Got these from eBay- new to pin collecting and curious.

[Queen]

Hi there everyone!

I am new to the pin collecting scene and recently had a very dear friend of mine buy me two pins to start my collection off. After looking through the internet and reading some posts here, I’ve become a little worried- as both were from eBay.

If they are fake/a scrapper, then I will just abuse them on my bags/clothing (because they will still be very dear to me, as they were a sweet and generous act of kindness ), but if not, I would like to put them as the first pins in my collection and keep them safe. So I was just wondering if anyone with a bit more knowledge could help me determine whether these are real or not (I’m concerned as pinpics says my Fantasmic Maleficent one has been faked and my second one came with a bit of a scuff on the paintwork- knowing me, I am probably just being overly paranoid, lol). I just want to try and educate myself more and know if I have authentic/fake pins to compare with the ones I plan to get for my future collection (I do have pins that I have bought in the past that I know are official, as I got them from the Disney store myself, but the designs on the back are quite different- no mouse heads, etc, so I’ve been at a bit of a loss when comparing).


After scouting the boards and looking at some guides, to me, they seem legit, although a second opinion would be very much appreciated!


Here are some photos of them all! If you would like more/specific shots, I will gladly provide them! (Sorry if its already image heavy!)

Maleficent Fantasmic Dragon pin (the red card is what it came on):

Second up is another Maleficent pin. She came with no card an her hand is a little scuffed, but other than that she is in good condition.

Many thanks!

 

[locostitch]

both are real.

 

[Milky]

Real What a great friend ^__^

Pins from eBay doesn't mean it's automatically a fake. It does mean, however, that the majority of them are. You just gotta know what to look for and check with pinpics and people to see if there are scrappers out there before purchasing. And as many have said, if the price is too good to be true...

 

[shls062167]

I can tell you 100% positive your first pin is real. I have it and also if you check the sku on the card against pinpics the match. I would also say the 2nd one is real also.
As far as ebay goes, I am very limited as who I buy from. I also ask for the actual front and back pics and make sure they have a return policy.

 

[starry_solo]

Both look good to me!

 

[Hiddenmax]

do they scrap 3d pins?

 

[Romancing_Train]

Be VERY careful with the Diablo pin. we've had a few of this pin and it comes apart VERY easily.

 

[Queen]

First of all, thank you SO much everyone for the responses- I really appreciate all of the help and feedback. Hopefully I won’t be too much of a pain as I try to teach myself about this hobby!


locostitch - Thank you for the reassurance, its good to hear that they are legit from more knowledgeable collectors!


Milky - Yeah, he is very, very sweet. <3 (I convinced him to join this site too, as he is also getting into collecting the Disney pins). He hinted the other day that I could expect some more in the post! Argh! I need to get him back next pay day, I just want to make sure the sellers I buy from are legit so I can return the favor. Do you happen to know a site/place where I could see estimated/actual pin price worths? Because my knowledge is quite limited, I only know what very few pins are actually worth, so I couldn’t say that I would know if a price was too good to be true or not (one thing I am definitely staying away from though, are those job lots at cheap prices- and overly cheap pins in general. The last thing I want is to end up with fakes, thats no fun for anyone!).


shls062167 - Thank you very much for the confirmation. I was certain myself until I read that it had been faked quite a bit on pinpics. >_<; The second one had me worried because of the paint scuff. Your view has me quite relieved! Thats very good advise, I think I will do the same in future if I perchase any from eBay myself. I don’t know if its allowed or not, but would you/could you point me in the direction of any reputable sellers on there? I don’t have many pins to trade at the moment, only what I have bought from the Disney store myself over the years (my set literally consists of three for trading, LOL), so swapping for ones on my want list isn’t really an option at the moment.


starry_solo - Thank you for the confirmation/opinion!


Hiddenmax - I actually have no idea. I am literally brand new to this hobby, although it would be interesting to find out if they did or not.


Romancing_Train - Thank you for the advise! I currently don’t have a bag/place to store them/put them, so they are living in one of my draws, in a little bag, to one side and away from anything that could damage them. I heard you can get cork boards/lanyards/bags/satchels/all sorts to store them in, do you have any personal favorite ways to keep yours safe? What would you advise for me to invest in?

 

[Milky]

Milky - Yeah, he is very, very sweet. <3 (I convinced him to join this site too, as he is also getting into collecting the Disney pins). He hinted the other day that I could expect some more in the post! Argh! I need to get him back next pay day, I just want to make sure the sellers I buy from are legit so I can return the favor. Do you happen to know a site/place where I could see estimated/actual pin price worths? Because my knowledge is quite limited, I only know what very few pins are actually worth, so I couldn’t say that I would know if a price was too good to be true or not (one thing I am definitely staying away from though, are those job lots at cheap prices- and overly cheap pins in general. The last thing I want is to end up with fakes, thats no fun for anyone!).

Oooh~! Please do post those new pins when you receive them ^_^ It doesn't matter if you just started out! We all love some eye-candy when it comes to pins

Pinpics will usually list the actual cost for a pin in retail price. eBay is where you see how much a pin is worth now. I'm not sure how familiar you are with eBay but I'll just type this out just in case it does help So, if you wanted to know how much "maleficent fantasmic dragon" is worth, what people are willing to buy them for...etc.

1. www.eBay.com
2. search bar type in "maleficent fantasmic dragon"
3. (Now depending on what version of eBay you have)
A. OLD EBAY LAYOUT
On the left hand column, under SHOW ONLY, click on 'Completed Listings".
B. NEW EBAY LAYOUT
Right under the search bar, click on either "Sold Listings" and/or "Completed Listings". Completed Listings shows both sold and unsold listings.
4. Now look at the price. Red means it did not sold while green shows that it has been sold for that price (unless it is a Best Offer. Then you should click on the listing and it will display the price that it was sold for)

By looking at the listings that have been sold/completed, you can see how much a pin is worth currently. Hope this helped

Also, if you know a pin is a Limited Edition and you're weary of it being scrapped, it's always good to check the Completed Listings.

For example,

Pin 83462:

DLR - Alice in Wonderland - Mystery Collection - Caterpillar Only

Pin 83788:

DLR - Alice in Wonderland - Mystery Collection - Caterpillar CHASER Only

In the description they are not only Limited Edition and CHASERS are suppose to be even rarer than their other counterpart. Also if you scroll down
"Please be aware that this pin is being offered for sale directly to pin collectors from a factory in China. As such no one can guarantee the authenticity of this pin."

Now go to eBay and type in "Alice in Wonderland pin Mystery Collection card" and on the top right click Sort: Price + Shipping: Lowest First. The first thing that will pop up is two Caterpillar Caser pin that are being sold for under $10. Both of them do not include the original card or packaging that it came in (that's why it might help to keep your pin's packaging and cards ). If you click on the one that is being sold for $8.05 and read the description the seller even says:

The finish work on it (smoothness and shine) isNOT perfect and DOES have some flaws and/or manufacturers defects. We purchased a huge lot of trader pins to use for trading in the park and these were included in the pins. Therefore I do not believe that they are probably authentic.

Now if you scroll down, you'll see that there are listings of these pins with card that are being sold for $30-100! That is these pins are known to have scrappers/fakes. Sometimes in a listing, if you go to the seller's other listings and check their completed/sold listings and you notice that they sold many LE pins especially those with very low Limited Edition numbers like 100 then they are probably fakes/scrappers.

Sorry for the wall of text but I hope this helped ^__^;;

Romancing_Train - Thank you for the advise! I currently don’t have a bag/place to store them/put them, so they are living in one of my draws, in a little bag, to one side and away from anything that could damage them. I heard you can get cork boards/lanyards/bags/satchels/all sorts to store them in, do you have any personal favorite ways to keep yours safe? What would you advise for me to invest in?

Usually store their pins in pin books, and/or pin bags. They can also be framed. Some people store them, cards and all, in those clear trading cards protector sheets and put it in a binder. Some people use a huge cork board.

Here's a good thread that might help you: http://disneypinforum.com/showthrea...-to-use-in-your-pin-book-(cork-coroplast-etc)

You might also want to check out the Showroom section to see what others use and maybe ask them: http://disneypinforum.com/forumdisplay.php?5-Pin-Showroom

I personally store mine in:

Pin 49933:

Classic 1955/1971 Logo (Trading Bag)

Pin 62692:

DLR - Mickey's Pin Odyssey 2008 - Booster Pack (Small Pin Bag Only)

You can find people here or on ebay that sell pin bags. I also made a thread a while ago where I thrifted my pin book here: http://disneypinforum.com/showthrea...-A-P-&#10084;-Truly-CHEAP-pin-book-for-only-1!

Hope all this helps ^__^/ and welcome to DPF again!

 

[Queen]

Milky - Oh my goodness, thank you SO much for all of that information and taking the time to post it! I have been using eBay for years and I -never- knew you could change the search to show completed listings. o.o So now I will be checking prices, etc to my hearts content- lol!
The storage options are fantastic too. To be honest, I quite like the idea of the bag (not gonna lie, I am a bit of a bag fanatic in general. :facepalm: ) - I am guessing you can get different Disney themes for the decoration on them? (Like those ones you linked have Mickey mouse on them?).

Thank you ever so much again, I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am for all of your help and the time you have taken to write this for me! You have been a huge help and have certainly educated me a fair bit!

 

[dawny]

wow i love everyone on here! i learned something also. It takes time. One thing i have learned on ebay is i keep a little traders list on WORD on my computer and when people on here have bad sellers with scrappers or bad traders, i list them to refer to (my bad list). Next i have bought on ebay alot. statistically i have done well. So now i kinda stick with sellers i know. NOw stay away from lots! period. You cant get decent pins for $1 each--sorry ya cant. I also run through a seller to see if they continuously relist the same pins--suspect. Always check everyones feedback. contact people if needed who left feedback. Finally you can get excited when shopping on the bay, but i always have my pinpics window open and literally check every pin i bid on to see if there are scrapper warnings and how old the pin is and any other info before i bid.

thants all i got.:io:

 

[Minnie594]

Great thread. Welcome to our world Queen :hsd:

 

[Milky]

wow i love everyone on here! i learned something also. It takes time. One thing i have learned on ebay is i keep a little traders list on WORD on my computer and when people on here have bad sellers with scrappers or bad traders, i list them to refer to (my bad list). Next i have bought on ebay alot. statistically i have done well. So now i kinda stick with sellers i know. NOw stay away from lots! period. You cant get decent pins for $1 each--sorry ya cant. I also run through a seller to see if they continuously relist the same pins--suspect. Always check everyones feedback. contact people if needed who left feedback. Finally you can get excited when shopping on the bay, but i always have my pinpics window open and literally check every pin i bid on to see if there are scrapper warnings and how old the pin is and any other info before i bid.

thants all i got.:io:

Ooooo! Share this magnificent list with us? XD haha!

The only thing I can add to this is that don't always rely on feedback. I know there are some eBay sellers that have 100% or like 98% who sell those like 30 "tradable real" pins for like $9 and they are all scrapped. That's because the people that purchase these don't know that they are fakes or don't care so of course they will leave a positive feedback. So in cases like these, it doesn't hurt to post here to ask if you should bid/buy something on eBay if you get suspicious. Doesn't hurt And again, go with your gut instincts. Ask sellers for more pictures. Ask them about pictures of the back. Ask them were they got it. Ask if they have the card (if it wasn't listed). Check their feedback. Check their completed. Check with your gut. If your gut tells you that it might be a fake then just hold off. There's always other chances

 

[Milky]

Milky - Oh my goodness, thank you SO much for all of that information and taking the time to post it! I have been using eBay for years and I -never- knew you could change the search to show completed listings. o.o So now I will be checking prices, etc to my hearts content- lol!
The storage options are fantastic too. To be honest, I quite like the idea of the bag (not gonna lie, I am a bit of a bag fanatic in general. :facepalm: ) - I am guessing you can get different Disney themes for the decoration on them? (Like those ones you linked have Mickey mouse on them?).

Thank you ever so much again, I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am for all of your help and the time you have taken to write this for me! You have been a huge help and have certainly educated me a fair bit!

I'm glad that my post can help ^__^

Half way writing it I was like :facepalm: I went overboard again... I hope this wall of text isn't so intimidating that it won't even be read ;__; but I'm glad that you did

You can check on pinpics the different trading bags there are. You can either purchase them from disney or from ebay. There also this store that might help you get disney goodies and bags! Even pins Although I'm not sure they ship overseas. Doesn't hurt to see what they have though

 

[Joysmom]

Milky, what a FABULOUS response! I cannot tell you how much I love detailed explanations with references! Hands down one of the very best answers I have seen to date thank you so much for your efforts.

BTW I looked for those Alice pins you suggested and they are not showing so I hope that they were yanked. FYI if anyone ever comes across a listing that states that they are knowingly selling fakes please report it. It is the one thing that is flagged for immediate attention and they will usually be taken down quickly. In fact if you call ebay and tell them they will take it down while you are on the phone. Clearly there are those of us that will pay a premium for authentic pins but the population that just wants to get over or come up on ebay (both buying and selling) has become an epidemic. It ends up hurting "us" the real collectors and of course our kids/grandkids because trading now becomes an investigation with high scrutiny which is monitored by parents and that just sucks.

Dawny, it is unconscionable that the CM's would knowingly trade scrappers! How dare they admit to knowing something is fake and passing on to an unsuspecting guest! Complaining to Disney about scrappers has gotten most of us nowhere because they flat out deny that they would ever allow such a thing to happen, yet we all know that it does. Considering that a simple training and strict policy of rejecting scrapers would eliminate the "tradeable" pin sales on ebay. After all they are instructed to not accept non-Disney stamped pins. Obviously there are clear and well known fakes as well as some pretty good forgeries, so there is no way to stop it 100% but it would at least be something that people think about before buying more from ebay.

Love this thread, thanks for all the great info!

 

[sgtbilko]

Hi.

Thank you all for a very good and helpful thread

Milky - I checked that store you linked and as far as I can see they do ship internationally

I'm glad that my post can help ^__^

Half way writing it I was like :facepalm: I went overboard again... I hope this wall of text isn't so intimidating that it won't even be read ;__; but I'm glad that you did

You can check on pinpics the different trading bags there are. You can either purchase them from disney or from ebay. There also this store that might help you get disney goodies and bags! Even pins Although I'm not sure they ship overseas. Doesn't hurt to see what they have though

 

[Queen]

Milky - Not at all! I really appreciate all the time and effort you have taken into making these posts. I am truly grateful for any information I am given and I am more than happy to read it- its better to know then going around wondering. You have been a fantastic help and answered a lot of queries I had- and you’ve also taught me a few new tricks, both of which I am very thankful for.


I have to say, I am in love with the store you linked. I can sense any money I have left over being maxed out when I next get paid. :facepalm: Thank you very much for sharing it with me! I now have my eyes on a particular lanyard too!


As far as the feedback thing on eBay goes, I’ve been looking through before I buy- to see if they have sold duplicates of these apparent ‘rare’ ones in the past and listed the one I am interested in as a different listing (does that even make sense? Lol). I definitely think I will be asking around if there are any pricey ones I am a bit cautious of. The last thing I want is to save up, spend and end up with a fake pin. >_<


Dawny - Thats some nice advise, thank you! I have stayed away from lots, mostly because I was a little cautious of them before I even knew about this site. I knew pins were collectable, so I found it a little hard to believe that there were x amount for a low price, or one rare limited pin for a low price.
I’ll definitely be referring to pinpics before every purchase and comparing if its an original photo of the item. I think I also might start taking note of bad pin sellers.


Thank you again for the advise!


Minnie594 - Thank you very much! I am loving how helpful and friendly everyone is here, I really can’t thank you all enough.


Joysmom - What you said, in regards to scrutiny and investigating when trading, reminds me of Pokemon cards when I was growing up. It was fun to start off with, then fakes started being produced. I remember going to an actual collectors fair and buying a set of cards. I was /so/ happy, until I got home and went to put them in plastic protectors- only to find out the corners were peeling off and they were the sticker-counterfeit type. :/ I think I was around ten or eleven at the time and I cannot even begin to say how sad I was to have spent my saved up pocket money on that. I find it sad that people do counterfeit goods for a quick buck/or money in general, even at the expense of kids. Its not fair on them, especially the families who are not that well off and have to save for a long time to obtain something they want. I just don’t understand how someone could knowingly do that.

 

[crushedbubbles]

If you need a good eBay seller to buy from for trading bags, I can send you some links! I've never bought any bags from them, but have bought pins from them. And welcome by the way, Queen!

 

[rubyslipperedgoddess]

I think this is an overstatement. Most pins on ebay are not fake. I've bought hundreds of pins on ebay over the years and only a couple have been fakes.

Real What a great friend ^__^

Pins from eBay doesn't mean it's automatically a fake. It does mean, however, that the majority of them are. You just gotta know what to look for and check with pinpics and people to see if there are scrappers out there before purchasing. And as many have said, if the price is too good to be true...

 

[Rocke01]

When I first read that someone said most pin auctions on EBay are fakes kind of offended me. I understand that everyone has a right to their own opinion but I feel that is an extreme opinion. What I would stay away from is auction lots that do not show pictures of the exact pins you are purchasing. Some of the lots being sold that show pictures are bad too so that is not 100%. Look for a seller that offers a guarantee on their pins. I would stay away from auctions that do not allow returns as well. Always check the feedback of the seller. If there is a neutral or negative read it and make sure there isn't anything about scrappers or fakes.

We sell on EBay fairly regularly and sometimes we do offer trader lots, but not often. We have to sell pins to make ends meet. Sometimes they have a fairly low starting bid but it isn't because they are bad pins it is because we need money more than pins at times. I start my pins low because I want them to sell! Right now we have the beloved tales Little Mermaid pin on that has been in my collection for over two years. I did trade for it when it was a newer release and I never had the card. It got several bids in just the first few hours of being offered. That does not make it a bad pin nor does it make me a bad seller. It is an over generalization to say the sellers are all bad or most pins are bad.

 

[Queen]

rubyslipperedgoddess, Rocke01 -
I agree, I don't believe everything on eBay is a fake/scrapper, but it does pay to be cautious and ask. I think the same goes with everything, though, and not just pins. When in doubt, ask away. It can't harm anyone if the seller has nothing to hide- and its better to ease your mind before spending money or not getting the pin/item you want at all.

With that being said, I did purchase myself a pin from eBay as I could not resist. Its Pin 69437: Disney Store Europe - Evil Queen / Old Hag Spinner, and whilst I am pretty confident its genuine (and drooling over it none the less), I do have a query- if anyone would be kind enough to help me out (again)? Lol. I am pretty sure you will all be getting pretty sick of me soon! Lol!

The pin itself, looks fine to me, but on the hag side of the spinner there is a slight lump/raised area of purple paint (on the right side in the photos). Could anyone advise me if this is a counterfeit or just a production error?
My friend (the same one who got me the last two pins) also snook in a Maleficent surprise pin from the same series and the same seller (seriously going to have to bomb him back with some pins now! He's far too sweet!). :shock: She looks completely fine to me- no bumps or visible signs. Although, on the barcode area on the back of her packaging it has her name, the Evil Queen does not. So, it just has me wondering some more!

Sorry for the huge images again! :facepalm:

And here's some other shots of the pin. The rest of it looks fine to me, its just that little raised patch that made me raise an eyebrow.

And here's Maleficent for anyone who wants to see!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b...F5-9408-DF98DFEAC6EF-126-0000006241F0CC72.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b...97-BBA4-D2CE23D7173A-126-0000006234C3F57C.jpg
Again! I am terribly sorry for being such a pest! :facepalm: Just trying to get to grips and understand whats what! ^^;

 

[Milky]

I think this is an overstatement. Most pins on ebay are not fake. I've bought hundreds of pins on ebay over the years and only a couple have been fakes.

I'm sorry I think I mistyped. I don't mean that "most" as in all but I meant most cheaper OE and HM are fakes. I also purchase from the Bay and I know that there are eBay sellers out there, me included, that do not sell fake pins. I guess I should have re-worded it to "there are fakes out there" instead of most of them are fakes.

 

[Milky]

When I first read that someone said most pin auctions on EBay are fakes kind of offended me. I understand that everyone has a right to their own opinion but I feel that is an extreme opinion. What I would stay away from is auction lots that do not show pictures of the exact pins you are purchasing. Some of the lots being sold that show pictures are bad too so that is not 100%. Look for a seller that offers a guarantee on their pins. I would stay away from auctions that do not allow returns as well. Always check the feedback of the seller. If there is a neutral or negative read it and make sure there isn't anything about scrappers or fakes.

We sell on EBay fairly regularly and sometimes we do offer trader lots, but not often. We have to sell pins to make ends meet. Sometimes they have a fairly low starting bid but it isn't because they are bad pins it is because we need money more than pins at times. I start my pins low because I want them to sell! Right now we have the beloved tales Little Mermaid pin on that has been in my collection for over two years. I did trade for it when it was a newer release and I never had the card. It got several bids in just the first few hours of being offered. That does not make it a bad pin nor does it make me a bad seller. It is an over generalization to say the sellers are all bad or most pins are bad.

I'm sorry if what I said previously offended you. That was completely not my intent. I did not mean that "most" as in all pins on ebay are fakes. I think in my head I meant "most" as in the ones that we, on DPF, know that are fakes such as Hidden Mickeys, some OE, and some CE. I apologize for the overstatement. In my head, I just remember that when I first started out I saw all these auctions and buy-it-nows for lots of pins for only $10! What I meant was to the starter trader who aren't looking for specifics and just looking at price or to get the most out of your buck, please be aware that they might be fakes. I also do not mean to say that any pin that is not on card are fake. I just meant that if it is a known scrapper and it isn't on a card, just be weary. Do your research. Ask for detailed photos and such. Again, I'm really sorry if I offended you Rocke01.

 

[Milky]

Again! I am terribly sorry for being such a pest! :facepalm: Just trying to get to grips and understand whats what! ^^;

No worries. You're not being a pest

I don't have this pin myself but, correct me if I'm wrong, I think it might just be a production error. That being said, does that seller have a return policy? You might be able to contact them and ask if they can exchange for another one without this blemish?

 

[Romancing_Train]

Dawny, it is unconscionable that the CM's would knowingly trade scrappers! How dare they admit to knowing something is fake and passing on to an unsuspecting guest! Complaining to Disney about scrappers has gotten most of us nowhere because they flat out deny that they would ever allow such a thing to happen, yet we all know that it does. Considering that a simple training and strict policy of rejecting scrapers would eliminate the "tradeable" pin sales on ebay. After all they are instructed to not accept non-Disney stamped pins. Obviously there are clear and well known fakes as well as some pretty good forgeries, so there is no way to stop it 100% but it would at least be something that people think about before buying more from ebay.

|

Disney does a lot for the people, and a ton for it's cast members. But TRAINING them on pin trading is not something they are worried about. It costs money to train people And the days we learn about pin trading is for the CMs to get to know the guests better. That's what it is for them. It's a way of making their CMs and guests happy.

Pin trading to some seems more then just a hobby. It sounds like a way of life. I will DIE if I get a scrapper. I will DIE if I don't get this pin.

Why does Disney allow scrappers? Because at the end of the day, we take them to our managers turn them in for brand new hidden mickeys in sealed packs and what happens? The manage throws the crappers away in the trash under their desk. Why? Because they've been there for a while and know what they look like.

But we are told to take every Disney pin, and sometimes we do more then that to make some guests happy. Some rack pins have poor quality control, if I told a guest no I can't take your pin, it looks faked and they just bought it how does that make them feel? I have met hundreds of people in a day who come to Disney for their first time, their only time, and their last time and they pin trade and are happy with the pins they get. We do our best with what we have and unless you are a collector yourself you really don't know anything about the pins you get from guests.

And on the flip side, if a manger catches you trading scrapper after scrapper in the either park they can and will throw you out. Why? Because they at least have the know and the authority to do so. The rest of the CMs cannot do this.

Also, take your time with some of the CMs protect yourself, ask them to see the pin, to look at the back of it, to hold onto it before you trade.