A Helpful Guide for Buying Authentic Pins on eBay :)
sockgnome
Super Active DPF Member
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Are you new to pin trading, and discovering the thousands of pins that are to be found on eBay?
Great! eBay can be a great place to buy and sell pins, and can be a good resource for building your collection.
But watch out! Not everyone is honest, and not everyone sells authentic pins. it's important to be on guard when shopping for pins online.
Here are some helpful tips to arm yourself with when navigating eBay.
1. Check out the Item
Are there any scrapper warnings on your pin? Look up your pin on the Pinpics database. Has anyone added a scrapper or counterfeit warning? Make sure to look if they added anything you can look out for on the specific pin (ie. the eyes are the wrong color, the backstamp is misspelled, etc.) Scrapper warnings are a good guide, but not all pins that have scrappers have warnings on Pinpics. Just because it doesn't say anything on Pinpics doesn't mean there aren't fakes.
How many have been sold recently? Search for your item on eBay and click the "Sold" button to filter the results by what has sold. More common pins like rack pins and Open Edition pins may have many sold listings (which is fairly normal), but watch out if a rarer pin like an LE 300 pin has a stack of sold listings, especially if they are all under $20. This is a probable sign that the pin has been scrapped.
Examine the listing Some pins will come on their original card, many will not. If it comes on a card, make sure that the card matches the one that the pin came on (I have seen people put Disney Auction pins on Disney Shopping cards, or older Open Edition pins on Limited Edition cards). Even if it's not the right card, it might still be a real pin, but it's a warning flag (the seller seems to be a bit deceitful). Unfortunately, there are some times that backer cards are counterfeited, but I've only seen this in the WDI Jessica as DCA Cast Members set, so I wouldn't generally worry about it. Also, what wording does the seller use? If your seller says the pins are "100% tradeable," BE CAREFUL. Cast members in Disney parks trade any Disney-looking pin you give them, and do not watch out for scrappers. If the seller emphasizes that the pins are "tradeable," but doesn't use the word "authentic," I wouldn't buy them. If you receive the pins, discover they are fake and contact the seller for a refund, they can say they don't have to refund because the pins are indeed "tradeable." They didn't promise "authentic." This is common when looking at 'Grab Bag' lots (which I would avoid, more on that later).
Examine the picture Your listing will come with a picture. Is it grainy and hard to see? You can always request a clearer picture from the seller before the auction ends- with clear pictures you can see whether there is any damage (scratches or dips) to the pin that is not mentioned in the description. Does the picture look accurate (due to camera lighting and computer screen tinting, the colors in the image might be off even though the pin is real)? Do the edges look smooth? If the seller provides a picture of the back (this is always a good sign), does the backstamp look right? Is everything spelled correctly, and is it the right color of metal? Pinpics usually gives a good description of the back, and you can compare the pin to this description to see if everything is in order. You can also compare the seller's picture to the Pinpics picture to get a good idea of how thick the lines should be, etc.
2. Check Out the Seller
Where are they selling from? I avoid buying pins from sellers in China period, and also tend to avoid sellers from Hong Kong (unless they are selling Hong Kong Disneyland pins)
What is their feedback? If a seller has anything less than 100% feedback, make sure to read the negative (and neutral) reviews. Sometimes it won't be relevant (ie. "my package was damaged in the mail," "shipping fees were high," etc.), but if even one person says they received a fake, be cautious. Most people who buy scrappers do not realized they are buying scrappers, and leave good feedback. So most scrapper sellers have hundreds of positive reviews. But be careful if they have even a handful of people who said they received fake pins!
Have they sold this pin before? Does the seller have a low-priced "Buy It Now" on a LE 100 pin that they say they have 4 of? Be careful. It's true that there are some of people who buy 5, 10, or even more of an LE pin when it is available at the parks, but multiple hard-to-find pins from the same person can be a red flag. Also, search for the same pin, but click the "Sold" button to filter the results as pins that have sold in the past. The easiest way to tell what seller has sold the pin is by the picture; they use the same one for each posting. Has your seller sold this pin before five times? Watch out!
I didn't win, but I got a "Second Chance" offer! Great! You thought you lost out, and now you can Buy It Now at your highest set bid. Second chance offers are not usually given because the first buyer backed out, but because the seller had another pin. This is not necessarily a bad sign (unless it happens along with any other of the above warning flags). But if you came in third place in the bidding war and get a second chance offer, watch out (You'll know this because instead of the auction ending with your highest bid plus .50 or 1.00, it went above that)! If the seller knows they can sell a pin at a much higher price than what you offered, why would they be willing to sell it for less? The only time I got a second chance offer as a third place bidder, I ended up getting fake pins and had to return them. Learn from my mistake!
Advice concerning "Grab Bags" and "Pin Lots"
When starting out pin trading, it can be hard to build up a good foundation of traders. eBay can be a resource for this, but it is probably not your best option. If you are reading this, you're probably part of this forum; there are a lot of great people here who would be willing to sell you AUTHENTIC traders for a very low cost! I would consider this your absolute first option.
If you choose to buy traders on eBay, just say "NO" to Grab Bag lots. When there isn't a picture of what you'll receive, and you're paying .10 a pin for 50 pins, you are going to get fakes. Instead, look for 5 or 10 pin lots that picture the exact pins you will receive. They'll frequently be from a seller selling their whole collection, or the collection of a friend, and are often grouped by theme. These are generally more reliable, especially if no red flags come up after you've Checked out the Item and Checked out the Seller. And as I said before, avoid the phrase "100% tradeable" and look for "100% authentic" instead.
Mostly, use your head and have fun!
After getting a feel of what to look for, you should build some good intuition. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a seller has posted an LE 25 pin from a framed set for $20 (especially if they're not selling any of the other pins from the set), be suspicious. Listen to your intuition.
But don't let all this deter you! There are lots of good, honest sellers on eBay, and it can be a great place to add to your collection (especially if you don't live close to any of the parks, like me). Just be smart about your purchases, and you should do fine.
Any questions? Feel free to PM me, or just comment below. DPF is an excellent resource for pin traders; always feel free to ask for help here!
Great! eBay can be a great place to buy and sell pins, and can be a good resource for building your collection.
But watch out! Not everyone is honest, and not everyone sells authentic pins. it's important to be on guard when shopping for pins online.
Here are some helpful tips to arm yourself with when navigating eBay.
1. Check out the Item
Are there any scrapper warnings on your pin? Look up your pin on the Pinpics database. Has anyone added a scrapper or counterfeit warning? Make sure to look if they added anything you can look out for on the specific pin (ie. the eyes are the wrong color, the backstamp is misspelled, etc.) Scrapper warnings are a good guide, but not all pins that have scrappers have warnings on Pinpics. Just because it doesn't say anything on Pinpics doesn't mean there aren't fakes.
How many have been sold recently? Search for your item on eBay and click the "Sold" button to filter the results by what has sold. More common pins like rack pins and Open Edition pins may have many sold listings (which is fairly normal), but watch out if a rarer pin like an LE 300 pin has a stack of sold listings, especially if they are all under $20. This is a probable sign that the pin has been scrapped.
Examine the listing Some pins will come on their original card, many will not. If it comes on a card, make sure that the card matches the one that the pin came on (I have seen people put Disney Auction pins on Disney Shopping cards, or older Open Edition pins on Limited Edition cards). Even if it's not the right card, it might still be a real pin, but it's a warning flag (the seller seems to be a bit deceitful). Unfortunately, there are some times that backer cards are counterfeited, but I've only seen this in the WDI Jessica as DCA Cast Members set, so I wouldn't generally worry about it. Also, what wording does the seller use? If your seller says the pins are "100% tradeable," BE CAREFUL. Cast members in Disney parks trade any Disney-looking pin you give them, and do not watch out for scrappers. If the seller emphasizes that the pins are "tradeable," but doesn't use the word "authentic," I wouldn't buy them. If you receive the pins, discover they are fake and contact the seller for a refund, they can say they don't have to refund because the pins are indeed "tradeable." They didn't promise "authentic." This is common when looking at 'Grab Bag' lots (which I would avoid, more on that later).
Examine the picture Your listing will come with a picture. Is it grainy and hard to see? You can always request a clearer picture from the seller before the auction ends- with clear pictures you can see whether there is any damage (scratches or dips) to the pin that is not mentioned in the description. Does the picture look accurate (due to camera lighting and computer screen tinting, the colors in the image might be off even though the pin is real)? Do the edges look smooth? If the seller provides a picture of the back (this is always a good sign), does the backstamp look right? Is everything spelled correctly, and is it the right color of metal? Pinpics usually gives a good description of the back, and you can compare the pin to this description to see if everything is in order. You can also compare the seller's picture to the Pinpics picture to get a good idea of how thick the lines should be, etc.
2. Check Out the Seller
Where are they selling from? I avoid buying pins from sellers in China period, and also tend to avoid sellers from Hong Kong (unless they are selling Hong Kong Disneyland pins)
What is their feedback? If a seller has anything less than 100% feedback, make sure to read the negative (and neutral) reviews. Sometimes it won't be relevant (ie. "my package was damaged in the mail," "shipping fees were high," etc.), but if even one person says they received a fake, be cautious. Most people who buy scrappers do not realized they are buying scrappers, and leave good feedback. So most scrapper sellers have hundreds of positive reviews. But be careful if they have even a handful of people who said they received fake pins!
Have they sold this pin before? Does the seller have a low-priced "Buy It Now" on a LE 100 pin that they say they have 4 of? Be careful. It's true that there are some of people who buy 5, 10, or even more of an LE pin when it is available at the parks, but multiple hard-to-find pins from the same person can be a red flag. Also, search for the same pin, but click the "Sold" button to filter the results as pins that have sold in the past. The easiest way to tell what seller has sold the pin is by the picture; they use the same one for each posting. Has your seller sold this pin before five times? Watch out!
I didn't win, but I got a "Second Chance" offer! Great! You thought you lost out, and now you can Buy It Now at your highest set bid. Second chance offers are not usually given because the first buyer backed out, but because the seller had another pin. This is not necessarily a bad sign (unless it happens along with any other of the above warning flags). But if you came in third place in the bidding war and get a second chance offer, watch out (You'll know this because instead of the auction ending with your highest bid plus .50 or 1.00, it went above that)! If the seller knows they can sell a pin at a much higher price than what you offered, why would they be willing to sell it for less? The only time I got a second chance offer as a third place bidder, I ended up getting fake pins and had to return them. Learn from my mistake!
Advice concerning "Grab Bags" and "Pin Lots"
When starting out pin trading, it can be hard to build up a good foundation of traders. eBay can be a resource for this, but it is probably not your best option. If you are reading this, you're probably part of this forum; there are a lot of great people here who would be willing to sell you AUTHENTIC traders for a very low cost! I would consider this your absolute first option.
If you choose to buy traders on eBay, just say "NO" to Grab Bag lots. When there isn't a picture of what you'll receive, and you're paying .10 a pin for 50 pins, you are going to get fakes. Instead, look for 5 or 10 pin lots that picture the exact pins you will receive. They'll frequently be from a seller selling their whole collection, or the collection of a friend, and are often grouped by theme. These are generally more reliable, especially if no red flags come up after you've Checked out the Item and Checked out the Seller. And as I said before, avoid the phrase "100% tradeable" and look for "100% authentic" instead.
Mostly, use your head and have fun!
After getting a feel of what to look for, you should build some good intuition. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a seller has posted an LE 25 pin from a framed set for $20 (especially if they're not selling any of the other pins from the set), be suspicious. Listen to your intuition.
But don't let all this deter you! There are lots of good, honest sellers on eBay, and it can be a great place to add to your collection (especially if you don't live close to any of the parks, like me). Just be smart about your purchases, and you should do fine.
Any questions? Feel free to PM me, or just comment below. DPF is an excellent resource for pin traders; always feel free to ask for help here!
