For the biggest Disney nerds out there, here’s a great collection for you to get collecting!
Shockingly, I haven’t gotten into this myself. I do have 3 pins that I got from my aunt when Disney gave them out during the inconvenience of construction at Caribbean Beach. So I’ve got the start of a collection which makes me want to stop typing this blog post right now and get on eBay to look for pins to buy. Someone stop me!
Collecting and trading pins is something I know I’d love but it can be expensive to get started. So for now, I’ll just look at my 3 pins and enjoy those.
But for those of you that lack my self-control (translation - I’m cheap), here’s how to get into this fun activity…
First, you’ll want some pins to get started. You can buy these directly from Disney, eBay, Amazon… just be aware that unless you are buying from Disney, you could run into fake pins or worn/damaged ones. Be sure to check the pictures and read reviews of the sellers. To trade them at Disney with Cast Members, you’ll need to be sure they are the official Disney pins with the Disney copy-write mark on it.
When you’re at Disney, you can trade with both Cast Members and Guests. Typically, you can tell that someone interested in trading because they’ll be wearing a lanyard with pins attached. Cast Members will also sometimes have a board displayed at their location with pins attached. Don’t be shy about asking if someone wants to trade - most are willing! Rumor is that Cast Members aren’t allowed to say no, but they can only trade up to 2 pins at a time.
There are a couple of strategies to pin trading - some people are trying to build a collection based on value of the pins. This takes some time on your part to study the pins (lots of info on the old internet) and know by glancing if you are trading your pin for another one of greater value.
The other strategy is to ignore the value but just look for pins that are your favorites as far as characters or attractions or movies or whatever. This would be my strategy which is another reason for me to never get into this as I would totally be losing money with each trade.
This is a really fun activity for kids and can be a great way to get them to learn how to talk to strangers (with your permission of course!) and an intro to negotiating.
Do you trade pins at Disney? If so, let me know! I’d love to get talked into doing this…
Be sure to call me when you’re thinking of planning a trip - my services are FREE!!