"starter sets" vs purchasing individual pins

[sbkline]

On our previous two on property trips, I bought one of those generic starter sets for around 30 or 35 bucks. I'm trying to remember how many pins came in it. Was it 7? Basically, I'm trying to figure up the price per pin doing it that way vs just buying individual pins as they catch my eye. If I remember correctly, individual pins run an average of right around 6 bucks, is that right? I know some of them may be around 4 bucks, and some may be around 7 or 8, but I was kind of thinking the majority of them are around 6 dollars.

Basically, what my thinking is, is that even if the average price per pin for the starter set is cheaper, I've come to find that most of the time, the pins you'll find on the CM lanyards are just generic crap. Sure, sometimes you might get lucky and come across a CM who has a pin you really like, but most of the time, they just have the same generic crap pins, and the good ones you just have to buy yourself. So right now I'm thinking that instead of trading, I'll just buy whatever pins I like, as I see them and, of course, limit it to one per day or something, so it doesn't get out of hand. And I was just trying to determine, on average, how much extra it will cost me. A couple bucks per pin, perhaps? :shrug:

 

[DisneyPinDad]

There are actually 3 different things that could be called "starter sets". One is a set, usually 4 pins with 2 matching pairs, that comes with a lanyard. This is the idea of "keep one of each, trade one of each."

The second is similar but it's usually a lanyard with 6-8 pins, all different. And the third is a boxed set of generally 7 pins, all different (these are usually somewhat smaller pins and all from a single theme like Fab-5, Toy Story Mania, Pirates, etc.).

In all 3 cases, the cost per pin hovers around 6 dollars.

The "average" rack pin is in the 6.95-8.95 range, with some obviously costing more (up to about $15).

All that being said, it kind of depends on your desire in terms of "trading" versus "acquiring" pins. If you are looking for specific pins, then I would look at directly purchasing them. If you are looking for the "fun of the hunt" or the other benefits of trading (chance for a goodie, chance to interact with CM's, etc.) then a starter set is a great way to get into the mix.

2 Notes: First, you WILL see a LOT of starter set pins on cast lanyards. That's just a given. By no means is that all you will see, and there are plenty of chances for better rack pins (even higher $ ones) and "goodies" on lanyards. This has always been the case in trading, going back to the days when travel companies (Disney, AmEx) gave you each a pin with a package purchase and these were dime-a-dozen on lanyards.

Second - IF you decide you want to do the trading route, it is possible to purchase a "lot" of traders for the various online auction sites, etc. Just be sure you are getting true Disney pins - no Sedesma, no China, no scrap. This route can often get you very nice traders in the $3.00/pin or less range. I've done this and most times get such a nice lot that we end up keeping 2 or 3 for the collection.

Just some thoughts - hope this helps. No matter how you proceed, remember to only collect what you like and share the fun!!

 

[sbkline]

Ya, the starter sets that I purchased on my past two trips were from your 3rd category. It didn't come with a lanyard, and 7 sounds about right. Each time, I got the set with the "fab 5".

And I agree with everything you said. In my case, I think the main reason I chose to trade was the possibility of saving money, thinking I could pay a smaller average price for pin, and then "trade up" for better pins without having to pay the higher price. And I have found a few good keeper pins from my trades. I traded with Art Lark at the Beach Club in 2007 and got an Illuminations cruise pin: a brown book with 6 country stamps on it. And I found an Expedition Everest Pin on another CM on our 2008 trip. So ya, I have traded for some good keeper pins, but as a rule, the pins I find on the CMs are just junk, and I can easily understand why. Thousands of other families are getting those same starter sets that I got (or other starter sets), and are trading with those CMs, so the CM lanyards quickly get filled up with these generic junk pins. So it's basically a matter of luck as to who gets to those CMs first and trades for the good pins and, as I said, I've been that lucky person a couple times.

But I think I'm more interested in just going home with a lanyard full of good pins as opposed to the thrill of trading. And since the price difference between a $35 starter set of 7 pins vs the same amount of pins for an average of $7 a piece is less than 20 bucks, I think I may dispense with trading this time and just buy good pins as I see them. As long as I can be sure to limit it to one per day or something. :lol: However, I may be interested in a good trade if I see one, so maybe I'll bring along some of my less impressive pins from my previous trips in the event that I see a pin on someone's lanyard that I want to trade for.

The whole subject does bring up a question that I've always wondered about, though...

Does each CM start out each day with a lanyard full of "good" pins to start off the trading for the day? Or are there just that many people that are actually willing to trade for one of those junky, cheap, generic pins on the Cast Member lanyards? I just can't imagine that someone would actually want to trade a Splash Mountain Pin for one of those generic "fab 5" pins from a starter set. So I just figured that at certain intervals, whether every day, every two days, every 3 days, etc, the CMs would get a fresh collection of good pins with which to fill up their lanyards. Anyone know how that part of it works?

 

[Victoria]

eBay is your absolute best friend in the world when it comes to pin trading. If there is a specific pin you are after it is most likely on eBay. Many times you can get it for less than cost too....unless it is extremely limited edition. As for trading in the parks, I much prefer to buy a lot of 20+ pins on eBay and then use those to trade for better stuff. Many times you will even get some cool stuff in the pin lots. I feel this is the most economical way to go about things. Those eBay "traders" that you acquire will cost you no more than $3/pin and then you can switch them out for $7+ pins with CMs and guests in the parks.

 

[cdunbar]

ebay is your absolute best friend in the world when it comes to pin trading. If there is a specific pin you are after it is most likely on ebay. Many times you can get it for less than cost too....unless it is extremely limited edition. As for trading in the parks, i much prefer to buy a lot of 20+ pins on ebay and then use those to trade for better stuff. Many times you will even get some cool stuff in the pin lots. I feel this is the most economical way to go about things. Those ebay "traders" that you acquire will cost you no more than $3/pin and then you can switch them out for $7+ pins with cms and guests in the parks.

exactly! :d

 

[sbkline]

eBay is your absolute best friend in the world when it comes to pin trading. If there is a specific pin you are after it is most likely on eBay. Many times you can get it for less than cost too....unless it is extremely limited edition. As for trading in the parks, I much prefer to buy a lot of 20+ pins on eBay and then use those to trade for better stuff. Many times you will even get some cool stuff in the pin lots. I feel this is the most economical way to go about things. Those eBay "traders" that you acquire will cost you no more than $3/pin and then you can switch them out for $7+ pins with CMs and guests in the parks.

Ya, but as I said, unless you happen to get there to the right CM at the right time, most of the pins they have are generic junk. I totally get that some people just enjoy trading for the "hunt" and the interaction and that's fine for them. But myself, I'm more interested in just getting some pins that I like.

As far as searching ebay for pins that I like, there are a couple reasons why that wouldn't be for me. For one, that could get pretty expensive. Instead of splurging for a handful of pins once a year on that annual trip, you could really spend alot buying them throughout the year on the computer. And number two, for me, that would kind of cheapen the whole thing. For me, part of the fun is looking forward to this trip, and then getting there and buying souveniers to take home, then after you get home, looking at these pins that you acquired on that trip. It's just not quite the same to just get on the computer any old time and order them. I have a friend who picks me up a pin or two sometimes when he and his wife go to WDW. I don't ask him to do so, but he does it out of generosity. I very much appreciate it, and the pins he picks are nice pins and nice additions to my collection...which is very small as I am not a serious collector/trader by any means. Even so, however, those pins don't mean quite as much since I don't have a trip to connect them back to. Not to minimize the meaning that they have being from a friend who thought enough of me to send them to me, but a pretty pin, even if it is from a limited edition, lacks a little something when it isn't a souvenier from a trip that you actually went on. For me anyway...other people may view it differently. But for me, it's kind of like the difference between having a memorable vacation on which you buy a nice shirt, and then you wear that shirt when you get back home and it connects you back with the memories of the trip on which you acquired the shirt...as opposed to never going on that trip, but seeing that exact same shirt in a resale shop. For me, I wouldn't want to buy that shirt at the resale shop since it wouldn't represent a trip that I had been on. For me, it's kind of a similar concept to collecting pins off ebay.