Pin Trading......Fun or Waste of Time?

[draybook]

It's kind of like when first aid cast members have to treat injuries, or janitorial cast members have to clean up puke, or security cast members have to break up fights.
It's their job, and somebody has to do it. But they sure as heck would prefer not to.

Then don't take the job?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

When it was with just kids or casual/regular fans, I enjoyed it- a nice way to talk Disney with folks. It got creepy with the folks camped out with volumes of pins who seemed kind of desperate and a little too intense about it. It took the fun out of it and really turned me off.

Same thing goes with The Sorcerer's of The Magic Kingdom...Their hideaway is Tortuga Tavern by the Fireplace as they watch the guest play and mock them when they are playing with the cards they got to bait them in..

 

[75disney]

My kids have collected pins and traded them on our last couple trips. There are some pins that they are not allowed to trade, like limited edition pins that their grandparents have bought them. Each trip we allow them to buy one or two pins. As they get older, their tastes change (from princesses to villains to hobbies) so we do let them trade. We typically do it at the resort gift shop or when we are waiting in line for a show or something. Pin trading adds to the fun of their vacation, but it does not detract from the time we spend on the attractions. Everything in moderation. Plus the kids enjoy looking over their pins between trips.

 

[adisneyprincess]

I've been collecting pins since 2004. Some people are extremely into it and get really crazy over it. I have a very large collection, and I love to trade and collect... but some people are willing to pay $1200 for a pin. I'm very proud of my pin collection, and they make me when happy when I view them.

 

[Minnie1976]

I don't pin trade, but I have bought a few pins. Every pin I purchase has a special memory so I don't want to trade any of them. I don't take them when I go to Disney. I wear one or two on my ID for work and change them up.
My family hardly gives me time to stop and take pictures. I sometimes do that with a short pause. HA! HA!

 

[loveofamouse]

I'm the same way ^ My pins all have special meaning/memories for me. Very few would I trade. I was actually talking about this this morning. I think I'm going to buy some junk pins to trade with CMs to get some interesting ones.

 

[HDS]

I use to pin trade but stop a year ago because I saw mostly scrappers the past trips.

 

[Christine in NJ]

Neither my boyfriend or I trade, but I can feel your pain. The bf is super into Lego. We have 5 conventions scheduled for this year to attend, which are primarily the same every time, but he really enjoys going. I enjoy that he enjoys it, and some of the stuff is cool, but I'm not that into it.

Our solution is to discuss these things ahead of time. We're going to the Lego convention in VA in a couple of weeks, which is far. In exchange for the convention time, he buys me a nice dinner at a restaurant I love and he's lukewarm about. That's my treat, the convention is his, we're both happy.

Just have a sit down before the next trip. Let her know that you love how much she loves her hobby, but that at times you find it frustrating because you're not that into it and it feels like it takes priority over your shared enjoyment in the park. See if she'd be open to limiting her trading to CMs at rides or in stores where you're jointly shopping or waiting in line. If she feels she must also stop if she seems something really great that she's searching for, then tell her that that's ok, you'll even help her to find that key pin, but that she do her best to limit that to the pins she's really looking for to complete the set (a "keeper"). Or just agree that x days out of your trip, she can go crazy and stop all she wants, but the other days she only does limited trades.

If she agrees up front, then if she gets a bit crazy while she's there, just gently remind her that she agreed to try to limit her stopping during the day. It works for Lego and for when I want to stop in every shop in every park while we're in Disney (Decisions on items must be made in 2 minutes cause I'll ponder all day)

 

[TubaGeek]

Three money-grabs I will never buy into:
1) Pins
2) Vinylmation
3) Duffy

And an honorary fourth: DVC.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

Three money-grabs I will never buy into:
1) Pins
2) Vinylmation
3) Duffy

And an honorary fourth: DVC.

My philosophy exactly. I will also add Christmas ornaments. It's a trap from which I would never escape once I bought the first one. I would need a whole tree full so I don't buy any.

 

[Dog Ate Mouse]

My wife is the pin trader and for me I see her having fun and meeting and talking to people and having a great time. We are on vacation and I could care less if she is doing so. We are there on average from 9 to 10 days and I just let her go and have her fun. She can trade all the pins she wants and when I am on the Bass Fishing trip and she does go with me has fun and laughs and enjoys me having a big thrill when I catch a fish. Vacation is about having fun, doing something that makes the trip and time all that more fun and lastly when you think about it. She only gets to do this when we are in WDW on vacation. So I say let her trade her pins and have the time of her life. The travelocity commercials works well here, "stop and smell the roses".