[dadofthree]

Who pin trades on here? We found that it was an incredible way to pass the time while standing in line or waiting on FastPass time to come and the kids LOVED it.

Where have you found that were good places to trade that were out of the ordinary? I always felt bad when my kids would stop an employee while they were working, but they were ALWAYS so gracious...but would love to find some places not so busy for them trade.

[MissDisney]

Stopping those employees is a wonderful thing! They truly do not mind, and it is so great for th ekids to get involved like that. Anywhere there is a crowd is a good place... just steer clear of those professional pin collector wolves who stake out the tables by the Pin Traders shops at EC and DTD. I get so worried that they will take advantage of kids' inexperience and make trades that are not even!

[DisneyTeacher]

I'm not a good person to answer because we only trade with CMs. We try to find CMs who aren't too busy and have a chance to chat with us while my son trades. A lot of times we find the management type CMs have the most time to trade because they aren't as busy as other CMs.

[WDWmemories]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

... just steer clear of those professional pin collector wolves who stake out the tables by the Pin Traders shops at EC and DTD. I get so worried that they will take advantage of kids' inexperience and make trades that are not even!

I don't know much about pin trading.. Are some pins so much more valuable than others that people take advantage of others???

[dadofthree]

I can say..probaly yes. I was impressed with the CM (I guess that stands for cast members)...They never blinked an eye at a trade. They would trade a cool looking pin for one of cheap set pins in a heart beat.

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by WDWmemories

I don't know much about pin trading.. Are some pins so much more valuable than others that people take advantage of others???

Yes, some pins are limited edition pins and tend to have more value than a regular pin off the rack. Some pins are only issued to cast members so you could only get them by trading with a cast member making their value greater. And yes, there are people who are willing to take advantage of other people, even kids.

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by WDWmemories

I don't know much about pin trading.. Are some pins so much more valuable than others that people take advantage of others???

yes, definitely. I have seen one of those guys trade badly... it'wasn't a huge deal and he made sure that the kid came away "happy" -- but what he had done was trade a new plain pin, the kind that retails for less than $7, for a double-layered one with glitter, which retails for almost double the price.

That was a long time ago, and both were new pins. But where I get really nervous is the older really rare pins (like the Whimsical Giraffe) would be easy pickings for one of those guys... a kid would never stand a chance in such a deal.

You should see some of the prices on eBay -- a really rare pin can go for a LOT!

[timkelmom]

We let the kids trade with CM's only. It has always been a positive experience. We have permanent backs on the ones we have spent a lot on and are special to them so that they can not trade those. Otherwise, we let them trade freely and they usually make good choices.

[tinkerbelle24]

We pin trade all the time and love it. I try to stick with only CM's but I cant tell the kids no but I do tell them what they will not trade. I usually make them keep their special pins back in the room. This past trip I spent about $600 just on pins but that was for all 3 of us and we made 4 pin books out of them. I was addicted to the tins of alliens from TS. You get 4 in a can for $32 and need 10 in a set. I just need 2 more than I can stop

[lscjamouse]

We started trading this past trip and also love it. It passes time and every night the kids enjoy their new trades. We stayed at POR and lots of kids traded in the general store. They had a board and the CM says yes without even looking at the trade. There was lots of turnover on their board. The kids also enjoyed the times in the hotel lobby that were posted. Not so much for the trades but they enjoyed seeing the collections of the other kids at the resort.

[Dana]

The Cast members wear the pins TO trade..you are suppose to stop them and ask them. It's part of the fun. My DD and I always find the best pins on cast members in DTD's Marketplace. Its a gold mine for pins to complete series you are trying to finish.

[MrsBee]

Originally Posted by dadofthree

I can say..probaly yes. I was impressed with the CM (I guess that stands for cast members)...They never blinked an eye at a trade. They would trade a cool looking pin for one of cheap set pins in a heart beat.

The CMs are required to trade any pin with guests. I don't think they are allowed to say no.

[MrsBee]

I've purchased some pins in the parks and also on ebay. I've never traded though because I only buy ones I like. If I went to the parks more often, I'd probably be more likely to buy sets of pins to trade with people. I think it would be fun.

[A Goofy Family]

Our family has been trading pins since our 2nd trip in 2003. The kids absolutely loved it for several years, these days DD still looks more than DS (he tends to be a little more shy about asking people things but helps keep an eye out for what DH is looking for) DH is still totally hooked and never lets a CM lanyard pass without taking a glance! We buy pins off site whenever we come across a good deal or sale. We've always found pin trading a great way to talk to the CM's and the kids have really learned alot about different parts of the world/country from them.

[dhoughton]

There is an area in DTD where serious traders hang out and will trade with you....sadly some of them are not ..shall we say..'honest' when it comes to trading and I have seen (and therefore stopped) a couple of them from taking advantage of a kid....() for the most part I think it is fun to trade with the CMs as well as with other collectors in the parks. I believe there is a "code"...if you are wearing a lanyard=you are willing to trade...I have made some great trades just by asking someone if they would be willing to trade off their lanyard while I am waiting in a line.
Also, at the pin cart located in every resort there is a book to trade out of--just ask the CM who is running the cart where it is.....
Disney also has an event every year dedicated to pins it is usually in the fall....we went once and had a blast!
And if you want to keep on top of the worth of your pins, I suggest getting the Tomart Guide.
I am always available via PM to answer any questions you might have as well!
I have been collecting Disney pins for over 30 years and will do my best to help!