Anyone else notice that Pink a la Mode switched from Limited Edition to "Special Edition"?

Meaning they can release as many pins as they want because they are no longer marked limited edition? So each group they can call Special Edition #____ and then make another set that's Special Edition #____?

That's... concerning.

Anyone notice any other licensees doing this?

I second that being concerning.

What's the difference between Special and Limited Edition?

disneykins said:

What's the difference between Special and Limited Edition?

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Limited Edition means only a certain amount (i.e. 300) are released and the company doesn't/can't make more or it's false advertising. Special Edition is a made-up nothing name that means they can make 300 now, 300 later, 300 again and again and... So essentially nothing they make is actually limited anymore; it's all open edition and they can make as many as they want. So that should be taken into account if anyone wants to collect them.

Agree, special edition is vague as a label. On the flip side 'special' is not nothing, as 'special' does imply the edition is an one off and will not be released again. PALM does provide a number associated with the edition. And the number is printed on the back. Not defending the 'special' label, but I have routinely kept my exceptions for PALM pins under control after the first few releases. If PALM started coming out with second special waves of any pin that are identical to the first special edition, their sales would slump on all of their pins as no one would have any confidence in their product. This reason alone would seem to keep PALM under control. But I would love to hear someone else's take on how PALM could game their 'special edition' label as I am am sure I am missing something. What people will buy/pay in this pin hobby always surprises me.

Going to add: I don't think the PALM brand can take on increasing their edition size. My views are obviously anecdotal, but I am so tired of the boring PALM designs with the reused 'yawn' art. PALM routinely struggles to sell the 300 or 400 made. The non-sell out is even happening with some of their recent Maleficent releases. I can easily pass on PALM pins up at this point (ie, not buy them). If PALM decides to be unethical and start making more than the stated amount of their 'special edition', their pin business will tank. Tanking to me means, I will be able to buy super discounted pins. Maybe even down to park trader pricing - for me this is under $3. Where my mind just went thinking about this... park trading becomes dominated by PALM pins and not the scrap that abounds right now (hahaha - a fantasy I know, but fun to think about.)

Excellent to discuss this @Jabberwocky . Keep pin trader expectations for pin value under control. ie, don't buy into the hype.

It happened over a year ago.

Rumor has it that Disney doesn't want its licensees to sell/market anything as "limited edition" anymore.

Pinapalooza was able to get their latest pin (Anna from Frozen/The Swing) stamped limited edition because it was approved before Disney changed the terms of their licenses.

First pin I was able to find that was marketed as Special Edition was October 2023:

But some pins released right after still said LE, versus SE:

I'll note that PALM pins are EXTREMELY unpopular as traders among guests at the park and at trade events locally. Nobody wants them in trade and no one can get rid of the ones they have so people aren't buying them as traders. I think their constant flooding the market with similar-looking pins is a large part of their unpopularity, along with price point. And perhaps the distrust in how many they are actually making and selling.

What's interesting is that Loungefly pins are quite popular traders even though they also release a ton of pins, but for a lot less $$.

Jabberwocky said:

I'll note that PALM pins are EXTREMELY unpopular as traders among guests at the park and at trade events locally. Nobody wants them in trade and no one can get rid of the ones they have so people aren't buying them as traders. I think their constant flooding the market with similar-looking pins is a large part of their unpopularity, along with price point. And perhaps the distrust in how many they are actually making and selling.

What's interesting is that Loungefly pins are quite popular traders even though they also release a ton of pins, but for a lot less $$.

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Agree, not good traders (for the most part.) One exception is online... have made a handful of decent trades with some of the older (long sold out) PALM pins. I have also stopped chasing PALM pin releases with the initial intensity, so I do miss out buying PALM pins I would like to gain. That means I drive some trade demand for PALM pins. Probably not enough to make a difference to the supply/demand problem with PALM pins. But give it 5 years.

TheMickeyMouseRules said:

Agree, not good traders (for the most part.) One exception is online... have made a handful of decent trades with some of the older (long sold out) PALM pins. I have also stopped chasing PALM pin releases with the initial intensity, so I do miss out buying PALM pins I would like to gain. That means I drive some trade demand for PALM pins. Probably not enough to make a difference to the supply/demand problem with PALM pins. But give it 5 years.

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Agree with @Jabberwocky and @TheMickeyMouseRules . I got rid of my PALM medallions - got trade credit towards something else I wanted and I was at least able to get retail + tax for them, so I'm happy. I'm keeping a few of the sold out PALM pins, but they release too many. It's like one release per week of 20+ pins. How many Maleficent and Princess pins do we need?

Also, I noticed that only PALM is able to use "special edition".
The other licensees (Pinapalooza, Disney Pins Blog, the one from Europe) don't typically get to stamp the back of their pins SE