SOLD! A Question about trading scrappers/fakes

I hope I am not violating forum rules, if I am, let me know and I will delete this post.

My question is one regarding pin trading philosophy. Do people here view it as permissible to trade scrappers/fakes for scrappers/fakes?

I ask because I actually like having a small collection of pins that are not real. The main reason is I wear them in the parks, and then I don't get too worked up when I lose one or three per trip (which inevitably seems to happen). I'd be really mad if I lost a $10 pin, but with scrappers, I'm...okay, admittedly I am still mad, but not as mad as I'd be having lost a $10+ pin.

So I tend to keep real pins in safer places, and use the scrappers for "park wear" (anyone who has met me knows my lanyard rarely has real pins on it, as I tend to lose a handful of pins per trip).

I was curious what people think of that philosophy. Am I the only one who has a collection of scrappers/fakes that I like well enough to wear around the parks? To me it's sort of on the line of making lemonade with lemons, and prevents me from losing pins that cost significant $$.

Secondly, given that I do actually collect scrappers to use a park wear (or flare), and given that it is unlikely that the scrapper market will go away, is it wrong to trade scrappers for scrappers (either on the forums or in person) assuming both parties are aware of what they are trading? I ask b/c there are some scrappers I actually like (I've even traded away some crummier real pins for scrappers I like).

Anyway, I thought this would be an interesting discussion if it is permissible without getting banned.

I don't see getting banned as a recourse to this philosophy at all, so don't worry about that.

That said, I do know a lot of people who do things with scrappers like make zipper pulls or other jewelry items. Why not use them if you have them? I personally wouldn't see a problem with trading scrappers for scrappers as long as no one is using them to trade with cast members or anyone else in the parks. I have one set of pins that I want to complete that is all scrappers so far (the princess circle puzzle set).

I don't see anything wrong with trading scrappers for scrappers as long as both parties are good with it. One way to not loose your real pins if you do want to wear them is to use the tie tack like metal backers not the screw on type. They rarely just fall off and are sold on ebay I believe, but haven't looked for them.

I have traded many scrappers for scrappers. Though not here on Dpf. I see no issue with trading them as long as both parties are in agreement.

I see no problem trading scrappers for scrappers as long as both parties knows what they are trading and as long as they are not being traded in the parks to CMs.

I just wrote a very long and very angry post on FB today in a thread that discussed pin trading at the parks. It was in a disney group, not a pin group. And so many people told the person asking the question to go buy pins at bay super cheap and then trade them for real pins in the park instead of paying lots for real pins. I was chocked at how many people do this on purpose! I couldn't help my self so I wrote a long post about how wrong I think it is. Asking them if they would also buy a fake designer bag in Thailand and feel ok with trading it with someone who had a real designer bag. Of course there is more money involved but its still the same thing! Its also a criminal act to make these fake pins and when they buy them they support the criminals so that they can keep destroying the market. And to hide behind that "All the pins on the CMs lanyards are fake anyway" is stupid, its because they put them there themselves! If they would stop the CMs lanyards would not be filled with fakes. Sigh.

With that being said about stupid people on FB Im going back to answer your question We too have a few fakes in our collections. Most of them pins that the kids have traded in the parks. But we saved them because they are cute, or looks really funny or just mean something special to us.

Snoffsan said:

I see no problem trading scrappers for scrappers as long as both parties knows what they are trading and as long as they are not being traded in the parks to CMs.

I just wrote a very long and very angry post on FB today in a thread that discussed pin trading at the parks. It was in a disney group, not a pin group. And so many people told the person asking the question to go buy pins at bay super cheap and then trade them for real pins in the park instead of paying lots for real pins. I was chocked at how many people do this on purpose! I couldn't help my self so I wrote a long post about how wrong I think it is. Asking them if they would also buy a fake designer bag in Thailand and feel ok with trading it with someone who had a real designer bag. Of course there is more money involved but its still the same thing! Its also a criminal act to make these fake pins and when they buy them they support the criminals so that they can keep destroying the market. And to hide behind that "All the pins on the CMs lanyards are fake anyway" is stupid, its because they put them there themselves! If they would stop the CMs lanyards would not be filled with fakes. Sigh.

With that being said about stupid people on FB Im going back to answer your question We too have a few fakes in our collections. Most of them pins that the kids have traded in the parks. But we saved them because they are cute, or looks really funny or just mean something special to us.

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I see similar posts in Disney groups all the time and I get so upset. It's one thing to trade for other fakes but for people who knowingly clean out all the real pins with their ebay junk... I just don't see how anyone could think that's ok. I have given up arguing with people about it because I get so frustrated. We only bring good pins to the parks... I let my kids trade for a fake one if they see it and like it but they don't wear them on lanyards because if we run into other traders (doesn't happen much at WDW, but just in case) I don't want to make them think we are trading fake pins and not want to trade with us. I think that would be the only downside to the idea of a real pin collector trading fakes for fakes.

Unfortunately the scrapper issue as not going away. The Disney way (happiest place on earth!) makes enforcement of ethical trades difficult (talk about ticking people off if the pin offered is rejected by a cast member... it just wouldn't work.) Thus... figuring out how to trade ethically, but protect yourself from fakes/scrappers/mistakes is the name of the game. For the most part I trade real pins with cast members (bought at a discount... usually at the Disney outlets) and sometimes I feel like a sucker. But then I think of the child who will follow me to the lanyard and their joy at finding my nice pin. Its that thought which keeps me trading nicer pins to the lanyards.

At the DSSH Grand Trading Event this past weekend there were cast members walking around with lanyards. According to another trader... there were some good pins on the lanyards at the start of the event. But every lanyard I looked at was coated with fakes/scrappers. I don't think I saw a real pin on any of them. This was a paid event with experienced traders. Even in this venue the lanyard ended up coated in fakes/scrappers. I was a bit appalled.

Figuring out how to deal with the scrapper issue is something we all have to do on an individual basis. NDBounce... I think what you are doing is fine.

I trade pins I have that are the real deal ,if I see a nice one on the lanyard ,if it's a scrapper ,I use it to teach my son who's 27 ,he does not talk to much and if it's a character he knows ,I will have him tell me ,and I have several scrappers here,and use them as a game if I have more than one of the same pin ,he likes to play ,match the right pin that's the same ...but I hate that people trade scrappers and fake to the cast members ,it makes me sick

Judy

We trade real pins to Cast members. We even had a cast member comment to us once. He got a big smile and said... this is a real one! It is sad to see so many scrappers at the park but if we want a pin we will trade for it regardless. For us it is about the trading experience and the friendships we have formed with cast members throughout the years.

Scrappers are a very touchy subject, and posting a thread about wanting to buy/sell/trade scrappers/counterfeits itself is against forum rules. But is it bad for wanting otherwise unwanted pins for personal use, no. Of my most wanted pins, I did up buying a scrapper from China for my own personal collection as there is no other way then trading/buying it(at an very inflated price) from someone who received it direct. I also remember a member who would donate her scrapper pins she had acquired to hospital children. If you are knowingly trading scrappers with someone for the principle purpose of wearing, that is a deal between you and the fellow trader, just don't use it as an excuse of trading those types of pins with CM's who cannot refuse a trade...

akbecker246 said:

At the DSSH Grand Trading Event this past weekend there were cast members walking around with lanyards. According to another trader... there were some good pins on the lanyards at the start of the event. But every lanyard I looked at was coated with fakes/scrappers. I don't think I saw a real pin on any of them. This was a paid event with experienced traders. Even in this venue the lanyard ended up coated in fakes/scrappers. I was a bit appalled.

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Wow. That's just sad. I've always wanted to believe that most scrappers come from people who don't know better, but that's obviously not the case at an event like that.

So would it be a problem to trade a counterfeit pin to a cast member if you're getting a counterfeit pin off their lanyard? Personally, I don't have a problem with this, but given the other posts here, it sounds like many others would still consider this wrong. What are your thoughts?

Yes, because you are just perpetuating the problem. And someone else will come along looking to trade for your pin, which is also fake.

and whoever mentioned the cast member was excited to get a real pin is right. I've never had them say they were happy to get a "real pin" but many have been excited at getting a "cute" pin from me because I am trading booster and extra mystery pack pins usually and not one of the hundreds of fake pins they see all day. (Like those Disney world flags? They are everywhere, fake, and boring.)