[kizzmitt]

My DD just started collecting pins last year so we are very new at this. I read that you can get cheap pins on ebay to trade at WDW. We only have a month before our trip, do you think this is enough time to try to get pins from ebay? I never did ebay before! Any tips?

[lawwin]

You can buy decent pins on ebay, but like anything on ebay watch out for the shipping and handling charges that people tack on. That is where they can really gouge you. It may look like it is really cheap in the beginning, but they can really get you on those S&h charges.

[Cavey]

Yes, it's enough time. Some tips:

1. Pins at WDW are $6.95. Anything you buy for trading should be cheaper than this, with SHIPPING costs included.
2. Watch sellers' shipping costs. Some of them use shipping to make a profit.
3. A "good" deal should total less than $4 with shipping.
4. A "great" deal should total less than $2.50 with shipping.
5. Pin sets are usually a better deal than buying individual pins (It may SEEM like a lot of $$, but the individual buys add up fast.
6. I just heard today to avoid the 2000 pins (i.e., pins celebrating the millineum). CM's are wearing these on their lanyards, making them hard to trade.

[queensmama]

Time wise, buy from with in the US. This will get you your pins the fastest, I agree with Caver, buy in a lot of pins instead of just a single pin. Good luck, have fun and happy bidding.
Oh watch out for Sedsema pins, I learned the hard way.

[kizzmitt]

Thank you caver jeffery-you have been very helpful.

lawin- thanks for the tip about shipping.

well off to ebay!

[karliebug]

be careful not to buy sedesma pins, they are not tradeable with CM's in the parks.

[kizzmitt]

I just looked on ebay and saw lanyard pins and cast member pins. I'm guessing that lanyard pins are the ones that come in the starter sets but what are cast member pins? I think I should of started this search earlier!

[lawwin]

Cast member pins are pins that are given exclusively to cast members. They are usually harder to find. But, you have to be careful to watch for over-inflated prices on cm pins. You can usually trade in the parks for cm only pins on cm lanyards. cms will trade with any child. They are not allowed to tell a child no unless it is not a disney pin.

My DD is a character or theme trader. She finds cheap pins that she doesn't want and trades for the ones in her theme or character that she does want. She likes tink and chip and Dale. Chip and Dale are not really easy to find. She also likes the movie theatre poster set that is a cm set and the black and white set, but she is picky about these (she does not like all of them only certain ones.)

[MagicalMoments]

Originally Posted by karliebug

be careful not to buy sedesma pins, they are not tradeable with CM's in the parks.

You really have to watch for these sedesma pins. CMs are wearing them. My DD traded pins on our trip and ended up with quite a few sedesma. Once I read the back and showed her they were sedesma, she traded it away very quickly. They are all over!
Trading was hard at times during spring break. So many CMs had all of the common pins on their lanyard. Of course everyone was buying lanyards and getting rid of the pins on it so, the CMs had all of those common pins!!
I hope I am explaining this right but there is a new pin store at MK, over by the Country Jamboree. I think it was the candy store. (Please someone correct me if I have the wrong location.) IT is now full of pins. The CMs there told us their lanyards are usually full of lanyard pins in the early morning but people race around and trade for those pins early each day so they are gone quick.

[kizzmitt]

Thanks Magicalmoments, I'll have to try to remember to do the pin trading in the morning.

[OffKilterFan]

Pins on e-bay are a hot or cold type of thing. I've bought a set of pins before that I later found out were not tradable...fun stuff...but I recently bought 9 pins for 23 dollars shipped, so I was a happy camper! They were all wonderful pins, and I can't wait to trade them!

Your trip is coming up kizzmit! Better hit e-bay ;)

[dhoughton]

When down visiting the Mouse--pick up a copy of the pin book Disneyana--it is very helpful for all us pin collectors because it gives you pictures and the approx value of the Disney pins! Happy Collecting!

[mkstlowe]

Wow this is great info. I will check out ebay.

[Viajero]

We were at WDW 2 weeks ago and a CM turned us on to pin trading. So, I've been in eBay quite a bit lately to see what's available and prices. I've been doing a fair amount of buying and the sellers are pretty prompt with shipping. So if you have a month to go you shouldn't have too much trouble acquiring pins if you get started right away.

Caver's right, if you're looking for traders get 'em CHEAP, or it won't be worthwhile. Stay away from Sedesma, regardless of what anyone tells you about them being "just fine". Traders don't want them. A good place to get pins, better than eBay IMHO, is through the board postings on DizPins.com. Follow the link from the home page, look at the postings and you'll see all sorts of folks selling for $3.00 a pin.

A couple more points. Pin trading should be fun and a nice way to chat with people. Some folks are just pin-crazy and can get rude. There is pin trading etiquette, and you can check that out at OfficialPinTrading.com. In our case, it's a good way for me to teach the kiddos about meeting people and using good manners.

Pins are available everywhere in WDW, with large stores at MGM (under the Sorcerer's Hat) and the biggest one in the Marketplace at Downtown Disney. If you're looking for certain things, you really have to check out every place that has pins, because you do run into pins that are not available in other locations. Also, CMs often have surprise pins (and of course, CM-unique pins). Once in a while some guest trades something really good to a CM, and then they have to trade it to anyone who asks. Cool!

You will find CMs who are really into this, and sometimes they will approach the kids and ask them if they'd like to trade. And only kids can trade with CMs with green lanyards. So, get 'em a bunch of traders and have some fun!