Your Pre-Pin Memorable Thoughts

[Luv2Roam]

I started collecting pins last Fall. I get a kick when I think of my pre-pin collecting thoughts.
I recall seeing a photo of a pin meet. I remember thinking at that time, "Pin meet?" "Certainly they must be doing something other than looking at pins! Maybe it is just an excuse to get together. Why would you want to get together and look at pins?"
Who wudda thunk it.
What was everyone else's first thoughts on pin collecting/trading?

 

[Cherry]

Let's see, one of my pre-pin collecting thoughts when I saw the DS millennium pins was, "I can't believe Disney actually thinks people will pay $4 each for 101 pins." Then I found this board and started trading a little on our next trip, and I was totally hooked. It has added a whole new dimension to the Disney experience -- I love all the people we are able to meet and talk to because of pin trading.

Little did I know! Wish I could buy a pin for $4 now.

 

[Dom13]

I have always had a mild interest in pins. I had bought a few here and there over the years. (Really helped when I got started.) I would look at people collecting Hard Rock and some other types of pins and think "why?" I NEVER thought I'd be standing line at 4am for a pin. Even up 'til I went to bed the night of May 15, before the May Pin Event, I was questioning myself saying "it's only a PIN!" I finally said to myself "you're down here, get the whole experience". BOY WAS I GLAD I DID! What I didn't know was everything that went with it. Trading at 4am on the hood of Peggie's rental car using flashlights!!! All the trading in line waiting to get started!! All the people I'd meet and all the great trades I would make!!! I would not trade that experience for anything!

 

[shirley 38]

Hey Dom I remember you being there.

My first pin experience I cannot remember.

 

[Brise Nannie]

I remember thinking, "I can't go there! Not after all these beanies!"

 

[Humpbacks1962]

Hehehe.. Yep, Dom, sounds pretty psychotic to me...

I started collecting after I received the flex pins, and I recall wanting to get rid of two identical 2000 Millennium Dancers and not being able to find anyone who I could exchange them with! I suppose the thing was just starting to kick in, and after asking a cast member at the hotel's store to trade (she rejected the offer), I was too embarrassed to ask again. So I just dragged the pins back and eventually gave them away.

I always collected a pin or two from places I visited, but maybe someday I'll stand in line at 4:00 AM. As long as I keep my interest focused on AK and Lion King pins, I remain "mellowed"...

Wanda

 

[Dar20]

I remember when the Disney Stores came out with the pins, and I thought, "wow, another way for Disney to make tons of money." I never really had an interest in them, though.

Well, then we moved to Florida. Our first month here (October 2000), we went to WDW alot, and saw the pins everywhere and on lanyards. I kept saying I would NEVER EVER get involved in that, because it's just another way for Disney to suck my money. Well, we found out when the Halloween set was going to come out, and since my SIL is a collector of everything, hubby decided to go over there to get a set for her for Christmas. He got to WOD about 1/2 hour before it opened, and was shocked at the amount of people there. He came to my office later that morning to show me the pins, and told me he got two sets (since that was allowed.. we didn't know the rules at the time), one for SIL, and one for me, "just in case." Needless to say, that was it! Just look at us now... totally hooked. I will say that Mike aka Pinhook was a big help to us as far as rules and trading and general information. We went to a supertrader workshop not long after Halloween. He still is a big help.

Dar

 

[Lyricl22]

On the plane ride home in October of 99 I saw some people transfering pins from a lanyard (did not know that was what it was then) to a jacket. I had struggled during the trip trying to find out what to buy for a souvenier for myself (not really a t-shirt girl). So when I went in October of 00 I decided that will be what I buy started with just a couple then found out about trading and got addicted really quickly.

 

[Mandy aka Minnie]

I remember getting so annoyed when a bunch of pins would come up when I was browsing on auction sites! Now that's all I ever look at!! Pins, pins, pins!!!

 

[JudySue]

Ahhhh YES!

Years ago I discovered these pritty little affordable works of art. A nice quite hobby, a few people to trade with - very relaxing, very low key. They only cost $3.50 or so, and they were at Belz for .25 each - might as well pick up a handfull or two! Found Dean's Pin & Button Newsletter - I had company! Dean held auctions himself (were they fun! another story for another time). Then he switched to eBay, and I went there too. 9 pages of pins usually - up to 12 pages around holidays. Everyone knew everyone else, and everyone collected, traded and sold at very reasonable prices. There were some Very Special pins I wanted like the DL 30th Anniversary set (all 12) but those were just too expensive! The origional WDW Anniversary pins always got a lot of attention.

In September 1999 we got a sample of "pin trading" Disney style at the Disneyana Convention.

Nothing's been the same since! A lot of what's happened has been very positive (IM{ns}HO), some of it not ....but sometimes I find myself just remembering ......

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Judy didn't mention two things.

For at least 10 years now she has been wearing a pin hat (when at Disney). For years she would get an occasional trade. THEN Disney decided to make pins a "tradition" (but really a profit center).

One of the most changed things was at Disneyana 1 (1992) JudySue and some others were chased out of the Contemporary Lobby while they were doing pin trading because they "were disrupting traffic". How things have changed!1