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How do you value your pins?

How do you value your pins?
That is another reason I enjoy mystery pins, is it one I need for my mystery set? Yes, great let’s trade. No, then maybe(more likely if I have completed the set).
 
For making an offer, I pretty much use Ebay to get a feel for the current sold value. I do this more for sending an offer than receiving one. I don't want to be totally clueless and be the person offering a pin from a booster set for some MOG exclusive pin. I'm still learning as I go here.

When I receive an offer I will also look at ebay if something is interesting to me. But mostly I think about how much I want a pin and how hard it's been for me to acquire. Depends on if it's something I've really been after or if it's not prevalent on Pin & Pop. Most of my collection are pins or characters that have some kind of personal meaning, so often times the "value" is too personal for me. I still prefer to have pins that are close in value/retail price, but that's not the heaviest factor for me.

Sometimes after a lopsided trade I feel regret, but most times I never even think about the trade again and just live in the excitement of showing off a new pin.
 
When I first started trading it was all about matching edition size, an LE 100 for an LE 100 for example, or trading for what you wanted to collect. Since poking my head back in the game I've heard A LOT about 'Knowing the Trade value vs sale value of a pin' which apparently breaks down to this: People who are investing/using pins to do business are looking at trading a pin for a pin based on the highest perceived value, they will often drop that value when you are willing to buy the pin outright. Don't let that discourage you though, because I've met plenty of lovely pin sellers who need inventory and will happily work with you to 'trade up' multiple 'smaller value' pins for a 'high value' pin you might want.

@Sithathoriunet is right though, if a trade feels 'bad' just leave it, there are so many delightful people to trade with and so many pins that it isn't worth it to feel like you're being taken advantage of at any time.

There were sharks when I started, and apparently there are still sharks now.
(Don't know if the term is still used but sharks were what a lot of pin traders called unscrupulous traders who would take advantage of kids or people who were new to trading to get trades that were very one sided/unfavorable. I think Disney even released an official pin with Ariel wearing a lanyard and looking at a shark sort of scared.)
 
I just traded that shark pin.
 
I have two main ways of valuing trades:

1. Ebay sold values (so I make sure the trades are fairly equal value wise. Don't want anyone feeling like they got a bad deal). Demand also factors in, I'll be pickier about pins that have a lot of offers or send more valuable pins for cheaper ones that are in high demand as well.

2. If I traded (or traded for) this pin, how likely am I to find it again? Some pins are expensive to buy but pop up in every event and trade arcade so I can always acquire those later. Older pins, pins from non-WDW parks (since I live near WDW), and hard to find pins are prioritized over cash value sometimes if I feel like the opportunity won't come up again.

I'll also be more lenient to pins on people's grail lists!
 
My wife and I have not been as active in the last few years as our family has grown and seeing the state of pin trading is atrocious to us. Hidden mickeys overly priced is wild. Especially when cast members get them for basically free and have recently in our last few trips started gate keeping pins and blatantly disregarding park policy. I’ve had to ask for a manager on the last two trips because a cast member tried the good old o well these are my personal pins so you have to trade something I would want. Literal words. And the second time that my pins were not the same quality or value as the pins on there lanyard. When we’re spending 1-200 dollars on pins for an experience like this is infuriating.

But that’s a whole other discussion.

The way we typically value pins is highly fluid. But our golden rule is I’m going to mirror the attitude and valuation of the person I’m trying to trade with. Then multiple other factors come into play. Type of pin, pin vendor, original retail price, trading price, market price, LE, OE, HM, our collections, ETC… it really just comes down to being fair and easy to work with that usually gets us to move forward with a trade. If you value your pins at the high end then so are we with in reason. Sharks have only multiplied since we’ve started trading and looks to be worse then ever.
 
What was the result of asking for a manager?
 
momin.ator said:
What was the result of asking for a manager?
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For the situation when they tried saying they were their personal pins, the cast member acted like they didn’t hear me and decided to trade so I didn’t take it further.

For the second situation the manager or supervisor actually came out. I asked them to explain how my pins were considered lesser value than what they had since they were just purchased in the park and when they changed the pin trading policy and how they determined the value other than authenticity.

The manager apologized and stated it was up to the cast member only to determine whether or not the pins we had were authentic or not, not what specifically we could trade.
 
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That's good to know.
 
Like others have said, I usually take in a few different factors when making a trade. I have really cut down on the purchasing of pins and rarely purchase new pins to have as traders. With that in mind, I can be a bit pickier about trading off my high value (either ebay price or low LE size). I also try to stick to my ISOs and main collections. Although, my little one is getting into trading, so I have been trading for his collection when it feels right.

Factors I usually consider:
- Ebay price (I try to match up similar values.)
- LE size (I don't like to trade LEs for OEs. I try to keep the trades to the same categories LE for LE, LR for LR, OE for OE but will make some adjustments depending on the pin and how hard it is to find)
- Heavy Hitters for Grails (I have a few heavy hitter pins that have moved out of my collection to my traders. I likely won't trade those for pins that aren't a grail for me.)
- Does it fit my collection (I have been narrowing my collection, so I want the pin to match my interests. I rarely trade just to update my traders. Now that my little one is deep into trading, I also try to pick up a pin or two during each Pin and Pop Arcade for his collection.)
 
I use mypincollection.com. I’m a very visual person, so their charts and tables are really helpful for me. I like how I can filter by for sale or sold, and add pins to my collection and wants list. The pin identifier tools is cool too, and checks eBay image search as well and a Google lens style internet search at the same time.
 

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Ohhhhh I love stats and graphs! I may need to export my keepers from pin & pop to here. Thanks!
 
Jabberwocky said:
Only slightly more seriously... do I like your pin more than I like my pin? That's the ultimate bottom line for me.🙂
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I love this one. It comes in so very handy. Do I like the other pin more? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. And when I use this as the final decision maker I don't think I have ever had regrets.

So many great ways people trade. And want to emphasize, all of the answers are correct here. (It is a personal decision.) There is no right or wrong way to trade.

Another favorite criteria is: 'will trading this pin make someone's day'? I love making those trades.

The above said, I can be harder to trade with for pins I see as ones that could gain my grails. For a few select pins I pre-define what I am ISO for them... usually the pins I am ISO are Moana grails. And I try very hard to stick to this. Getting to the trader that has your Moana grail and having nothing left to trade for it... that is a terrible feeling. As an example, I have two princess DEC/WDCS stamps that are stashed away. These pins are specifically marked as traders for the DEC/WDCS Moana stamp. I am waiting Disney! Bring me my Moana Stamp.

Scarcity/LE size is still a big one for me too. Its usually my starting place (usually but not always - how much I want a pin is also a initial thought). Then the nuance of how long I have had the trader pin and interest that has been shown in it (although proceed with caution trading away a scarcer pin because its been in your book too long and you are tired of looking at it.) Considering a pin's original retail price/how much I paid has protected me from a lot of less than desirable trades.

Years ago, I also realized that if I have access to a good trader and can buy multiples (especially on clearance), the same good trading pin continues to trade well over and over again, so I will buy multiples. One of my factors then is... how many identical pins I have left to trade. I trade pins I own multiples of easier than those I own one (1) of.

Great convo topic @Pidge - thanks
 
I need to know more about these clearance sales. Where? When? How?!!!
 
I run into clearance pins periodically. I just check in stores that sell pins (look on their clearance shelves.) Online sources can have sales/clearance also. Used to be able to grab clearance pins on the DisneyStore.com website (that has totally dried up in the past 1-2 years.)

(I enjoy competitive shopping (competing to pay the cheapest possible price.) Or perhaps some would think of it as a treasure hunt. Sale shopping is a nice skill to enjoy as it relates to this hobby. Def. 'mutually benefical' applies here.)
 
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which stores do you hit? (asking for a friend)
 
I get so many of those every trade arcade (OK I have only had a table twice, but still so many!).
 
The answer is always no if you don't ask. I agree it can be kind of annoying, but I've probably accepted a few offers that the other person thought was a long shot. Value is fluid and up to interpretation.
 
Nursteve said:
The answer is always no if you don't ask. I agree it can be kind of annoying, but I've probably accepted a few offers that the other person thought was a long shot. Value is fluid and up to interpretation.
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I agree with this. And I do occasionally offer LEs for OEs, it’s the volume of OE pins that are nowhere near in even original value that gets tiring.
 
Captain Fartbeard said:
which stores do you hit? (asking for a friend)
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Any that sell pins. The most common in Florida the Character Warehouses. I don't bother with Hot Topic or Boxlunch in Florida because both stores get pretty picked over. But I check BL and HT and used to have moderate success in other states. With pins becoming so popular the stores are not resorting to clearance so much anymore.
 
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