Pin trading question

[ms.ojo]

Has anyone been running into problems in the parks trading pins? We love to pin trade, but it seems many websites are talking about the flood of fake pins (or over runs of legitimate pins) so I'm concerned. We usually just look for the Disney logo, but that doesn't seem to be sufficient anymore. This really makes me mad. It's been such a fun hobby for our family over the years and we all enjoy the interaction w/ CMs as we trade, but I'd hate to think of us trading pins from yrs ago that we are no longer interested in, and coming home w/ lesser counterfit pins.

So....should we bother to bring our pins to trade this trip???

 

[linskypens]

If you are only trading with CM's you shouldn't have a problem, as they are only allowed to trade REAL pins.
We have yet to have a problem, and we trade 20 -30 every year

 

[ms.ojo]

Yes, we only trade w/ CMs.....but looking at pinpics, I see several of the pins we traded for last Oct from CMs are supposedly fakes! They have the logo, they look official, but b/c of slight differences, they are considered fake. My dh and I haven't told the children as 2 of these were pins that completed collections! it really made me mad.

 

[plutotek]

Yes, we only trade w/ CMs.....but looking at pinpics, I see several of the pins we traded for last Oct from CMs are supposedly fakes! They have the logo, they look official, but b/c of slight differences, they are considered fake. My dh and I haven't told the children as 2 of these were pins that completed collections! it really made me mad.

That's been my issue w/the people crying 'fake'. I have yet to find, or have anyone show me, any definitive method/information for identifying fakes. Until such time, I have to assume that the pins I have are legit, even if someone thinks this color is off, or that pin doesn't weigh enough.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

Been trading at the parks since 2000 and never had a problem. Just choose carefully from the lanyards.

 

[ms.ojo]

Thanks. It just really bugs me seeing all the talk about this. I'm concerned the trading won't be as prevelent or fun as previous trips. Has anyone been recently? Are you seeing all the same pins everywhere like these blogs say from a flood of fakes? I sure hope not. We love the hunt for pins that strike our fancy or fit into a collection.

 

[newdrama12]

I was in Animal Kingdom today and saw a bunch of CM lanyards that had pins that I have never seen before. definitely not the same pins everywhere.

 

[deerhart]

Disney just released a whole bunch of new cast lanyard hidden mickey pin sets

 

[ms.ojo]

Thank you!!! That's great to know (new releases and all the diff't pins on the lanyards in AK) I'm starting to breath a little easier and get excited again for the pin trading aspect of our upcomming trip.

 

[stargazertechie]

Really does it matter in the end if it is real or fake, as long as it has meaning to YOU? It's not like you're going to pay for little Johnny's ivy league education by selling off his pin collection. If it is something that you personally like, trade for it. Very rarely do collection investments pay off. Remember the beanie baby frenzy? I know I have a closet full of "worthless" bean critters that I treasurebecause of what they mean to me.

 

[Sara*s_Mommie]

If you are only trading with CM's you shouldn't have a problem, as they are only allowed to trade REAL pins.

I have to disagree with this comment 100%. I have never seen a CM scrutinize a pin for authenticy. I've gotten fakes from CM's and didn't know until I've compared it to the "real" one. I've also been at the CM trading in World of Disney. We all picked a card to know our trading order. The lady ahead of me wanted the pin I was going to trade. She had a baggy with pins - the one she offered me was total garbage. I said no thanks, but she was still able to use it for her trade with the CM.

I have 100's of pins. I only trade pins that I want - if I get a fake, I probably won't even know since it's only a hobby I partake in at Disney.

 

[LizEN]

I have never seen a CM scrutinize a pin for authenticy. I've gotten fakes from CM's and didn't know until I've compared it to the "real" one. .

Oh no! I always check our pins after trading with other guests but have never bothered when we trade with CMs. This is such a hard problem for me because, like the quoted poster, we only do this as a hobby when at the parks and unless it's a really awful copy, I doubt I could tell.

Any tips on spotting well-done fakes/scrappers? I read on the trading boards but am still not sure.

 

[webprinter]

I've gotten scrappers/fakes from CM before. It irritated me but there wasn't much I could do about it. I guess I just need to be better at spotting them. Unfortunately my vision is getting worse, (over 50 ).

 

[CandleontheWater]

Unfortunately CM are not trained in what pins are fakes and which are real. If it is of a Disney character and it has a Disney backstamp they will take it, and have it for lanyard trade with guests. Frankly the people who manufacture fakes are getting so good, it would be difficult for CM to stay on top of it anyway. I'm a pretty savvy pin trader, and I still get taken from time to time. The main culprit is hidden mickey pins, I try to avoid the collections that are known to have been copied and reproduced as fakes.

The other posters make a good point, if a pin is valuable to you, and you enjoy it what difference does it make whether it was made in a legit Disney sponsored factory in China, or as a counterfeit in a factory in China. If they are so similar that it takes a real connoisseur to tell the difference, and pin trading is solely a hobby for your family, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[mommyintn]

The other posters make a good point, if a pin is valuable to you, and you enjoy it what difference does it make whether it was made in a legit Disney sponsored factory in China, or as a counterfeit in a factory in China. If they are so similar that it takes a real connoisseur to tell the difference, and pin trading is solely a hobby for your family, I wouldn't sweat it.

This is our family. We love pin trading and did way more on this past trip (2 weeks ago) than ever before partly because the boys are older now. We had the best time and the boys had certain pins they wanted (the elusive club penguin puffle pins) which they found eventually. Great fun! Don't worry just go, trade and have fun!

 

[apostolic4life]

I am a collector of pins rather than a trader......what I mean is I buy pins that I like (either at WDW or on ebay). Trading is something I have done if I see something that catches my eye, but my wife and kids are the real "traders" in the family. Like so many have said, if the pin appeals to you, you should get it and be happy.......if you are hoping to cash in on a pin windfall you will probably be disappointed. I do not care if they are "fake", if it makes me happy, it goes into my pin bag with all the other little points of happiness I have collected over the years!!! Yes, I have been blessed with a few real gems, but my desire for one pin or another is not driven by the monetary value of the pin.....I like what I like and that's what should drive everyone in any form of collecting!!!

 

[Absolutely Disney]

I have yet to find, or have anyone show me, any definitive method/information for identifying fakes.

I'm hoping I can find some info on google, but if someone here has a way to find fake pins, please share.

 

[Absolutely Disney]

I try to avoid the collections that are known to have been copied and reproduced as fakes.

How do you know which have been reproduced?

 

[Absolutely Disney]

OP, I have been trading for about seven years and, as far as I know, I have never been ripped off. Bring your pins, and have fun with it.

 

[solfan68]

DS and I have a guy's trip planned for Marathon Weekend 2011. In the past he has done some pin trading. I thought this time around I'd buy a lot off of eBay as we have done in the past and split them. Might I get some fakes ? Maybe. Might I trade for some fakes ? Possibly. But as one who is hard core, I guess I'm more interested in the adventure and landing some pins that are cool to me.

For the record, I have purchased one pin that I have hanging in my cube(a Jessica Rabbit in a Star Trek sort of costume). That might well be a fake, too. But I think its awesome.