eBay Tips for a New Pin Collector

Hello,

I was wondering if any of the veteran pin traders had any tips for a newby when it comes to buying pins off of eBay. There are so many on there and I have read a ton about scrappers and to look at Seller feedback to try to avoid running into any issues. I often see pins on there that I want to obtain for my collection but I get super anxious about bidding only to end up with a fake or scrapper.

Any suggestions would be super helpful!

Thanks,
Magpie812

Are you talking hidden mickey's or LE pins? For LE pins, search Buy-It-Now and newly listed and just refresh when you're bored. Hope to snag a low priced one. Watch for any coming from China. Almost 100% from China are fakes or scrappers. For Hidden Mickey's, if you're buying a "lot" of 25, 50, 100, etc. it is probably all fakes if it is under $1 per pin. If they are in individual zip lock baggies, they are fake. From China, fake. The best way to get them is to buy lots where you can actually see the pins you are getting and the pins look decent, bright colors. China usually doesn't fake the starter set pins they sell as a promotion. If you see lots that have those pins and you are getting those exact pins, they are probably pins that people have traded for in the park. (Keep in mind, that more than likely they traded scrappers all over the parks, got real pins, and are selling the real pins for profit.)

markheardjr said:

Are you talking hidden mickey's or LE pins? For LE pins, search Buy-It-Now and newly listed and just refresh when you're bored. Hope to snag a low priced one. Watch for any coming from China. Almost 100% from China are fakes or scrappers. For Hidden Mickey's, if you're buying a "lot" of 25, 50, 100, etc. it is probably all fakes if it is under $1 per pin. If they are in individual zip lock baggies, they are fake. From China, fake. The best way to get them is to buy lots where you can actually see the pins you are getting and the pins look decent, bright colors. China usually doesn't fake the starter set pins they sell as a promotion. If you see lots that have those pins and you are getting those exact pins, they are probably pins that people have traded for in the park. (Keep in mind, that more than likely they traded scrappers all over the parks, got real pins, and are selling the real pins for profit.)

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Thanks for the pointers! Yea - not looking to buy a lot of 25-100 pins as I want to build my collection thoughtfully! Good to know about the plastic bags.

I am trying to only look for sellers with 100% and not a single negative comment related to fake/scrapper pins. It makes me nervous but I guess over time you can learn what sellers are better than others.

Anyone else have words of advice?

Just because a seller doesn't have any negatives, does not mean they don't sell scrappers. I have purchased from sellers with very high 100% ratings only to receive a scrapper from them. They will generally bend over backwards to make it right with you so you don't leave negative feedback for them. If you are leery of any seller, try to see if anyone has dealt with them before. Most will be happy to PM you.

If you end up looking for any pin trader delight pins, those DO come in a little plastic bag most of the time. Just something to be aware of.

I like to look at what else a seller has for sale, if other items are questionable I move on. I prefer pins that are on original cards as originally sold - especially for newer pins. If a listing says the pins are guaranteed tradable, or that they were traded for at the parks, you might want to be wary.

Also, I look to see if the seller's other items show that they likely have a good source. Ie. selling from California and have a large variety of PTD's and Disney Studio store Pins from around the same time frame means that they are probably able to buy directly. Or if they are selling WDI pins - do they have them from a certain time frame. Or for example are they selling a collection with a wide variety of similar pins, ie. an alice collector selling a bunch of Alice in Wonderland pins.

Note. the seller location listed on ebay is not necessarily where the seller is located.

But in the end if you are not comfortable with a pin or have questions about it's authenticity (even if it is authentic) you will not enjoy that pin as much, so it's better to be happy with your purchases.

This is all so helpful as I wade through eBay auctions trying to find the ones I feel comfortable bidding on. I've had a few misses which had I followed the above advice I would not have encountered so that is good. Oh well, fortunately it was on cheap pins <$5!

Avoid any eBay lot where the description states that the photo is an example of what you will get. Guaranteed that you get fakes/scrappers. The photo should show the EXACT pins for sale. The seller should also be willing to provide more photos of the front and back of any pin when requested.

I'm fairly new to trading and collecting myself. I have only bought a couple of pins off of ebay - one I discovered was fake. Here was my mistake...The pin was a limited edition 100 pin. It started at auction for $0.99 and I believe I won it at less than $9. I thought I had a great deal. Once I received the pin, I noticed the uneven edges and the colors were correct but the face was off (especially when I compared it to Pinpics photo). My mistake was I could have avoided buying this fake if I: a) checked the sellers feedback - had several negatives for scrappers/fakes and b) they had sold SEVERAL of the same exact pin I bought plus had another up for sale. It is possible someone may have more than one of a limited edition pin but not 5 or 6 of a older, limited edition 100.

Unfortunately, I left the seller positive feedback BEFORE I thoroughly checked the pin out. I do not count this pin as in my collection since I am positive it is a fake.

Hope that helps some,
Christine

Just stay away from the lots of 50, 100 etc I've purchased a lot of pins off ebay and most of them are genuine from what I can tell (I usually buy one at a time and avoid hidden mickeys) You can usually tell if it's fake, too so just be aware

Did someone already say don't buy the big lots from China? Look for a seller with longevity who doesn't sell in big lots. I spend lots of time looking at feedback.