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Pin Collecting Quick Start Guide

Pin Collecting by Pin Expert Tinker

(Talk to Tinker on the Disney Secrets Message Boards)

Have You Ever Thought About Pin Trading or Collecting But Wasn’t Sure Where To Begin ?pintrading

Disney Pin Trading Has Never Been Made Easier and today thousands of guests trade pins with other guests and cast members from around the world .

Disney Pin Trading began in October of 1999 with the start of The Millenium Celebration .

Now, you may be asking : How Do I Start ?

pinuniDisney Pin Trading is as easy as 1,2,3

You can go to any Disney Central Pin Store or Stand located in the Theme Parks . Resort Gift Stores also carry them , but your best selection is at the Downtown Disney Marketplace or Epcot. These stores carry * Starter Lanyard Set * which comes with four or up to eight pins . These sets range in price from $26.00 to $48.00 .

If you are an ebayer, I suggest starting there first . I type in lot of Disney pins and have purchased lots of authenic, tradeable Disney pins at $2.00 per pin . Watch for sellers that offer free shipping .

Cast Members at all theme parks, resorts and cruises wear neck or hip lanyards . Hip lanyards arelanyard clipped to their waist belt and are not always visible . If you don’t see one, just ask . Cast Members have to trade pins that are only displayed on their lanyards. If pins are on their shirts or jackets , these are there personal pins and are not tradeable . Sometimes they are awarded pins for service.

You are only allowed 2 trades per lanyard . You choose the pin you want and choose the pin to give back in return. If a cast member is wearing a green lanyard ( Walt Disney World ) or a teal lanyard (DisneyLand) this means that kids are the only guests that may trade with them. Ages 3 – 12

Cast Lanyard Collection is a term now known as Hidden Mickey Collection Series . You may be asking What This Means ? These special and higly collectible pins were introduced several years ago as a unique way for cast members to interact with guests . The Hidden Mickey Collection Series is recognized through the silver Hidden Mickey head that will appear on the front of the pin . Usually the bottom right hand corner . Look Carefully ! These are pins that are only given to the cast members for trade . You cannot buy them and this makes them even more collectible .

hidden-mickey-disney-pin-traders-logoThese pins will have a backstamp : example Hidden Mickey 1 of 5 . This means there are five pins in this series . Villians may be Jafar, Cap’t Hook, Malificent, Ursala, etc . or Monorails in color, orange, red , yellow, blue .

 

Ask the cast member which others to look out for . Cast Members love interacting with guests . They are more than happy to answer any question that you may have . If they know you are new to pin collecting and have a special pin on , they will point it out to you.

I have found the best cast members to trade with are the managers during parades, just walking along or at your resort . Managers are very rarely seen and usually have a lot of Hidden Mickey pins on their lanyards . Managers will also do their best to give magical moments . I, once, needed one pin to finish a series . I looked my entire trip and could not find the pin I needed . Tired and Dragging on my last day at the MK , my husband and I were leaving . A manager came up to me, out of the blue, and looked at my pins . He stated how I had done so well collecting . At this point , I said *Yes* I did but there is one pin that I am having difficulty finding . I tolds him which pin and he said , Stay Here ! Within minutes he was back and said Is This It ! After all that searching and there it was . I gave him the biggest hug!

Limited Edition Pins are just that a limited pin . The lower the edition size the more sought after ltdedtpinand collectible it will be . These pins can be purchased .

The most important thing to remember is that Disney’s Pin Trading Tradition is to be a fun experience for the whole family . The most important tip I can give you is to stay away from the pin traders at the Downtown Disney Marketplace . We call them Pin Sharks. They are guests that enter the parks and snatch up every Hidden Mickey pins that they can get there hands on . They may have 20 of the same pin, but will not and are not obligated to trade as they are not a cast member . If you do not have something they are interested in they will ask you to go in the store and buy them a pin . No Matter How Bad You May Want That Pin , Don’t Do It …

wallepinDon’t Give Up The Search .

The fun part of pin trading is finding that very last pin to complete your series . A Feeling That You Accomplished Your Find On Your Own . Its Disney Pin Trading At Its Best . I hope I have helped teach you the knowledge that you need to get started . I am always around . If you have any questions, just send me a PM and I will be more than happy to answer . If I don’t know, I will find out .

Now in closing, I’d like to introduce you to someone that I met at this past pin event . bobbypinbackMeet Pin Traders Newest Mascot… Robert R. Pinback or just Bobby Pinback . He was released as an open edition pin . Oops , sorry open edition pins are pins that are not limited and available to anyone for purchase . Say Hello 🙂

 

 

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