Disney pin trading
Disney Pin Trading is the buying and trading of collectible pins and related items featuring Disney characters, attractions, icons, and other elements. Many thousands of unique pins have been created over the years. Pins are available for a limited time; the base price for a pin is US$6.95. Limited edition pins, and special pins (e.g. pins that have a dangle, pin-on-pin, flocking, lenticular, light-up, moving element, 3-D element, etc.) are more expensive, and for limited edition pins, a guest may only purchase 2 pins per day. Additionally, some pins are only released at special events, at movie premiers, the opening day of a new attraction, to the media, are cast member exclusive, etc. These pins are harder for collectors to acquire and are often valued higher on the secondary market. After being "retired", some can fetch up to and over US$500 on the secondary market and at venues such as eBay. Most Disney pins are enamel or enamel cloisonné with a metal base.
Pin trading history
Pin trading has always been present at Disney parks but it wasn't until 1999 as part of the Millennium Celebration [1] that Paul Pressler introduced Disney Pin Trading at the Disneyland Resort as a marketing strategy that the craze kicked off. The next year saw it spread to the Walt Disney World Resort where it really got into its stride, and where it is still most popular today. Since then it has been added to Disneyland Resort Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. However, pin trading has been suspended in Tokyo Disney Resort. Only a small range of pins can be found in the resort. In other Disney resorts, a large variety of pins are available for purchase and trade. Some Disney's cast members wear pins on a lanyard around their neck, or on a pin display card (a 4” by 5” piece of coloured nylon fabric) clipped to their belt. These pins may include special pins with a Hidden Mickey that only cast members have and are not available for purchase. To make collecting and trading these pins more fun, the official Disney pin trading site has downloadable lists of these pins organized so that the collector can check off the pins they have to complete the series.[2] A cast member is required to trade up to two pins he/she wears to a person wishing to trade with them. Some cast members wear a teal colored lanyard at Disneyland and a green lanyard at Walt Disney World with pins only tradable to children (12 years or younger).
Pin etiquette
Disney has published a pamphlet on how to trade pins, and tips on Pin Etiquette [3]. Among these tips include:
- To trade a pin with a Disney cast member, the pin must be made of metal and have a representation of a Disney character, park, attraction, icon, or other official affilition.
- Trade one pin at a time, with the pin back in place (pins have functional sharp posts)
- Guests can make up to 2 pin trades per cast member per day
- Refrain from touching another person’s pins or lanyard, ask to see the pins so they can bring the lanyard into closer view
- The pin that is traded to the cast member can not be a duplicate of any pin they already have on their lanyard.
- No money or gifts can change hands on Disney property in exchange for a pin.
Official Disney pin release locations
There are many "official" locations that a guest can find Disney pins for purchase. An Official Disney Pin will come from one of these locations:
- Disneyland Resort Anaheim (DLR)
- Disney's California Adventure (DCA)
- Walt Disney World (WDW)
- Magic Kingdom
- MGM Studios
- Epcot
- Animal Kingdom
- Downtown Disney (DTD)
- Disneyland Resort Paris (DLRP)
- Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDLR)
- Tokyo Disney Resort*
- Disney Cruise Lines
- Walt Disney Studios, Burbank
- Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI)
- Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store
- Other Disney retail stores, Disney Auctions, and Disney shopping online stores, etc.
Note*: Pin Trading is not available in Tokyo Disney Resort. Visitors can only purchase pins in the resort.
Pin terms
"Artist Proof" - Artist Proof pins (or "AP" pins) are created during a manufacturing run to verify quality, details, etc. "AP" pins have a small "AP" on the back stamp. “AP” can also stand for “Annual Pass holder” pin. Some pins are exclusive to annual pass holders, and the pass must be presented at time of purchase.
"Back Stamp" - A pin's back stamp contains information about the pin and can include copyright information, edition size, and manufacturer.
"Build-A-Pin" - The Build-A-Pin program was introduced in 2002. Guests could personalize pins bases with character add-ons. After selecting their favorite base and add on, the pin was assembled with a special machine. The Build-A-Pin program was retired in Summer 2004.
"Cloisonné" - A French word meaning "partitioned." It refers to a style of pin in which the surface decoration is set in designated sections, one color at a time. Cloisonné also refers to a pin type in which crushed minerals and pigments are used to create coloring on a pin.
"Dangle" Pins - Dangle pins have an extension to the base of the pin that dangles (hangs) from one or more small loops or chains.
"Epoxy Coating"Epoxy coating is a glassy, opaque substance used as a decorative or protective coating. When dry, it forms a smooth, glossy surface.
"Flocking" - A flocked pin has an area that is fuzzy.
"FREE-D" - "Free-D" stands for Fastened Rubber Element on a pin for Extra Dimension.
"Hard Enamel" - Hard Enamel is sometimes called the "new cloisonné." It not only retains the characteristics of classic cloisonné, but also provides a much wider selection of colors. Just as with cloisonné, each pin is hand-crafted in a process that begins with a flat piece of brass which is die-struck and then filled with enamel colors. The surface is then hand polished to give it a smooth finish.
"Holy Grail" - A pin collector's most wanted pin or pins. A typical example is the surprise pin “Wet Paint”, an L.E. 1,000 pin depicting the wet paint sign used at Walt Disney World showing Donald Duck and his nephews running through spilt paint which typically sells for over $200 on sites like eBay. Sometimes traders will simply use the term grail. The term originates from the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail.
"Lenticular" - A Lenticular pin has two or more images that can change when it is titled back and forth.
"Light-Up Pin" - A Light-up pin has lights in its design that flash when activated.
"Rack Pins” - Rack pins, also called “Open edition” or “core” pins, are pins introduced and sold until discontinued or retired. These pins are re-ordered as long as people continue to buy them. The starting retail price for these pins is typically $6.95 (for a flat pin). Depending upon the number of features on the pin (such as "pin-on-pin"), the retail price will increase. Periodically, Open Edition pins are retired to make room for new Open Edition pins.
“Secondary Market” - The market for Disney pins for traders/collectors on web-based shops and auctions, etc. is considered the secondary market. Values of Disney pins can depreciate as well as be very valuable for rare, highly desired pins. For many Disney pins, unlike other collectables, the value of the pin on the secondary market can be very high when the pin is first released and demand is high, then drop dramatically over time. Only a handful of pins retain or increase in value over time, like the surprise pin “Wet Paint”,which originally sold for $8.50 [4] and now typically sells for over $200 on sites like eBay.
“Shark” - A person is considered a pin shark if they trade less valuable pins for more valuable pins from un-suspecting or new pin traders, primarily for monetary gain. Use of this term has caused some controversy in the pin trading and collecting community since the value of pins on the secondary market can fluctuate widely and the value of most pins is highly subjective, but it still tends to define a trader that trys to take advantage of another trader for self profit.
"Slider" Pin - A Slider pin has a movable piece that slides back and forth across the base of a pin.
"Spinner" Pin - A Spinner pin has a spinning mechanism that moves a piece of the pin 360 degrees.
"Soft Enamel" - A soft enamel pin has the design stamped into the base metal. These pins are filled with enamel colors and baked for durability. A final clear epoxy dome is applied to protect the finish. Typically a thinner pin than cloisonné pins.
"Surprise" or "Mystery" Pins - These pins usually feature a low-Limited Edition size. Typically, the back stamp will included the words "Surprise Pin." The release of this pin happens randomly at various merchandise locations within the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts.
"Continuing the Pin Trading Tradition" Pin - Also known sometimes as a "CTT" pin, this pin was created for guest recognition by Cast Members. Guests are awarded a Continuing The Pin Trading Tradition pin for demonstrating positive Disney Pin Trading etiquette and promoting Disney Pin Trading.
Tools of the trade
Besides pins, collectors have a variety of “Tools of the Trade” to choose from, including lanyards in a wide variety of colors and designs, lanyard medals, pin bags in many shapes and sizes, notebooks, frames, cork boards, etc. Collectors can be very creative in displaying their pins and are often easy to spot in the parks with their pin covered vests, hats, lanyards and fanny packs.
The Cast Lanyard Collection was introduced several years ago as a way for Cast Members to trade pins with Guests. Guests can trade up to two (2) Cast Lanyard Collection pins per Cast Member, per day. "Cast Lanyard Collection" is on the back stamp of each pin. Cast Lanyard pins are released at random to Cast Members at the Resorts. The newest lanyard pins have Hidden Mickeys on them to make them more identifiable to guests and are appropriately called "Hidden Mickey pins".
Pin events
These events typically have a theme, like the opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean film, Haunted Mansion attraction themed events, princess events, etc. These events are held in one of the theme parks and require a separate admission fee in addition to the park admission. Guests receive a number of free pins and other gifts for attending and have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities like pin trading boards, games, character meet and greets, live auctions for rare or one-of-a-kind pins, trivia contests and the like. Areas are set aside at the events for guests to pin trade with each other as well.
Pin trading nights (PTNs) are also sponsored by most of the Disney resorts, and often accompany the release of new pin designs or limited edition pins. These nights often include a kid's area with supervised trading, pin boards, and games. Tables are set up to allow guests to display and trade with each other.
See also
External links
- Official site
- Pin Pics — A large database of pins
- Dizpins — General information and news about Disney pin trading
- DLRP Magic! — Pin Trading in Disneyland Resort Paris
- Disney Pin Trading: Innocent Hobby... or Obsession?