Pin Pics trading: Do you use it anymore?

• PLEASE hold your replies until the poll is listed.
• PLEASE answer the poll!
• PLEASE keep the topic on track, I am very curious about this topic and want a good idea of what is really happening in the pin trade world.

updated on 01-26-13 evening. 29 posts in. lots of great responses. Can everyone please add a list of things you would like to see in a database like pinpics? I have only a few really good responses about things they would like different. What would your dream pin database have as services and functions?


Pin Pics Trading: Do you use it anymore?

It has come to my attention recently that more and more folks both here on DPF at in the park,(DLR) no longer use Pin Pics for internet trading. They use it only as a database to track their pins. Fewer and fewer people are replying at all to trade requests from pinpics. More and more new traders are getting discouraged by the lack of response to their TR's. What is happening?

Please reply with your thoughts on these things::

• If you do not use PinPics for your internet, international and non-local trading... What ARE you doing?
• How are you gaining access to pins which cannot be easily bought or traded for in your local area?
• What vehicle are you utilizing for your internet trades?

Last, please reply on here with the things you think would need to change on pin pics for you to feel comfortable using it again as a primary source for pin information and trading. Would you like to see a totally new database? And if so, what might you like to see as part of that database?

Please remember, this is for informational purposes, I am well aware that several folks here on dpf have a personal issue with pinpics and/or it's owners. While I appriciate your issues, that is not what this thread is about. Lets try to keep the topic informative and non-confrontational.

I still use pinpics. I have made quite a few trades on there. Some of the trades I have made are with members of the forum. Ive never had a bad trade (I hope that doesnt jinx me lol). I also use it to see the value of pins as well as track the pins I want and have. Ive actually never traded in person before hahaha. Ive only done trades on here and pinpics. I'll eventually trade in person

Hmmm, something seems to be misfiring with the poll calculator. According to my reading, the total is over 150 percent...which isn't the way I learned about percentages....or is this the new math :rofl:

Pinpics is my primary trading tool. Being in CO, I can't do much in-person trading. Nor do I have the types of pins that people are usually looking for here. Most of my traders are WDW origin, which aren't that in demand. However, accepting trades is rare because of unbalanced offers, or sometimes I'm looking for specific things for my pins. For example, I hesitate trading off mystery set pins for non-mystery set pins, until my set is complete.

TinyTink said:

Hmmm, something seems to be misfiring with the poll calculator. According to my reading, the total is over 150 percent...which isn't the way I learned about percentages....or is this the new math :rofl:

Click to expand...

It's a "multiple choice" poll, so people can choose more than one answer. Not sure if it is supposed to be that way or not.

It is my primary trading tool, but I just don't get any responses anymore, even with trades lopsided in their favor.

I try, but hardly ever get any response.

Being in Scotland, means I need to use Pinpics. It also helped me get some contacts in CA for when I came over last Sept. That helped me get other contacts and we will be back in CA this coming Sept

TinyTink said:

Hmmm, something seems to be misfiring with the poll calculator. According to my reading, the total is over 150 percent...which isn't the way I learned about percentages....or is this the new math :rofl:

Click to expand...

its multiple choices. the % for each answer is based on the % of people who voted that specific answer. folks can vote for all the answers if they want. so for instance 41% of those who voted, voted for answer F.

I use PinPics daily. I do 95% of my trading there. I also use it to keep track of my traders and what I am looking for. I won't keep my owns on there, as people used to go thru my owns and want to trade only for those pins. I put a stop to that a long time ago. I also use it to gauge 'values'. I don't have time to thumb thru Ebay for hours to evaluate every pin I own. Tho, for a very high end trade, I will take a look, if I have time.

I always use pinpics. Daily

I don't personally use it for trades and my collection/wants hasn't been updated for quite a bit lol. I still frequent it a little if I want to see someone's wants or for researching as I live away from the parks...

When I first started using pinpics, about a year ago, I would get a lot of responses and requests. In the past 3 months or so, I don't really get anything. I know I have downsized my traders, and that may have something to do with it. Honestly though, I'm a little frustrated with the process. I have said YES about 6 or 7 times to a trade that was sent to me via pinpics, and no response, or I get unintelligible answers. (the strangest one was just a string of words that made no sense. I got freaked out by that one.) I've had more success here than on pinpics. Also, I live 9 hours from WDW, internet trading is really my only way to trade on a regular basis. Without DPF, I would probably just collect and not trade at all
. All that being said, I think it is a great resource to catalog pins and I would find it really hard to determine value or even know most of the time what pins are on the market without pinpics.

I use Pinpics as a reference and informational tool, and of course to maintain a database of my pins. I have been out trading and there's always one pin I see and then my brain goes blank and I can't remember if I actually own the pin or not. I can pull up Pinpics on my phone and it's a great way to keep tabs on my collection and wants. I also like to see the wants to traders ratio because that's a good indicator of a pins value.

Just recently I've done a couple trades off Pinpics with people after they've found something on my trader list but I have yet to seek out a trade based on what I find on someone else's trader list. For now, I prefer using DPF to find and make trades. Does anyone still use the Reference Center from dizpins.com? And if so, are you still leaving feedback for trades based on that person's email address?

On Pinpics, I wish there was a standardized system in place when a new page is created. Details like sku number and release date should always be included and the manner they're inputed should also be standard, such as one field for day, a field for month, and one for year, instead of just inputing "May 2012" or "May 9, 2012" or "Spring 2012" or even just "2012."

Then if a new search engine would be created that could enable users to incorporate various details about pins into their search. For example, "Snow White pins released at WDW in 2011" or "pins released at DLR in December, 2012" - then only those pins would come up in your search. And if you had a bunch of backer cards that you wanted to reunite with your pins for a trade or sale, you could enter the sku number in the search field and the name of your pin would come up. But then, this is all for a future version of Pinpics.

However, the other thing I've seen happen many times is people discover a new pin and then there's a mad rush to be the first person to create the page on Pinpics even before all the details about a pin have been announced; sometimes the pages aren't updated for weeks and occasionally, they're never updated. If a series of steps had to be followed in order to create a new pinpic page/number, that would really help to standardize the database.

I really do like the current advanced options. Prototypes and Artist Proofs are interesting but not something I ever really look at, so it's nice to eliminate those from my searches. And really, the people involved with Pinpics have done a great job creating a tool that people around the world can use to help them get the pins they really want for their collections... so thanks to all of you involved directly with Pinpics!

And of course the same goes to those of you maintaining DPF... thanks!

Wow, that was a long post. lol Sorry!!!

Diablo said:

Wow, that was a long post. lol Sorry!!!

Click to expand...

but exactly the type of input i am looking for! thank you!

I use Pinpics both as my main method for trading and as an organization assistant. My wants change constantly; I know I want the few pins for my two main movie collections but I also collect Donald Duck so I waffle a bit on which pins that feature him that I want. Since I live in the middle of the US, and I'm more or less unable to leave my house, I can't make it to the parks or meet ups for in person trades.

I use pinpics as my main trading tool because I have limited trading options. I live too far from the parks to regularly attend trading events. I have made a number of trades here on the forum, but generally I don't seem to have a lot o f matches to other members - I have some traders that a lot of people want, and a lot of people here have traders that I want, but they usually aren't the same people...lol.

I occasionally send out a bunch of pinpics requests, but I rarely get responses. Most of my pinpics trades are started by requests from other people. I try to respond to every request, although I admit that sometimes I get a couple weeks behind in doing so. I only ignore requests from a handful of people who have repeatedly sent me requests for very lopsided trades.

Pinpics is a fantastic tool, but here's what I'd love to see them add:

(1) More info in the search results when I click on 'what could I trade to get this pin?' or 'what could I get for trading this pin. Instead of just the pin #'s and pin name, I'd like to see the edition size, wants, trades, and a decent-sized picture. As it is, I generally have to keep 2 pinpics windows open so I can look up the pins, and it takes forever. I think we'd get a lot fewer nutty requests if the information was easier to access as you check those little boxes.

(2) A 'grail/most wanted' list where you could list all the pins you would be willing to trade for specific wants. When trying to trade higher-end pins, two people often have a 'match' which would arguably be a fair trade, but many of us have wants which are not necessarily our 'most-wanted' pins - so although you 'want' the pin, you would rather save your best traders to trade for your 'most-wanted'. This wouldn't mean that you couldn't send other offers, but it might make it easier to find the ones we really really want.

...and this is already way too long so I'll stop there.

I have made quite a few trades through pin pics. I have sent a few request (vinylmation jr #5 is going to kill me - no matter how many bags I buy I cannot complete this set), but mostly I respond to requests sent to me. I do wish they had a PM system, I don't tend to replay unless I'm interested as it is an email. I also wish there was an unpublished want list. I'm trying to complete hidden mickey's but I want to get them in the parks not online

I use pin pics for around 85% of my trades. I have gotten to the point that if the trades are not fair to begin with I will not respond to them. It seems like I get the same requests over and over and they are from people with little or no references.

Pinpics is the only way I can get stuff from overseas and have made some great friends that way. It is funny that a lot of the people I met from pinpics are now here.

Since I live in Seattle Washington in the upper left corner of the United States (for those who don' live here) it is the best way to get my pin trading fix in between Disneyland trips.

The really annoying part is responding to requests sent to me and not getting any reply back. If you don't want to trade the least you can do is say so and not tie up peoples pins.

Hope this helps.

ownedbycats said:

I have made quite a few trades through pin pics. I have sent a few request (vinylmation jr #5 is going to kill me - no matter how many bags I buy I cannot complete this set), but mostly I respond to requests sent to me. I do wish they had a PM system, I don't tend to replay unless I'm interested as it is an email. I also wish there was an unpublished want list. I'm trying to complete hidden mickey's but I want to get them in the parks not online

Click to expand...

To make separate lists (like grails, pins to complete sets, or my LE traders) I create my own pin groups ...I read something recently about the groups disappearing? hopefully personal groups won't be affected.

I use pinpics a lot for trades. Though I tend to look for people who have more recent pins to ensure they are still trading.
I have made some great trades utilizing their system

It is my primary trading tool, but actual trades are scarce.

I haven't sent out trades in ages. Though I do respond on the off chance I get someone wanting one of my pins. I have gotten two requests been talking to one and responded to the other but no word back. The second person has a pin that I want.