Do pin forums make you a better trader?

I've been thinking about this for some time now. While I was at Disneyland a few months back, I traded with a man who had a DPF card in his pin binder. I asked him if he was a member of the forum as I was. He said he was given the card by another member, but he never joined and wasn't part of a forum. According to him, he never had the time to to join or participate. This got me thinking, do you need to be a part of a forum to be a better pin trader? The obvious answer is probably not, seeing as how this guy wasn't and I made some pretty good trades with him. But what advantages/disadvantages do you see for those people who are not a member of any forum? Do you personally feel that being part of DPF or PinTalk makes you a better pin trader and more aware of the "Dangers" our there in the pin world? Or do you think it drags you into the squabbles and problems that arise in the various threads? I am not trying to say that being a part of a forum is a bad thing, I am a very happy member here (and I feel like I'm part of a weird pin collecting family. You're all mad. Just saying).

I'm just curious to what you think about this. What advantages and disadvantages do you see to being a part of a forum? And what do you think of those who are not part of one? Is ignorance bliss?


- Alex

As someone who does not live near the parks, DPF has been an invalualbe source of information for me. I feel that I have learned how to propose better trade requests and spot insanely unbalanced requests that find their way to my inbox. Also, I have "met" people I never would have otherwise!

I like being part of a pin forum...and sending others here..they might have other info we may need as we might for them
Its a crazy addiction ~~~errr Hobby..but I love being apart of it..as its my extended family..and brings Disney magic as I am not near the parks either

Judy

Id say being part of a foru , you get to know people from around the world and get more chances to get pins from everywhere rather than trying through pinpics as you get to know the people you are trading with. Ive made a few great connections that are a great help to me trying to obtain new releases and I in turn try and return that favour when I can.

Its probably best for me to be on the forums as I am no where near any of the parks and would feel quite alone otherwise. I don't think they generally make one a better trader but they are very useful. But I like forums anyhow.

I think its a must to be a member of a forum.
I have no access to parks, the last time I went to WDW was 2008 and I highly doubt I would go anytime soon. If it wasnt for forums I wouldnt have any way of talking to others about pins and the collecting/trading.
Without the forum I would feel very alientated about collecting, and probably would stop. As without others to talk to, then its not fun!

For me, I think being part of pin forums (Dizpins first, then DPF) has helped me immensely. These sites are where I learned about scrappers--what they are, how they look, and how to avoid them. It's also let me know which pins have been scrappered/counterfeited, so I know to be careful in buying/trading for them. Also, it has given me a connection to other traders and feel more comfortable trading with them since I've seen them "around" and heard from others that they are trustworthy.

Without these forums, I'd probably still be trading for CM lanyard pins and being blissfully ignorant that most of them are counterfeits!

Brandy714 said:

As someone who does not live near the parks, DPF has been an invaluable source of information for me. I feel that I have learned how to propose better trade requests and spot insanely unbalanced requests that find their way to my inbox. Also, I have "met" people I never would have otherwise!

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I think that sums me up nicely as well. We get out to WDW maybe once every 2-3 years, so a forum like this gives us access to the info we might not get anywhere else, as well the ability to make friends who help out closer to the parks, DSF, etc

"Originally posted by unibear" For me, I think being part of pin forums (Dizpins first, then DPF) has helped me immensely. These sites are where I learned about scrappers--what they are, how they look, and how to avoid them. It's also let me know which pins have been scrappered/counterfeited, so I know to be careful in buying/trading for them. Also, it has given me a connection to other traders and feel more comfortable trading with them since I've seen them "around" and heard from others that they are trustworthy.

Without these forums, I'd probably still be trading for CM lanyard pins and being blissfully ignorant that most of them are counterfeits!

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My thinking exactly! Discussing pins and pin releases are a necessary, helpful, and usually a fun part of being a pin collector.

Being in the UK, its hard to trade, (not impossible just being no where near a park and limited pin releases, plus I am a very specific collector) though I have had some trades through pinpics (some really good ones!) I have had more trades here and have successfully made some great friends and trades on this forum where I don't think I would have had as many as I have had if I wasn't a member here.

Plus people help you out here a LOT, I know people keep an eye out for me if they see a pin I want and if theres a pin that gets released at a park, ds.com or at dpf, someone will contact me and see if I want it.

Despite the recent upsets going on, which I have kept out of, I LOVE being a part of this community it's like a friendly little family and I really LOVE that people here are so wonderful and generous.

I've learned so much from all the threads on DPF that I can't even imagine where I'd be if I wasn't a member. I've also traded, sold, and bought pins on this forum that would have been more difficult without the forum. Before I made it to this forum I was feeding those pin sharks, luckily that didn't last long.

Definitely. I was a regular follower of the DIS Collectors board from 1999 through about 2003. Less so on Dizpins. In 2003, we moved from WA to AZ. My last trade went bad, never got the pins in a 4 pin multi-trade, and I kind of faded away, besides lanyard trading while on vacation. I would check the boards prior to a trip, and for scrapper info, but I wasn't up to the "day to day" news. After, I joined here I realized SO much has changed. Things that were valuable, now aren't (since edition sizes in the early day were 2K, 3K, 5K now many are looking for sub-500) and even the primary collections have changed (a lot more princess, less "park"). If you live near a park, and are active on pin nights, releases I can see how there might not be a strong need to follow a forum, because you can get all the info in person. Although, if you are at DL maybe WDW info is hard to come by and vice versa so a forum would still be valuable. But I don't live near the park, so a forum is really the only way I have to kept track of the state of pin trading.

I wish, now, that I had kept more on top of things, because I think I would be a lot closer to completing some of my collections. I've gotten so many "good deals" compared to what I used to think value wise and so I wonder what I have missed. Plus, I would have gotten some things that I don't have now. Mainly, the Beloved Tales. I need 7 of the older ones, plus the 4 newest. But if I had known there was a Beauty & the Beast BT pin when it came out, I would have had my pin friend pick one up for me, when she visited her Mom in CA. Now, they are so popular it puts them out of the price range I'm comfortable spending, but maybe if I wait another 10 years the landscape will shift again.

I don't think you need these types of forums if you're one of the privileged few living near the parks...if not, I think the forums are pretty key unless you have the time and money to make every event possible...

I personally feel that being a member of this community gave me a crash course in pin trading. Forums are such a good resource for information on scrappers and such... I can't imagine where I would be if I would have never joined. I probably would have a lot more scrappers and counterfeits, that's for sure.

I think that this forum has definitely helped me as a pin trader . . . . Even living close to a park, there is so much going on that it is really hard to keep up with everything in this hobby. Plus ODPT.com is so often wrong or pins are released early - which I have heard about way more often on these boards then when I am at the park.

Stitch2814 said:

Id say being part of a foru , you get to know people from around the world and get more chances to get pins from everywhere rather than trying through pinpics as you get to know the people you are trading with. Ive made a few great connections that are a great help to me trying to obtain new releases and I in turn try and return that favour when I can.

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Exactly. +1

You never know where you rack pin or Grail will come from. Being at the park all the time limits your pin trades.

Even living close to a park, there is so much going on that it is really hard to keep up with everything in this hobby.

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I *totally* agree with this, one person never sees or is made aware of every single pin, what's out there, what's being released, etc. I've often posted questions about pins and the members here (and did on Dizpins too) are always helpful.

I started with Dizpins years ago, made friends with people there and am still friends with many of them (and have been very lucky to meet some, and am looking forward to meeting others eventually, I hope I hope!).

I don't think it's a *must* to belong to a pin forum, but I definitely thinks it enhances the pin trading/collecting experience.

Better ... meaning better informed, definitely yes.

But in general, belonging to a forum makes me a happier collector. I know it is hard to believe with all that is going on lately and some of you have seen me posting for a year but have not seen my claws before.

But apart from all of this, meeting people who share the same silly, budget draining passion, being able to share the high of a HG ... this is more important to me than being a better informed trader.

One can have the most complete, most expensive, most envied collection buried in books. If you have that alone, if it stays between you and your books, than it does not hold much joy for me. Being able to share ups and downs of collecting ... getting happy when someone gets a well wanted pin, helping each other out, grumbling together when we find yet another LE 300 Jessica or DA LE100 pin scrappered ... That is when things become meaningful.

At least for me.

I HATE being part of a forum!
All it does is show me more pins I've never heard of and make me want them.
I'm a MUCH WORSE trader because my wants list keeps on growing and it's ALL YOUR FAULT.







APRIL FOOL'S!!

Oh Laura !! That is :rofl:

Pro's of forum membership:
1~ learn the latest about new pins.
2~ learn how to spot scrappers better.
3~ gain a pile of new friends with similar interest/hobbies.

Cons:
1~ deal with the few completly crazy people on the forum.
2~ Hear the rumors about disneys future plans, then be sad when it isn't true. (or glad?)
3~ It is just another way to feed the addiction, and all us forum members are enablers to said addiction.