1st Time Going to a Park Packing Serious Metal

So I am attending the WDW Marathon week from Jan. 10-13. It is what I call my week of 1sts. During the 1st month of 2013, I'll be running my 1st WDW Marathon, which is my 1st Marathon, attending my 1st Pasta in the Park, visiting New Fantasyland for the 1st time, and this is the 1st time I'll be going to a park after seriously getting into pin trading (I got into trading after my trip to WDL this past summer so I joined afterwards, though I did trade here and there with the 20 or so pins I had then...now I have over 50!).

Here are my questions:

• How should I pack all my pins for the plane ride? In a suitcase on a lanyard (I only have 1 lanyard and no pin book) or something else?

• Once in FL, should I buy a pin book from WDW or are those too small? I do like them, they are nice, but for those who do have them or who ever have had them, how many do they hold (the big ones, not the tiny carry next to your hip at all times one)?
• Is it smarter to have a lanyard or that mini pin carrying pouch that Disney sells? The pouch is better for keeping your pins safe, but other traders don't always see your pouch and I would like others to know I am interested in trading. I have also heard stories of other traders who refuse to trade with a person because they don't see any LEs on their lanyard. However, lanyards put your pins at risk for being scratched or worse, lost! What do you guys do when you go to the parks?
• Where are all the best spots in Magic Kingdom and Epcot to pin trade and what times are the best? My trip is very short as I start college the day after the marathon so my trip is like so: (I arrive on Thursday, go to Magic Kingdom on Friday, prep for the race on Saturday and I can enter Epcot at 6pm or later for the Pasta in the Park party, and then run the race before catching a plane late at night on Sunday)
• What should I look out for when trading? I know many people might carry scrappers so how is a nice way of asking to see if another person or CM's pin is a scrapper (because they might not like you touching their pin) and what is a nice way of saying their pin is a scrapper? Or should I just not mention it to them, although I feel obligated to do so as I would hate another person to trade for that pin if it was a scrapper

Thanks everyone for reading and any help would be greatly appreciated! I can't wait, but I do want to make sure my first time trading is an enjoyable one so any help is welcome! HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!

Congrats on the race- It's my first full as well

As for pin trading- Guest to guest trading in the parks is fairly non-existent now days (nothing like DLR) and most guests wearing lanyards arn't interested in trading as most dont guest to guest trade or just wear keepers.. If the trading tables come back to epcot by them (removed for christmas crowds) often youll find people there but IMO they tend to be more sharks than fair traders..

As for guest to cast trading- doesnt matter where you keep those pins-I tend to either have a lanyard in my bag or in a ziplock..

Right now scrappers are running fairly rampant on cast lanyards so sadly trying to deal with it is swimming upstream and 99% of the cast dont 'do pins' so dont understand/care. Their rules are pin for pin nothing about legit/scrapper..

One of my favorite things to do at WDW is go up to kids wearing lanyards and giving them pins. Do it at least once...you will make their day and SHOCK the CRAP out of their parents. (something FREE at WDW!!?? No!)

That being said: Congrats on the marathon. I waited too long to register I really wanted to do it too. Oh well, there is always next year!

Lanyards...my only issue with these puppies is if you don't have locking backs:expect to lose a few pins. I found great locking backs on eBay since the ones at WDW are CRAZY expensive. (PM me for sellers name if you want to know)

I would get a pin bag this trip since you are into trading now. You won't regret it!

And I agree with -em...most people wearing lanyards arn't in it for trading...they don't "get" why the lanyards were created and MOST don't even know you can trade with cast members. it's astounding.

Have FUN and good luck with the marathon!!!

I just packed all of my pins in a plastic bag for the way there

I kept my good pins on my lanyard with a better locking back I bought off of ebay
I didnt plan on trading any of the pins on my lanyard, so they werent going anywhere (though I did give one to a young kid)

I did meet with some other traders at the park and we looked at each others pins, but neither had what the other wanted
x)

As for cast member pins, everyone I asked if I could look at a pin closer said it was fine. I did find lots of scrappers, but since I was giving most of my pins out to younger kids, it didnt really bother me as much since Im more than certain they didnt care or know the difference. But I did luck out and I found a few pins from cards, so looking everywhere is worth it

And dont forget about the pin books at the customer service area at the front of each park

Thanks everyone for your input so far! From the general consensus it seems that I shouldn't be too focused on pin trading as it isn't all that great nowadays unless it is a PTN or something along those lines. Also, I think I'll keep my keepers at home even though I do like to wear them, the risk of losing or getting them damaged just isn't worth it xP

5titch said:

And dont forget about the pin books at the customer service area at the front of each park

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I never knew there were pin books at the customer service area at the front of each park O_O Do you have to ask to see it or is it always just displayed? Are there any other places like that to trade in the parks that aren't directly off of CM's lanyards???

Here's a secret..go to the stroller rental place and ask for the secret pin trading cart The only have it out at random times but it covered in pins so maybe you will get lucky

Disxar said:

Here's a secret..go to the stroller rental place and ask for the secret pin trading cart The only have it out at random times but it covered in pins so maybe you will get lucky

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What if they don't have it out? This is very interesting, I will definitely make it my first stop in Magic Kingdom!!! :eek2: Do they just say "I'm not sure what you are talking about" or something along those lines?