Trading at DLRP. Where, when, how? *Scrappers much?*

Hey all,

I'm hoping some of you guys who have been to Paris recently or go often can help me with a few questions on all things Paris and pins related.

The thing that is most playing on my mind is scrappers? Are cast lanyards covered in them like I've heard they are in the US? Are they still round and about - will I find them on pin boards or being traded by others knowingly?

Secondly: are there any good places to go to trade; specific areas and the like?

I'm going a couple of weeks time, so any info will be really helpful. The last time I was there was 6 years ago, so I reckon a lot will have changed!!

Thanks everyone!

Hey !
I think it's probably too late for you, but never late than never, right?

I went on Wednesday and I tried to suss out the situation a little bit.
So cast members all have lanyards, obviously mainly the merchandise ones but I saw them wandering the parks as well.
Not as many scrappers as I had expected, actually. A lot of recently released Paris rack pins, or from booster sets and all.
There was a guy with an American accent (sorry Americans, I'm not trying to stereotype, just telling it like it is) that I saw trading twice with cast members the same pin. It's a diamond shaped Alice one that I know has been scrapped, and the colours were really ugly. He did it really quickly too, like grabbed the pin and ran. Really annoying but what can you do ?

Be sure to check out the beautiful pins on sale that are LE at the moment.
You'll find that they have more in stock In the photography shop on the right as you enter the main park at the start of main street. People must not think to look there so they sell Out slower.

Hope you have a great trip an tell us about it on your return !

Hey!
The pins you have to look out for on CM lanyards are the Hidden Mickey ones.
My advice will be to trade only for the cast lanyards pins from Paris and the pins from booster sets or OE Paris pins.

The best place to trade is Pueblo's pin trading post, but it's only open in the weekends. (Don't know when you're going but next week on Agust 25th there is a Pin Trading Day and they release special pin(s) for that day.
The most French traders can't speak English or only a little bit.
But there are also other English speaking traders and always nice to chat with the Pin team Cast Members

If you have any further questions, you can always ask

Thanks for your replies; I haven't gone yet - maybe I was getting a bit too excited (we go 17th September!) that's lots of useful info you both have there and it'll be massively useful for me. Last time I was there I had great fun trading with CMs, but I was still pretty much a kid at that point! I'll be on the look out for sharks for certain (eye's are always peeled for them!) and my Mum has a special magnifying glass (!) that she uses to inspect pins. This can be quite funny to see, but if we bite the bullet and attempt to trade HMs then its needed!
Any one else been recently???

I'll post my thoughts after we visit the park... We just arrived in Paris today ... Plan to be at the park aug 25th and possibliy 1 other day still not sure... Any DPF members going to be at the pin trading day?

This is really useful, going to DLRP next week (sadly miss the pin trading day by 2 days!! and its on a week day)

May attempt to trade with cast members for the first time as last time I went (over a year ago) I wasn't into pin trading so completely new to this!!.

Hey!

I LOVE DLRP and have been the same number of times as my age ^_^.

My most recent visit was the end of March-beginning of April to see the start of the 20th anniversary things

This was my first experience of trading in the park since scrappers had started appearing there and i sadly had little knowledge of them but I did my best!

I found that the lanyards on the whole were really very good, they were full of Paris rack pins, booster pins and those gorgeous and huge cast lanyard ones too! There were lanyards about with scrappers but all the scrappers I saw were HM pins and very common scrappered pins so they would be easy to spot. My suggestion would be the same as was said above and to avoid Hidden Mickey pins but DON'T avoid the staff lanyards entirely as you will miss out on some great pins!

The tip about the Kodak shop is a great one! Don't miss out on visiting there for LE's. Don't forget to check your hotel shop for the staff's pins their as they tend to get traded with less and can have better pins.

Pueblo trading post worth a visit if you go on the weekend and don't forget to check out the trading day too.

If you want any more info about the park and best times to ride and such just ask or PM me as I know the place super well now

The only thing I would add to the great advice given by the others is to look out for the pin trading boards that come out out each night on Main Street.

They usually come out about 5pm outside Harringtons in the winter time but a friend told me they were out by the pin traing cart at the end of Main Street a couple of weeks ago around 6pm.

If you're not sure ask in Harringtons and they will tell you all you need to know

Since Patrick has gone to work at the World of Disney store in the village, the boards are not as good but you can still normally find good Paris Cast pins on there and like everyone has said Paris core pins are some of the best to be found in any park

Regards

Mark

I so wish I could go to Paris!!!!
Question???

Since there are some hard core pin traders that speak French, do you think it possible they would be able to understand some Spanish mixed in with French, as the two languages are similar?

I only ask because my husband speaks Spanish and took French as a language, and mentioned how similar those two languages are. Just wondering as I'm trying to see how difficult or how easy it would be to trade.

As a side note, I wouldn't expect anyone in France to speak English, just because I do. I know I do not speak French, although I would love too. :-(

Thanks!

Vicki

Hey Vicki !

First of all I'm going to mention - I was discussing with my host mum last night (I'm on an exchange in France with a French family by the way) and she was saying that not many French people are really into pin trading like before.
She said to me that a lot of the French are just in it for the money and the reselling.
Come to think of it I could probably agree that i just dont hear about it that much from the french haha !
Please please correct me if I'm wrong somebody ?
I would love to meet a real collector / trader that lives near to the park ! Imagine the collections haha.

Now to your questions
Well most French people actually take Spanish as a second language from the equivalent of grade 8, and it's compulsory until I think grade eleven when you can chose to do English or German instead, or go into a Spanish European learning class where maths and history are done entirely in Spanish as well ! (At some schools this is available in English too).
My host dad also has a lot of business deals in Spain (so he speaks excellent Spanish) and in Italy where they speak in English together. And they do find it easy because of the language similarities.

I think that if you have out a little Phrase book and at least try to begin with - they'll make the effort for you. Chances are that they'll speak at least a good level of either Spanish or English because here it is so important !

Hipefully you can go sometime soon !

Olivia

Alexjr1967 said:

I'll post my thoughts after we visit the park... We just arrived in Paris today ... Plan to be at the park aug 25th and possibliy 1 other day still not sure... Any DPF members going to be at the pin trading day?

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the offer of up to the minute info! I'm sure we are all looking forward to a report when you get back from your trip!!
I'm so hyped for it now, we got our first bout of Euros yesterday and I just booked the train tickets too!

And thank you to everyone else for your replies too; I was hoping you would post Emily as I saw you were in Paris recently! Its such a shame we have to go armed against scrappers but such is the world in which we live ...

So went to the park yesterday and was there first thing in the morning to buy our ticket upon arrival found the first of many cast members with pins at a cart just after security and it was full of mostly cast member lanyard pins ... With a a few of the core Paris pins... The first couple of hours is when had the best luck with finding the cast member lanyard pins... As the day progressed they became harder to find but the core pins especially some the of the stitch and princess booster sets were still plentiful...

As far as scrapers yes they are on the lanyards but no where near as bad as it is in the states... Not sure if others have experienced this but yesterday we found a lot of cast members scrutinized the pins they recieved in trade and often pushed to pick the pin they recieved in exchange and at times asked to see more pins asking for "special pins" to the point that on one trade the cast member denied us a trade because the pin we asked for was being saved for her friend... They were a few cast members that didn't care what pins you gave them as after awhile I just became used to showing them the pins I had for trade so they could pick and it was these cast members that scappers were present in full force ... For the time I spent at the park I only found a few lanyards where I couldn't find a pin I'd like to trade for...

Like many have said stay away from hidden mickeys and you should be fine...

Hope this helps... If find anything else to post while at the park over the next two days I'll be sure to post it here

Whoop inside info, that's really helpful thanks!

My mum bought me a pin bag that was meant to be for Christmas but guess what was given to me yesterday wrapped in Christmas paper(!) So I now have the cutest little pin bag to take with me, so fussy CMs can take their pick!

Hi,
I am off to DLRP next month and can wait I have been a few times and found if I got a few villain type pins there is a few cast members in the studios who collect villains only. There was a few cast member in the santa fe gift shop who had good pins and I seen them point out scrappers on peoples lanyards who where trying to trade (think they where new to it all) but they still traded but only for the real pins on the peoples lanyards. I Found if I went back to that gift shop in the early evening they had good authentic pins (I got a nice cast exclusive robin hood from them).

I agree stay away from hidden mickeys as I have traded a few before and found they where scrappers so I don t trade for them anymore unless I know the trader or really like the picture and won t be upset if I find its a scrapper when I get home lol

Wow! Thank you do much! My husband feels pretty comfortable with speaking or trying to speak in other languages because he understands them, since they are so similar.

Thank you Olivia! Your reply was VERY helpful and I hope you enjoy your time with your host family!!!!

Vicki

DisneyOlivia said:

Hey Vicki !

First of all I'm going to mention - I was discussing with my host mum last night (I'm on an exchange in France with a French family by the way) and she was saying that not many French people are really into pin trading like before.
She said to me that a lot of the French are just in it for the money and the reselling.
Come to think of it I could probably agree that i just dont hear about it that much from the french haha !
Please please correct me if I'm wrong somebody ?
I would love to meet a real collector / trader that lives near to the park ! Imagine the collections haha.

Now to your questions
Well most French people actually take Spanish as a second language from the equivalent of grade 8, and it's compulsory until I think grade eleven when you can chose to do English or German instead, or go into a Spanish European learning class where maths and history are done entirely in Spanish as well ! (At some schools this is available in English too).
My host dad also has a lot of business deals in Spain (so he speaks excellent Spanish) and in Italy where they speak in English together. And they do find it easy because of the language similarities.

I think that if you have out a little Phrase book and at least try to begin with - they'll make the effort for you. Chances are that they'll speak at least a good level of either Spanish or English because here it is so important !

Hipefully you can go sometime soon !

Olivia

Click to expand...

Anymore news to share with us Alexjr1967?
Hope you had a great time in Paris!

Whoop I go on Monday!

It's been 6 years since I went to Disneyland Paris!