Pin trading at WDW?

Question

Hey I hear pin trading is a hot deal at WDW. Can someone fill me in ?? Who do you trade with? Castmembers? Visitors? Any one? Do they just trade Disney pins? Any type of pins state pins or what? We are going in Oct and want to stock up before we go. Any Ideas---I'm traveling with 5 kids that will LOVE this.

Answer 1

Hope this helps!

WHAT IS PIN TRADING?

In case you've never heard the phrase before, here's a bit of an explanation. Pin trading is the activity of making a mutually agreeable exchange of one Disney pin for another. Disney "pin etiquette" says that a "tradable" pin is one that is "a cloisonn鬠semi-cloisonn頯r hard-enamel metal Disney pin," that trades are basically on a one-for-one basis, and "certain pin sets must be traded as sets."

WHO ARE THE TRADERS?

Traders are as unique as their reasons for trading. They're all ages, from children to seniors. They come from all parts of the world bringing unique pins from their local Disney parks and stores.

Some traders start out with those few souvenirs and suddenly find they're trading for others they like better. Others traders, like ALL EARS subscriber Jason Diffendal, "knew about pin trading, but I consciously attempted to not get involved because I knew how much money I would be spending. But on an October 1999 trip, we stopped at the Belz Outlet and found some Disney pins for 99 cents in the Character Premier store, so I bought some. Later that day we were at Epcot, so I began to trade pins with cast members. The first pin I traded for was a FedEx Space Mountain pin with a Cast Member at Norway. That was such a cool pin. It was at that the moment I was hooked."

WHY DO THEY TRADE?

Any pin trader will tell you, once you've started it's hard to stop. But why? Well, one explanation can be found in the description of pin trading as an "interactive experience." This has a lot to do with its appeal. Trading is a great way to meet others. You can meet other guests and Cast Members, and you'll never be at a loss for conversation.

According to MaryAnn Chin, another ALL EARS subscriber, "I love Disney pin trading. The pins are generally beautiful, well made and very collectible. I like the camaraderie, the people I meet, and the chase is fun!"

My husband, Tom, definitely agrees. "A group of us met outside a local Disney Store on Saturday mornings during the release of the 100 Years of Magic Pins. We started out as strangers but, over time, we've become friends. Now we meet regularly to show our latest pins and to trade. It's lots of fun."

WHERE DO YOU TRADE?

Official trading occurs at all the Disney parks (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, etc.) and at the Disney Stores. Additionally, you'll find trades occurring through various online groups, through the mail, and in countless other locations.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO TRADE?

This is the tough part. Disney releases a phenomenal number of pins in their different venues. So pin trading can be an expensive hobby and, as I said before, it can become an obsession.

You will find those who trade based on monetary value. They're always looking for something of greater value. There are also those who are willing to pay more than face value for a pin they really want. They tend to inflate prices and demand for certain pins.

So how do you decide? First, remember that there are just too many pins to collect them all. You have to set your own limits. Consider starting a collection on a particular theme or character and then trading for pins within that theme. You'll enjoy the fun of collecting and trading without over-extending yourself. Now if only my husband could complete his 100 Years of Dreams state pin collection, maybe he'd slow down a bit. Then again, maybe not!

Answer 2

What you do is you purchase a pin (a good one of course). Every employee at WDW will have at least 7 - 12 on. They will trade only if the pin is not the same one they already have. The pins must also be equal or more value to be traded. Not a cheap 6 cbuck deal for a aweosm 12 buck one. You may laos trade with visitors if they want of corse. The employees that have green pin lanyards on only trade with kids. Some may not have one. The way you know if they are trading or has one is if they have it on. Waht would be a good idea is to buy online before you go so you don't have to wait in long lines at the park (which willl probably take an estimate of 40 minutes of your tim: picking and waiting).You can only trade Disney pins.

Answer 3

Everyone's given you just about all the details of the Disney pin trading... but with five kids, it will be expensive. I looked at one pin trading cart, and then never went back to another one during the trip. There's so many awesome pins, but each one costs like, $10, or more! You can buy a set, but obviously that's even more. You could buy each kid one pin, but believe me, they'll want more.

Answer 4

You can just trade the Disney pins and the cheapest ones are like $6.95. But, yeah you definitely can trade with castmembers and I'm not sure about visitors, but probably.
I have like 80 Disney trading pins, but I don't trade them because if I bought them the obviously I like them, right?
So why trade them away?

Answer 5

Pin trading is fun. For the kids, look for cast members with green pin lanyards- they trade ONLY with kids.

Good idea to stock up before you go. You can get some good deals- and see what pins might be more valuable to trade!

I believe it is only Disney pins and you can trade with anyone.

Have fun!

Oohh, one more thing, if you are into pictures and scrapbooking, take pics of your first trades, and if it is with a cast member, let them know, I did and they gave me a neat little certificate. (looks great on scrapbook page with pics of the trade)

Answer 6

Pins will range in price, I believe they start at $8.95 now and go up from there. In Downtown Disney they actually have a pin store, filled with pins. Just about every store will have some pins as well, but they actually have a store with nothing but pins and pin supplies. You can also find a brochure there with information on trading. (I've also included some links to two of the most popular pin sites available, tons information on anything with pins. I also included the official site from Disney, you can buy pins, learn about new ones, etc.)

You can trade with just about anything. One of the more popular things is to get to the parks early. Cast members get a lanyard each morning with like 8 pins or something. You want to get to the cast members early, because that is when they have the best pins available, somtimes cast exclusive and such. The only problem is if the cast member collects pins, then they may trade with themselves first to get the better pins. But you will usually find some nice pins. So, you can trade with the cast members, as long as they have a lanyard. Anything on the lanyard they are supposed to trade with you, if it is on a shirt or vest, it is not able to be traded. But, on a few ocassions they have had non-trade pins on their lanyard when I have gone. So, the best thing is just to ask. When you ask them for one, they will take it off and then you give them one of your pins. The resorts also have some pins. Wilderness Lodge is a great place to check out. They have a pin trading cart in their lobby and they have a full book of pins and you can go through it and trade for the pins that you like. There are usually a couple of really nice pins in there.

You can also trade with visitors. If you see someone walking around with a lanyard, you can ask them if they would be willing to trade. But, I recommend going to Downtown Disney to the Pin store where they actually have pin trading events. They also have tables out front where you can trade pins with others. People will come with books and binders full of pins and they will trade with you. If you are wearing a lanyard with pins, you can assume a few people will ask you to trade as well.

Realize that there are a lot of serious traders out there, they have books and guides, etc. They are a lot less likely to trade with you. Now, I know some people that have huge collections and do it to meet new people, so they will trade easier with you. But, the traders that are more into it may not be willing to give you their pin for what you are offering, if it isn't an even trade. They may want a few of your pins for one of theirs. This is the main disadvantage to trading with other visitors, because they don't HAVE to trade with you like a castmember who will trade just about any pin for you.

You can only trade Disney pins that have the actual Disney Pin trading symbol. You can't bring state pins and such.

If you can find a local Disney store, this will be your best option to find pins. You can also purchase through WDW mail order, for pins that are sold at Disney. And then you can also purchase directly with the Disney store or the Disney Auctions on eBay. Once and a while you will be able to find pins for a really low rate, but it isn't always too easy. Sometimes people have entire collections on eBay and you can get tons of pins for a really low rate, or Disney will clearance out some pins. Since you aren't wanting them to keep, it doesn't really matter what they are.

One thing you should consider is getting a pin trading book before you leave. That way, you can learn about different pins (you could also do some research at the sites I listed, but it will take more time) This way, you can get to know the pins that are more valuable and then keep an eye out for them when trading with cast members, this is where a lot of people find there best deals and are able to get rare pins.

Just be aware that pin trading can become a vey expensive collection. I started collecting shortly after pins started becomming really popular at Disney and it has grown into a huge collection worth a lot of money. I thought it would be something fun to get a few pins here and there, but I soon wanted pins for all the attractions, hotels, etc. that I had rode or been too. Then I needed things to store my pins in, etc. So, it isn't an inexpensive hobby, but it is a lot of fun and you can meet a lot of people.

The kids will definitely have fun, it is really addicting.

I hope this helps! Have a great time!