Ok so I'm pretty new here and was kinda curious about the trading and/or zapping process. Am I supposed to just trust random strangers on here with my home address and hope I receive a pin in the mail after sending one of my own? Kinda seems a little risky am I right? Also what's the method of payment used like am I supposed to hook my paypal up to this account or what? Sorry for the skepticism I'm just really new with all this.
Trust through trading is something you sort of build up. The helpful thing here, I find, is that every member has a feedback page on their profile where you can see what people have said about trading with, buying from, or selling to the userJust click on their username, and then in their profile click the 'feedback score' tab. From there you can see the numbers, but of you click 'view complete feedback for...' you can read the comments other users have left too. In my opinion this is the most invaluable way to know who you can trust to trade with you. There are some issues that can't be avoided, e.g. yes, it is entirely possible that the postal service might lost a package. But that's just one of those things.. and generally an honest trader will do their best to fix that or sort it out in any way they can. But trading is definitely a bit of a bungee jump sort of thing.. if you don't jump, you'll never know!
Zapping is just a friendly thing people like to do, you are not obliged to send anything free but if you happen to have something else our trading partner might like and also enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with giving, then you can include it as a freebie or 'zap'It's not a set-in-stone sort of thing, zaps are generally out of the blue surprises
Paypal wise.. you can either give the person your paypal email to send an invoice to, or get their paypal email and log into your own Paypal to send money. It's not linked up to the forum in any way. Just always send as goods so then you are protected by paypal should anything go awry
Hello! I see you are in Corona, CA, which is close to me!
If you don't want to provide your home address, I suggest you rent a post office box (directly from the post office). Get the cheapest one available (size 1 is $100 per year, that's 3" x 5.5") and you will receive a key (or a note) concerning any packages that are too big for the box. The key is if they put it in a larger box, the note is for you to pick it up at the counter (depends on what the postal clerk wants to do and whether you have to sign for it).
https://poboxes.usps.com/poboxonline/search/landingPage.do
Do what Loomi says and look at the feedback profile for the member on DPF. Also ask if they have an email address for the DizPins Reference Center.
Like how close to corona are you? It'd be great to trade sometime maybe. Also I'm not looking to spend $100 on a P.O. box right now I'm struggling just to pay for gas and my Disney pass haha not to mention starting college in the fall..but I'll figure something out thank you for your help!
LOL, like about 5-10 miles awayI gave up my Disney pass in October
I used to have a Corona pin meet (zip code 92879 at the Mi Tortilla at the corner of Magnolia/Ontario Avenues) but attendance for those was not good. Most people tend to meet up in the Disneyland area, as that seems central to those from the IE and those from LA.
First of all, welcome!
There are several in-person trading options in the So Cal area.
A group of traders always visits Disneyland on Sundays. They set up at the tables on the patio outside of Rancho Zocalo restaurant in Frontierland. And often you'll see a few people there with trade binders even if it isn't Sunday.
There are unofficial trade nights at the Ghirardelli store/Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood on (most) Tuesday nights. Usually people bring binders of traders with them to Friday and Saturday morning releases as well. I know Hollywood is a bit of a drive for you, but if you ever decide to go to get pin trader delight (PTD) pins, it wouldn't hurt to bring along your traders.
There is a collectibles store in Anaheim, My-D Pins, that hosts free trade events several times a year, usually on National Holiday weekends (Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc.) They had one a few weeks ago, and I expect another one in a few months.
One of the members here, docfish2u, is planning a big trading party the first weekend of May, which currently is planned for the Denny's right next to Disneyland. It will be a good chance to come and meet lots of members from here.
Hey there! So I always traded in the parks, and I only got into online trading recently. I was always skeptical about it, and was wary for a long time. Giving out your address was definitely a big part of my apprehension, and at times it still is. However, I have yet to have a bad experience with this website, and it definitely makes communication and trading a pleasure. (I am staying off of Facebook since I'm not familiar with their feedback system. I also try to keep pinpics trading to a minimum.) My number one rule is if you're ever not comfortable with a trade, you can always say no! P.O. boxes are also a great compromise, and I know many traders that use them.
As for buying pins online, always be watchful on eBay for fakes, and again: trust your gut. Paypal is the best way of payment in my experience for both here and eBay. (I don't even know if eBay offers another method.) Generally, the person who you are sending the payment to provides you with an email to "send a payment" to on the paypal website. Other times, they will send you an invoice. At first, I wasn't comfortable with paypal, and I sent checks. Those also worked, but they take time, and not everyone is comfortable with checks. Also, if it is a large purchase or expensive pin, I would ask that you request the seller provide tracking, and offer to pay the difference if necessary. (Although most should already have tracking.)
Which leads me to my next tip, shipping.
I always used to just go straight with my bubble mailers to the USPS, but then I was alerted of paypal.com/shipnow. When I just did USPS, it was about $3.00 to send a single pin, and that was without tracking. (It would have been another $1.40 I believe.) On the paypal.com/shipnow, you get the priority mail and tracking for up to three ounces (I rarely have a pin package that goes over) for a little under $2.00 . And even if the person I am trading with doesn't request shipping, I feel a lot better knowing where my package is and if it arrived to its destination safely.
Lastly, my experience with zapping is that it can either be done through a trade, (by including an extra pin or little goodie or something,) or just totally out of the blue surprise present. For the latter, the person may have your address from a previous trade, or (as often the case,) they get it from someone on the website who has obtained your address with the permission to give it out for these purposes. (I have allowed docfish2u to do that for me.) I believe that the people on this website respect other people's personal information, particularly addresses. (He is also who I get addresses from when I zap other people.)
However, if you do not want to be zapped out of the blue, which I can understand, then to be safe I would suggest that you explain this to whomever you trade with and ask them to not give out your address for any reason, even a kind one. Again, my experience with the people on this website is that they are very respectful about this. People can always ask you directly if they may send you a zap. (Which, although can take out some of the surprise, doesn't take away the meaning or kindhearted gesture.)
Last last lastly, if you do give out your address for zapping purposes, sometimes "mystery" zappers will arise. Many times these people do not want to be known, and at most times it is a curtesy to that person who zapped you to respect that privacy. However, if this happens to you and you ever feel uncomfortable (the pin was expensive, the package contained a message that wasn't welcome, etc.) you can always contact a moderator, and they will help you to straighten it out. Moderators are a great help, and they are absolutely wonderful on this website.
Wow, okay. That was a lot. However it is a serious matter and concern when you are on an online forum which deals with sensitive information. And I don't mean to scare you or turn you away from online trading with this information. Thus far, and I've been at this for almost a year now, the pros have outweighed the cons exponentially. But it is important to be knowledgeable and safe when trading. And if you take anything away form this, just remember to always trust your gut instinct.
If you have any questions about this, (I know I can be confusing at times,) feel free to pm me. I hope that you have a lot of good experiences trading, either in person and/or online, and regardless on if you trade or not that you have a good time on the forums.Even if you don't trade, or trade very infrequently, the discussions here are great. Finally, I hope you are having a wonderful day and this was at least of some help! :wavey:
(P.S. I haven't read the other posts in detail, so I apologize if this is just a repetition of what is above, yet this is an issue which is very close to home and being informed is important.)
Ask for feedback if you don't trust the person. Search the forum, their forum feedback, Facebook groups for their name, etc. You'll soon enough notice that it's easy to judge people by their reputation in the pin world. Ask for customs numbers, tracking numbers, proof of shipping (a photo of the envelope, the pin, etc...). And give them the same.
This has probably been one of the most informative responses I have ever respond thank you very much! I think I'm going to start trading in the parks first before attempting my first online trade but I do eventually plan on trading online whether it's next week or in a couple months I think I just need to get to know everyone on here a little better and make some friends also to gain some knowledge about the pin trading world before jumping into anything or making any mistakes! Again thank you very much for your kindness and sincerity in helping me figure this all out!!
Okay so as one of the zap masters here it is completely up to you on if you want to give out your address on the chance somebody might want to zap you. I have a large list of addresses and so does Judy (tiggermickey). If you do decide you want to give it a shot you can always post here:
http://disneypinforum.com/showthread.php?40412-Who-has-never-been-zapped-List-added-and-updated
Be sure to read through the opening post and follow all of the instructions.
Thanks to timeerkat for the mention about our party. We live in Seattle and we love the people we have met here so much we come down to Disneyland at least once a year to throw a pin trading party. This year it will be at the Denny's on Harbor right across the street to Disneyland. It will be 2:30 to 8 pm and is free to attend. It is a great way to meet many people from DPF. Plus all of the really nice people that come out seem to trade very nicely if I do say so myself. It is the amazing people we have met over the years that keep us coming back and throwing the parties. It is a great chance to meet up with old friends and meet new ones. Keep your eyes open for an official announcement coming very soon with details and a few surprises. I also make name buttons for people.
That sounds very nice! I think I might've read about this meet up already, it's on May 2nd correct? I'd love to attend if I am able to
Well Bri welcome to DPF!
First off I would like to say that I have not been on DPF for the last two years so hopefully some people remember who I am lol. I just got back in town a couple of weeks ago as I was gone for two years on a mission trip.
Second I would like to throw it out there that I also live in Corona. In fact Mi Tortilla is 3 minutes from my house and I remember going to a pin trade even there two years ago Starry Solo! So if you would like to trade we could always meet up sometime. Its always nice to see someone face to face and trade especially when you can't get to the parks!
I remember you! I still have your picture somewhere, the first pin meet I ever threw in Corona!How was your mission?
Well Bri welcome to DPF!
First off I would like to say that I have not been on DPF for the last two years so hopefully some people remember who I am lol. I just got back in town a couple of weeks ago as I was gone for two years on a mission trip.
Second I would like to throw it out there that I also live in Corona. In fact Mi Tortilla is 3 minutes from my house and I remember going to a pin trade even there two years ago Starry Solo! So if you would like to trade we could always meet up sometime. Its always nice to see someone face to face and trade especially when you can't get to the parks!
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