Would like to start collecting pins need advice - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Well I would say pick a theme. I have a lot of Cinderella because she is my favorite. Also I made a point to get a pin from every hotel I have stayed at.
Mostly just go with what you like! And set yourself a limit. It is easy to spend a lot on them.
I agree with go what you like and setting a limit. But it is great fun! I got my Fiance a lanyard and some pins for his first trip and he thought it was a little silly at first now he really likes it!
Thanks! Excited to get started! Gosh , it will be hard to pick a favorite, but I can see where it would be extremely helpful. I love Alice and Wonderland where my daughter likes Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Tinkerbell & Fairies
We started collecting pins back on our first family visit to WDW back in '01 and haven't stopped yet. They can be very addicting.
Have you considered pin trading? There are several sellers on Ebay that offer "lots" of pins that you can buy in 10, 25, 50 or 100. Most lots we have bought worked out to be about $2.25 a pin, so it is a great way to get started and not break the bank. Get your kids a lanyard and let them trade with the CMs. Pin trading is one of our DD's favorite things to do at WDW and she has an eye for the good ones. Of course, when she picks out a pin, she has no idea it is a limited edition or a CM hidden Mickey pin.
At the end of our trips, we take the pins we want to keep off the lanyard to add to our collection and order another lot for the next trip to trade. The fun thing about trading with the CMs is that many of them will have CM only issued pins. These are ones you can't buy, so they are always fun to look for.
The only problem we have with ordering lots off of Ebay is that every time we do, DH finds a bunch he wants to keep for our collection and not give them to DD to trade. Several times we have had to order more so she had enough to trade!
Like I said, it is addictive!
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Last edited by home4us123; 02-22-2011 at 05:59 AM..
Reason: fp534
we started collecting pins on our first trip with our son-he was 2. We always get the year pin and then we each pick one or two that we like. our son is almost 8(we also have a 5 year old daughter) and it is cool to look back and see what characters they have liked over the years. We never trade pins because they are memories to us.
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[QUOTE=Nala;3574455]Have you considered pin trading? There are several sellers on Ebay that offer "lots" of pins that you can buy in 10, 25, 50 or 100. Most lots we have bought worked out to be about $2.25 a pin, so it is a great way to get started and not break the bank. At the end of our trips, we take the pins we want to keep off the lanyard to add to our collection and order another lot for the next trip to trade. The fun thing about trading with the CMs is that many of them will have CM only issued pins. These are ones you can't buy, so they are always fun to look for.
[QUOTE]
What a wonderful idea. My Mom has been collecting since her first trip with us in 2000. She never trades b/c all her pins are special, but she thinks trading would be fun to get super unusual pieces. Thanks!
Also, I think DH wants to start collecting. It is so much fun picking out pins to bring back for Mom. He thinks it is "too late" to start. We've been visiting WDW since 1997. I don't think it is too late. I just know us and we will have a mammoth collection after the first trip we decide to start collection. Especially now that we can get the DVC pins as well as the D23 pins. LOL
(At least pins will be less expensive and easier to transport than my snowglobe addiction.)
Watch out because it is TOTALLY addictive! I would suggest starting with a pin lot from a reputable seller on ebay. You'll find ones you'll want to keep and ones you'll want to trade. Then, as you keep trading, you'll notice series you'll want to look for. It's one of those things that once you get started you'll figure it out and have your own interests in terms of which pins you want to search for.
I always go to ebay and buy trading pins...I used try to buy alot from same person to save on shipping. This way my son can trade them and I know I did not spend alot of money for them...we just got back Saturday and he traded for some great new pins!!
I hear you can get great deals on pins on eBay - and thinking about the amount of $$ I spent on pins last trip - it might be something I should look into
I've just started and am keeping my collection only to DVC pins with the year on them. I am so afraid of expanding beyond that because I know it would get real expensive real fast (Whenever I start a hobby I have a tendency to go all out ). Depending on how you dive into a hobby I would suggest start with something you like as people here suggested, maybe a character or year pins, etc. Just be careful because I think the pins are coated with an addictive substance that will make you want more and more
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I have never tried Ebay, but a cousin of mine was a manager at a Disney store at a nearby mall. For DD and My first trip, he bought some pins for us at the store and said that the pins were supposed to be a hot commodity at WDW; and these were cheaper but would be traded for larger pins. These pins were not like the other pins tho....they were smaller, about the size of an average fingernail. When DD and I began trading them at WDW, the CMs were suprised at the pins because they had never seen them before, but they were stamped as official trading pins. Keep an eye out, they cost something like $3 for 6 pins.
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Just be careful because I think the pins are coated with an addictive substance that will make you want more and more
I am pretty sure they put that addictive substance on EVERYTHING in Disney! At least if nothing else then certainly on those Mickey bars! Boy I could go for one now.
I agree with Jack and Jenna's mom. We buy but don't trade - they are our memories from each trip. We always get a year pin (that's mine!) and a resort pin. Then I let my daughter pick out a few more, usually a character or a ride pin she likes. We will also get an exclusive Castaway Cay pin from our cruise.
I was surprised at how much our family enjoyed pin trading! I got "mystery" starter sets from ebay also which saved us a lot of money. During the course of our stay, I managed to slowly trade for a complete set of pins - The Muppets
(This was also a lesson for my sons about politeness. They had to ask the CM nicely to trade, not just point to a pin and shout, "oo ooo, I want that one!" lol)
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They can be very addicting. 
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). Depending on how you dive into a hobby I would suggest start with something you like as people here suggested, maybe a character or year pins, etc. Just be careful because I think the pins are coated with an addictive substance that will make you want more and more 
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