Post by sydney on Jul 14, 2019 9:09:38 GMT -5
Over the years our trips to Disney have included picking up pins to commemorate certain events (MVMCP), rides (the boys both got pins for EE when we rode it before it officially opened and since it was Jared's first rollercoaster), and favorite characters (I have a whole lanyard I keep Maleficent ones on). I ordered out first lanyards from ebay along with a lot of trading pins that ended up being around $2 a piece so we could have fun trading CM's and other guests for pins we wanted- it seemed like a fun extra and almost like a treasure hunt. Yes, some of these pins could be purchased outright in the parks or on sites like ebay, but it's way more rewarding to find a pin you really like and trade for it! We've also enjoyed talking to other guests and seeing their collections. The boys are both pretty outgoing and have no problem going up to strangers to talk about trading!The monetary value of pins doesn't matter as much as the memories behind them.
We've really gotten into pin trading though the last few trips! I think it started on our trip in 2013 for Taylor's senior year. I got about 25 pins for each of us and we came back wishing we brought more. It's just escalated from there. Pin trading is like a whole other attraction itself. We check out every CM, ask about pin boards in shops, attractions, and resorts, have pictures on our phones of what we're still looking for to complete a Hidden Mickey set! Taylor's girlfriend, who's done the college program twice and is getting ready to start working at WDW full time has a big board for hers, Taylor has multiple lanyards, Jared has a lanyard just for Stitch pins and he and his girlfriend started a board together, and Ron and I just ordered a second pin bag (one has Haunted Mansion and one has Pirates of the Caribbean on it) to organize all of ours! We knew it was bad when we went last summer and got Jared's girlfriend a Pooh lanyard (again on ebay for like $6) and a Pooh birthstone pin and everyone had chipped in for a big lot of traders, then we come home thinking we should have brought more- but she had her lanyard full of Pooh pins and was so happy!
Jared and her went for a few days with her family at Thanksgiving and they took traders again- and got her 6 year old nephew into trading! He managed to find all the different color Pascal pins to trade and collect and was so excited. On our trip last moth we each had like 80 pins and it was so cute how we kind of knew what everyone else was looking for- like Taylor would trade and bring me back a princess shoe I was looking for or Ron would trade for a Hidden Mickey cupcake Jared and his girlfriend were looking for.
We still do purchase pins outright- this time we got a 30th anniversary Hollywood Studios and a two pack of mystery Haunted Mansion ones that glow under the lighting. But the trading is where the real fun is!
We've really gotten into pin trading though the last few trips! I think it started on our trip in 2013 for Taylor's senior year. I got about 25 pins for each of us and we came back wishing we brought more. It's just escalated from there. Pin trading is like a whole other attraction itself. We check out every CM, ask about pin boards in shops, attractions, and resorts, have pictures on our phones of what we're still looking for to complete a Hidden Mickey set! Taylor's girlfriend, who's done the college program twice and is getting ready to start working at WDW full time has a big board for hers, Taylor has multiple lanyards, Jared has a lanyard just for Stitch pins and he and his girlfriend started a board together, and Ron and I just ordered a second pin bag (one has Haunted Mansion and one has Pirates of the Caribbean on it) to organize all of ours! We knew it was bad when we went last summer and got Jared's girlfriend a Pooh lanyard (again on ebay for like $6) and a Pooh birthstone pin and everyone had chipped in for a big lot of traders, then we come home thinking we should have brought more- but she had her lanyard full of Pooh pins and was so happy!
Jared and her went for a few days with her family at Thanksgiving and they took traders again- and got her 6 year old nephew into trading! He managed to find all the different color Pascal pins to trade and collect and was so excited. On our trip last moth we each had like 80 pins and it was so cute how we kind of knew what everyone else was looking for- like Taylor would trade and bring me back a princess shoe I was looking for or Ron would trade for a Hidden Mickey cupcake Jared and his girlfriend were looking for.
We still do purchase pins outright- this time we got a 30th anniversary Hollywood Studios and a two pack of mystery Haunted Mansion ones that glow under the lighting. But the trading is where the real fun is!
