Pin trading VS Pin Collecting

I agree with Jeff to a certain extent. I used to be all about the pin, i tried to keep the edition size or t/w ratios level in my trades, but after several times of getting burned with very monetarily uneven trades i had to start deciding based more on $ value. When someone tells me its a good trade because they are both great le250's, i trusted it. and they got the pin worth over $100.00 while i got one worth less that $40.00. seriously... same LE, even similar t/w ratios and THIS is what happens? Ug.

Psycho Pixie said:

I agree with Jeff to a certain extent. I used to be all about the pin, i tried to keep the edition size or t/w ratios level in my trades, but after several times of getting burned with very monetarily uneven trades i had to start deciding based more on $ value. When someone tells me its a good trade because they are both great le250's, i trusted it. and they got the pin worth over $100.00 while i got one worth less that $40.00. seriously... same LE, even similar t/w ratios and THIS is what happens? Ug.

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If it is going in your collection, why should the monetary amount matter to you?

drb195 said:

If it is going in your collection, why should the monetary amount matter to you?

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I can answer this. Not all pins that are intended for your collection stay there. A lot of times people clean out collections or change what they are collecting and then suddenly your keepers become traders.

Also, when others knowingly take advantage of another's lack of knowledge on pins and values, it's a bit unethical (to me at least).

also, believe it or not, in the trading heyday, many people traded just to trade. That's a foreign concept to most now.

I'm a collector.

Years ago when I first heard about pin trading I thought it was silly, why buy an extra pin and "waste" money on it like that?
That's before I discovered pinpics, and saw there are thousands and thousands of pins from all parks all over the world.
Did not know that at the time, just thought it was something they did at Disneyland Paris, lol.

I do prefer buying, not sure if I'm allowed to say, but it sometimes works out cheaper then a trade.
Though, since being here, I have managed to do a few trades already for pins I want, which is great off course! But since I'm not a die-hard trader, I only have a hand full of non-special pins to trade, sadly, but lol.

I do tend to look up more the "for sale" threads on this forum.

I pretty much agree with everyone else here. Trading has become pretty difficult as prices rise on certain pins and people are asking for the stars and the moon. I've never really done much in the way of predicting what will be a good trader but instead, I just try to purchase what I like and leave it all open to chance. Most of my pins are technically open to trade but since they're also pins that I like, it doesn't matter to me if I never get a good trade with them. If I happen to get a good trade request, great! If not, they will stay in my collection forever and I'll be glad to have them since the one reason they were purchased was because I liked them in the first place.

I'm both I feel kinda proud when I trade for something for my collection, rather than buying it. Although sometimes buying is needed.

Psycho Pixie said:

OMG.. I just added the winged burro from your siggy to my wants list!!! #37440 is AWESOME!

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I totally agree! He is one of my all-time favorite pins.

bump :3

I'm both. It's getting more difficult to find pins for my collection, so usually I'll trade just to trade. It's fun! Oh, I'll be at Disneyland today (Thursday) if anyone wants to trade.

I've been collecting & trading since 1999. I actually have twice as many traders as wants- I know, I'm obsessed

I really enjoy trading, but now it seems like more people buy pins just to sell and not trade and I don't have the money people are asking for some of these pins. I'm thinking about just going back to collecting, I know that means I'll miss out on some of the pins I want, but I'm unable to get those pins now, so I don't feel like I'll be missing out on much. I was much happier with pins when I was just a collector.

I am turning from a trader to a collector. Since I don't live near a park I'm finding that it is just easier and just as satisfying to buy what I want even if the price is high. Luckily I don't collect Tangled or other super expensive princesses.

To me, pin trading is the way to do pin collecting. I can buy new releases as they happen, but anything old I want I either have to buy or trade for. But why pay full eBay price when I can get a DSF pin for cost and trade it for a $40 pin I want. I do both, trade and collect, so I guess I'm a hybrid.

The better question to ask is are you a trader or are you a buyer/seller. I see people that stop trading and instead sell their pins to buy pins. All this does is make eBay 10% on both transactions. They are stealing value from our hobby if you just sell to buy. I am not sure if people just want to avoid contact with other people? Is it that they can't afford the pins they are buying so they have to flip and get profit to buy the pins they want? (I think this.) Or maybe some other reason? Whatever the case, it has been harder to trade lately. Even if you know eBay prices and actual values people often won't trade unless they are in their favor. Even if it's like a proven $1 difference.
If you want a $35 pin I have and I want a $25 pin you have that is harder to find, Let's trade! Just because a pin may sell for $25 steadily, doesn't mean you can find it for $25 today, this week, or this year even. I see some older Star Tours or Candlelight Processional pins that don't come up often I'd like to own and they sell for under $20, but they aren't offered that often. So if I see it, I might just trade for it. But, if you want a $50 pin of mine and all you have is a $35 pin that I'm not even interested in, it's probably not gonna work out.

I don't like to trade 1 high value pin for many lower value pins. And I don't like to trade a high value pin for another high value trader. Only if I want it. Trading for traders can be good to diversify your trades list but I don't do it. I'm sure I could stand to have better villains pins in my traders but I just don't like their voodoo magic in my trade books.