I Like This Pin, I Like It Not: Deciding Whether It Stays or Goes

OK, pin fiends, here is my latest dilemma/debate:

I keep looking at my (reduced) Frozen pin collection and feeling ... BORED. There are still pins in it that I love and can't imagine parting with, and there are pins in it that every so often I think, "I should trade/sell that to get something that I LOVE." But then I can't quite bring myself to "let it go" because I'm pretty sure once it's gone, it won't come back. (Not necessarily because I'll never find it again ... but because it won't be worth the reinvestment.)

Case in point: I have the WDI Characters in Sorcerer Hats 8-pin Frozen set. In theory, I love the sorcerer hat pins. I have all of the Alice in Wonderland characters that have been released; they are so colorful and fun and a lot of the poses are really cute. So for Frozen, my other favorite Disney film, of course I wanted the sorcerer hat pins (enough that I did NOT pay retail for them, ha).

But ... as pins go, they're kind of "meh." I look at them, and even the sparkly parts of Elsa's dress fail to excite me. Anna and Elsa are too small, IMO, and the trolls are too large, and the color palate is just blah. The more I look at them, the less I love them. And if I don't love them, why are they in my shadowbox?

But ... I love the sorcerer hat pins. Don't I? Could I be happy NOT having them? Would I regret parting with them? I don't actually regret buying them. I just suspect there are pins (or other collectibles) I might want/enjoy more now.

So ... other folks must have gone/go through this. What factors do you consider? How do you decide whether to let go of a pin that you don't love (even though you don't *quite* hate it, either)?

This happens to me a lot so I know exactly how you feel.
I've recently narrowed down my Wreck-it Ralph and Tangled collections. Not because I don't still like the pins, but because some of the pins don't fit into the vision I have for the collection. To me they just seem out of place and if those not necessarily necessary pins can be used to help me acquire something for one of my main collections then yes, I will get rid of it.
My motto for trading/selling has always been that if there is something you want more than what you have, then "let it go."

From what you've said, I would take a gander that you value these pins more as traders than as part of your collection. But it's also at that awkward phase where the pins are somewhere in between "like" and "love".

You might want to consider, if you have the patience, is to hang onto them at least until the sequel is released. I know right now I'm still on the edge about Frozen, and for me I think the sequel will determine my final stance on how much I like it. (Don't get me wrong, I like pretty much everything that's Disney. It's more on if I like it or if I love it.) Also, if you wait until the sequel comes out, and decide that you don't like Frozen as much as you thought you did, those WDI pins will most likely have a bit more value when they do now. (If the movie is a hit, then you'll have more people who want the pins. If it isn't so great, I don't think that the demand will change very much than the current situation.) I know that this sequel is most likely a long while away, but if you end up having them as keepers, it's not like you're losing anything.

Otherwise, I would keep them as a "reserve" of traders. Don't make any split decisions about them though, because that's where you'll feel the regret. Keep them up saying "Hey, it's part of my collection, but if the right deal comes along I'm flexible." Or, if you're in a pinch, they'll be the first to go. If I were in your shoes, I definitely wouldn't put them on a "to get rid of" list until the sequel is released. (But then again, it's all up to you. Hope this helped somewhat though. ;-; )

I've had to narrow more than once just based on available space. There have been pins that I was really excited to get at the time, that now I'm just bored with. Especially if they are pins where Disney keeps using the same art, so I have like five pins that are basically the same image with different shapes and borders.

One of the things I look at has been, is the scene/pose at all interesting or unique? I'm more likely to keep pins of my characters in my favorite scenes from their film, or in poses you don't see very often on pins, or in scenes that don't appear in the film (e.g. "Where Dreams HapPIN" with Cinderella relaxing with a cup of tea while Anastasia & Drizella clean the house.) Also more likely to keep pins with brighter, richer colors, especially if a lot of pins from that film tend to have the same color scheme.

At the bottom of that spectrum are all the pins that are just a head-shot portrait of the character, e.g. when I had about five pins that were all the same shoulders-up shot of Tiana in green dress waving one hand. (I keep thinking of letting go of the reveal/conceal Tiana, but I haven't quite yet because I love the purple on it.) I also tend not to keep, and sometimes not to acquire in the first place, pins where I think the character is drawn too far off-model or their face just looks weird. (I never got the Window to the Magic Cinderella, even though I love the mice, because her face looks creepily like she's about to EAT them.)

Ironically I've probably done this most with my Alice collection, even though that's probably dearest to my heart, just because there are SO VERY MANY ALICE PINS.

Those aren't hard and fast rules or anything. They're just things that tend to influence how much I like or don't like a pin.

IMO yes, hold on to them since they fit your collection, but if you continue to feel like you don't want them then consider trading them. They may not be the greatest pins, but you have the entire set and that's worth something. The Olaf one alone should be gold. Good luck with your pins!

I have been down-sizing for awhile now and I've been doing it in phases. There are some pins that I Knew I was ok to trade or sell. So those went first. The ones I wasn't sure about I left on display or in my storage. I re-visit them from time to time and reevaluate. Some of them stayed in the "maybe" stack for awhile (and some are still there)but that's ok. I'd rather keep them then get rid of them and regret it later. Especially when trying to get them back would be near impossible or cost prohibitive. So unless you need the money or they will get you your HG, hold on to them for now. No rush.................

Right now, as I am downsizing (yes, I really am), I am actively selling all my traders first, before I move into my collection. So, if you have other traders to get rid of first, that's what I would try doing!

Thanks, guys, for the feedback.

I definitely love Frozen. It's my 2nd favorite Disney movie after Alice (my forever favorite); I saw it opening night and therefore liked it before it was the "popular" thing to do, and continue to like it despite the subsequent mild backlash when it got TOO big to a lot of folks.

What I don't love, apparently (ha ha), is the pins. Some, as I said, I picture keeping forever. Like Vixy in particular said, they have great colors, or poses, or the faces are actually appealing. One reason I'm not anywhere near an Alice complete-ist (besides the prohibitive number of pins) is that I can't bring myself to acquire a pin I consider ugly. If Alice has clown-mouth, no. If the pose is repetitive, I pick the version I like best and that's the ONE I get. It's partly space, partly frugality, and partly just "I need less stress in my life, not more." ;-)

Originally, I wanted to be a Frozen complete-ist, because I stupidly thought I'd be able to keep up. But when the barrage hit, I realized I couldn't. And I'm ultimately glad, because MOST Of the 8 million pins Disney has cranked out in the past year have been boring or ugly in my eyes. So when I abandoned "completion-ism," the first thing I did was offload any pins that I had ONLY because they made me a complete-ist (to that point) but that in actuality I DID NOT LIKE. So there's been a small purge or two. Now I'm just eyeing these and on the fence, as I said.

You're all right: There's no real rush. I just feel myself wavering so appreciate your thoughts and rationales as I continue to debate the fate of those sorcerer hat pins. (Who are we kidding? If the right Alice grail or two turned up, those WDI pins would get ditched before you can say "Holla!")

When I feel like this about a pin, I usually keep it in my collection but also add it to my 'traders' list on Pinpics. That way you can see what you might be able to trade for them, and you might get an offer for a pin you LOVE.

If they are in your shadow box, remove them and see if you actually miss them in there. If you don't, put them up for trade or sale and if you do just put them back. Then if you do get rid of them and put a few grails in the shadowbox you really won't miss them.

Good luck with your decision.

John

I consider all of my pins to be traders. No matter how much it fits my collection or how much I love it, I will always consider trading a pin if I can trade for something I like more.