Those that know me personally have probably been wondering how long it would take me to get around to talking about Disney pins. Pin trading is big business for Disney and there are pins EVERYWHERE on property. There are pin specific stores, pins in random stores, limited edition pins, passholder pins, D23 pins, Disney Visa pins, DVC pins, park pins, event pins, character pins, pins in sets, mystery pins (where you don't know what you're getting until you've bought them), framed pin sets (although now very rare)...and the list goes on and on.
I personally don't get the whole pin trading notion. If there is a pin you want, just buy it, don't trade one you "sort of" like for it. If it was one you "sort of" liked, why did you buy it in the first place? Plus, pin trading is an extremely social interaction that I'm in no way willing to do. they even have massive pin trading events throughout the year! But, despite my despise for pin trading, I LOOOVE buying pins! I have thousands of them (and no, I'm not kidding). Of course, in typical Disney fashion, they sell pin books, pin bags, lanyards, and various other ways to store them, so there is no need to trade them, just collect them!
Pins average from $10 to $15 bucks apiece, limited edition pins (depending on their size) can be a bit more expensive, sets can go upwards of $50-$100 and framed sets can go for several hundred to several thousand, depending on how complex they are or how limited they actually are. Mystery pin boxes are about $20 a box, but, by the time you've bought dozens of boxes trying to get a complete set of the pins, you've spent hundreds (and have dozens of duplicates that you don't know what to do with...I guess you could trade them...duh). Basically, they are inexpensive souvenirs that can become a very expensive habit if you're not careful (trust me, I know)!
My first "major" purchase of every trip is done at Disney Pin Traders in Downtown Disney:
It's a 360 store and, at least for this OCD'er, it is extremely well organized (compared to other Disney pin stores on property).
I've said it before and it's never more appropo than in pin sales, if you see one you like, buy it right then! Not every pin is available in every park and limited edition pins sell out quite quickly. You may see a lot of the same pins in a lot of places, but those really cool ones that draw your eye will more than likely never be seen again if you don't get it then. It's why I hit the Pin Traders so hard. All the neat pins I see I want to make sure I get them and not miss out. If I see them elsewhere, I can avoid them and look for new ones (although, the older I get, the worse I get at remembering which ones I have already bought...it's why I end up bringing home so many duplicates now).
Disney expects guests to spend a ton of money and buy tons of stuff, but they give you these tiny little shopping baskets to do it with. It's been a complaint of mine for years, but I do have to say, at least at Disney Pin Traders, you can spend a butt-load of money and never even fill up one basket!
I personally don't get the whole pin trading notion. If there is a pin you want, just buy it, don't trade one you "sort of" like for it. If it was one you "sort of" liked, why did you buy it in the first place? Plus, pin trading is an extremely social interaction that I'm in no way willing to do. they even have massive pin trading events throughout the year! But, despite my despise for pin trading, I LOOOVE buying pins! I have thousands of them (and no, I'm not kidding). Of course, in typical Disney fashion, they sell pin books, pin bags, lanyards, and various other ways to store them, so there is no need to trade them, just collect them!
Pins average from $10 to $15 bucks apiece, limited edition pins (depending on their size) can be a bit more expensive, sets can go upwards of $50-$100 and framed sets can go for several hundred to several thousand, depending on how complex they are or how limited they actually are. Mystery pin boxes are about $20 a box, but, by the time you've bought dozens of boxes trying to get a complete set of the pins, you've spent hundreds (and have dozens of duplicates that you don't know what to do with...I guess you could trade them...duh). Basically, they are inexpensive souvenirs that can become a very expensive habit if you're not careful (trust me, I know)!
My first "major" purchase of every trip is done at Disney Pin Traders in Downtown Disney:
It's a 360 store and, at least for this OCD'er, it is extremely well organized (compared to other Disney pin stores on property).
I've said it before and it's never more appropo than in pin sales, if you see one you like, buy it right then! Not every pin is available in every park and limited edition pins sell out quite quickly. You may see a lot of the same pins in a lot of places, but those really cool ones that draw your eye will more than likely never be seen again if you don't get it then. It's why I hit the Pin Traders so hard. All the neat pins I see I want to make sure I get them and not miss out. If I see them elsewhere, I can avoid them and look for new ones (although, the older I get, the worse I get at remembering which ones I have already bought...it's why I end up bringing home so many duplicates now).
Disney expects guests to spend a ton of money and buy tons of stuff, but they give you these tiny little shopping baskets to do it with. It's been a complaint of mine for years, but I do have to say, at least at Disney Pin Traders, you can spend a butt-load of money and never even fill up one basket!
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Linda
Linda