Question Regarding pin-traders in park

[Mr. Anagram]

Here’s a goofy question.



If my family and I wear our own pin-lanyards at, say, Disneyland Resort; do a lot of people (especially the 'sharks' I've been reading about) stop and approach you asking to trade or look at your pins?



This is because I have PTSD and anxiety that I am working on (Our recent trip last week showed that I can handle the evening fireworks now which is HUGE). I want to know if we’re going to be swarmed all day or if people will just come up to the kids. What should I be looking for in a 'pin shark'? And are they typically all that will approach you if you have a lanyard/pins showing?

It comes down to it being a safety issue. In which case, no lanyards

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[catakun]

The sharks typically chill at some tables, and usually won't approach you unless you've got a top-dollar pin or approach them yourself I think. A shark usually carries a lot of pins in a big book, but normal traders may do that too... It usually depends on what they're after and what they're offering for your stuff. If you want to trade without risking sharks seeing your lanyard or pins, you could always trade with cast members out of your backpack or something so no sharks could see your pins

 

[lohofosho]

I always wear a pin lanyard and have never had anyone ask me to trade off them, except the occasional child. Some people will admire, usually non pin traders or cast members. As Catakun said, the pin sharks are usually stationed out somewhere. I

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[pincrazy]

Rarely wearing a lanyard and walking through the park will you have people running up to you to trade. Maybe it's because I don't wear the pins anyone wants, but i've never had the pleasure. ,But as mentioned above usually it's when you're at the trading tables that sharks will notice what you have. If you enjoy wearing/sharing your collection, than enjoy the pride of wearing your lanyard, it's fun. Make sure your pins are securely attached to your lanyard though, so you won't be worried where you lost your pin, and hope to find it at lost and found.

 

[kba41510]

I usually wear my SF giants themed lanyard filled wth Giants Disney themed pins so when I'm down in SoCal, surprise surprise, no one ever asks me to trade my pins lol (although I've gotten a ton of compliments and "can I see" from people who didn't know there were that many disney/giants pins even from Dodgers fans). However this last time, I wore my lion king lanyard for the first time and I got a few people who would look but nobody offering to trade. Maybe it's just me, but I have always been under the impression that with people who actively pin trade, the pins you wear on your lanyard are just for show and not for trade...

 

[bombardon3]

You get the occasional child that doesn't understand that you are not a cast member. When I took my cousin's kids a random woman did ask them if they wanted to trade with her daughters, which they declined since they were shy. I think it was just someone trying to be friendly since there was nothing on their lanyards a shark would want, but it did bug me at the time that the mother approached the kids directly instead of asking me first. Most fellow pin collectors know that pins on your lanyard likely aren't for trade.

 

[Disnerd1989]

I have been collecting since 2008 and I always wear my lanyard in the park. I've only been approached 3 times. Two of those times were by kids and the other time was by two teenage girls!

 

[bretu]

We wear our pins in WDW and Disneyland. Never been approached by other traders, only the occasional child. We wear our traders on our lanyard, and put the pins we trade for in our backpack. Cast members are always more friendly if you re wearing lanyard.

 

[Psycho Pixie]

VERY rarely throught the last 4 yrs when I wear a lanyard at the park... I mean VERY VERY rarely, maybe 2x in 4 years ok? Has a random guest of the park asked to trade on my lanyard. Weather it was a hidden mickey lanyard or my show off lanyard.

At the area traders are using now... all bets are off. BUT if you have anxiety and dont want to deal with that then dont visit the trade area by Zocalo.

As someone who had problems with Anxiety, I can tell you that in all honesty, pin trading with cast members actually helped me with public situations. My therapist and psychiatrist actually encouraged me once I explained what it was. Walking around the park approaching CM's, talking with them, dealing with the noise and bustle going on around me... It really helped me with my "coping" mechanisms.

 

[chroll]

when I wear my Giselle lanyard, CMs and kids (mostly young and teenage girls) stop me to admire it. the CMs just express that its nice, while the kids ask where to buy the pins or tell whoever is with them that they want pins like that. regular pin traders and sharks seem to size me up by my lanyard, but no one ever asked me to trade off of it.

I have seen regular pin traders ask other pin traders if they are "trading off your lanyard?" and the usually reply is "no, these are keepers" and its fast and no pressure.

also, if you wear it and start feeling a bad vibe, you can always put it in your backpack!

 

[PurpleRose]

I like looking at people's lanyards when going to the park, but I politely walk up and ask if I can admire it. It's fun to see another person's collection and sometimes I see pins that I have never seen before, which is pretty cool. I also like to look because there have been times when I have had a pin on my wants list and then I saw it in person on someone's lanyard and realized that I don't really like as much. It's also fun to talk to people about what you/they collect, so expect some people, once in a while to come up and ogle and engage in a conversation about your pins.

I wear my lanyards once in a while now, because it gives me a headache from all the pins weighing down on my neck. Whenever I do wear it, there are always a few people who like to come up and look at my pins. I occasionally will have someone that asks me if any of the pins on my lanyard are for trade and I just politely decline and say that they are my collection and they move on.

The best thing to do about the sharks is to make sure you know what the value of all your pins are before you go to trade. If someone tries to offer you some $10 pin for your $100 pin, just politely say no and find someone else to trade with. Then for next time, you know not to go them for a trade.

 

[2babus]

We're new to pin trading at Disneyland but always wear our lanyards. I'd say we're approached by other traders on almost every visit. No sharks though, just nice people so far.

 

[Snowie]

When I went a few weeks ago, I saw several people wearing Lanyards- However, I saw nobody approaching them nor anyone approaching me- I think it's just fun to show what you have acquired on your lanyards- other than that, trades won't happen often- unless maybe we all have two separate lanyards- one for showing, and one for trading. c:

I myself have been that one child that goes up to people and tell them that they have pretty pins and then ran away quickly in shame on many occasions in the past..... Just a side note, for your information, so these people really do exist.... :3

 

[CoryTheRaven]

The last time we went to Disneyland, I wasn't at lanyard-wearing status yet, so I just had my pins secured to my shoulder bag. The only time I had other guests ask about them were a couple of kids in line behind us for Alice in Wonderland. One of them asked if he could have my DLRR pin I just bought, and I gave it to him even though his own traders were left behind. He was small and I'm a sucker sometimes Then when our turn came up to load into a caterpillar, the two kids tried to ride in our car with us and leave their parents behind!

 

[docfish2u]

Usually it is kids who are talking about something they see on our lanyard and I will ask if they are trading. Very few adults ask other adults. If I am at pin trading tables I am usually to busy with other pin traders looking at my book to ask people walking by.