Disney Pin Values, Collecting and Trading

An Online Disney Pin Trading Guide for Beginners (and Non-Beginners too!)

 

I recommend the books below (available through Amazon) in determining the value of your pin collection. They are great references. Scroll down this page and view them!

As for trading online, you will be told to always check references at Dizpins or PinPics reference center before accepting a trade. There is one main flaw with that, however. The Dizpins Reference Center is not entirely stable for a lot of people, myself included. You see, if someone loses a pin in the mail or someone has a difference in opinion with the powers that be over at either site, said person is banned from being allowed there again. Period. There are many people that are good traders that have run into problems and been “BANISHED to pin trading oblivion”. In addition, no matter how many good references they have compiled over time, they are all deleted. Poof- gone. They tell you that if the person has very few references, and you are uncomfortable with the trade, you can ask a moderator to assist. The problem with this? There is a certain number of moderators and they can be clique like. It has caused a serious and unfortunate rift in the hobby, I am sad to say. Now do not get me wrong- I am certainly not saying that all of the Dizpins or PinPics people are bad. I am simply revealing that they are people too.

* Have the trade in writing, and confirm the trade by exchanging mailing addresses. Plan on mailing the pin within 24-48 hours of the agreement. If you are unable to mail the pin within 24-48 hours, notify the trader ahead of time. Now this is something I completely agree with! I am not trying to sound mean here, but there are some pin collectors that are, well, obsessive-compulsive to a fault. They will report you in a heartbeat if they do not see their pin ASAP! Do not take this lightly. I am SERIOUS!

* You will be told that each trader is responsible for their pin(s) until the package reaches the final destination. THIS IS A BIG RED FLAG! You must be careful, particularly if you are using the Trade Assistant at PinPics. They are essentially saying here that the Postal Service is never responsible for lost or stolen packages- you are. What will happen to you if something is lost or stolen? You will have a complaint filed against you and have to replace the pin you traded regardless of the cost, or you will be- you got it- BANISHED! Package the pin(s) with care and use foam, bubble or padded packaging to send. Do not use a common #10 business envelope. This is a big no-no. Any damaged pin is the responsibility of the sender, or else you risk replacing a pin and- yep- BANISHMENT!.

* They will tell you that if you are trading a hard to find pin, or a pin which is not replaceable, spend the extra money and use a tracking service like delivery or signature confirmation. You can also insure the item. For international traders, use a courier or send it by Global or Registered Mail. Now I have my own advice here, and trust me, I learned the hard way- ALWAYS use either signature confirmation or delivery confirmation. ALWAYS! It is not worth the hassle- or BANISHMENT- so spend the extra.

* They say to allow plenty of time for the package to be mailed, especially overseas trades. Now, to me this is a contradiction because they also say to mail the pin within 2 days (see above). Nuts, isn’t it? Seriously- mail the thing ASAP and use confirmation/tracking. Obsessions are scary.
* They tell you that communication is the key! Well, it is, and it is not. It depends on who you have traded with. If it is a case of OCD again, you are essentially going to be out of luck no matter what. No amount of emails will prevent these people from accusing you of the worst. If you trade with someone that is a good person with an ounce of understanding, it will be all right for the short term. If you will be on vacation or there's an unexpected illness in the family, be sure to turn the Trade Assistant off if you use it on PinPics. (If you do not know how to do this, email me and I will tell you!)

* PinPics says that if you are unsure about a trade, email a moderator who can be the neutral party, where both traders will send the package to the moderator. Once both packages are received, the moderator will forward the package. My advice? They are good about this, and I recommend it in cases of extreme necessity, but again- be wary. Moderators there are only human and some of them do believe the worst in people by nature.

* PinPics says it is a great place to meet people. They tell you that in most cases, the trades you make will be successful, if you take the time to communicate and verify before trading. Well, I have met some really nice people via email trades and I have met the exact opposite. I also have to comment here on the “most cases” they use in that statement. On average, about 40% of my trades were with some strange folks, I must say. The other 60% was fine.

More Questions:

Do you give yourself a pin budget for the year? If so, how much?
You had better determine how much you can spend and stick to it. This hobby really is addictive and the pins are not cheap. It adds up in a hurry! Be responsible!
It also depends on what you are willing to spend. Open Edition/regular pins are around $6.95 each up to $8.95.LE's can be $12.95 and up, and it all depends on the LE sizes. (For instance, an LE100 will be much more expensive than an LE1000!)

How much would I estimate I have spent on this hobby?
I can not begin to answer that one. A LOT. I love the pins and many of the people I have met over the years and it has been worth it for me except for the robbery that took place in the Summer of ’06 and cost me over $2500 in pins. That was a terrible time.

Do you buy pins on Ebay?
Yes, but again, let the buyer beware. I buy and sometimes sell on ebay. This is one of the reasons I began the auction thread on our forum, so that we can all look at and discuss auctions. Other boards are afraid of lawsuits, but we are a private members-only community.

How do you get a certain pin that you absolutely MUST have?
I suggest posting on our trade board what you are looking for.

Do you check Ebay everyday to see what new pin auctions have been added? Only if you are obsessed. I would suggest doing a search for your collection, such as “Maleficent pins” or “Dumbo pins”, not just “Disney pins”- you will spend half the day on ebay!

Do you check the Disneyshopping site and trading site to see what new pins are coming? Yes.

Do you purchase pins at your local Disney store in the mall? Yes, and these are usually the best for park trading, not online trading.

Do you wear your pins anywhere other than at Disney parks and resorts? I do not recommend it, although I have been known to wear one or two to important events for luck or otherwise.

Do you generally try to get all the pins in a series? What if you really only are drawn to one or two in the series? Get what you like!

How many pins are "out there"? PinPics lists about 20,000, I believe, but there are around 45,000.


Some pins are marked unauthorized. What does that mean?
Unauthorized pins are pins that have not been sanctioned or created by Disney or pins that have been illegally sold to individuals not as an agent of the Walt Disney Company. Do not buy FANTASY pins unless you are planning on keeping them. They are almost untradeable.

What is a bootleg pin?
A bootleg pin is one that is manufactured to look just like an authentic Disney pin, and it blatantly infringes on Disney copyrights and/or trademarks. It is made illegally and may bear a Disney copyright and other false information on the back (a backstamp). It will feature Disney characters and often it will feature Disney wording and fonts as well. Bootleg pins are illegal, but they show up on Disney Cast Member lanyards on Disney properties because it has become very difficult for Disney to keep up with the rate of bootleg production. Folks are making these bootlegs very quickly, and before Disney can react they are already in circulation. These pins are sold illegally via auction sites, but they are NOT permitted to be sold or traded on PinPics.
I noticed something about unauthorized versions on a pin.
Please be advised that there are unauthorized versions of these pins being sold from China directly to individuals not associated with Disney. No one can guarantee the authenticity of this pin unless it was purchased directly from Disney. What does this mean?

These pins are known as Scrappers. Scrappers are pins that were made in the factories in China over the allotment made by Disney. These pins create a lot o phobia in pin trading. Are they a Disney pin? Yes they are, but they are pins over and above the allotment "ordered" by Disney. So in essence, they could be called illegally made Disney Pins. Sometimes when the "second illegal run" of the pin is done, there are differences noted, but it can only be known comparing two pins side by side. These pins can also be classified as counterfeits.

Trading at the Parks

You may trade any Disney pin that has the Disney copyright on the back. You may also only trade with a Cast Member twice, so don’t bug them to death. The green lanyards are only for children under 12, so do not even ask about those, and please do not send a child just to get you a pin. That is somewhat considered to be in poor taste.

What is the deal with the cards?

Pin cards are the cards that the pins come on. Many collectors look at the pins and want them to be exactly as they were purchased, card and all. In some cases it does affect the value of the pin. Keep your cards! Some series, such as the “Hidden Disney” series come on specially decorated cards. This is important for trading.