Pin #3135 -- is it a scrapper?

[watzshakinbacon]

Hello! As you may know, I'm pretty new to trading and have been on a trading frenzy (mainly on PinPics and Reddit). I just received this pin (#3135) and I'm pretty excited about it. I didn't realized it was LE until I saw that back.. and the back doesn't have the mickey mouse waffle pattern..

Maybe my definition of the waffle pattern is wrong? Please help!

Front looks ok.

Does this type of back count as "waffle" back? I mean.. it looks like a waffle..

Please help! :sigh:

 

[KT07]

That is a waffle back. It's a little older style but yes it would be waffle style. They come like that or Mickey ears, ice cream cones, and even auction gavel. They kind of waffle is not the important part. Well unless it's wrong style for date of pin. Need to learn what each looks like and how to see the mistakes that are most often found.

On that waffle , I would look that all the lines are strait and that the little boxes are all the same shape and size. Often the fake pin will have a mix of nice boxes and some that look just a little off. The pin you are showing looks a little off. The border around the back on the left side should be smooth. The back marks should just run right of the edge. The difference is that real pins are cut from a sheet and fake pins are often molded. The line or border is from the mold. It could be ok but hard to tell in a pic. Maybe others will say what they think also.

Use the pin guide to help you learn all you can. It gets better with time.

WWWDD

 

[watzshakinbacon]

Hmm.. thank you for the response! It definitely is hard to convey what it really is like in a picture. I guess you're also right in that it should get better with time. It definitely fits the description in PinPics. Oh well! I hope it's real

 

[hopemax]

Mickey Mouse waffle pattern didn't exist until about 2009. There are several different back types. That is a standard waffle, also there are smooth backs, and pebble backs.

Also, the Official Pin Trading Logo with the Starburst didn't exist until the late 2000's, before that it was a Mickey head with a date inside, and those didn't exist until 2001ish. Pins older than that don't have anything more than the Disney Copyright and the county of manufacture (now it's mostly China, but many older pins were made in Taiwan). Pins that date pre-1986 can say Walt Disney Productions which was the name of the company before Michael Eisner changed it after he became CEO. All of these details can help date a pin.

Also, scrappers didn't start showing up until end of 2004/early 2005. This means that most pins whose production ended before those dates are "safe." A pin that predates that timeframe but continued to be made, could be compromised. Counterfeiters did counterfeit pins earlier, by having new molds made using an authentic pin as a model, but those were usually pins that would resell for a lot of money (which at that time did include Cast Lanyard pins now called Hidden Mickey's).

 

[KT07]

Nice info. I didn't try to give everything as of fear to scare them away. Up yes many pins are before the he trade logo or other markings. They made pins befor 2000 they were just not considered "trading pins"

as as far as what pin is safe and what not. I would never say a pin is safe. I will agree with the making fakes of new pins. I posted a update on the biggest resell guy that we all knew about. One of the team members was a xCM. I was thinking le by a manager in one of the stores that he would go to the park and try to talk with CMs about what as new and hot. He would trade for some of the new pins and than knock them off. The guess was they did over 2 million in sells over the past few years. No here is the scary part. As you will read, the one guy is in jail and will be charged with murder very soon. I find it hard to believe that this white trash dirty team of resellers was the only skip n in the game. I would not be very surprised to find out they were just one of many groups doing the same thing.

In the end the only thing we can do is learn all we can. Try to be the best at seeing little things wrong. Also only buy or trade with people you know and trust. If you do all that you will be best set up to protect yourself. One of our members maid a guide that is best to start with. Very good info in that pamphlet.

WWWDD

 

[hopemax]

Obviously, there are more than one "player" in the game. However, prior to 2004 people could buy European Sedesma, Propins, and old Euro Disney pins for incredibly cheap and they were the primary weapon of lanyard dumpers. Also, the Chinese factories did not "get" that there was a market for "Direct sales to Americans." There simply wasn't the same motivation on the cheap side vs what could be resold for a high price, as what came later.