The Beloved Tale craze...

Back in 2008, I bought the Lion King Beloved Tale pin for not much more than it's retail price through a kindly pin trader who was going to be in the area and offered to pick up pins for those wanting them. It was kind of a pretty pin, but no big deal and I remember seeing them listed on an auction site for months afterwards, sitting at around $30 dollars.

Now, suddenly, it seems like this collection is made out of platinum and depending on the movie, sell anywhere between $70-$500. I feel like I missed something as far as value wise. To me, most of the scenes depicted aren't anything spectacular from the movies; most of the pins don't even showcase the entire cast. While I realize everyone has different tastes, I'm trying to figure out why this particular series holds such an intense interest to collectors.

A couple of factors:

It's a pretty collection - kind of like a newer version of Gomes pins which most newer collectors are unaware of.
It represents a lot of films - so it's a nice way to collect a pin for all movies.
It's got a consistently low edition size.

And finally, in the past few years a lot of DSF series became very popular that weren't in the past including: Beloved Tales, Marquees, and PTDs. The more people sought them out (especially older ones no longer in circulation), the more others became interested and decided to collect the "hot" series too.

I don't get it either. I don't even like the Lion King BT and i collect the Lion King...the colors on it are weird...and it's not even really a scene from the movie...

At the time that it took off like wild fire, the reasons people gave was because it was a nice way to collect one pin from each movie, since they are all a nice uniform, round shape, they look really nice all framed together, and with the end of DisneyShopping.com and DA pins, they were fairly large pins compared to everything else at the time, and a decent LE size. I missed the initial release of the pins, because of my "dark age of information" and only found out about them when DPF started. I started collecting them right away, my parents visited the Soda Fountain and were able to get several of them at cost, bought some from a former member, traded for many more thanks to the help of PODM's and Ms Merryweather (Selen), and managed to get down to only needing only 7 of them. I'm still kicking myself for not buying the Cinderella and Snow White ones for $20, because I didn't care for the scenes that much.

Then the explosion happened, no doubt in part due to "everything DSF" being capable of turned into multiplying, piles of cash. So now I need those original 7, and now 10 more. I kind of feel like the "price of admission" to collect them is so high, the market has stagnated. This new release has people with complete collections racing around a bit, but new people, I think go after only the ones that match their collections, instead of all of them as a collection on their own.

I don't get it either if it's a soda fountain pin or not intrested in any thing else

Everything goes in cycles. What is hot today won't be in a year or two. I am so old I remember when Stitch and Tinkerbell were the "hot things". DSF pins right now are very hot because they are the only "premium" pins available out there right now. There are no more DA/Shopping pins that were "special". Podm's were the hot thing not that long ago. Who knows what the next best thing will be. People have always been unhappy they couldn't get what they want and that drives speculators which raises prices. People need to learn patience!!! I have things in my collection now that I never thought I would. If a pin was meant to come to you it will. Just don't be in a huge hurry to get it.

Oh and I for one think the Beloved Tales pins art is terrible. Most of them look like a preschooler did them. They are very basic at best. In my not so humble opinion not worth the hype at all.

Sometime ago, if my memory is correct, someone posted a really beautiful pic of their lanyard with all the BTs to date on it in the 'Showroom' here. It was really beautiful, and - to me anyway - it just seemed to me that once that picture was posted, everyone went a bit crazy because they looked so nice together... I tried to find the original post, without success. As Docfish2u mentioned, the cycles ebb and flow...and with patience, the pin karma will come to you :wavey:

I think some of them are really nice and others are ugly. Not consistent at all, but they do work nicely as a set.

I believe DSSH is the only public venue in the US that releases low LEs multiple times a month. WDI cannot be counted here because it is not a public venue. Although it often seems to me with the newer folks value secondary market prices the above the edition sizes, an old timer like myself values edition size above all else. The low LE pins from DSSH are frequently tradable 1:1 for DLP pins of either the same or higher edition size, with the DLP pins frequently having a higher original price than the DSSH pins. Since I love the DLP pins, the DSSH pins are now my #1 source for traders for the DLP pins.

Jabberwocky's is absolutely correct regarding the Gomes-like nature of the Beloved Tales series. The Gomes pins are what drew me into pins in the 1st place. That is what likely attracted me to the Beloved Tales series when it started. :bowdown:

What I have seen happening is that person will get their 1st BT pin because it features characters they already collect, then as time passes, they decide to try and collect the series. Or, they will have completed both their Marquee Series, gotten current on their PTD series, and moved onto the BT series recently because they love the thrill of being on the hunt for the older pins.

When the series was 1st released, because foot traffic at DSF was low, the pins would sit on the shelves for weeks, and eventually many ended up being severely discounted just to get rid of them. A large portion of the edition size ended up being purchased by those not in the pin trading community simply because they hung around so long on the racks.

Yesterday the latest release sold out in 2 hours, and many who were able to get them are using them to trade for wither older BTs or PTDs.

I believe the secondary market prices of the older pins are due to a limited supply and a greater demand because newbies collecting the series need the older pins to complete their sets.

I think that the BT Series is the most fabulous ongoing series in the US pin community today.

docfish2u said:

I am so old I remember when Stitch and Tinkerbell were the "hot things".

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Hey, now! I, too, was around when trying to obtain a Stitch pin was like trying to win the lotto and I don't think I'm old.

But I get what you mean. Yes, anyone who has watched the demand change knows that like everything in life, pins run in cycles; point known. The thing that throws me is that the Beloved Tales pins are just sort of plain. It's like Disney doesn't even have to try anymore. Just promise a same shaped pin every six or so weeks based on something in the Disney universe, make it a limited edition and voila! People go nuts. Is this what really happens when Disney closes down selling sites like DS.Com or DA.Com?

The series may mimic the E. Gomes pins from earlier, and maybe it's just me, but even those pins weren't always jaw-dropping worthy.

I think it's just the fact that it's a series of pins with a generally great idea. It's a great collection for people who can't choose a certain movie to collect. They just collect BT, PODM, etc... because that way they still have a collection that is aesthetically very nice and they don't have to limit themselves to one subject.

I do agree that the scenes chosen on the BT are a bit underwhelming. Especially for The Incredibles (no Jack Jack?!), Wreck It Ralph, Lion King (I agree with the colours).

I have to agree with the scene selection ~ not very impressive for some. I really don't like the Alice one at all but have it on my wish list because it is AIW.

^ And that's the other reason they're popular - people who collect a particular theme need them AND people who collect the series itself need them - creating double the wants.

OlafOlaf said:

I think it's just the fact that it's a series of pins with a generally great idea. It's a great collection for people who can't choose a certain movie to collect. They just collect BT, PODM, etc... because that way they still have a collection that is aesthetically very nice and they don't have to limit themselves to one subject.
I do agree that the scenes chosen on the BT are a bit underwhelming. Especially for The Incredibles (no Jack Jack?!), Wreck It Ralph, Lion King (I agree with the colours).

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The series is a great idea! But the artwork falls flat on so many of the pins and if you were a person wanting to collect something from every Disney movie but couldn't decide, wouldn't the PODM be a better choice? At least then you know the artwork is a legitimate piece of film history since it's from a cell. Is the driving force behind the BT pins simply because of its lower edition size for those who wish to collect an all inclusive series?

CCofRR13 said:

I have to agree with the scene selection ~ not very impressive for some. I really don't like the Alice one at all but have it on my wish list because it is AIW.

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LOL, this may be true, but it's is scary to think that we, as collectors, are so driven to have it all that we don't even care if some of the collection is ugly.

Jabberwocky said:

^ And that's the other reason they're popular - people who collect a particular theme need them AND people who collect the series itself need them - creating double the wants.

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Granted, there may more than one type of collector after this series, but how is that any different than say, a person who only collects the March Hare or Cheshire cat and competes for those pins with movie collectors of Alice in Wonderland pin sets?

froggerway said:

LOL, this may be true, but it's is scary to think that we, as collectors, are so driven to have it all that we don't even care if some of the collection is ugly.

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And that is the definition of being a completist. I have some seriously hideous Wonderland pins in my collection - thankfully only a handful - but either you're a completist or you're not.

I only have one BT in my collection (Alice obviously) - but as someone who's seen the majority of the BT pins in person as they've been released - they really are beautiful together as a whole collection, even if a few are lesser than others in terms of artwork or scene choice.

Granted, there may more than one type of collector after this series, but how is that any different than say, a person who only collects the March Hare or Cheshire cat and competes for those pins with movie collectors of Alice in Wonderland pin sets?

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Because it adds yet another layer of collectors - that then makes 3 potential types of collectors for any given pin or 4 if you add themes - say I collected dog pins and the Bolt BT is released. As a dog pin collector, I'm now in competition not just with Bolt collectors (the movie) or Bolt collectors (the character), I'm also now in competition with BT collectors trying to get this LE300 series - most of which in terms of earlier releases are already in people's collections or simply not in circulation. There just aren't enough of these pins to satisfy all the collectors who would want them therefore adding to their popularity/desirability.

Honestly, with DSF in general, I do not collect those pins because they are too much of a high-ticket item. I only like the WiR beloved tales because the scene is so great. If it was a regular pin, I'd snatch it up, and I don't normally buy open editions. It will blow over eventually!

I think the craze is very low since we started trying to get them. When we started getting them it was the day of the Tangled BT and that's when they were REALLY high. Most new traders don't use pinpics and only go off of social media hype so the series is starting to pick up steam. As a completists, I would say that these pins are amazingly beautiful together and alone. Although they're a few badly chosen scenes - Cinderella -, it doesn't take from the beauty of a complete collection. (I had posted this picture almost two years ago when we first became Beloved Tales Completists)


We personally love them. They're beautiful together and the artwork doesn't do the pins justice. They're beautiful in person.
Here is an updated version:



The funny thing is that we had picked up this frame when we had all the BTs up to Enchanted and we slowly filled it in with the releases as they came by. When Brave came out at the Princess Event, we had one spot and we hoped that the next BT was a surprise. It was, but they were two of them. LUCKILY, The Incredibles is the last BT with the old DSF logo / card, so it completed our frame perfectly as just the Beloved Tales of Disney Soda Fountain. We have the Wreck it Ralph BT too, but it'll be in a new frame with the Beloved Tales of Disney Studio Store Hollywood.

I know people who don't like the PODM because of their fragility. That could explain why they choose BT. I don't blame them, the BT look very nice together because they're the same size and shape.

PinHunters, that is a beautiful collection!

EDIT: That reminds me - I guess I do have a second BT pin - the UP BT pin. Because it has Dug on it, it's been residing with a family member's Dug collection with the understanding that if I ever got a trade offer I couldn't refuse, it would still be available for trade. (With that said, there are very few pins left on my wants list that I'd trade it for, so it may eventually stay in its current home with the other Dug pins.)

Love the frame but have to admit my ocd is going nuts cause they aren't in chronological order by movie release date...

PinHunters said:

Here is an updated version:

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They look so nice together! Congrats!

Marquees = qty125+, started in 2005, Many $350+, top ones are $750-$1000
PTDs = qty375+, started in 2006, 8-10 are $450+
Paris PTN's (excludes PTE's & Jumbo's) = qty120+, started in 2005, 6-10 are $400+
WDI Characters in Sorcerer Hats = qty120, started in 2008, only Frozen Elsa pulls over $200. A few over $100 (Figaro, Ariel)
WDI Mickey Sorcerer Hats = qty130+, started in 2010, lower editions with LE150/LE200's, only a few $150+, mostly $30-$60.
BT = less than qty60, started in 2008, maybe 3-5 are $400/$500+. A batch at $200-$350. Similar to PTD values, for older ones, but they are newer, no LE150's in set and fewer quantity.

Beloved Tales are far more accessible, easier to find, fewer to collect, fewer releases between so you can save up for the next one. They also feature more well known stories, only a handful of Melody Times & 3 Little Pigs out types in the series. I have always said, consistently released low-edition sized collections increase in value. Those collections draw in new collectors all the time. Once a collection ends, so does the new draw of collectors and new money isn't inserted to inflate values. Collections wise to collect are Marquees, PTDs, BT's, PTN's (Paris mostly,) WDI Hats, WDI Characters in hats, and gaining popularity are the El Capitan theater VIP pins.

I personally don't give a premium to BT's. Just because they are round and some older Auction pins were round makes no sense to me. I don't care if a pin has words or dates but many prefer they don't. I think it all has more to do with showing off to other traders and newer traders were able to collect or try to complete BT's over PTD's and Marquees.

-em said:

Love the frame but have to admit my ocd is going nuts cause they aren't in chronological order by movie release date...

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haha it bothered us at first but there is no way you can keep that up...if an old movie is released then they all move....way too much effort haha.

markheardjr said:

Marquees = qty125+, started in 2005, Many $350+, top ones are $750-$1000
PTDs = qty375+, started in 2006, 8-10 are $450+
Paris PTN's (excludes PTE's & Jumbo's) = qty120+, started in 2005, 6-10 are $400+
WDI Characters in Sorcerer Hats = qty120, started in 2008, only Frozen Elsa pulls over $200. A few over $100 (Figaro, Ariel)
WDI Mickey Sorcerer Hats = qty130+, started in 2010, lower editions with LE150/LE200's, only a few $150+, mostly $30-$60.
BT = less than qty60, started in 2008, maybe 3-5 are $400/$500+. A batch at $200-$350. Similar to PTD values, for older ones, but they are newer, no LE150's in set and fewer quantity.

Beloved Tales are far more accessible, easier to find, fewer to collect, fewer releases between so you can save up for the next one. They also feature more well known stories, only a handful of Melody Times & 3 Little Pigs out types in the series. I have always said, consistently released low-edition sized collections increase in value. Those collections draw in new collectors all the time. Once a collection ends, so does the new draw of collectors and new money isn't inserted to inflate values. Collections wise to collect are Marquees, PTDs, BT's, PTN's (Paris mostly,) WDI Hats, WDI Characters in hats, and gaining popularity are the El Capitan theater VIP pins.

I personally don't give a premium to BT's. Just because they are round and some older Auction pins were round makes no sense to me. I don't care if a pin has words or dates but many prefer they don't. I think it all has more to do with showing off to other traders and newer traders were able to collect or try to complete BT's over PTD's and Marquees.

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We've collected all those series (granted not a PTD completists like you or got even close to being a marquee completists) but Beloved Tales are personally the nicer of all DSF staples just because they're more consistent than any other series. We loved marquees, but the fact that they can never agree on size (width and length) just makes it all look like a mess together. Same thing with PTDs. And although it's great that characters from all over are showcased in PTDs, their quality, LE size, pin size, and even pin posts sometimes doesn't make sense. We used to do sets of PTDs but even then not all of them looked that great. It would be better if newer PTDs were made with the mindset of being a series for the movie, rather than here is a character with an ice cream - who cares if we've repeated it seven times or that this one is HUGE compared to the others.

Beloved Tales are great because they go well together (the major problem only being Wall-e as it is slightly smaller than the rest) unlike the others. (PTNs definitively go well together too and so do the Sorcerer Hats - but Marquees, PTDs and Characters in Sorcerer Hats are all different sizes). They're also great because they're all LE 300 so it feels like more of a series than the rest (of DSF series) to us.

The baby wasn't in the damn scene. Why does anyone care. He wasn't even in most of the movie!!




The beloved tales are a glimpse at what can or does happen in the story. It's as memory or it's a representation of the movie as a whole. As much as I dislike the Cinderella BT, I understand it. The slipper is almost as important as Cinderella herself.

I'm soooo sorry Vanelopee isn't in the Wreck-it bt but you know what? She DOESN'T NEED TO BE. That moment in the movie is showing Ralph's true nature, sharing with other forgotten or outcasted characters. It's perfect because its a small moment in that story.



You don't have to like everyone, sure, but they are small works of art, representing a larger work of art. They don't include all your favorite characters, they don't have to.

It's a part of a beloved tale, not a "OMFG FIT EVERYTHING IN THERE" pin.

Because Jack Jack is awesome. He might not be in the movie a lot, but he's definitely a great climax to the story.