PinPics?

Hello! I've just started setting up my PinPics account and marking pins on my trade/wants lists, but I have a few questions about it. First of all, is PinPics a reliable trading area? I just feel like there are so many people on PinPics, and there isn't really a feedback area like there is here for each user, so you can't tell whether they will actually send you the pins they say they have. I don't know, it just doesn't seem as reliable and safe as this forum. Can anyone share their experiences with trading on PP? Also, what is trade assist? How does PP know what you can/cannot get for a pin. It's probably really obvious, but I have yet to figure it out. Thanks in advance!

I would recommend pinpics, have done most of my online trading there and is used as a reference here for the trading/wanting of pins. There is actually feedback for pinpics in the reference center at dizpins.com. You should always use caution no matter where you trade, there are good and bad people where you would least expect it.

Welcome to the pin-sanity!!!

I have been a member of Pinpics since 2000, and actively trading on the site since 2003. I would wholeheartedly endorse Pinpics to use for trading. In my 11 years, I have only had about four trades go bad. As MAL said, you should always use caution in trading -- if it's too good to be true, it probably is. But for the most part, those who use Pinpics for trading are a wonderful lot of people (met my best friend through a random pin trade over 8 years ago).

Trade Assist enables you to imitate trade offers to others. You identify a pin you would trade away and those you would accept in return. The Trade Assistant then sends emails to those that match (want your pin and have your wanted pin(s) for trade). Using the "What could I get for this pin?" feature is likely not the best way to judge what to trade or accept for a pin. Use your own judgement. I am not sure what criterion Pinpics uses to "match" pins up (I think it may be just LE), but I prefer my own method anyway -- cost, LE, trade ratios. You will develop your own criterion.

As for references, there is a place to check them and post them -- http://www.rnrcollectables.com/referencemain.htm. You can get the link there by going to the "Forum" on the main page, then there is a link at the top for the "Reference Center". You will need the other person's email to use the system. I rely pretty heavily on this site when considering trading with someone I previously have not traded.

If you have any more questions, just ask away. We're all here to help.

Bobbie

People have been scammed, but it is very rare.

Search the username on here and there will be a good chance they are also a member here. You can get feedback from their pages here and see how active a trader they are. All the long time members on here are very honest.

If they're not on here, you can just put up a post and ask if anyone has traded with them before and ask for feedback!

My husband & I have traded using PinPics for many years; we've made some wonderful trades & haven't (knock on wood) had any problems. I still use www.dizpins.com as a reference when I trade on PinPics. Happy trading!!

I have only been trading since Fall of 2013, but I have had many good trades on PP. As most have said here, there are crooks everywhere so you always have to be careful!

I have used pinpics for years and years. I love the old version and hate the new version (don't use it at all). Until DPP has a trade assistant for me it isn't going to overtake pinpics. Takes to long if you have a lot of pins to trade or a lot of wants. I have had very few problems with pins not showing up. It happens, but it is very rare. I had my worst experience trading with a member here. That is not to say this is a bad place to trade, just that problems can happen any time you get the postal service involved. But since I live in Seattle that is the only way to fee my pin trading habit.

Always check people's references. You can find them for pin pics here: http://www.rnrcollectables.com/referencemain.htm This works if you have their email address.

Have fun, if it is a big trade ask if the trader minds using a third party. Then you both ship to that third party and when the pins arrive in good condition the third party sends them on their way to the final destination. But you really only would do that for a very big ticket trade. You can ask the mods here, or Judy (tiggermickey) or myself. We have all offered to do that for people.

Does anyone know how to look up references on someone when the trade request came directly on the new site? It doesn't give the person's email address that I can see. I clicked "FAQ" on Pinpics but that goes to a blank page. :/