Learn About Disney Pins and Disney Pin Trading
An Interview with a Disney Pin Expert!
Hi everyone. Most people who deal with collectibles realize that the Disney brand is huge. People from all over the world have deep, nostalgic bonds with all things Disney. Many childhood memories are tied to Disney characters as well as the Disney theme parks. A Disney vacation is a very special event for some people. It's understandable that guests buy up Disney theme park merchandise as a way to commemorate their trip. If you pay much attention to eBay, you probably also know that trading pins are a very popular collectible.
When you bring those two things together, you're going to find some very interested folks who love to buy, sell, and trade together. Disney Pins and Disney Pin trading are without a doubt, a hot topic with collectors today. I hope that you will find this post to be a good Disney pin trading guide to get you started, or to help you build up your collection. At the very least, I hope you will enjoy this peek at Disney pin values.
I'm excited to say that I've got an amazing interview to share with you. I thought that it would be nice to get some input from people who are experts in one particular area of collecting or another. My guest today, Mark Gerner, certainly qualifies when it comes to collecting Disney Trading Pins. He is a top rated seller on eBay, with an amazing 100% feedback rating with over 6,600 transactions. That is a LOT of satisfied customers. If you can't wait to see his auctions, his eBay name is Chip_and_Dale! (with the exclamation point).
Mickey is always a Disney favorite.
I really want to thank Mark for taking the time to answer these questions about Disney collectible pins. I found him as I was looking through some of the eBay guides (he's written 27 of them), and he replied to my email almost immediately. He has a true passion for what is important in his life, and I've got to say that he is one of those people that impress you from the start as a good guy. So, enough of my babbling. Thanks again Mark. It's time to learn about the world of Disney collector pins and Disney Pin traders!
All About Disney Pin Trading
Q: Could you please share some information about how you started collecting and dealing in Disney Pins?
A: Collecting Disney pins started innocently enough with my wife purchasing me a Chip 'n' Dale pin while attending Mickey's Backyard BBQ back in 2001. I've always been a Chip 'n' Dale fan, and our "alter egos" seem to be these crazy chipmunks. After that, we started seeing other cute C&D pins and soon, I was collecting. At the height of my collecting, I had over 450 Chip 'n' Dale pins.
Dealing in Disney pins came, honestly, from my over-indulgence in buying. When I found myself spending WAY too much for a certain pin, I realized I no longer had pins...pins had me. As a Christian, I believe that God's still small voice speaks to us...and this was one area where I knew I had to make some changes. Though I loved collecting, I believed I needed to sell my collection (which I did, with the exception of the original Mickey's Backyard BBQ pin). When I was obedient in doing that, I realized that doing so became an answer to prayer for a "witty invention" on how to supplement my income as a youth pastor.
I started doing research, buying hard-to-find and rare Disney pins, and selling them on eBay. Over the past 10 years, we have paid off our house and supplemented our income through this fun business! AND as a bonus, I have come in contact with more rare Chip 'n' Dale pins than I ever would have been able to see had I just been collecting. Today, instead of my hobby being collecting Chip 'n' Dale pins, it's finding new and previously unlisted Disney pins for inclusion on Pinpics.com. I get the pins, photograph them, try to find their histories, list them and then sell them so I have more cash to find other obscure pins!
I do keep a few choice pins in my collection, including the first Chip 'n' Dale pin, including my Who Wants to Be a Millionaire pins I won while in the Hot Seat of the Disney-MGM Studios show (made it to the 1,000,000 question and then missed it, losing the grand prize Disney cruise!).
Q: I know that Disneyana, in general, is a very popular area of collecting. There is no shortage of Walt Disney collectibles. What is the history of Disney Pin trading? How and where does trading take place?
A: Pins have always been associated with Walt Disney. Back when The Disney Brothers Studio existed in 1930, the first pin was released (a Mickey Mouse Club pin). And when Disneyland opened its doors July 18, 1955, you could find a few jewelry-style pins. But pin trading was never thought of as a big event until the Summer Olympics came to Los Angeles in 1984. The Olympics had long been known for pin trading, as both athletes from different countries and spectators would trade pins representing various sports or countries. Disney saw this as an opportunity to make money, and they started producing more pins for the parks (especially in Disneyland in coordination with their 30th anniversary in 1985).
The Disney pin trading enthusiasm waned after four or five years - partly because Disney never really heavily promoted the concept of pin trading, but people continued to do so behind the scenes and Disney continued to produce pins for the general public.
Oddly enough, it appears that eBay's success fueled Disney's resurgence of major pin production AND the heavily-marketed concept of pin trading. People were selling pins on eBay, and I believe Disney saw this as a huge marketing opportunity for themselves. With the millennium quickly approaching, Disney started marketing the Countdown to the Millennium 101-pin set of pins, released at Disney Stores every few weeks in 1999. It turned out that Disney grossly over-produced these pins, leaving a huge inventory of unsold pins; Disney execs turned the "lemon" into lemonade by selling the pins in the Disney parks, and placing them on lanyards which Cast Members wore, giving Guests the opportunity to trade for Disney pins they didn't have in their collections. After seeing the great success of this endeavor, Disney Corp. ramped up the concept of pin trading, adding 1000s of pins, holding annual pin celebrations in the parks, creating official Disney pin trading zones in the park, and strongly encouraging Cast Members to wear pin trading lanyards.
Disney pin trading takes place in several ways: Most trading is done with Disney park Guests trading with Cast Members (Cast Members are required to trade, as long as the Guest isn't trading a pin that's already on the Cast Member's Disney lanyard). Guest to Guest trading is also done, but some Guests are too intimidated to approach other Guests, while other Guests prefer to not trade with other Guests. (Personally, I find it a great way to meet other Disney pin enthusiasts, and I even have shirts with info on the back "loudly proclaiming" that I will trade with others. Pin trading zones (normally outside of pin stores) are meeting places for traders, but are sometimes overrun by Pin Sharks (professionals who seek to scam unsuspecting Guests out of their valuable pins by trading cheap, common pins back to them).
One of the best places for Disney pin trading is online: Pinpics.com is an international online community of pin traders. On this site, you can research histories of Disney pins, keep track of your collection (including pins you want and pins you'd be willing to trade) and more. They have an automated pin trading feature that sends email requests to other traders, giving them the opportunity to trade Disney pins with you. If both parties are agreed, pins are mailed on the same day. Positive pin referrals are given when the trade is successful, so traders can build up a reputation for being honest and timely in their mailings.
Rapunzel's movie debut exploded her popularity.
Although Scrapper sellers (bootleggers) have put a damper on pin collecting, it still continues to be a huge practice both in the Disney parks with pin trading and in the secondary market through online auctions.
Q: About how many Disney trading pins are there out there, and are there different types or styles of trading pins?
A: ANY Disney pin can be traded, but not every Disney pin can be traded within a Disney park. The main criteria to judge whether a pin is able to be traded or not is that it must be a metal pin that represents a Disney event, location, character or icon. Some pins from Disney's operating participants are also able to be traded, but must represent the operating participant in a way that has a specific Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort affiliation. I don't have a complete count (and new pins are being listed daily), but there are easily well over 51,000 pins that would be considered legitimate traders in the Disney parks.
Pins not able to be traded within the parks are still highly sought-after, and they come in a variety of materials, sizes and pin backs. There are metal, plastic, enamel, Bakelite and even wooden pins that date back into the early 1930s. The definition of what's a pin has been challenged, as Disney has released pins as small as 1/8" to up to 7"x7" pins have been found.
Q: I've seen some auctions for eBay Disney Pins ending with bids around a thousand dollars. What make some pins more valuable than others?
A: The vast majority of Disney pins are common, but certain pins command more attention and thus a higher bid price. Several factors can bring about such bidding:
LIMITED EDITION PINS - For a time, Disney released some pins sets with a limited edition size of as low as 10. The pins in these sets are valuable because of their rarity, and the pin sets now command an even higher prices as some of these rare sets have been broken apart so that individual character collectors can get their favorite character without having to purchase an entire rare framed or boxed set.
LIMITED ACCESS PINS - Some pins are awarded to Cast Members or others for excellent service. Excellent teaching, nationally, was rewarded with a rare Disney Teacherrific Award; Disney engineers who worked on projects leading up to the Disneyland 50th anniversary were given a pin (which is now highly sought-after). Multi-year Cast service awards (40- or higher years of service) are very highly collectible due to their rarity.
CHARACTER OR ATTRACTION - Certain attractions have wild fan appeal: The Haunted Mansion is one such example, with the most devoted fans willing to pay upwards toward $1,000 or more for certain low-edition size pins. Other times, a popular movie can cause normally common pins to sell for higher prices: currently, Rapunzel is a good example of such a pin character.
POPULAR SERIES - Sometimes, a series just catches on and people go "nuts" over it: The first year of the Piece of History series (where a very small piece of a Disney attraction is placed within a bubble area of a pin) commands high prices. A pin set that features reproductions of Disney's shampoo, soap and toothpaste usually brings prices well over $100 each.
Ultimately, I base rarity on the number of pins produced, who had access to the pins, and how many people are out there wanting the pins vs. how many are out there willing to part with their pins. A website like Pinpics.com is perfect for determining this information.
Q: If you were to find some Disney Pin sets or individual pins for sale at a yard sale, what would you look at to determine how much you were willing to pay? What determines a Disney Pin's value?
A: Over the years, I have literally invested 100s of hours researching pins. Although I don't know the value of every Disney pin, I have a pretty good idea of what's common and what's valuable. The nice thing is that at garage sales, pins are going to be selling for pennies on the dollar, so the chance of losing money on a pin is pretty slim. Obviously, you would have a better chance of finding pins in the Orlando or L.A. areas than in the middle of, say, South Dakota. But the neat thing is, you never know what you'll find in a collection... I purchased a collection of 450 pins for about 12 cents each; they were from the 1980s. It turned out that about a third of those pins were extremely valuable, selling on eBay for $20-$60 each.
Q: Sadly, when something sells well, there are often people who try to scam others. I've heard of bootleg and scrapper pins. Could you please tell us what these are and how to avoid them?
A: The No. 1 pin crusade I have is to expose Scrapper pin sellers and the practice of scrapping pins. Essentially, Scrapper pins are pins that have been made by unscrupulous Chinese pin factories who, instead of destroying pin molds after orders are made from Disney, sell the molds or continue to produce pins to sell at a greatly reduced price to bulk sellers. Normally, the overrun pins are of a lesser quality. They are sometimes thinner, sometimes off center slightly, sometimes off-color. Regardless, they are no better to buy, ethically, than a bootleg DVD or CD. They are fakes and are sold as "authentic" Disney pins when they are not. I regard Scrapper sellers as frauds who deserve prison.
When I see someone selling the same Disney pins in bulk over and over and over again, I greatly suspect their source of pins. On eBay, I encourage people to search "Disney pin" and then refine that search in a sort from highest price to lowest. From there, buyers can see dozens (sometimes 100s) of such clone auctions by the same seller. Personally, I'd avoid such sellers like the plague!
That said, I'm not suggesting EVERY bulk seller is a Scrapper seller, but I would encourage potential buyers to do their homework. Get on Dizpins.com and look at their photo list of known Scrapper pins; compare this list with the pictures they see of bulk pins sold. If many of the pins being sold and resold are on the Scrapper list, I'd avoid them. Secondly, I'd demand of bulk sellers an answer WHERE they have purchased their pins...if they don't give a straight answer, drop them. Third, if you suspect a Scrapper seller on eBay, you can turn them into Disney's VeRO site (Verified Rights Owner Program). You can email them at tips@disneyantipiracy.com or by phone at (818) 560-3300. All calls can be anonymous.
Q: Do you have any other tips, advice or general information for people looking to start or grow a collection of Disney Pins?
A: The main thing I tell people is to HAVE FUN. This is to be a hobby, not an investment. It's to be something you can enjoy, not something you obsess over. Pick a favorite Disney character, subject or attraction and just start! You can find pins for fairly reasonable prices on eBay, and using pin trading sites like Pinpics.com is a great way to meet fellow pin enthusiasts and Disney collectors. Realize that you are ultimately collecting pieces of metal with pretty pictures on them...they are not solutions to world peace or hunger. Keep collecting in its place and you'll enjoy it.
Lastly, use pin collecting as a way to bring happiness to others. We routinely bring extra pins to the parks to simply give away to kids (with parental approval of course!) or others. It's amazing how a little Disney collectible pin can brighten the countenance of someone. I've had a Japanese women who spoke very little English squeal with glee upon receiving a free Chip 'n' Dale pin from me. I saw a grown man tear-up and transform from a 40-something-year-old man into a little boy again, as he held a small Orange Bird pin from the 1970s I gave him. I've seen parents cry over the kindness of a total stranger to their children. The reward is in seeing the happy faces! To me, THAT is what pin "trading" is all about...
I want to thank Mark again for taking the time to share his knowledge of Disney Pins. Below, you will find many Disney Pins for sale. If you're a collector, you'd have to look long and hard to find a more honest dealer than Mark. Why not check out what he has to offer by looking him up?
If you enjoyed this interview, please take a second to use one of the social buttons below to "like" or otherwise share it with people you know. Also, if YOU are a collector or eBay seller who really knows his or her "stuff" and would be willing to share what you know, please use the Contact Form to get in touch with me. I'd love to interview you or share a guest post from you. Thanks! Mike
Disney Pins for Sale
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 Japan Disney Store Tinker Bell Fairy Charm Series Pin Glitter Flowers Tink JDS  US $5.00 |  Disney Official Pin Trading Character License Plate – Cheshire Cat US $5.00 |
 Disney Pin DL Tinker Bell Tink Tuesdays Tinker Bell Kisses Hearts US $5.00 |  Disneyland Pin PWP 10yrs Pin Trading Minnie Diez US $5.00 |
| Second Hand |
Note: I am an eBayPartner affiliate, so if you follow these links to auctions, and then make a purchase, I'll make a commission. It won't affect your price at all, and I'll appreciate it! If you would rather just look things up yourself, Mark's eBay seller name is Chip_and_Dale! (with the exclamation point).
Category: Expert Interviews and Advice, popular ebay auctions
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This is SOO cool. I love Disney pins! I got scammed early on in my collecting days by a lousy scrapper. Thanks for putting up this interview. It will surely save someone from going through buying a load of overpriced junk like I did. Another rule of thumb that I’ve learned is that if a Disney pin deal looks WAY too good to be true, it probably is!