Disney Pin Trading Tips
Disney Pin Trading is a popular hobby for Walt Disney World guests wanting unique souvenirs. This post offers money-saving tips & tricks for getting into trading, so you or your kids can get your feet wet, so to speak, without breaking the bank.
If you’re only looking for the cheapest place to buy Disney pins, look here. Currently, you can purchase Disney pins for trading from third parties for less than $1 per pin. If you want other tips for Disney Pin Trading and what you should know about buying from third parties, we’ll have those further down in the post. Before we get to that, we’ll offer a bit of background on Disney Pin Trading.
Disney Pin Trading began during the Millennium Celebration. Since then, Disney Pins have become easily the most popular merchandise and collectibles in all of Walt Disney World (and beyond–pin trading is also now popular at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, etc.) with the possible exception of Vinylmations, which are now rising in popularity.
While some fervent Disney fans scorn Pin Trading (presumably because they oppose good, clean fun), there is no doubt that Pin Trading has been embraced wholeheartedly by the general public and by legions of Disney collectors.
Let’s take a look at what you can do to maximize your Disney pin trading enjoyment!
Where to Buy Disney Pins
One downside to Pin Trading is that it can be very expensive, as individual pin prices start at $8.99 and only go up from there! When we first started Disney Pin Trading, it was relatively inexpensive. It can be super expensive if you are serious about collecting. Lucky, it doesn’t need to cost so much.
If you do your homework, you can buy your pins for trading before you ever leave home and save a ton of money! There are sellers on both eBay and Amazon that offer pins in bulk for about $1 per pin. When comparing this to the starter sets at Walt Disney World, you’re saving about $8 per pin, which quickly adds up when you buy 25 pins at home versus buying at the Main Street Emporium or World of Disney.
One prominent seller on Amazon has a solid reputation and sells a great lot of 25 pins that we recommend. Here’s another option if that is sold out. Both sellers are incredibly highly rated, and those packs are great for getting started in trading.
While it’s not as good of a deal, there’s also this seller on eBay who has 99.8% positive feedback, and allows you to choose your own lot size for ~$1 per pin. These probably aren’t pins you’ll want to keep for your collection, but they’re a perfect starter set for trading.
If you buy from other sellers, keep in mind that the pins you buy might be “scrappers,” which are legitimate pins for trading, but are like factory seconds or production overruns. All Disney Cast Members will accept them for trades, but they probably are not pins you would want to keep in your collection if you become a serious collector.
Scrappers are controversial with hardcore Disney Pin Trading fans, but Disney itself is selling these to third parties and/or using factories in China that are known for producing overruns. Moreover, Disney allows Cast Members to trade scrappers. Given both of these facts, Walt Disney World’s official stance on these pins is quite clear.
If Disney wanted to put an end to scrappers, they could easily do so by producing the pins elsewhere or instituting different pin trading policies. Disney has made a business decision to do neither, likely because moving production would cost more money and policy changes in pin trading would be bad for business goodwill.
In any case, the practical reality is that the vast majority of pins on Cast Member lanyards (I’d estimate it’s over 90%) are scrappers. If you or your kids are trading pins with Cast Members, you’re going to get scrappers in return. That’s just a fact of pin trading.
As such, we highly recommend going the eBay or Amazon route. The cheap cost as compared to buying directly from Disney is too much to overlook when you’re first getting started and are only interested in Disney Pin Trading as a casual hobby or way to have extra fun on your Walt Disney World vacation.
For less than $25, you can give your kids 25 pins to trade during the trip–these same 25 pins would cost a total of $240.48 if purchased while at Walt Disney World–so you are saving a ton of money on souvenirs. Not only that, but as far as souvenirs go, pins are great. You or your kids can enjoy them as they interact with Cast Members while having fun trading throughout the vacation. Sure beats spending $30 on a single t-shirt that they’ll wear a couple of times and outgrow!
Disney Pin Trading Tips
Pin Trading is relatively simple in practice: guests interested in the hobby and most Cast Members wear lanyards with pins attached to them. While Disney itself allows Pin Trading between guests, this is actually quite uncommon in practice. About the only time it will actually occur is if you happen upon one of the Pin Trading tables outside of the Downtown Disney or Epcot Pin Trading shops.
Be warned, as some of these individuals are “professional” pin traders who are selling their pins without calling the transaction as much (since Disney prohibits the exchange of money in Pin Trading). Instead, they circumvent the “no cash” rule by sending eager traders inside the Pin Trading Central store to purchase specific items that they will then accept in trade.
From a value perspective, you are always going to save so much more money by purchasing pins in lots on Amazon before your vacation (more on this below), so we don’t even recommend approaching these “professional” pin traders. Beyond that, we think they sort of take the fun out of it. Pin trading is great if it’s with Cast Members or even other fans who are casual about it, but these pros take a no nonsense approach that’s off-putting for pin trading newbies.
It’s unfortunate that a few bad apples give the hobby a bad name, and by no means is every guest who may ask you about trading in Walt Disney World doing it with negative intentions. Although you might want to think twice about trades with guests with binders full of pins, most guests who might ask you about trading have no such ill motives. While we recommend trading primarily with Cast Members, trades with other guests can be fun and a great way to interact with your fellow guests–most of whom share a common interest in Disney!
That said, the more common Pin Trading route is definitely guests trading with Cast Members. Cast Members who trade can be identified by their pin-filled lanyards. If a Cast Member has a green lanyard, they will only trade with kids. All other lanyards are fair game for all guests. Since only kids can trade with green lanyard-wearing Cast Members, these Cast Members usually have much better pins (since fewer people are picking them over).
Another way to get the best pins is to trade early. Look for Cast Members with Lanyards early in the morning as they have “fresh” pins. These pins get picked over during the course of the day (they are often replenished at shift changes), so your best bet is to trade early or hope to get lucky later in the day.
Cast Members are trading pins provided to them by Disney and they will accept whatever trades are offered to them regardless of whether it’s “fair” from the perspective of value.
Common Types of Disney Pins
One of the fun aspects of Pin Trading is that there are so many pins (if you’re a completionist, this can be a drawback). This means that you can go for certain categories of pins (my favorite are pins with the Epcot character “Figment” on them), and there will be plenty of different pins within that category for you to collect. Some fun options include:
- Hidden Mickeys (These are semi-common pins with small mickey heads hidden on them that are available in a series that are unique because they’re not available for sale in stores, and can only be found on Cast Member lanyards)
- Characters (Choose your favorite character and trade for as many pins containing that character as you can)
- Series (These are groups of ~4-8 pins that have a similar theme but are substantively different)
- Retro Disney (Pins featuring Disney attractions, characters, and films from years past)
These are just the basic common categories. There are tons of specific series, including ones that are only available to Annual Passholders, Disney Visa Cardholders, and LE Pins for special events. There are even pins made specifically for special pin trading events! The number of Disney pins available is quite mindboggling!
Using Disney Pins?
If you’re collecting Disney Pins, you probably know what you want to do with them. You have cases or some method of displaying them. Of course, if you already collect pins, you probably don’t need an article like this introducing the hobby of pin trading to you. However, if you’re a novice or a parent who is contemplating buying some pins for a souvenir, you might wonder just what you can do with Disney pins. Unlike shirts, hats, or other souvenirs you can wear, although you can wear pins around on a lanyard or hat, most people don’t actually wear lanyards full of pins in the real world. So pins might seem to have less practical purpose than other souvenirs you can buy at Walt Disney World.
However, we’ve found a great use for Disney pins, and that’s pin boards. Move over, Pinterest, because these are real life pin boards that you can hang up around the house. The boards can serve a practical purpose (such as posting notes or messages) or can be purely for novelty or fun. Pins are great for dressing up these boards, and are a great way to display them. All you need are pins and a cheap tack board. We use our pin board for fun, pinning Disney countdown calendars, old park tickets, and other paper goods we’ve collected from the parks. It’s a great reminder of your Disney trip and great way to look forward to the next one!
There are lots of potential unorthodox uses for pins besides just storing them in boxes or cases, so get creative and find an actual use for the pins!
Our Disney Pin Trading Story
We were once avid pin traders. Pin trading allowed us to interact with more Cast Members than we ever did prior to trading, we’ve had more fun hunting pins than Hidden Mickeys on attractions, and it even got us selected as the “family” of the day in the Jammin’ Jungle Parade! Moreover, I have found that pin designs are by far the most unique merchandise in all of WDW (extinct attractions, attraction anniversaries, rare characters, you name it). If you do it right, it’s an incredibly cheap hobby, and it provides you with cheap souvenirs, especially in comparison to those costly and large Big Figs I had been collecting.
The size of the pins is a big deal for us. We love to collect things, but if we continued to accumulate large items at our pre-Pin Trading pace, we would have needed to invest in a large warehouse to store everything. I have boxes upon boxes (we have storage rooms reminiscent of Citizen Kane or Raiders of the Lost Ark) bursting with Disney items that are just waiting to be unleashed, upon our future home. In this regard, especially, pin trading has been a good hobby, as our entire collection can be condensed into just a shoe box!
That said, we haven’t become nearly as addicted to Disney Pin Trading as many others have; it can become just as expensive and space-consuming as collecting other Disney pieces, as Disney churns out tons of pins on a monthly basis all with varying price points, designs and edition sizes to satiate all of those interested in Pin Trading.
We pretty much stopped buying new pins once we had enough to fill our pin board, as we didn’t want to pins in boxes and not look at them for years. Disney Pin Trading has become so popular that Disney holds special conventions dedicated to Pin Trading each year, and even a few websites devoted to following the Disney Pins exist.
While you certainly don’t have to become so invested in the hobby that you have thousands of pins, sometimes it’s difficult to resist. I’ve heard of many unassuming Disney fans getting hooked and spending substantial amounts of money on the hobby. So, be warned. But if it’s something you end up enjoying a lot and it isn’t really “dangerous,” do you really need a “warning”?
Overall, if you commit to only buying a limited number of pins via Amazon or eBay prior to the trip, and stick to that plan, you can have fun without getting hooked. You’ll also spend a lot less money on souvenirs and it will enhance your Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation as pin trading is almost like an interactive game! For other Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Disney Pin Trading? Are you a fan of it or not? If so, which pins are your favorites? What are your Pin Trading tips? Do you buy the lots on Amazon or eBay for you or your kids to trade on vacation? Let us know your thoughts or questions in the comments!
SAFE?
Hello! My 6 year old child is keen to start Disney pin collecting, after a holiday to Disney! How safe are they, do you feel? I know a certain amount of commonsense is needed. I just wondered if there are any safety precautions Disney use, besides ‘only suitable for ages 3+’
Grateful for your help!
Love this so much. My husband and I went back to Disney for the first time since childhood last year. He loved pin trading and I was thankful I picked up some pins on etsy for cheap because we had sticker shock from the ones at the park. We did witness one of the Epcot traders asking someone to go buy her something in exchange for a pin, which was wild. We will stick to trading with cast members. Question: we liked to wear pins on a lanyard but we have magic bands- so a park ticket on the lanyard isn’t necessary. What do you hang off of the end of your lanyard so its less awkward?
I lost a magic band once, and happened to comment to the cast member at the hotel front desk that I really missed wearing my lanyard, as it bb was not as difficult to lose! She told me that they had an item in the gift shop that hangs from the end of your lanyard that holds the oval part of the magic band, and it is shaped like Mickey! I purchased that and have used that instead of the band ever since!
I enjoyed this article very much. There are many sides to every story and the same goes for pin collecting and trading.
I have been a “collector” over a “trader” and have purchased pins in the parks, from store or brand collaborations and most definitely eBay. I have been asked to trade in the parks, but decline. Not because I am worried about the value of my pin collection, or the value and/or quality of theirs, but because I am just a collector.
I have 12 different lanyards of different “themes” that I wear on each visit. On these lanyards are specific pins I chose for that theme. Like in a previous comment, I choose pins based on what appeals to me or suits my needs. And I have fun with that. And the person next to me may be a “professional”, but is it my place or theirs to critique or look down upon what we perceive as our goal or joy of pin collecting/trading? No.
Everyone has the freedom to enjoy what they enjoy in it and gaining knowledge about the subject and adhering to your own rules for yourself is all you can do. Don’t disparage others for what they enjoy. I mean… it is supposed to be fun, right?
If Disney wanted to fix the problem of scrapper (fake) pins in the park it would be easy to do so.
One: Any Disney pins that have been rejected for quality be destroyed. Also any manufactures that reject these pins need to be held accountable that all pins that are rejected are destroyed on location where they were made and not taken outside the manufacturing plants, or sold to third party vendors
Second: Make sure that all Disney pins have an identifier that cannot be copied and is easily identified as genuine. Also have cast members trained in how to detect fakes.
This way when cast members receive scrapper (fake) pins, they can simply remove them from circulation and have them destroyed.
Third: Have two types of pin styles, trading pins and collecting pins. Trading pins would be cheap and in large quantities. They would be produced with equal amounts made with no special or hard to find items. Then collecting pins would be the limited release, special, hard to find type that would be available for ten bucks and up, for adults to collect and trade to their liking.
The problem with this is the amount of time and money it would cost to have this policed considering the large amount of pins that are made each year and the time and money it would cost to train everyone in order to make sure that every pin is genuine. In the end I can see why Disney does not try to stop scrappers from being traded in the parks. Kids don’t care about the quality as much as they just want to trade for pins they like. Money doesn’t matter to them. So it’s your responsibility to know the difference if you care about having genuine pins. Also knowing that most traded pins in the parks are scrappers and trade appropriately, When you trade with cast members expect them to be scrappers. If you are considering buying an expensive pin, buy directly from the pin stores or Disney stores, and if you are buying from a private seller know the difference before your buy it.
Finally, just enjoy the fun of collecting and trading pins. Set your own personal boundaries when it comes to trading. Make it your responsibility to know the difference between genuine and fakes and what you are willing to trade.
Thanks for the tip on the green lanyards! My entire family trades – kids did it for the first few years and then Mom & Dad joined in. We went to Shanghai Disneyland last year and there were some cast members trading – not as many as we had hoped but there was some. We did however have other guests coming up and asking to trade with us. We went to Disneyland Paris a couple of months ago and while a good number of cast members had the lanyards, they were not exactly discreet about their dislike of some of the trades or that we took a pin that they liked. No one ever said no though. WDW is definitely the best spot for trading. We also get our pins before we go & just try to trade for something that we like better. It’s a lot of fun!
Do you have to use “Disney” lanyards for this or can you just buy a cheaper lanyard on amazon or somewhere?
You can use any lanyard. It doesn’t have to be Disney.
I consider myself an Experienced Trader, but over time, more of a Pin Collector, who has been in the hobby for nearly two decades. I have traded with countless honest and fair traders over the years, both in person and online. I’ve seen our hobby start out with small number of weekly releases at the Disney stores. Waited in lines for pins to be released at the Parks. Traded pins at two tables inside the World of Disney store at DTD. Attended the grueling, summer heat and crowds at the opening of Pin Traders at DTD (now Disney Springs). Participated in pin trading events (both free and with admission). Personally hosted pin trading events at a local mall. Met hundreds of wonderful traders and even encountered a handful of Pin Sharks. I’ve witnessed our little hobby boom into a HUGE business and cash cow for Disney. Birth of Pin Sharks who gave our hobby its first “black eye”. Soon followed by unethical counterfeiters and scrappers from across the globe.
Here is my breakdown of the various kind of pin traders over time.
There are all kinds of Pin Traders, each as different as there are pins. There is the Newby or Novice who just discovered the wide world of pins and pin trading. Eyes wide open in awe of all the shiney, colorful pins. Then there is the Amateur. A new trader, with a few pins and maybe a pin bag or binder, eager to make their first trade. Next we have the Experienced trader. This traders has been in the hobby for some time, has amassed an impressive collection of keeper and traders and keeps up with pin wants to trades ratios and values. The Professional trader, much like the experienced trader, has a breath-taking amount of pins, knows cost and resale/trade values and wants/trades ratios of each pin. Most are willing to make a trade that is fair to both them and the fellow trader. Then there is the Shark. The Shark, is also a professional, however with a totally different agenda. They to possess a vast knowledge of pin cost/values, wants/trades ratios and have along with huge bevy of pins. The Shark is typically not a collector, they are pin flippers who prey on the younger or less experienced traders. They typically will propose a trade that is heavily “lop-sided” in their favor. To the Shark, pins are a money maker. A commodity.
I will always be a lifetime Disney fan and enthusiast. I still make a point to stop at all the pin trading stands and stores at WDW at each visit. Look for pins at the Disney Character Outlet. I am a member to several online pin forums, but just don’t buy or trade as often as I did in the past.
Hey I’m new to pin trading and want to know if I made a good trade. How do I know if my pin is rare? Thanks for all the tips!
PLEASE DO NOT BUY FAKE PINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The real “bad apples” that make pin trading not fun is the people who knowingly bring fake pins to the park to trade them in for real pins. (And even more so, blogs who encourage this…)
TRADING YOUR FAKE PIN FOR AN AUTHENTIC PIN IS STEALING!
Yes, it’s true that many cast members have fake pins on their lanyard, and if you trade with them you can get a fake pin. That stinks. But you can buy AUTHENTIC pins for very cheap and still have a great time trading instead of intentionally and maliciously being a part of the problem.
THINGS YOU CAN DO:
JOIN A PIN TRADING FACEBOOK GROUP! Ask where to buy cheap pins. There are known and reputable sellers who sell authentic pins in bulk for very cheap. Not much more than amazon. You can do this and end up having a good and cheap time without spoiling the hobby for everyone else.
TRADE FOR NEW HIDDEN MICKEYS! The newest hidden mickeys are abundant on cast lanyards and haven’t been faked yet. So look for these sets and trade for those! Then you know you’re getting an authentic pin for your authentic pin and you don’t have to be worried.
JUST HAVE FUN! I am a collector, but my mother is not. We went to Disney last year and she just wanted to have fun trading for the sake of it. I bought her 15 AUTHENTIC pins for $30 (including shipping) and told her to go crazy! She had the BEST TIME chatting with the cast members and picking out stuff she liked. At the end she had a lanyard full of fake pins. But who cares? She had more than $30 worth of fun – that’s for sure. She gave me the lanyard back with all of her fun and fake trades and I’m going to take the fake pins out of circulation and use them to make a picture frame and frame a memory from our trip!
Where did you buy your moms pack? I am going to Disney for the first time and trading sounds so fun.
Sorry while I love most of your posts this one irks me, you are obviously not a pin trader and it’s irresponsible posts like this that ruin pin trading. The links to pin sellers on amazon are for people selling scrapers. If anyone wants to cheat the system by buying scrappers, fakes and other low quality pins (and that’s what they are if you spend a dollar a pin) to circumvent the system because you are cheap, cast members have to trade and this blog post says it’s ok just remember it’s kids like mine with special needs that you are taking advantage of, not Disney. When my kid trades at the pins boards as an activity that allows him self confidence in interacting with other people it is frustrating when he gets cheap knockoffs because of cheapskates like the blog post author who obviously doesn’t now what they are talking about when it comes to this activity. Shame on the blog post author and shame on those that take the advice.
Way to go pulling out the special needs card
Calm down! There are people with authentic pins that just don’t want specific ones and decide to sell them, they are the same damn pins purchased or traded from Disney not scrappers.
Does the authenticity, or lack thereof, of a pin change the benefit to your child regarding his confidence? For my child, it absolutely did not. He was still able to go outside of his comfort zone, interact with people, and have a marvelous time! Plus, he ended up with a pretty new thing that was special to him. He didn’t care if it was or was not fake (in fact, he didn’t know which were “fake” and which were “real”). All he knew was that he had a pin of a favorite character. End of story. I would never try to convince my child to trade his favorite pin (scrapper or not) for a “genuine” pin because of its financial value if it wasn’t a pin that he wanted. (Here, Johnny. Trade that junky old fake pin for this one of a kind, million dollar pin! Yes, I know the junky one is your very favorite, but it’s only worth $1!!!) It’s sad how adults can take the fun out of a simple activity by placing a monetary value on an item and use labels like “authentic”, “collector’s item”, or “limited edition” to turn something joyful into an all-out war. Parents of children with disabilities understand that it’s the little things, the little moments in life that are most important. As an adult, I don’t even care if a pin is “authentic” or “limited edition” or whatever! If I find one that is pretty to me, I keep it! I figure that some people trade for joy and others trade for future investments or pride of collection. Both are absolutely acceptable, and I wouldn’t be so opinionated as to criticize either side. The serious traders know how to tell the difference between the two different types of pins and prefer what they call “authentic” pins. Those of us who don’t have a preference are simply collecting pins that we like, not for the investment, for future resale value, or to say “I HAVE A GENUINE PIN!” Our family has both. We keep the ones we like and trade – or simply GIVE AWAY – others. I’ve given away both scrappers and genuine pins, and ya know what? The smiles on the faces of the recipients was the same for both. That’s all that matters to me.
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a
doubt donate to this excellent blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
Some of your so called “tips” are terrible! Disney does not want to accept scrapper pins though trade they just allow it since they cant 100% guarantee that they are real and they do this to avoid issues with guests, DO NOT BUY fake pins off of eBay and Amazon for $1 a pin. YOU ARE GETTING FAKES, SCRAPPERS and COUNTERFEITS 99% of the time.
Also, I am, what you call, a “Professional trader” I trade over 100-300 pins per day to kids, collectors, fans and other guests. Its downright awful that you say to avoid us. I carry 2 books with over 1000 pins with me. Some of the best trades come from me trading with other guests. Yes, there are bad people who try to get you to buy LE’s from the store but that is a VERY SMALL percentage of us. If you avoid trading with “professionals” then you will slowly watch the hobby die. We are the ones keeping this hobby alive and we LOVE to trade with kids, I know I do! Most of the pins on Disney cast members lanyards are fakes and scrappers.
I also end up giving pins away for free to kids who are just getting started. We “professionals” love this hobby and will do anything to keep it alive and well. Don’t disregard us, trade with us!
Best trade I ever made for pins was with a professional!! I got an extra pin from him for free!! Nice pins, too, that have a place of honor on my board at home!!
I plan to come to Disney California later this week. I went to Disneyland earlier and heard the Toy Story Pin Sets are selling out fast. Any tips to finding these popular sets?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I am sorry I never met you. All the “professionals” I have ever met have asked me to buy a very expensive limited edition pin to trade for one I wanted. Perhaps instead of going after the scrapper people, start a movement to get rid of the “bad apples” in the “professional” group.
Tom, I have no problem with any of the advice you give. And to all the people who disagree with you, it is okay to have a different opinion. But some people get down-right nasty, and that is not okay.
Any tips on where to buy bulk pins (inexpensive) in Canada?
I recently got into pin trading. I’m a huge Disney fan and wanted to try it. I decided to buy a lot on ebay, even though every one said they were fakes. I have been doing my research and checking all the pins for signs that they are fakes. So far all of them check. If they were fakes or scrappers they are REALLY good ones. I’ve looked and looked for signs that they aren’t genuine, but they seem to fit all the requirements. I agree that lots of fake pins are probably on ebay, but not all sellers are fake or scrappers. I also agree that kids do care if there pins are real. I sure do!
Hey there 🙂
I’d love to get started… Do you recall from which eBay seller you purchased your pins? I’ve been scouting around, but not sure which sellers to trust. Any info you could give me would be much appreciated! Regardless, thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you!
I am in a wheelchair and my Disney entertainment is to pin trade. Since cast member pins had the same pins over and over, I finally started trading with people. I love it. I have books with new and old pins of all levels. I have pins dating back 15 years or more and love to make someones day as they find a hard to find character. If someone is trying to trade a scrapper, I send them to the scrapper page (of pins people traded to me). I always explain that my book could (and usually does) include scrapper that I receive during the trip. I don’t let someone take a scrapper knowingly for one of their good pins. I also have a section of horrid scrapper pins with missing paint or wrong colors or sharp edges to educate people what to watch out for.
It makes me sad you said to avoid pintraders. There are some bad apples, but some of us are pretty darn nice.