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Hi from a Disney Store UK Cast Member!

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Hi from a Disney Store UK Cast Member!
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PrincessPink

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Hi everyone,

I work in one of the UK Disney Stores and I'm interested to know how we could make your pin trading experiences better in my store.
I have lurked on here for quite a while as a guest reading what users have posted about in-store pin trading (and in particular in my store), and have gathered quite a few ideas but this is your chance to let me know directly

I refresh the lanyards weekly (unfortunately in the run up to christmas this has slipped to bi-weekly to co-ordinate with pin releases), and I have recently gone through all of our 500+ pins and sorted out the fakes to keep them from the lanyards. I also know my regular guests and who their favourite characters etc are and try and bare this in mind while I refresh.

So, any suggestions?

PrincessPink
 
Hey fellow UK-er - what store do you work in? I'd like to go to a Disney Store to try some trading. Good to know you try to sort through scrappers. Do you let your customers know about scrapper pins?
 
I try and let my guests know about scrappers, however, Disney Store trading rules state that we cannot refuse a pin if it has the Disney(c) on the back (it's slightly more technical than that but thats the general rule). So, I can say to the guest that the pin they about to trade is a fake and point out how to tell etc, but at the end of the day I still have to accept it. The store has about 200 scrappers currently and its constantly increasing.
Most guests at my store know to ask for me when they come in to trade or talk about pins, but I am still trying to train the rest of the cast on how to tell a genuine from a counterfeit.

PrincessPink
 
I won't list my store here as I'd like to get an honest opinion about pin trading in general, and I think I'd get biased views if I revealed my store. Glad to hear about the great selection of pins at the York store

PrincessPink
 
so cool that u care. i wish all CMs knew about pins.. there should b classes all year at parks and pay the CMs for going to the class. than all the CMs will have sum pin info.... seems now many are in the dark about fakes and how to tell. thank u for all your hard work.
 
Hi there PrincessPink, welcome! I think it is wonderful how you know your customer base and cater to their favorite characters. That is such a great way to communicate and keep smiles. I think it is just wonderful. Since my area does not have a Disney Store anymore I cannot really help you on your question, however, from what you have told us it seems like you are already doing a wonderful job. I would say just to keep it up! It seems like you know your customers, you know your pins and that you are kind. :bigthumb:
 
Personally I think what u seem to be doing in your sounds good, I to go to the York store and
Find most of staff friendly but also had some not so good experiences with me trying to educate my store around scrapers and the manager giving me a stupid story about why the pin looked like a
fake lol my store buys pins of eBay in the stupid lots so nearly every pin is fake that annoys me, makes me
feel they do not care on the plus side the lanyards get changed often
 
I really wish we had someone like you at my local, though the guys there are really nice and I had one gal there who got some decent pins for me once fromt he back room cause there was nothing but scarp on the lanyards. That was a while ago though and I'v not seen anything on the lanyards any time recently that has been any good.

Welcome tot he forum fellow UKer! Its good to have more of us up in here, hehe!
 
Thanks everyone. Unfortunately cast are not trained on pin trading and it is up to who ever is designated "pins" as their bit to train the team. I stick up Pinformation leaflets and the team are learning from them I think in the last year since pin trading changed in the UK stores, (secelected stores only) that the stores who kept their pins have up'd their game and are now taking a lot more pride in it. If a store had replenished its stock of pins with an ebay lot it would have been for a good reason and it would be unfortunate that they were fakes.
Moo moo UK, I'd like to hope that the incident you described had not taken part since trading went to designated stores

What would peoples thoughts be to a mystery trade on a lanyard? We've trailed it before but got a mixed response. Obviously I'd try and keep it a decent pin but it would be random to a certain extent.
 

Off eBay? Really? I would have thought they'd get them directly from Disney.
 
Hi and great to hear from a UK cast member who is actually interested in pins
I have been collecting pins for 10 years and trading for maybe 3 or 4 years. I used to really enjoy trading in my nearest store when the core and cast members pins were available but lately there has been nothing but fakes which is really disappointing the way things are now I can't see it ever improving as there is no encouragement for new traders as the cost of the LE are too much to trade onto a lanyard unless you had a separate LE for LE lanyard or trading board instore which had both on and you could trade like for like pin.
I like the sound of the mystery trade!! I have been to pin events at DLRP and love trading on the boards or playing the pin trading games all of which could be easily managed in the select pin trading stores in the UK!!
Thank you for your interest and look forward to your feedback on our opinions
Donna
 
Donna said:
I like the sound of the mystery trade!! I have been to pin events at DLRP and love trading on the boards or playing the pin trading games all of which could be easily managed in the select pin trading stores in the UK!!
Click to expand...
Ooo what kind of pin trading games?? I have 6 lanyards at my store so a lot of room to play about with different ideas.
I wanted to do a strictly L.E lanyard, however a guest complained saying they were entitled to any pin they wanted for their o.e. Do you think I should try again or would you feel it was unfair?

PrincessPink
 
What is a mystery pin trade sounds interesting I would be up for that just for fun. Not sure if they have bought pins of eBay since the change but they did it all the time before that and it was manager doing it I hate them dam bags grrrr
 
I think a LE for LE lanyard would be great especially for the more serious trader
The games they play at DLRP pt events are where they have a board marked into 6 numbered sections and then you roll a dice and can choose a pin from the section that matches the number you roll.
A board where you can trade LE for LE or core for core and a lucky dip where all the pins are in boxes- you give the cast member a pin and then choose a box. The cast member then takes the box you have chosen- gives you the pin and then puts your pin in the box and mixes them up.
Hope this gives you some ideas
 
A mystery pin is a pin thats on the lanyard back to front so that you can't see what you're trading for

PrincessPink
 
Why not offer to people if they want to do a secret trade thing see how many positive responces u get in your store and with regards to the le pins i am sure it is a rule that u need to trade it for a LE pin or I suppose, instead of just stitch why not just do a le lanyard that wwould be cool
 

Sounds like some interesting ideas.
 
Hi and welcome to DPF, its kool that your asking for opions, Ive never traded in store as ive not been trading long, do you have in store events or do you just have to ask a CM about it anytime you wanna trade?? I really like the LE pins disney UK have been focousing on but kinda wish they still did some OE pins too.
pin trading games sound like fun too!! would like to try some trading in store, next time im in london I might have to pay oxford street a visit! lol
 
Love these ideas I'll have to check and see what I'd be allowed to do but I'm sure I can adapt some of these


I couldn't even tell you when the last Disney Store trading event was but it was a while back. I'm going to try and see about getting one organised next year in my store and hopefully get traders from all over coming to visit If you want to trade just approach any CM in a pin-trading store and ask to look at a lanyard (they should be being worn but unfortunately it's not always possible).

PrincessPink
 
PrincessPink that's brilliant. We're like the poor relations over in the UK lol. A pin trading event would be great. I heard that Oxford Street have stopped trading. Is that true?
 
There were lanyards out last time I went to the Oxford St store, but I wasn't tempted as I try to avoid commonly scrappered pins. Its great that the CMs there were wearing them though. I really think a pin trading board is a good idea - I used to like looking at the board in the Southampton store before I got into trading.
My most local store in Tunbridge Wells closed down so I hope the stores that are left can make a really effort for the pin collectors/traders. Thank you PrincessPink for all your hard work and for asking us on here for our opinions.
I'd be totally behind pin trading events in any of the stores. I really hope these can happen in the future
 
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