders full of backward pins. He played a game though where you would trade with him. I got a Lanyard series Hercules Pin.
That person must be none other than Scoop Sanderson, News Reporter on Main St. USA. I have met this man in the past and he is absolutely awesome. Every day (except Fridays and Saturdays) in the Main St. Exposition Hall, he holds a pin seminar at 1pm. He usually goes over how pins are made and gets a volunteer to demostrate pin equitte. I got my "Continuing the Tradition" pin (A very cool and very HUGE pin) for volunteering a few months back.
As for the pin traders who are "touchy", especially when they start grabbing my lanyard, I get a little defensive. Usually what I'll do is put my hand in the back of the lanyard and begin to bring the lanyard to the guests eyes closer as he/she is looking. If the guest begins to start grabbing my lanyard, I will sternly (yet politiely) say "It is considered impoilite to grab a Cast Member's lanyard".
They usually stop right away.
As for the lanyard pins, you are probably aware that some traders are camping out in front of the rope when the park opens and begin going after pins like a vulture goes after its dinner. These pins are incredibly popular with the guests and we sort of have to do some things to make the "sharks" have a harder time getting rid of their "junk" (i.e; Dwarf pins). When we are given lanyard pins, we usually try to put the "junk" on so that those traders can't get the lanyard ones.
As for the "mystery" pins, this is all fun and games for us CMs. We might ask you to answer a trivia question or just simply trade. Occassionaly, I'll have lanyard pins and HTF pins hiding. A CM friend of mine once got a Stitch pin (!) for trading w/ a manager that way.
I don't know about your area RobFL, but where I work where I SELL the pins (The Hat), it will be unholy not to have one. Unfortunlately, due the the acts some some people, a good deal of CMs in my area have stopped wearing lanyards. One of my fellow CMs got knocked into the ground when a pin trader litterally tried to grab the lanyard off the CM. I have a great deal of respect for guests, but this type of behavior is uncalled for.