Understanding Pin Popularity Analytics

[fluffystitch]

Aloha Princes and Princesses,

So since this new pin trader's delight craze I have been trying to understand pin trends within our community. If we look back to beginning of pin trading there has always been a movie or character that has sparked a pin trading following. These trends have consequently all have followed similar patterns; these being: fixed pricing, scarce availability, subgroups, and social changes.

I guess the reason I'm posting this is due to the fact that I'm a psychology major in college and I love studying behavior/personality. Love making people think as well. Most importantly please share your experience with changes to certain pin popularity.

So these are my questions:

1. What qualifies a movie or character to become widely popular? (relatability? appearance? moral message?)
2. How would you describe your emotions when this popular movie/character has a new pin release?
3. How do you feel when you're unable to obtain this pin?
4. Are there certain characteristics certain movie/character collectors possess and subsequently show?
5. What is the process these pins go through to reach such popularity?

Later on I might post some sort of chart with specifics but I must gather the data first. This will be my summer project because this is what bored broke college student pin traders do with their spare time, right? :naughty:

-Jonathan

 

[colorwindpainter]

I'll play along. uhmmm let's see where to start...I'll just answer from my perspective so...
question 1. Characters that are popular to me or I guess that I collect have to have some connection to me personally. Like example my nickname as a child was Pocahontas. Im an art major and my main medium is painting and rapunzel is the one princess who paints which I adore. And my spirit and personality coincide with Merida perfectly ( plus if I don't straighten my hair... It looks exactly like hers) so I guess that would mean relatebility and some what appearance for me.

Question 2. How I feel when a new pin is released with my characters... Happy cause I adore having something new to search for since most of my collections are down to maybe four impossible hard pins each. And I get super giddy if the pins portrays a favorite part of any of the movies I collect.

Question 3. How do I feel when I can't get the pin... Hmmmm Im in that situation now I guess considering I'm basically at the point where I'm only missing extremely hard or rare pins. I don't really feel anything negative... I'm not really frustrated or upset. I just basically stay patient and when I obtain a trader I think is good enough or equal I send out a request. If I get denied I just go back to the drawing board and try again. Because I know down the road when I finally obtain that pin, I'll be the happiest girl in that moment. And it's worth the wait to me.

Question 4. I've been pin trading for mhhhmmmm 4-5 years maybe Ive never really seen any real characteristic that defines a collector to go for a specific character. I mean I collect tangled but not for the same reason as all the other tangled collectors. There are a bunch of stitch collectors and Jessica collectors and every trader is different and each one collects it for a different reason.

Question 5. Process... I guess it would start with how well the actual movie did. If it was a big hit at the theaters or has had great reviews most people rush out to buy the pins cause A.) they connected with the movie and want to start a collection. Or B.) they believe the pins will be good traders. If enough people make hype about it makes other people question and evaluate them more... Why are these pins so great? Why do these people want them? Should I want them too? And then that's how it starts.
Another way for pins to become popular ( this only works in sets) you need just one or two popular characters in a set to make the whole thing explode. This tactic caters to the completest in this hobby... So the whole beloved tales craze did hit a boom til tangled bt appeared and the now ptd craze didn't really grow til tangled appeared also and it's being fueled by more of the tangled cast and the added craze of wreck it Ralph now too.

There. Done.

 

[fluffystitch]

I'll play along. uhmmm let's see where to start...I'll just answer from my perspective so...
question 1. Characters that are popular to me or I guess that I collect have to have some connection to me personally. Like example my nickname as a child was Pocahontas. Im an art major and my main medium is painting and rapunzel is the one princess who paints which I adore. And my spirit and personality coincide with Merida perfectly ( plus if I don't straighten my hair... It looks exactly like hers) so I guess that would mean relatebility and some what appearance for me.

Question 2. How I feel when a new pin is released with my characters... Happy cause I adore having something new to search for since most of my collections are down to maybe four impossible hard pins each. And I get super giddy if the pins portrays a favorite part of any of the movies I collect.

Question 3. How do I feel when I can't get the pin... Hmmmm Im in that situation now I guess considering I'm basically at the point where I'm only missing extremely hard or rare pins. I don't really feel anything negative... I'm not really frustrated or upset. I just basically stay patient and when I obtain a trader I think is good enough or equal I send out a request. If I get denied I just go back to the drawing board and try again. Because I know down the road when I finally obtain that pin, I'll be the happiest girl in that moment. And it's worth the wait to me.

Question 4. I've been pin trading for mhhhmmmm 4-5 years maybe Ive never really seen any real characteristic that defines a collector to go for a specific character. I mean I collect tangled but not for the same reason as all the other tangled collectors. There are a bunch of stitch collectors and Jessica collectors and every trader is different and each one collects it for a different reason.

Question 5. Process... I guess it would start with how well the actual movie did. If it was a big hit at the theaters or has had great reviews most people rush out to buy the pins cause A.) they connected with the movie and want to start a collection. Or B.) they believe the pins will be good traders. If enough people make hype about it makes other people question and evaluate them more... Why are these pins so great? Why do these people want them? Should I want them too? And then that's how it starts.
Another way for pins to become popular ( this only works in sets) you need just one or two popular characters in a set to make the whole thing explode. This tactic caters to the completest in this hobby... So the whole beloved tales craze did hit a boom til tangled bt appeared and the now ptd craze didn't really grow til tangled appeared also and it's being fueled by more of the tangled cast and the added craze of wreck it Ralph now too.

There. Done.

Thank you for responding. I agree with a lot of what you've said. I personally believe we form an identity around the characters we collect, thus we end up embodying certain characteristics of this character. They sort of become a second subconscious in my opinion, making us question our morality and decision making (what would ____ do in this situation?). I think that's why traders get so passionate when it comes to those certain collections. If they don't receive that pin then it's as if they feel their connection with themselves is lost or distant.

Great start to the discussion princess!

 

[ladyroselie]

So these are my questions:

1. What qualifies a movie or character to become widely popular? (relatability? appearance? moral message?)
2. How would you describe your emotions when this popular movie/character has a new pin release?
3. How do you feel when you're unable to obtain this pin?
4. Are there certain characteristics certain movie/character collectors possess and subsequently show?
5. What is the process these pins go through to reach such popularity?

1 - I think it is a mix of aesthetic and nostalgia. Notice how Cinderella is THE Disney princess everyone thinks of when they think Disney but she is not so hot right now? The current popular culture aesthetic favors Snow White, Ariel, and Rapunzel. It can be because of all the additional attention certain characters get in other media (Snow White), or because they just fit the attitude of the moment (Rapunzel, Ariel).

As for nostalgia, people want the characters or movies that either remind them of when they were young, happy, or reminds them of a good feeling.

Sometimes it is all about popularity and people just like a character or film because others like it and they enjoy being part of the trend.

2- Being rather new to the hobby I am not 100% sure, but I mostly love it when scenes are very close to the film, or are extremely stylized. I flipped for the new Window to the Magic Cinderella.

3- It is frustrating being so far away from the parks, I feel like I cannot even trade. It is difficult enough to get the pins I want for my personal collection, let alone good traders. I'll never own a Beloved Tales pin, or anything super popular, so that makes me a little less invested in the hobby when compared to my other hobby: dolls. With dolls there are almost never counterfeits, and I am almost always able to obtain favorites at retail or online, leading em to be very invested in that hobby.

4 - When they have a really good, well-written story. Example: I like Tarzan, but all the Phil Collins interludes and the Rosie monkey distract from the story and really detract from the film for me. Tangled is spot on though, all the characters fit with each other and the story, there are issues, the story is just well done and smooth.

5 - Being limited to a certain number, getting internet hype before the release, or being a surprise I suppose. It seems like it goes with the crowd, one person raves and then everyone is raving about it.

 

[Psycho Pixie]

My thoughts and feelings regarding pins are so jumbled at the moment it would not make sense for me to reply to the questions. I collect obscure just because it is not the community normal. If i collected the stuff i originally wanted to, I would go insane with frustration... I am a Tangled divorce'.

 

[colorwindpainter]

1 - I think it is a mix of aesthetic and nostalgia. Notice how Cinderella is THE Disney princess everyone thinks of when they think Disney but she is not so hot right now? The current popular culture aesthetic favors Snow White, Ariel, and Rapunzel. It can be because of all the additional attention certain characters get in other media (Snow White), or because they just fit the attitude of the moment (Rapunzel, Ariel).

I don't understand. When has Cinderella ever been the face of Disney? I've always known it to be snow white cause she was the original and sleeping beauty as disneyland ( the original theme park) castke is modeled after her. But if you can explain it to me I'd be happy since I like learning new things.

 

[chroll]

I think Cinderella, with her castle in WDW, is more the face of WDW, but I would never consider her THE Disney princess. I think someone from Florida is much more apt to think that than anyone on the West Coast.

 

[Psycho Pixie]

In General, the first face that pops to mind wherever you mention a disney princess is Cinderella. IDK way... but it does. And if you ask these folks for specifics, then the majority will describe the scene where she changes into the blue ball gown. sparkles and all. The why of it defies my psychotic brain.

 

[colorwindpainter]

I still see snow white ad aurora when you think Disney princess my mind flips to both the kissing scenes.

 

[Cjvandever]

In General, the first face that pops to mind wherever you mention a disney princess is Cinderella. IDK way... but it does. And if you ask these folks for specifics, then the majority will describe the scene where she changes into the blue ball gown. sparkles and all. The why of it defies my psychotic brain.

IMHO it has to do with the way she is used in Marketing and her placement on most princess products. Go down the toy aisle and notice that when there are multiple princesses on products like coloring books, sticker books, painting sets, and most princess themed products, Cinderella is usually the most prominently featured princess. Rarely do I see Snow White on these products. It's usually Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and now Rapunzel. Also, culturally, there are many more references to Cinderella than any other princess. There are many movies, ballets, stories, etc. based on Cinderella than any other princess. I get why people would think of her as THE princess.

 

[ladyroselie]

IMHO it has to do with the way she is used in Marketing and her placement on most princess products. Go down the toy aisle and notice that when there are multiple princesses on products like coloring books, sticker books, painting sets, and most princess themed products, Cinderella is usually the most prominently featured princess. Rarely do I see Snow White on these products. It's usually Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and now Rapunzel. Also, culturally, there are many more references to Cinderella than any other princess. There are many movies, ballets, stories, etc. based on Cinderella than any other princess. I get why people would think of her as THE princess.

My thoughts exactly. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. It is just that from what I have seen, experienced, and read Cinderella is the most prevalent princess, if not the most popular. She was especially hip when I was young, as Snow White seems to be having a moment right now. I know the trinity is always popular, but sometimes one or another will just be a little more so than the others.

 

[colorwindpainter]

Oh okay that makes some sense as I am Vietnamese and we have a version of the Cinderella story back home. I still don't consider her thee Disney princess but I do see where you are coming from.