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GUIDE KEEPER! It's a relative term

OK, so there have been post about keepers versus traders in your book, lanyard, etc but what is a keeper really? Is it tradeable?

My kids and I wear Lanyards with our keepers to show off but as I have explained to them, the term KEEPER is a relative term because what if someone offered you a pin either higher up on your grail list or a pin that has 2,3 or even 4 times the value?

I have about 20 pins on my Lanyard and I refer to them as keepers. When a trader asked me while looking at my books if they are for trade, I said they are my keepers, however, if something came along I just had to have, I may be willing to give one up.

The trader mentioned which pin they would like to have knowing it would take a good trade to get it and guess what, they had one of my highest grails for Max and we made the trade. Even if you have a set you are trying to complete or completed, if something came around you wanted more would you consider trading it? What if they offered you 2 sets you have wanted for the one set?

I think a better term may be this are my hardest pins as I am attached to them and it would take a great trade to sway me.

I know, some of you have pins you would never trade. never say never. So you have a DSF Grape Soda (Ellie Badge) and you worked very hard for it and will never trade it, then someone who wants it that bad offers you 2 pins that are DA100 pins and valued at $300.00 each. So you're gonna still keep the Ellie Badge? Just an example so I believe all pins are tradeable and even when we say it's a keeper, there is a price for everything.

There is only one pin I would never trade and its not a grail, its the first pin I ever traded and it stays at home in a frame anyways.

So would you agree that the Term KEEPER is a relative term?
 
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I feel like none of my pins are keepers and that's why my entire collection is stored on my 'trades' list. Sure, there are my more wanted pins I'd be less likely to trade... but there is always a few pins I'd trade anything for no matter what.
 
While that's all fine and good, it's still annoying when you're trying to work a trade, and someone tells you "no" like, 10 times because they're all their keepers. I think when you're a newbie, it's almost impossible not to carry your keepers around...I know I did it. But eventually, you realize that it's just less hassle to either remove them, or put them in a separate book (I always appreciate it when people do that).

It also really depends what field you're playing in. Like, when you're dealing in pins that are easy to replace, then sure, why not? But when you're talking DA 100s or some such, then you run the risk of years of waiting to find it again, or maybe paying more. Of course, if you REALLY want what they're offering you, it might be worth it- I'd still rather not lose one to gain one. I'll just wait for it to come around again, and then I'll have both :)

....am I at 25 yet? I'm not a very chatty person- this is tough!
 
I understand the risk of finding another DA100 that you are trading but remember mu scenario, you hae lets say a DA100 Jessica woth $300.00 and someone is willing to trade you 3 other DA100 Jessicas worth $900.00. I am just mking an example that for the right price/trade, almost everything becomes tradeable. I am not talking easy pin for hard pin, this is hard for hard and so on.

Unless I have a personal attachment to a pin like a friend who died gave it to me, It is tradeable.
Oh and your at 12, half way there...lol
 
I think the term "keeper" depends on the collector. Any pin once it finds it's way into my "keep" book, I rarely take one out to trade it. Usually I'll always hold onto that pin because I truly only trade for ones I must have. There's a ton that I would love to have, and could go off in so many different circles collecting all the different themes I'd like to, but I try and keep it to a few themes only and truly only collect my must haves from within that theme.

Would I trade a pin out of my collection for a pin on my want list? No. Because then I'd have to refind that other pin I just traded.
 
If the right offer came along, and maybe it was one I wouldn't mind giving up too much, then yeah, I bet you could. But I can only think of maybe like 2% of my collection I'd trade for something else. The other 98%, I wouldn't trade for anything.
 
Oh I dont know Shane. If the right pin was offered and harder to get than the one you are trading, you may do it.
Next time I see you I am going to have to put it to the test...lol
I see the sles are going pretty well. Hope to see you soon back on this end.....
 
LoL! Well, that's only something that can be figured in the moment now! LoL! Yeah, give me shot. Just tell me what you want from my collection and I'll let you try. LoL!

Sales are going well. I'm not leaving the hobby if that's what you mean. Many people don't know it's against the law in Orange County, CA to stop collecting. There's talk of it becoming a federal law too. Something I don't want to mess with! (Hey, I'm sticking to it so I don't have to quit!) LoL!!! You can't help those that don't want it! LoL!
 
iamdisneydan said:
I understand the risk of finding another DA100 that you are trading but remember mu scenario, you hae lets say a DA100 Jessica woth $300.00 and someone is willing to trade you 3 other DA100 Jessicas worth $900.00. I am just mking an example that for the right price/trade, almost everything becomes tradeable. I am not talking easy pin for hard pin, this is hard for hard and so on.

Unless I have a personal attachment to a pin like a friend who died gave it to me, It is tradeable.
Oh and your at 12, half way there...lol
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Well, until that happens, it's all just theory. And I have a feeling that the chances of that happening are about as likely as Hamm flying. :P
 
I have had NON-Traders who dont really collect pins but are in a certain industry and find the pin in their industry that have offered almost anything to get the pin. They dont collect, trade or anything, they just know they want it.
And if you are old school, ham did fly for Pink Floyd and is now (or was) flying at all of their concerts.

Its the principal. Regardless of it happening, it can and has in many cases.
If yo had a pin that was a keeer and hard to get and was worth $300.00 and I offered you $1,000.00 I suppose you would say no?
Pins are not that important to me at any level. Its just a collection and if I can get that kind of trade, I am going for it.

Its all about a term anyways. I hear people all the time say it's a keeper and then see a pin they want even more and trade their so called keeper. Think of bidding wars on ebay. When someone wants something bad enough, they will offer their first born.

This is reality. Maybe not with you, but in the real world, it happens all the time.
 
I have some pins that no offer could entice me to trade them. They are part of my core collection, very rare and impossible to get. I do have some that I would trade if the "price is right", but I have keepers that are just exactly that - keepers. Nothing would make me trade them. I've been offered money, pins, etc, but no deal.

You theory works well if you are physically in the trading area, but for general purposes and to avoid confusion, the theory has flaws. When I ask about a trade on Pinpics I usually put in the text box "Looking to open a dialog here and make a trade" then send the request. That way they know we are just starting. I've gotten way more replies. If they have a pin I really want, I tell them to look at my collection and let's talk.
 
iamdisneydan said:
Its the principal. Regardless of it happening, it can and has in many cases.
If yo had a pin that was a keeer and hard to get and was worth $300.00 and I offered you $1,000.00 I suppose you would say no?
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I'd possibly say no. The term "keeper" is not the only thing relative here. The values of items and dollars is also relative to each person. To elaborate on your hypothetical scenario, let's suppose someone is giving me that offer but also that i am at a point where financially 1000 bucks doesn't mean much to me. Even though it is a good deal, I may not take it because 1) I may not want to go through the hassle of finding my pin again or 2) I may find an offer like that to be obnoxious and don't want to encourage someone who thinks they can just throw their money around. On the other hand, if I am financially hurting, yeah, that keeper might be out the door real quick.
 
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I had a rare, much-sought-after pin that I paid $226 for, and a year ago someone offered me $1,000 for it. I turned the offer down. Why? Two reasons: (1) the pin was a definite keeper, one of the pinnacles of my Alice collection, and (2) it seemed preposterous to rip someone off by selling the pin for that price (even though other people were accepting that person's similarly high-priced offers for other rare pins).

A month ago, I sold the pin for a little over $300. I made a profit. But WAY WAY WAY less than if I'd sold it a year ago.

Now that I'm selling my entire collection, that pin--and all the other high-end pins--aren't ones I want to keep. Besides three framed sets that I'm keeping as art for my walls rather than as pins, I'm only going to keep three pins, each of which has sentimental value (and each of which is, coincidentally, an extremely inexpensive pin).

It's all a matter of perspective and time, I guess.
 
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This is a really interesting debate. There are some pins I wouldn't trade or sell (regardless of what was being offered, unless I knew I could get another easily. My Princess & the Frog pins fall into that category. Others I might give up if it enabled me to finish off my p&f collection. Generally though, if it's in my collection list on Pinpics it ain't going anywhere.
 
There are some pins I would NEVER EVER trade. Now, saying this they do not leave the protection of my house and would be one of the first things I would grab if the smoke detectors went off.
 
I agree whole heartedly Sandy, in the event of a fire, yes my pin bags are one of the first things I would grab! I would never part with any pin in my collection, I have nearly every Pinocchio pin, so how could I part with one? It would make my collection incomplete!
 
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erudolf said:
The term "keeper" is not the only thing relative here. The values of items and dollars is also relative to each person.
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Good point!

For me, if the right deal came along at the right time, I'd say yes. But the chances of what I value my pins both monetarily and sentimentally being met are slim.
 
I would say that many of my keepers are pins I would not trade, but there are always exceptions to the rule. There are some I would not trade for anything and others I would trade for the right deal. I don't list my keepers in my trades on Pinpics though.

Joy
 
I definitely would if the right offer came along for the majority of my pins. But some of my pins are already the ones I wanted most and not even my current most wanted could entice me to trade them away....
 
OK, I stand corrected so let me lay it out now on a different level.
These pins that Truely are KEEPERS, do you take them with you when you go to the park, a pin trading event or whatever, or do they stay safetly in the comfort of your home?

I know I have about 5 pins that have great sentimental value and would never trade them. On the other hand, They never leave my house.
I do see some people wear a lanyard full of DA100 pins though but are those their pride and joy and they would never ever trade?

This has been a very interesting conversation and I am seing a different side. I guess some people keep all their pins together whether for trading, keeping, holy grails, etc.

But in the same token, as crazy as it may be, I always like to look at what if's.
Pigs may evolve and grow wings and fly one day.

So here is a fantasy just for fun question. I know someone mentioned they would not want to take advantage of someone for such a high price or be insulted that they think they can offer a great sum of money and get what they want. It ws also said that maybe you dont need the money. So Donald Trump likes one of your pins but you dont want to trade it and he offers you $20,000.00 (which in relative terms is like a dollar to you and I ) for you pin. You're gonna pass that up and feel insulted he thinks he can buy you?

I guess I have a price and if someone is willing to pay it, IT'S THEIRS. So you would not sell your pin to the Donald? (lol)
 
I have approximately 60 LE100 Jessicas in my collection that I would "never" trade, but if one of my Holy Grails were offered I may consider it. I would have to weigh the possibility and relative difficulty of replacing the traded pin before doing so. I would not sell these unless I was financially strapped or I could buy replacements at a much lower price. I have one pin that was given to me by Scoop that I will never trade or sell because it has a sentimental value to me.

Debby disagrees and says all pins are expendable, but I bet she would never give up her Stitch vacuuming pin (ThanksThy!) :stitch:
 
Now you say you would never trade them, BUT, if one of your holy grails came along you may consider it.
So you would possibly trade it then. First you said NEVER, then you said, but if my holy grail.....
see what I mean.

Debby is right...lol
 
iamdisneydan said:
So here is a fantasy just for fun question. I know someone mentioned they would not want to take advantage of someone for such a high price or be insulted that they think they can offer a great sum of money and get what they want. It ws also said that maybe you dont need the money. So Donald Trump likes one of your pins but you dont want to trade it and he offers you $20,000.00 (which in relative terms is like a dollar to you and I ) for you pin. You're gonna pass that up and feel insulted he thinks he can buy you?
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If I'm me and Donald wants to give me 20 grand for one of my pins, it is all his. If I am Oprah I'd tell him to take a hike.

Throwing out extreme and outlandish scenarios will of course generate different results. But in the realm of what is realistic, there are absolutely keepers. By not putting realistic boundaries on the scenario then you are essentially saying that no pin is ever a keeper, in which case, the thread should be renamed Traders vs. Traders.

If someone says that something in their trader book is a keeper there could be several reasons why:

1) they could feel bad saying they don't like any of your pins
2) they could be stereotyping and just assuming you don't have what they really want
3) they may have thought you wouldn't go for the pins you did and thought it easier just to say they were for trade rather than pointing out the ones that weren't
4) they could just be trying to show off in order to compensate for their insecurities
5) they could have traded for the pin, stuck it in the book, and forgot it was still there
6) they could be trying to play you into offering them more than you should just to get it

And the list goes on..... You just don't know why unless you ask because the reason could be different for every person.
 
Dan,
To a degree "keeper" is a relative term. However, there are plenty, if not most, in my collection that just are not for trade.
Granted, my collection is quite small in comparison to many out there. I am overall pretty selective of what I collect. Some items, such as Hidden Mickey sets, are low attachment/low priority/open-to-be-parted-with if the right thing comes along.
For the most part, if it is not on my "trades" list, it's not up for trade.
Most "keepers" stay home. A couple of them come out to be worn on my lanyard when I vacation to the parks, usually doubles, never pins I have a high attachment to. And those pins may be open to trade... if the right little kid asks politely.
 
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