Good Place to Buy Trading Pins Before Arriving In Disney World?

[newmannsmomtoo]

Anybody have a good place to buy quality trading pins at a better price than in the parks? Trying to find a few for the kids to trade while we are there.

Thanks,
Karen

 

[Pikezh638]

ebay is pretty popular, but you have to be careful so that you do not buy fakes

 

[Travelgrrl]

I've bought them in bulk on ebay several times - they end up costing about 50 cents each - and they sure look and feel like the real thing, with the Disney logos on the back and the rubber Mickey backs, etc.

You don't get to pick your pins that way but I recently got 50 and at least 20 were super adorable ones we wouldn't even want to trade; about 25 were really cute traders and there were about 5 I didn't know what they even were. All had Mickey head backs and the Disney logo as in every other pin I've ever seen or bought.

I paid about $26 for 50, with free shipping.

 

[JayLeeJay]

I've bought them in bulk on ebay several times - they end up costing about 50 cents each - and they sure look and feel like the real thing, with the Disney logos on the back and the rubber Mickey backs, etc.

You don't get to pick your pins that way but I recently got 50 and at least 20 were super adorable ones we wouldn't even want to trade; about 25 were really cute traders and there were about 5 I didn't know what they even were. All had Mickey head backs and the Disney logo as in every other pin I've ever seen or bought.

I paid about $26 for 50, with free shipping.

At 50 cents each they most likely are not the real thing. If you are buying in bulk, with lots of 10, 25, 50, 100, etc. you have about a .01% chance of buying real pins (I think that might be a generous estimate). Stay away from the bulk lots if you are looking for real pins. Just because a pin has a certain logo or a certain pin back doesn't make it real. Disney has gone through several logos, several back stamps, and have used different pin backs and those who make the fakes know what they are doing. Calling a pin "100% tradeable", which sellers will do, also does not make a pin real.

For help in finding good sellers, try this: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2213419

 

[mousefan73]

Are the pins at walmart official? Arent they a few dollars cheaper??

 

[JayLeeJay]

Are the pins at walmart official? Arent they a few dollars cheaper??

Yes, the Walmart and Target stores around the WDW area sell Jerry Leigh pins that are real. And you are correct that they are typically cheaper than those you will find in the parks. Depending on which store you go to, you'll find different selections. I've typically had better luck finding a larger variety of pins at Walmart compared to Target.

You can also check out the two Disney outlet store in Orlando. They sometimes have pins and pin sets for much cheaper. These will be pins that have not sold well in the parks or ones they have too many of, but you will typically get a good deal. You can sometimes get limited edition pins at the outlets, too.

 

[Travelgrrl]

At 50 cents each they most likely are not the real thing. If you are buying in bulk, with lots of 10, 25, 50, 100, etc. you have about a .01% chance of buying real pins (I think that might be a generous estimate). Stay away from the bulk lots if you are looking for real pins. Just because a pin has a certain logo or a certain pin back doesn't make it real. Disney has gone through several logos, several back stamps, and have used different pin backs and those who make the fakes know what they are doing. Calling a pin "100% tradeable", which sellers will do, also does not make a pin real.

For help in finding good sellers, try this: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2213419

I would argue that I've bought plenty of pins in the parks, plenty one at a time from supposedly reputable sellers on Ebay, and pins in bulk - and danged if I can tell the difference. Yes, some have one kind of back, some another - just like the other pins I've purchased. Same heft, vivid colors, in fact, sometimes the same pins I bought before from the Disney shops. Identical!

If I can't tell the difference, the 5 and 6 year olds as part of our group sure won't. I can tell you that a pin that retails at Disney for $8 probably does indeed cost about 50 cents to make. However, I don't feel comfy recommending a particular seller because caveat emptor, right?

 

[Reddog1134]

If you care at all about fake pins (scrappers) then pin trading is a no-win situation. There are just too many people buying bulk lots from ebay and then trading them in the parks.

So your options are:

A. Buy bulk lots (most likely scrappers) of pins and trade them
B. Buy real pins and trade them for scrappers
C. Don’t get involved in pin trading

 

[figment_jii]

You can also keep an eye on the DisneyStore.com; they some times have sales and sometimes they clear out pins and a discounted price.

In truth, nothing is going to 'beat' the price on eBay where pins can sell for as little as $0.50 per pin (or less). As the PPs have mentioned, at those prices, they're most likely going to be scrappers. Scrappers is just the generic term used to describe technically non-legal pins. From everything I've read and seen, they fall into two general categories. The first are the straight knock-off pins (fakes). These are often the easiest to tell because the color, heft, feel, etc. are wrong. Imagine getting a pin of Ariel with blonde hair or Belle in a green ballgown. Those are pretty obvious problems with the pin. The second category are the over runs. Let's say a factory is contracted to produce 1 million pins, but instead they produce 1.1 million. Instead of scrapping the extra pins, they sell them on the side. Everything about these pins look and feel correct because they were made in the same factory with the same materials, but they're technical not "legal" because they were supposed to be scrapped. I don't think these can be distinguished from the ones you buy in the parks.

As Reddog1134 said, if you're going to do pin trading, you just have to accept that scrappers are out there and that you will get scrappers unless you forgo trading with CMs. CM lanyards and the pin boards/books will have scrappers in them (probably a high percentage). In the end, you have to decide if having scrappers in your collection will ruin the experience for you.

The only way to probably avoid scrappers and still pin trade is to only deal with the "professional" pin traders. Personally I would be wary of the professional pin traders. These folks do not have to trade with you nor do they have to adhere to the Disney trading guidelines (e.g., one pin for one pin). I'm sure some of them are nice folks, but I would be cautious when approaching them for a trade because for many of them this is a business so they're out to get the most valuable/expensive pins possible from you. So if they will trade your pin for their's, that's probably fine. If they ask you go buy a pin or pins for them, I'd walk away. If you're new to pin trading and do not have a sense of the value (in terms of dollars) of the various pins, I'd avoid the professional traders.

In terms of finding less expensive pins, I would focus on checking out:

• Disney Store Outlet - there are a couple in Orlando and they often sell discounted/reduced price clearance pins and pin sets.
• Disney Store - I haven't seen much in the way of pins being cleared out, but it's worth checking out.
• DisneyStore.com - once in while they have a sale and they have pins in clearance. Disney Rewards Visa card holders get a discount.
• Walmat/Target - some of the stores near WDW sell Disney pins.
• eBay - I do think it's possible to find non-scrapper (or at least avoid the fakes) on eBay. Look at the descriptions and focus on ones that say things like the pin is on the card or in original packaging. With eBay there is no way to know if you're getting scrappers or not until you have the pins in hand.

 

[lazer]

Another option is once you get to the park, they often have starter sets that are fairly inexpensive (lanyard included) when you make a purchase over a certain amount. If you don't care about scrappers, check ebay.

If you're a member of Disney Movie Rewards, we've gotten a lot of sets from them, just paying shippjng.

My 5 year old loves pins. Unfortunately, he lost his lanyard last year and never got it back. Luckily, we only keep pins on there he wants to trade and we keep others in our hotel room. He then displays them at home.

Have fun!