thickness vs thiness of pin?

[breadnbutterflies]

ive noticed on alot of pins i think are scrappers the metal is super thin,compared to a thickness ive seen on legit pins does this make a difference or does it not matter?just curious.thanks.

 

[breagirl]

I agree. For me, the best way I can spot a scrapper is first looking at the back. Checking to make sure any pins with mickey print that the print goes off the edge (no border). If it's a hidden mickey, those tend to be harder to spot. Those are the ones where you can usually tell the thickness isn't what it should be. Most scrappers I have seen either have a dull finish (not glossy), dips in paint, or the backstamp is hard to read (smudged, letters running together).

 

[miladymajor]

I've been looking at some of my pins that have known scrappers and noticed that some of them also have a more dull finish on the backside, but the backstamp looks perfectly legit (no smudges, no missing numbers or letters, no crowded lettering)...could this also be a factor in helping to determine scrappers?

 

[thejessta]

I've bought rack pins directly from Disney that were noticeably thinner than others. So I wouldn't go by thickness alone.

 

[iamdisneydan]

I agree with the Jessta, however, when he says thinner, there are limits. I did a thread with picture comparisons and while I wont get technical and the fact I used micrometers to check various pins, a slight difference is acceptable and should not be the only factor in considering a bad pin, however past a certain thiness it does become a problem.

Again without being too technical, I would say if the pin is half as thick as what you are comparing to, its a problem, a slight difference, well there has to be a certain degree of tolerance when manufacturing. Some people even go by weight.

 

[breadnbutterflies]

I agree with the Jessta, however, when he says thinner, there are limits. I did a thread with picture comparisons and while I wont get technical and the fact I used micrometers to check various pins, a slight difference is acceptable and should not be the only factor in considering a bad pin, however past a certain thiness it does become a problem.

Again without being too technical, I would say if the pin is half as thick as what you are comparing to, its a problem, a slight difference, well there has to be a certain degree of tolerance when manufacturing. Some people even go by weight.

i had one cast member tell me you could tell by the sound the pin makes when it hits a hard surface,but who wants to throw a pin that may be real.any thoughts on that?

 

[breagirl]

Carol-some of my pins where there aren't known scrappers have funky looking finishes, but the backstamp is correct (no smushed letters, etc). I have a feeling they are a lot more picky on the front surface versus the back. To me, the dull finish with paint bubbles/dips is a dead ringer for a scrapper.

It's funny, I've seen so many scrappers at this point, that I swear I can almost tell on a lanyard without even having to ask to see the pin.

 

[iamdisneydan]

I think 2 things on the sound it makes. 1 is they use a different alloy to make the pin and 2 is a heavier pin will have more of a solid sound with a deeper pitch and a thin light pin will have more ring to it but like you said, who want to do that to find out if its a real pin.

Thats like someone told me to scrap the pin and if it scratches it is fake. NO! no true but they actually feel it is a good way to tell. Geesh!

 

[miladymajor]

I hope that I am able to recognize scrappers with that much ease one day Brea! I am decent at it, but my last trip, I came home with probably 10 scrappers because I wasn't diligent in checking for them. I'll certainly be on high alert when the hubby and I head down to WDW in December!

 

[SnDMommy]

I agree. For me, the best way I can spot a scrapper is first looking at the back. Checking to make sure any pins with mickey print that the print goes off the edge (no border). If it's a hidden mickey, those tend to be harder to spot. Those are the ones where you can usually tell the thickness isn't what it should be. Most scrappers I have seen either have a dull finish (not glossy), dips in paint, or the backstamp is hard to read (smudged, letters running together).

Unfortunately, I've discovered that this method isn't always reliable anymore. I saw this post on another forum (hope it lets me link):
http://www.pintalk.com/showthread.php?121-New-Unauthorized-Pins-From-China...
These pins are not overruns, but straight up fakes. In other words, China plants are now making up their own designs and the head print on the back is in exactly the right condition. Out of curiosity, I checked ebay for some of these pins and they're all over the place. A couple of sellers even showed the back and sure enough, the mickey head print is correct.