Hiya from Nashville!

[JaimeJ258]

Hello everyone!

I stumbled on this page while going down the rabbit hole of trying to find out if my pins are real or fake. I’m so glad I did! I’ve been reading some posts and you guys know your stuff!
I’ve been taking my daughter to WDW since 2010 when she was 5. It was the first time for both of us and we fell in love! We’ve been going every year since.
In 2018 we were there when the hurricane hit. We were stuck in the resort lobby until it passed so to pass time I went into the gift shop and purchased a starter set and what felt like a ton of pins. When the storm passed we went to the parks and she traded a few of them but lost interest and they went into a bag in her closet. I found some of the pins the other day when I was cleaning out the bottomless pit of clothes. I want to pass them on to a family that loves to trade.
I did want to check the value of them and keep the ones I would possibly regret giving away in the future. That is when the rabbit hole of confusion started. I have been on so many sites and I have only found 2 I am positive are real. (Starlight Safari and DMR Limited Release Train Ride)
When I post these pins I want to let them know which are real vs fake. Honesty is the best policy. After hours of reading I am second guessing myself and am so lost. That is when I came across this page and am confident I’m at the right place.
I am fascinated by how much I am learning and enjoy seeing the collections and info you have given each other!
Thanks for reading my novel and I look forward to learning more!
-Overwhelmed in Nashville

 

[hopemax]

Welcome! Thanks for the kind words about our forum. I think we are a great group of knowledgeable collectors who will try to do their best to inform each other. Authentication by photo is tricky. Some pins you have to have access to an authentic pin and view them side by side and feel them to catch the differences. Plus, there have been so many changes in how Disney makes their own pins that it can be confusing to figure out what is fake vs what is simply, old.

If you want to post photos of pins, a few tips. Make sure to include both front and backs, and remove the rubber or metal pin back. Don't put too many pins in one photo, 1-4 is probably best. Sharp photos are best, and its easier to get those sometimes by not putting your phone or camera too close to the pin, but taking the photo from a farther distance and then cropping the photo to see things at a closer range.

 

[Ajk]

Welcome to the forum! Lots of folks here are glad to help you figure out your pins' authenticity. But who knows, maybe you'll decide to keep them and start your own collection!

 

[firechief18]

Welcome to the forum. You can try to use Google photo search to help identify the pin, then search some of the databases for the pin. Some have pictures of both the front and back of the pins.

 

[dancecats]

I second everything that has been posted, so I'm just going to add: Hi and Welcome!

 

[JaimeJ258]

Welcome! Thanks for the kind words about our forum. I think we are a great group of knowledgeable collectors who will try to do their best to inform each other. Authentication by photo is tricky. Some pins you have to have access to an authentic pin and view them side by side and feel them to catch the differences. Plus, there have been so many changes in how Disney makes their own pins that it can be confusing to figure out what is fake vs what is simply, old.

If you want to post photos of pins, a few tips. Make sure to include both front and backs, and remove the rubber or metal pin back. Don't put too many pins in one photo, 1-4 is probably best. Sharp photos are best, and its easier to get those sometimes by not putting your phone or camera too close to the pin, but taking the photo from a farther distance and then cropping the photo to see things at a closer range.

Great tip! Thank you

Welcome to the forum. You can try to use Google photo search to help identify the pin, then search some of the databases for the pin. Some have pictures of both the front and back of the pins.

I’m having a hard time finding photos with the backs. Is there a place besides pin pics that you recommend?

 

[JaimeJ258]

Welcome! Thanks for the kind words about our forum. I think we are a great group of knowledgeable collectors who will try to do their best to inform each other. Authentication by photo is tricky. Some pins you have to have access to an authentic pin and view them side by side and feel them to catch the differences. Plus, there have been so many changes in how Disney makes their own pins that it can be confusing to figure out what is fake vs what is simply, old.

If you want to post photos of pins, a few tips. Make sure to include both front and backs, and remove the rubber or metal pin back. Don't put too many pins in one photo, 1-4 is probably best. Sharp photos are best, and its easier to get those sometimes by not putting your phone or camera too close to the pin, but taking the photo from a farther distance and then cropping the photo to see things at a closer range.

Where do I post them? There are so many forums on here and I want to make sure I go to the right place.

 

[momin.ator]

Where do I post them? There are so many forums on here and I want to make sure I go to the right place.

Pin comparison or Help Me identify this pin

 

[tiggermickey]

Welcome

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Hi! I'm in Orlando now, but I'm from Nashville originally so great to meet a fellow Tenesseean! The only city with more bachelorettes than here. I started out just a couple months ago and this place was great in helping me learn which pins were real and which ones were fake. I'm still an amateur but I've learned a lot from being on here. (Just scroll down my thread on the pin comparison page and you'll see what I mean)

 

[TheMickeyMouseRules]

Welcome

Hope you get the answers you need.

 

[JaimeJ258]

Hi! I'm in Orlando now, but I'm from Nashville originally so great to meet a fellow Tenesseean! The only city with more bachelorettes than here. I started out just a couple months ago and this place was great in helping me learn which pins were real and which ones were fake. I'm still an amateur but I've learned a lot from being on here. (Just scroll down my thread on the pin comparison page and you'll see what I mean)

My daughter is on her high school dance team and this year at nationals (in Orlando lol) the competition theme was to show where you are from. They did a bachelorette theme. They all wore shorts, a vest and cowboy boots and one girl wore the exact same thing but in white. The song was Shania Twain ’I feel like a woman’. They won second place in the Nation!
Thank you for your help! It’s a lot of learning and some disappointment knowing I spent so much money to trade for fakes. I would have never thought this would happen but I guess with all things, some people like to rip others off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TheMickeyMouseRules]

My daughter is on her high school dance team and this year at nationals (in Orlando lol) the competition theme was to show where you are from. They did a bachelorette theme. They all wore shorts, a vest and cowboy boots and one girl wore the exact same thing but in white. The song was Shania Twain ’I feel like a woman’. They won second place in the Nation!
Thank you for your help! It’s a lot of learning and some disappointment knowing I spent so much money to trade for fakes. I would have never thought this would happen but I guess with all things, some people like to rip others off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edit: Meant to add...
Congrats to your daughter's dance team! That is amazing!

I think there are many traders that don't know they are trading fakes. They visit once and buy a pin lot from an auction site, they have fun trading during their only visit to WDW or DLR and never give it a second thought after they leave. But there are definitely those who knowingly and purposely continue to trade fakes in the US parks.

My rule: always trade real pins to the cast lanyards and boards. To achieve this, my traders are sale or clearance pins, so I have inexpensive, but real traders. I still to this day end up with fakes from the low quality pins on US Disney Park boards. The fakes are unfortunately a part of the hobby.

 

[firechief18]

My daughter is on her high school dance team and this year at nationals (in Orlando lol) the competition theme was to show where you are from. They did a bachelorette theme. They all wore shorts, a vest and cowboy boots and one girl wore the exact same thing but in white. The song was Shania Twain ’I feel like a woman’. They won second place in the Nation!
Thank you for your help! It’s a lot of learning and some disappointment knowing I spent so much money to trade for fakes. I would have never thought this would happen but I guess with all things, some people like to rip others off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations to her and the team. I am sure we have all fallen for the scrappers when we started out. I will sometimes still accept a known scrapper from a child that wants to trade. With adults, if I have time, I'll explain why their pin is not authentic and what to look for in the future. If they are nice and understanding I'll sometimes just give them the pin they wanted.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Sounds very Nashville lol. One time at work I said "Howdy" while wearing my Cowboy-ish style sun hat and they immediately asked if I was from Nashville. To echo @TheMickeyMouseRules, a lot of people don't know they're trading fakes. I asked for a big pack of scrappers off the internet for my birthday cause I wanted to pin trade, and had already deposited most of them before I found this place. I had no idea those were all fakes while trading them. I see plenty of guests walking around trading scrappers for scrappers none the wiser. They buy packs online and trade for scrappers they love. And as long as they're happy I'm happy!

There are also folks who do it on purpose. I've even had cast members say they do it or recommend buying them online cause they're cheaper. Sucks but it should be Disney's responsibility to make sure the pins they accept are genuine. I've also traded for plenty of scrappers though because they're cute. (that Koda K is one of those in my collection)

At the end of the day, pin trading is about what makes you happy. If a fake makes you as happy as an authentic pin does, then it's as legit as any authentic Disney pin!

My daughter is on her high school dance team and this year at nationals (in Orlando lol) the competition theme was to show where you are from. They did a bachelorette theme. They all wore shorts, a vest and cowboy boots and one girl wore the exact same thing but in white. The song was Shania Twain ’I feel like a woman’. They won second place in the Nation!
Thank you for your help! It’s a lot of learning and some disappointment knowing I spent so much money to trade for fakes. I would have never thought this would happen but I guess with all things, some people like to rip others off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JaimeJ258]

Sounds very Nashville lol. One time at work I said "Howdy" while wearing my Cowboy-ish style sun hat and they immediately asked if I was from Nashville. To echo @TheMickeyMouseRules, a lot of people don't know they're trading fakes. I asked for a big pack of scrappers off the internet for my birthday cause I wanted to pin trade, and had already deposited most of them before I found this place. I had no idea those were all fakes while trading them. I see plenty of guests walking around trading scrappers for scrappers none the wiser. They buy packs online and trade for scrappers they love. And as long as they're happy I'm happy!

There are also folks who do it on purpose. I've even had cast members say they do it or recommend buying them online cause they're cheaper. Sucks but it should be Disney's responsibility to make sure the pins they accept are genuine. I've also traded for plenty of scrappers though because they're cute. (that Koda K is one of those in my collection)

At the end of the day, pin trading is about what makes you happy. If a fake makes you as happy as an authentic pin does, then it's as legit as any authentic Disney pin!

I agree. I had fun with it even though my daughter wanted to hurry up and get back in line for another ride. lol.

 

[dancecats]

Edit: Meant to add...
Congrats to your daughter's dance team! That is amazing!

I think there are many traders that don't know they are trading fakes. They visit once and buy a pin lot from an auction site, they have fun trading during their only visit to WDW or DLR and never give it a second thought after they leave. But there are definitely those who knowingly and purposely continue to trade fakes in the US parks.

My rule: always trade real pins to the cast lanyards and boards. To achieve this, my traders are sale or clearance pins, so I have inexpensive, but real traders. I still to this day end up with fakes from the low quality pins on US Disney Park boards. The fakes are unfortunately a part of the hobby.

Also adding a congratulations to your daughter's dance team!

And to add onto the trading of fakes/scrappers. They are unfortunately very prevalent on the boards and lanyards. The best defense against inadvertently trading for one is to educate yourself in what the authentic pins look like. But even then, sometimes the most experienced pin traders still make mistakes and accidentally trade for dodgy pins, for reasons including but not limited to:

1. suboptimal pin trading conditions like poor lighting or being in a rush
2. not being sure which features distinguished legitimate from dodgy (sometimes you need a side-by-side comparison to be sure)

Anyone who tells you that they haven't traded for a dodgy pin either hasn't been trading very long or is lying. I've been trading pins for far too long and I still occasionally make a mistake and trade for the occasional sketchy pin.