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Getting Started...?

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Getting Started...?

Pixie and pooh

New DPF Member
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Hi DPF!:wavey:

I'm a newbie around here, and I want to start trading and really get into the pin collecting community. However, I'm not really sure where to start! Do you have any advice on getting organized and putting yourself out into the community? I'm also on a budget, so how can I trade or buy pins without busting the bank?

Any input is appreciated, thanks for looking!
 
Welcome! The best thing to do about getting to know people is to start/join conversations. As for the budgets......say goodbye to extra money. One thing you can do tho is buy preowned pins from people on here, fb groups, and trading on pinpics! Good luck!!!
 
Welcome! I'm a fellow Chicagoan, pretty new to pin trading myself and I have also wondered how to get started and get out into the pin trading community. Talking to people is definitely key - even when a trade doesn't go through, conversations I have started about one pin have led to very generous offers to help with my pin quest. If you're in Chicago, check out the Windy City Pin Traders - someone told me about them recently and I'm dying to check out their monthly meetings! Everyone is so nice and willing to help if they can! As for the budget, I have yet to figure that one out yet ; )
 
Hello! Welcome to DPF and to pin trading I've only been trading/collecting for a few months so I still feel pretty new. A really good thing to do is try to make friends with people near the parks so you can get pins close to cost instead of paying inflated eBay prices. Someone already mentioned buying preowned pins here, that's very good advice since people tend to sell their pins at good prices here on DPF Good luck!
 
Welcome to the forum! It's hard to be on a budget if you start collecting. Minimum - you'd pay retail prices. Once in a while, you can get cheaper-than-retail prices but only for open edition pins, booster pack pins, and hidden mickeys. Usually though, you will be paying more than retail, especially for limited edition and/or popular character pins. If you are on a budget, it would be wise to just buy what you want for your own collection. if you worry about buying pins that will trade for other items, you'll find that you'll be spending more money than you intended, and you won't be able to stick to a low budget. Once you figure out what is popular and what other people want, you can buy traders but again, you'll be spending more money.
 
Try to center your collecting around open edition pins available close to where you are. There's very little point in starting a collection on a budget if you are going to concentrate on limited editon pins from Disneyland Paris. I'm from the east coast and go to WDW so I concentrate on collecting pins easily avaiable to me. Every once and a while something will come up, but that's what having a Grails list is for. You will find a collection of open edition Pooh Pins is challanging enough. Beside who wants to wait on those lines
 
just try to get some nice pins you like from DS.com or buy them from other members (the sales thread). then you can try to trade them for your most wanted pins. if you want to set up some trades, try the trade thread here, I found some nice pins that way.

If you have some grails or most wanted pins you can make a signature. others can help you find them. If you want help with your signature, I can help you ! just send me a pm and I'll make one if you want.

 
Thanks for the advice everybody! When I started pin collecting back in 2009 I always knew it would be expensive! :lol: Just trying to get some opinions

Feel free to share your thoughts :wavey:
 
I would say having a specific collection is always better for your wallet than collecting everything you like and ending up with an empty bank account and a **** load of pins (been there, done that). In my experience, there's a difference between collecting and trading; I asked myself "are you trading because you love the pins, or the trading?". My personal answer would be the pins, so what I do now is just spend money on either the pins I want to keep, or the pins that I know will trade well for the pins I want. Hope that makes sense. I still trade for fun though, but only when I can really afford it as I'm still studying and that's my priority before collecting.
 
kba41510 said:
If theres one thing i would suggest if you're going to start getting into pin trading, its to have Patience and a lot of it...
Click to expand...

This. I tend to be kind of impatient and have ended up spending more than I intended to or made impulsive trades just because the pin that I want is there.
 
I have 14 years of trading experience, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is be patient!!! I have had lots of pins I have been hunting for years, sometimes you just have to wait. I notice a lot of newer people get into pin trading and get frustrated because they can't find the pins they most want. Especially if they are the older disney auction pins. There just are not a lot of them available and if they are people want a lot for them because how hard they are to find. If a pin is meant to make it's way to you it will. Enjoy the pins you do get and also have fun with the hunt.
 
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