Prices going up, new traders and ability to trade

I was just thinking earlier about a few comments I have heard about new traders driving the prices in the market up for pins. It got me to thinking, why this would happen.
From my own experience, it becomes so frustrating to not be able to trade with existing traders that have our grails because they don't let go of pins, even those that are of equal value.
So what's a noob to do? We want to get certain pins, but we don't have the extensive collection that some of the older traders have and the connections to get traders easily or for a reasonable price.
I'm thinking it is at times easier and even more rewarding to go buy a pin than to deal with some of the attitudes and rejections when we offer a trade.

I witnessed a new trader at the PTN who was trying to trade for a pin in this guy's book. We looked it up on ebay, and the pin was selling for $36, she offered him an Ariel PODM and a Nemo PODM, for the pin because she really liked it. This guy had about 25+ books and boxes of pins, but because he already had those scenes he would not trade with her. SHe kept adding stuff and he would tell her no because he already had it. She went ahead and bought the pin right then and there on her phone, frustrated and angry at the attitude this person gave her.

My point is, I understand if its a rare pin, such as the designer princesses or a HTF pin or a pin in your collection that you are only wanting to trade for something specific. But at times, it would be nice to have others trade a pin even if its for another trader. PODMs seem to trade well, she was offering him pins new on the card for a Simba pin. I just felt bad for her.

Just my .02 worth.

Maybe prices on ebay would not be so high if we had more people willing to trade for a comparable pin that may still be a trader.

PS. All the DPF people I met at PTN were extremely nice and helpful, so this is not about anyone in our forum.

Mahrii

Mahrii ~ I think the keyword here is PATIENCE. There were a TON of pins that I wanted so badly but had ZERO trading power with the collection of pins I had to trade with. Over time, my pins multiplied and even nearly 3 years later, I am still not able to trade for some of the pins I want.

My best suggestion is just don't trade with someone if you feel they are trading too hard for a pin. If you aren't comfortable with the trade, then walk away. That is what I do ~ in person or through the internet.

In regards to pin costs... ANY collectable is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If you aren't willing to pay the price, then its not worth that much. BUT, for someone else, it might be worth that much. Watch the sales threads here on the forum. You will see the same exact pins all for various prices. Pick the one you are willing to pay and go for it.

Bottom line: Pin collecting is FUN. If you end up getting worked up over a trade or a cost of a pin.. Walk away, revisit it later.

So far I've been on the lookout for the pins I want on Ebay when they're down at affordable prices. Thankfully my sense of propriety prevents me from paying more than $20 before shipping for an inch-long painted scrap of metal. I would like to trade off some of my deaccessioned ones I've accumulated over time, but have been having bad luck with that. I did trade one off at Disneyland when I was face-to-face with someone, but I can't even get replies to my PinPics offers online. When it lists my pin as one they want. And they have a pin I want listed as a trader. I don't know what the deal is. Do I smell?

Anyways, yeah, I honestly can't understand being so covetous as to have hundreds (or even thousands) of traders and still being of ungenerous disposition. Heck, I spontaneously gave one of my keepers to a little kid at Disneyland because he said he liked it but didn't have traders of his own. Takes all kinds, I guess...

I've been trading/collecting for about over a year and a half now... I know how you feel. And even my traders are crap compared to the "more experienced" traders out there. I've come to realize its going to take a lot of money, and a lot of time to build up my traders to get to that point. The thousands of dollars I've already spent, was just pins to go into my collection. You do need patience and money for this type of hobby. It's also difficult for people who are not close to the parks. Those people have to spend even more money than the traders right there next to the park because they have to spend lots of money getting there and hotel rooms and such. So naturally traders close to the park are going to have amazing pins because they can trade all the time. And the guy in your story that you were talking about, I'm sure he wasn't just holding onto his pins, if he already had that scene, I can understand why he wouldn't make a trade for a pin he already had, I know I wouldn't. But keep your hopes up

and this is exactly why I always consider a trade offer, even if I own the pin being offered. the trader in the OP who turned down PODM's was just dumb. totally re-tradable. I would have gone for it. So what if I have it, or dont collect it. Its re-tradable. When I look at a persons book I look for tradeables, not just personal collection items. Now if someone offered me a pin I owned that was upside down..? diff story.