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Is it really worth the hassle?

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Is it really worth the hassle?
Geoff

Geoff

Almost >< A DPF Charter Member
Rating - 75%
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Location
Redlands, CA
About 10 months ago, I was still somewhat new to pin trading. I was fully aware of fakes and scrappers of cheap pins, hidden mickeys and the such, but i had no idea that expensive LE pins were faked. I think too that there had not yet been the explosion of high end fake pins yet at that time, and the high end counterfeit business was just really starting to take off. I had just started getting into nicer LE Stitch pins when I received this in a trade:
pin68982

At the time, I unknowingly traded (hard) for the fake that said "LE 250" on the back of it. I just got the real one this last Monday at the park. My dilemma is this: this long after the fact, should I try to get re-compensation? The trader I got it from still trades in the park from time to time (but not as frequently due to legal issues with the park). I know from other traders that he knowingly traded it to me as a fake pin, and he in fact may have been one of the sources of the fakes that are in circulation today. A friend told me that as soon as I traded it from him another fake appeared in his book the next day, and he was bragging about the fact to others that he got good stuff out of me for a fake. He also purposely mislead me about the pin; he told me it was a Little Mermaid crossover pin (the only reason I wanted it) when it has nothing to do with TLM. Unfortunately, this trader also either currently is or was at one time a DPF member as well but for the sake of not causing problems I will not divulge his name.


This guy has been known to cause problems in the park with other traders, and is a behind-the-keyboard bully online as well. He consistently takes advantage of others in trades and has the nerve to brag about it to others. I have personally witnessed this and stopped talking to him after he did it to a young trader that I happen to be friends with; this is after I stopped trading with him after I found out the pin in question was fake about 2 months ago.


So, to reiterate my question after a bit of :soapbox: ing; do you guys think it would be worth the hassle of confronting him and demanding he do something about it even though some time has passed? What do you think I should do? Any other alternative views or ideas?
 
Well if they are here on DPF, I think you should leave feedback at least, so people are warned.
If it were me, I'd try to get my pins back. I'm not sure how, maybe next time you see him at the park you could get Disney security involved, since he's trading fakes.
 
I hope other people will reply to this thread.1st if it were me I would try to get my trade back or at least equal compensation (hopefully you will get it back). Then I would tell him if he doesn't stop trading fakes that you will report him to the proper authorities. Sometimes that's all it takes. If you go back at another time and find out he's still pushing his fakes on innocent traders...REPORT HIM!!!! This is wrong and it's up to people like you and me and any other dedicated trader to stop this in it's tracks. If he bullies you then i would definately talk to one of the DPF managers and let them know whaqt;s happening. Remember, right is on your side, again this just what I WOULD DO. Let your heart guide the way. I tell you this I wish i were there because this would then be an entirely different story. You can believe that. Hope this helps, Good luck.

Jimmy
 
I agree with Jimmy.

In all likelihood, you will not get anything back for the pin, but I would let them know straight out that if they are knowingly trading fakes, you will report them to Disney and let the Mods know here on DPF.
I am not sure about the leaving of feedback for a trade that had nothing to do with the forum, but you could ask a mod. :)

Vicki
 
I agree with Crystal, the other trader needs to either step up or step out. You could always run your own little sting where someone else can go trade with him for one of his fakes and then TWO people can call security on him.
 
Well.. Where to start. I know for a fact that you are lying about most things in your post. The person that traded you that pin (This is high school and i found out through another member who you are talking about) does not "Knowingly" trade fake pins. Most people, Like yourself and your wife don't like him because hes such a hard trader to deal with because he knows the value of his pins and what he wants from them. Probably should not post threads like this in a public forum unless its going to be 100% true and drag the guys name through the mud (im assuming that people have asked who it is in PM and i know you have told people who this thread is about..grape vine). You know this persons DPF name. I know you seen him in the park or at least will see him in the park an probably should have asked him about that trade you made A YEAR AGO.

The young guy that you refer to in this thread im also pretty sure I know him as well and I do recall that trade they made that day as it was a very big one. I also remember this person that you are bad mouthing telling the younger guy that at the end of the trade, IF HE WAS NOT HAPPY he would be here for a while and IF he decided that he didnt want to keep the pins he would trade them back, no questions. I also remember 90% of what they traded for and let me tell you that the pin he gave up that the trade revolved around was a very pricey pin that even me as a stitch collector i still dont have because of the cost of that pin.

Maybe you should have dealt with this in a private form rather than lashing out at the "Key-board-bully". Also, stop spreading your rumors. We all went through high school once, Im sure we dont need to go through it again. O yeah.. I guess i can now get off my soap box :p
 
1. If a person came back from one year ago to say I traded him/her a fake pin (which I don't do, but let's say that happened), I would be extremely skeptical because I would think that person is trying to scam me (do a switcheroo).

2. It's been a year. Live & learn. Seriously. I had a trader on PP trade me a fake LE pin and when I told him, he offered to return my pin to me and get his back (no scrapper alert on PP, but there was a very obvious border around the entire back of the pin). Hmm, I spent $2.50 to mail my pin, spend $2.50 to return the fake pin. That's $5. Um, no (especially since I didn't think the pin I traded to him was all that special too).
 
i think there was a number to the FBI and ICE when the guys and gf got busted.... if u really feel that they had a part in all the fakes.... I would call and turn them in... ASAP.... no ???? about it...
 
We would just let it go. I mean, yes its wrong but what can we do? Reporting him wont do any good. Then we get back to high school standards and revert to childish behavior. We try and recompensate he may not agree nd put up a fight. Just forget and move on. Lesson learned. Fakes are bad. We know. I know they may not be words you want to hear but its life. In the end, it may be princple, it may be honesty, it may be rotten bevahior, but theyre just painted pieces of metal. Hope we helped.

IsaacandAmanda
 
In all honesty I would NOT approach the trader if it has been over a couple of months. It just isn't worth it. Besides if he is known to cause a scene that is exactly what would happen and you do not want to be involved in that. If security is called then you are involved. Even though you got a fake pin it was too long ago and you will be viewed as a trouble maker by those around you. We trade at DLR and I do not know who you are talking about. Truthfully, I do not want to know who it is because we like most of the traders there. Even the harder traders are nice, just tough. We have unknowingly traded for fake pins before and what I do is just not trade with them again. Simple as that. Live and learn.

As far as the "lying" goes, I do not think anyone is intentionally telling untruths just telling things as they remember them. There are two different viewpoints here. No one needs to berate anyone especially in writing. State your viewpoint and counter with another viewpoint but leave out the name calling. Unless you are getting paid like the "Housewives from Orange County" do it is just not attractive... LOL
 
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ThestitchITCH said:
(This is high school...
Click to expand...

Wow. I'm genuinely disappointed. Seeing your collection was one of the reasons I really started getting in to Stitch in the first place and this makes me sad. You would rather just blast me like that rather than talk to me in person or in PM and find out what is going on? Or you couldn't even leave it well enough alone because I never said any names and it literally had nothing to do with you whatsoever? You really need to check your facts before you start accusing me of lying. The things I saw (which by the way you were NEVER around for; quit trying to stick up for your friend) happened more than once and in front of other people besides me, including other DPF members and other Stitch collectors who asked to stay out of this.

ThestitchITCH said:
Most people, Like yourself and your wife don't like him because hes such a hard trader to deal with because he knows the value of his pins and what he wants from them.
Click to expand...

OK, this is so wrong on so many levels. Again, the person/s I am referring DOES know the value of their pins. That's the whole problem. Time and time again I have seen trades go down (not just with them, in general) where the real value is completely blown out of proportion and this is what I was talking about in the trade with the kid. Kid was told the pin was worth $150-$200 when in reality it was worth $79.99 on the bay right now, BIN, and the trader KNEW THAT and was telling people they conned the kid later, and no, the trader I was talking about did NOT stick around more than 10 minutes after the fact, and the kid was really upset about it when he found out from another trader (NOT me) that he had been swindled. And no, you were NOT there for the trade I am talking about so don't act like you were.

Did you ever stop to think that "Most people, Like yourself and your wife" as you put it, don't like this person because they are sick of losing out in trades and that this person trades so hard "most people" know they will always lose a lot of value trading with this person? You yourself said "most people", and you are right, "most people" won't ever trade with this person because the don't like being taken for a ride but I never seem to have that problem for some reason. Thats one thing no one has ever been able to accuse me of.

What I can't understand is that you would blindly and without question stick up for the other guy (who I never named out of respect for their privacy and who you seem so sure you know) without even asking for clarification, and attack me like that just on the assumption that you know who I am talking about. Are people still this ignorantly faithful to others to the point they are purposely oblivious to the actions of those they defend?

This kind of thing is exactly what I was talking to a friend about a couple weeks ago in the park; we have to stand up for ourselves, and stop letting other people walk all over us. If you see something happen, speak up and don't let it continue. Months ago, I would have just let this go, never had said a word, and just kept my head down and kept going. But even though I may have lost out due to not knowing what I was doing way back when, I know now and I won't just take it lying down; I'm sick of being a doormat for those that think they are better than everyone else.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention, you were right about one thing, this does remind me an awful lot of high school. Thing is, I gave high school up the day I graduated 12 years ago but it sounds like some people never leave after they get their diploma.
 
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On another note, thanks everyone for your suggestions. Sometimes it just feels good to vent a little. And I agree with all of you that it is way too late to do anything about it except make sure it doesn't happen again. Starry_solo, isaacandamanda, and rocke1 all have good points, thanks, especially starry_solo about trying to fix it almost a year later would just seem shady on my part. And crystalentertainment, huertajv, and applecore, if it does ever happen in front of me again, be sure I will report it.
 
I just started trading pins since March and my collection is growing extensively because it's addictive...however, I did my research before becoming part of this hobby and luckily learned what to look for (googled it!).. I've been to a few trading events and so far people have been great and helpful, I still have yet to find a pin I would trade my soul for... That being said, if anyone sees me at the park or event I would sure like to be warned about people who do this type of stuff... It's just wrong...
 
I have personally met Geoff in Disneyland so I will stand behind him and his wife. They are both fair traders and Geoff was the one that told me what to look for in scrappers and how to know right off hand.

I have almost been conned by a father and son and also one other dude. I think it is unfair to try and con people for a higher priced pin or try and pass off a scrapper/fake pin on to someone. Espically if they are youn traders or fairly new at pin trading. I am always fair when trading for pins. And I will let them know that the pin they want is a Le pin and I would like a Le pin for it. If they have rack pins or hidden mickey I will direct them towards rack pins and hidden mickeys and I will inspect their hidden mickey and rack pins.
 
Combatdre said:
I just started trading pins since March and my collection is growing extensively because it's addictive...however, I did my research before becoming part of this hobby and luckily learned what to look for (googled it!).. I've been to a few trading events and so far people have been great and helpful, I still have yet to find a pin I would trade my soul for... That being said, if anyone sees me at the park or event I would sure like to be warned about people who do this type of stuff... It's just wrong...
Click to expand...

Yes please do, if anybody sees me in a park or at an event. And there's shady pin traders, let me know. I would really hate being ripped off cause i don't take that quietly at all. You're messing with my investment, and we don't do that, trust me.

uptownbabe said:
I have personally met Geoff in Disneyland so I will stand behind him and his wife. They are both fair traders and Geoff was the one that told me what to look for in scrappers and how to know right off hand.

I have almost been conned by a father and son and also one other dude. I think it is unfair to try and con people for a higher priced pin or try and pass off a scrapper/fake pin on to someone. Espically if they are youn traders or fairly new at pin trading. I am always fair when trading for pins. And I will let them know that the pin they want is a Le pin and I would like a Le pin for it. If they have rack pins or hidden mickey I will direct them towards rack pins and hidden mickeys and I will inspect their hidden mickey and rack pins.
Click to expand...

Ditto x3
 
my answer is the same. tell disney security if he doesnt correct it. Really tell them anyway and get him booted. He is doing it to someone else right now and it needs to be stopped. he is not a pin trader he a pin traitor (a person who uses pin trading as a cover for greedy reasone like profit and manipulation)

I left for 3 years due to that type of person and am just coming back now. sad to see it is still going on but if you let it go then he wins

Happy trades
Kirk
 
Here are a few things I have learned recently:

1. If they are a shark, don't trade with them. Simply close your book to them when they want to trade with you.

2. If you spot a genuine scrapper or fake, ask them quietly about it. If they insist it is real and you know it is a scrapper, just refuse that and all other trades with them. And be certain to let them know why.

3. If you think you are upside down in a trade, why do it?

4. If you spot someone that has a board or book full of scrappers for the kids or for one to one easy trades, let another trader know. if they concur, then get security involved QUIETLY. People ARE being escorted out of the park expeditiously because of the scrapper trading.

5. Be sure to thank the sharks for the loss of the barrels at WeHo at DLR.

Trading is supposed to be fun, and most importantly equitable. It was not started to be a for profit operation, and TWDC does want it to be solely people operating for profit. They want people there that enjoy the hobby and love collecting. PERIOD.
 
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