What does everyone think about the value of the Designer Villain Pins?

erudolf said:

I don't know how new you are to pin trading but people have called the Disney Store for YEARS complaining about these issues. It is because of pin traders calling an complaining that any limits got put in place at all. You know that little blurb that goes "in response to our loyal guests' requests...".....uh, yeah, that was us, myself included. Many of us "old timers"....many of whom left this place a long time ago....called and complained about the way they were running things. It used to be possible for one person to just order 50 of an LE 100 set in one order leaving nothing for anyone else. After years of complaining they finally put a change in place and people like you should be thankful for that because if we hadn't called and complained that ebay seller would have far more than 6 or however many sets under their control and you would have been SOL like the rest of us.

It would be nice to see a little compassion. Try putting yourself in other people's shoes for a minute. Nobody is saying that people aren't entitled to a little profit for their efforts, but honestly, if you did not have the good fortune to have access to a lot of these releases, how long do you honestly believe you'd be able to hang in this hobby? How discouraged would you be? How taken advantage of would you feel? And how long would it be before you just quit altogether and said it just isn't worth it?

So, before just saying other people are sour grapes perhaps it would be advantageous to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Click to expand...

Whats honestly discouraging is the way people act when they miss out on a big release. That to us, is honestly immature.

We're not newbies in the pin world, but at the same time, we're not an "old timer" as yourself or other's here on the forum.

And as far as us putting ourselves in peoples shoes. WE"VE BEEN IN THOSE SHOES, and throwing a tantrum thread has never been a top priority of ours.

uh, yeah. Compassion? We've shown compassion to anyone and everyone who has missed out on a set. But its getting to the point where every release..there seems to be a complaint. Its getting awfully old and played out.

Who cares what they're going for on Ebay!! If someone has $700 to drop on a pin set that's nobody's concern but theirs. Complaining to disney and bitching about how its unfair isnt going to get you a set. Lets at least be grateful that disney even made pins for the villains. Luis said it perfectly: its not unfair its unlucky. If you didnt get a set its nobody's fault but yours. Its not disney's fault, its not the sellers fault, its not the people who bought multiple sets fault, its your fault. Im tempted to throw my set into an incinerator and make them LE 199 thats how fed up i am with this.

erudolf said:

I don't know how new you are to pin trading but people have called the Disney Store for YEARS complaining about these issues. It is because of pin traders calling an complaining that any limits got put in place at all. You know that little blurb that goes "in response to our loyal guests' requests...".....uh, yeah, that was us, myself included. Many of us "old timers"....many of whom left this place a long time ago....called and complained about the way they were running things. It used to be possible for one person to just order 50 of an LE 100 set in one order leaving nothing for anyone else. After years of complaining they finally put a change in place and people like you should be thankful for that because if we hadn't called and complained that ebay seller would have far more than 6 or however many sets under their control and you would have been SOL like the rest of us.

It would be nice to see a little compassion. Try putting yourself in other people's shoes for a minute. Nobody is saying that people aren't entitled to a little profit for their efforts, but honestly, if you did not have the good fortune to have access to a lot of these releases, how long do you honestly believe you'd be able to hang in this hobby? How discouraged would you be? How taken advantage of would you feel? And how long would it be before you just quit altogether and said it just isn't worth it?

So, before just saying other people are sour grapes perhaps it would be advantageous to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Click to expand...

I'm totally for fighting THE MAN and questioning the establishment but there is such a thing as a line and it's getting crossed. 50 pins to one person is unfair. Checking IPs and addresses to guarantee on per household is just plain ridiculous. There's a point where legitimate complaints turn to whining and hurt the hobby instead of helping it.

Now I think catburger has every right to say what was said and I know for a fact they have been in the shoes of those who didn't get pins. I've seen them drop a lot of money because they weren't lucky but I have never seen them complain to the extent that some people do. If you don't have the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time then this hobby is the wrong one. That's the honest truth.

catburger said:

Whats honestly discouraging is the way people act when they miss out on a big release. That to us, is honestly immature.

We're not newbies in the pin world, but at the same time, we're not an "old timer" as yourself or other's here on the forum.

And as far as us putting ourselves in peoples shoes. WE"VE BEEN IN THOSE SHOES, and throwing a tantrum thread has never been a top priority of ours.

uh, yeah. Compassion? We've shown compassion to anyone and everyone who has missed out on a set. But its getting to the point where every release..there seems to be a complaint. Its getting awfully old and played out.

Click to expand...

Yes, some people do not handle themselves very well at times, but that is because they are upset and have been pushed to the brink in this hobby. You keep hearing more and more complaining because with each and every release the prices keep getting more and more ridiculous! Double the cost used to be considered a high markup. Now all of a sudden 5-10 times costs is perfectly acceptable and we are told to just "deal with it"?

I'm sorry for discounting whatever experiences you may have had with what I am about to say here, but you have NEVER been in my shoes. Seriously, in the last year, how many of the good pin releases have you missed out on? How many? And what did it take for you to track that pin down? Did you pay 10 times cost? Seriously, missing out on a release here or there doesn't even come close to comparing to what a lot of other people have been experiencing. Wanna know how many I missed out on....all of them....wait, let me check....yep, all of them. Unfortunately that is the price I have to pay for living where I do and I have always accepted that. But now, all of a sudden the penalty I am having to pay for it has skyrocketed for no good reason other than that is where the prices are being set.

You will not see less complaining until the prices return to normal. ....or until rest of us just leave.

erudolf said:

Yes, some people do not handle themselves very well at times, but that is because they are upset and have been pushed to the brink in this hobby. You keep hearing more and more complaining because with each and every release the prices keep getting more and more ridiculous! Double the cost used to be considered a high markup. Now all of a sudden 5-10 times costs is perfectly acceptable and we are told to just "deal with it"?

I'm sorry for discounting whatever experiences you may have had with what I am about to say here, but you have NEVER been in my shoes. Seriously, in the last year, how many of the good pin releases have you missed out on? How many? And what did it take for you to track that pin down? Did you pay 10 times cost? Seriously, missing out on a release here or there doesn't even come close to comparing to what a lot of other people have been experiencing. Wanna know how many I missed out on....all of them....wait, let me check....yep, all of them. Unfortunately that is the price I have to pay for living where I do and I have always accepted that. But now, all of a sudden the penalty I am having to pay for it has skyrocketed for no good reason other than that is where the prices are being set.

You will not see less complaining until the prices return to normal. ....or until rest of us just leave.

Click to expand...

I can totally respect your views and where you're coming from. You've been in this hobby a lot longer than we have. So from this point on, at least on THIS topic anyway..We can hopefully agree to disagree. I don't want this to turn into something ugly, I respect your opinion and we'll just leave it at that.

Luis75 said:

I'm totally for fighting THE MAN and questioning the establishment but there is such a thing as a line and it's getting crossed. 50 pins to one person is unfair. Checking IPs and addresses to guarantee on per household is just plain ridiculous. There's a point where legitimate complaints turn to whining and hurt the hobby instead of helping it.

Now I think catburger has every right to say what was said and I know for a fact they have been in the shoes of those who didn't get pins. I've seen them drop a lot of money because they weren't lucky but I have never seen them complain to the extent that some people do. If you don't have the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time then this hobby is the wrong one. That's the honest truth.

Click to expand...

I actually wasn't advocating the change to the limits, I was standing up for people speaking out when things aren't working. Honestly, Disney is just plain stupid in my opinion. They fail to see that when their customers are forced to pay these kinds of markups that it is just less money those customers can spend with them. I would have satisfied with a simple heads up. "Hey, we are releasing these pins Monday so make sure you are up!" That would have been fine with me and given me my fair shot.

I'd love to see what would happen if ALL DSF pins went to surprise releases.....tunes on the topic would change I'm sure.



I think people are missing a major point here. Sure, every misses out here and there, it is a fact of life and it happens. But there has been a growing divide between the "haves" and the "have nots". That is the point. With increasing frequency the people on the losing end are the same people over and over and the people on the winning end are the same people over and over. That is the point here.

erudolf said:

I don't know how new you are to pin trading but people have called the Disney Store for YEARS complaining about these issues. It is because of pin traders calling an complaining that any limits got put in place at all. You know that little blurb that goes "in response to our loyal guests' requests...".....uh, yeah, that was us, myself included. Many of us "old timers"....many of whom left this place a long time ago....called and complained about the way they were running things. It used to be possible for one person to just order 50 of an LE 100 set in one order leaving nothing for anyone else. After years of complaining they finally put a change in place and people like you should be thankful for that because if we hadn't called and complained that ebay seller would have far more than 6 or however many sets under their control and you would have been SOL like the rest of us.

It would be nice to see a little compassion. Try putting yourself in other people's shoes for a minute. Nobody is saying that people aren't entitled to a little profit for their efforts, but honestly, if you did not have the good fortune to have access to a lot of these releases, how long do you honestly believe you'd be able to hang in this hobby? How discouraged would you be? How taken advantage of would you feel? And how long would it be before you just quit altogether and said it just isn't worth it?

So, before just saying other people are sour grapes perhaps it would be advantageous to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Click to expand...

I completley agree Erica. Imagine all the UKers or foreign collectors who have not got the access to the likes of pins to even try and trade for these pins.

erudolf said:

I actually wasn't advocating the change to the limits, I was standing up for people speaking out when things aren't working. Honestly, Disney is just plain stupid in my opinion. They fail to see that when their customers are forced to pay these kinds of markups that it is just less money those customers can spend with them. I would have satisfied with a simple heads up. "Hey, we are releasing these pins Monday so make sure you are up!" That would have been fine with me and given me my fair shot.

I'd love to see what would happen if ALL DSF pins went to surprise releases.....tunes on the topic would change I'm sure.

I think people are missing a major point here. Sure, every misses out here and there, it is a fact of life and it happens. But there has been a growing divide between the "haves" and the "have nots". That is the point. With increasing frequency the people on the losing end are the same people over and over and the people on the winning end are the same people over and over. That is the point here.

Click to expand...

To be honest the surprise releases are all about chance and that's the best way to go about it. Disney is not stupid they are a business and one of the most successful at that. They shouldn't care that 100 different people buy pins. As long as they sell all 100, even of its to 1person, they made their money. Why should they care? They do though. And that is what makes them great. Not stupid.

Yeah there is a great separation between haves and have nots. It's the nature of life. It's truly unfortunate you don't live close to be at every release. I feel for you. I really do because you are being deprived from the hobby but at the same time it's the luck of the draw. If Disney moves all it's releases to Florida I won't demand for justice. I'll just say damn, that really sucks. I won't come on here and cry about it. I won't call Disney and demand justice. Maybe it's just my personality to deal with the cards that were dealt and make the best of my situations but the point we are stressing is the unnecessary whining about price increases and release procedures. People WILL ALWAYS pay for what they want. If I have 1000 laying around and have the means to spend them on a piece of metal I won't say oh wait I better be sensitive to the other 1000 people trying to get one of 200 pins. I'll pay it to ENSURE I have it. Can't be mad at that. That's how real estate works. Thats how the job market works. That's how capitalism works. That's how life works. Is it fair? Nah. But it is what it is.

Maybe some people need a less stressful hobby. I hear painting model cars is quite fulfilling and less competitive

erudolf said:

I actually wasn't advocating the change to the limits, I was standing up for people speaking out when things aren't working. Honestly, Disney is just plain stupid in my opinion. They fail to see that when their customers are forced to pay these kinds of markups that it is just less money those customers can spend with them. I would have satisfied with a simple heads up. "Hey, we are releasing these pins Monday so make sure you are up!" That would have been fine with me and given me my fair shot.

I'd love to see what would happen if ALL DSF pins went to surprise releases.....tunes on the topic would change I'm sure.

I think people are missing a major point here. Sure, every misses out here and there, it is a fact of life and it happens. But there has been a growing divide between the "haves" and the "have nots". That is the point. With increasing frequency the people on the losing end are the same people over and over and the people on the winning end are the same people over and over. That is the point here.

Click to expand...

ITA. I think what people are failing to see is that when someone complains or moans or whatever, that is a sign that the person is on the verge of being an ex-collector. Happy people buy pins, make trades and values go up. Unhappy people leave the hobby, pins don't sell or trade, people get frustrated they can't move their pins and then they leave.

Purchasing limits are in Disney's best interests because I bet they would rather sell to more customers, who might potentially buy other types of merchandise, year round. Selling to a small handful of people is cutting off the nose to spite the face. And purchasing limits aren't unique to Disney. Grocery Stores and CVS have figured out that they need to have them to prevent the coupon crazies from wiping out the stock of a sale item. Toy Stores have figured it out whenever there is the hot Christmas toy. Black Friday ad stores have figured it out with their doorbuster items. Expecting Disney, and asking for Disney to know the same is not unreasonable.

Tinker said:

I agree Li . I tried to do a co op and kept getting the runaround, so I gave up . I called The Disney Store and spoke to a manager that said there were no limits placed on how many sets you could purchase . So the ones that are saying, we are not sure if we are getting the sets are blatant liars and holding out to sell there sets at a higher cost . But like you said, its whatever, I'll live without Gothel as I did with Rapunzel . The mangaer however is going to look on ebay at completed listings, print them out, show them to her supervisors and have a change put in place, so that this doesn't happen again and that it is fair for everyone .

Click to expand...

your same person (gitanoman) agreed to sell these sets to multiple people I know, and last night she sent out a message to all of them saying Disney Store had cancelled her order.

No one believes her.

I had nothing to add, except I found this cute and adorable emoticon that I wanted to use so I thought I'd post it here:

Luis75 said:

To be honest the surprise releases are all about chance and that's the best way to go about it. Disney is not stupid they are a business and one of the most successful at that. They shouldn't care that 100 different people buy pins. As long as they sell all 100, even of its to 1person, they made their money. Why should they care? They do though. And that is what makes them great. Not stupid.

Click to expand...

Have to completely disagree with you here. In many ways Disney is very stupid. They make money in spite of themselves. I can think of 20 pin designs that would be instant sell outs if they would just make them. And having unhappy customers is bad PR. Disney is all about a "magical experience".....this isn't it.

Luis75 said:

Yeah there is a great separation between haves and have nots. It's the nature of life. It's truly unfortunate you don't live close to be at every release. I feel for you. I really do because you are being deprived from the hobby but at the same time it's the luck of the draw. If Disney moves all it's releases to Florida I won't demand for justice. I'll just say damn, that really sucks. I won't come on here and cry about it. I won't call Disney and demand justice. Maybe it's just my personality to deal with the cards that were dealt and make the best of my situations but the point we are stressing is the unnecessary whining about price increases and release procedures.

Click to expand...

That is all very easy to say until the shoe is actually on the other foot. I don't know you but it sounds to me if it were really that easy just to let it all roll off your back then you probably don't care about the hobby THAT much to begin with and you just wouldn't collect if constantly faced with this many hurdles.

erudolf said:

Have to completely disagree with you here. In many ways Disney is very stupid. They make money in spite of themselves. I can think of 20 pin designs that would be instant sell outs if they would just make them. And having unhappy customers is bad PR. Disney is all about a "magical experience".....this isn't it.

That is all very easy to say until the shoe is actually on the other foot. I don't know you but it sounds to me if it were really that easy just to let it all roll off your back then you probably don't care about the hobby THAT much to begin with and you just wouldn't collect if constantly faced with this many hurdles.

Click to expand...

You're totally right. I wouldn't collect. Why would I choose a hobby that constantly brings me stress and anxiety? That makes no sense to me. A hobby should bring fulfillment and joy and that's why I collect. Because I make great friendships and I love Disney because they've always made my life a little more magical. If I had to constantly stress over my hobby then it wouldn't be a hobby, it be a problem.

As I said, if you don't speak up. nothing will ever be resolved . And I do agree with Erica, she makes some very good points . You are not going to see me attack back because I'm done with that kind of method . It gets me no where except upset . So grind me through the meat chopper all you want . :lol: Nothing fazes me any longer . I did what I did, I wasn't complaining about not getting a set as I didn't try . Why, I was in the resort asleep . I was letting them tell that they need a change in the way things are sold so that every one has a shot .

ok, everyone that didn't get a set just needs to learn to get over it. If you want them that bad work hard to get them! I didnt get a set and I've just been working hard to get pins for the people who do have them for trade. The prices for the villains are perfectly correct! I mean look at all the bids. people really want them! And pin trading is supposed to be fun. People are making it sound so annoying and stressful (no wonder Disney hates us!! LOL)

Luis75 is absolutely right . These sets are just to stressful . I'm still holding out on one very kind member . Yes, they will make money, but thats there perrogative and I want Mother Gothel, so I am willing to spend $100.00 plus . And I will help the others that joined my co op for the same price . I should no too keep my mouth shut as no matter what I say or do, it's wrong . My next grail is Rapunzel .
I got the DLPR PTN Rapunzel at the event and had to trade big time . The trader asked, why would you want a pin for a 3 year old ? My answer was if these pins are bringing this much money now, she should be able to pay for a car or college in 15 years . I must have made sense as she traded with me . LOL

My 2 cents on the rather heated debate going here::

1~ setting limits. DSUK sets a limit of 2 per order for most of it's releases. As a result, the LE350 and le 500 pins are often still available for a while. It obviously works, even if their computer system crashes regularly. It makes total sense for Disney to set limits on how many each person can purchase. Wanting them to enforce those limits by monitoring IP address or Credit card used for purchase is not sour grapes, its common sense. Please more customers more of the time.

2~ Surprise release makes complete and total sense. It make it so that those who faithfully check every sunday night will get the pins, and those lucky few others who notice them as well. It levels the playing field a bit.

Do I think DSF should switch to all surprise releases? Nope. They couldnt even if they wanted to, their releases are timed to go with movies playing in El Capitan or being DVD released. I think they should do fewer surprise pins though. People are showing up to get wrist bands just for the off chance of getting a surprise release. I heard folks with wrist bands left when it was revealed there was no surprise release last week.

Tinker said:

The trader asked, why would you want a pin for a 3 year old ? My answer was if these pins are bringing this much money now, she should be able to pay for a car or college in 15 years . I must have made sense as she traded with me . LOL

Click to expand...

This is way off topic, but I would caution you to NEVER plan on pins paying off. They won't. Very very very few pins ever cross the $400 barrier and I have never seen a single pin bring more than $1000 (excluding name tags which in my opinion are more Disney history than pins). The hot pins of today could be worthless tomorrow. Fads fade. Ten years from now Rapunzel very likely won't be the hot item....she will eventually be replaced by the next new fad. Many of the old Mega-Grails don't even get a second glance anymore.

Nathan95 said:

Complaining to disney and bitching about how its unfair isnt going to get you a set.

Click to expand...

True dat.

But then again, riddle me this .... why do we see frustrated threads every time a Tangled marquee sells below its perceived market value ?? hmmmm ???? I wonder if there are people who e-mail those Ebay sellers offering more money for the pin they just sold, asking them to cancel the sale ??? Anyone ???? There are many ways to "*****".

Do not get me wrong, I am not trying to show anyone at fault. Complaining if you do not get what you want, and if your friend is not playing nice and sharing, is just human nature. It is not a good quality, but it happens.

Psycho Pixie said:

My 2 cents on the rather heated debate going here::

1~ setting limits. DSUK sets a limit of 2 per order for most of it's releases. As a result, the LE350 and le 500 pins are often still available for a while. It obviously works, even if their computer system crashes regularly. It makes total sense for Disney to set limits on how many each person can purchase. Wanting them to enforce those limits by monitoring IP address or Credit card used for purchase is not sour grapes, its common sense. Please more customers more of the time.

2~ Surprise release makes complete and total sense. It make it so that those who faithfully check every sunday night will get the pins, and those lucky few others who notice them as well. It levels the playing field a bit.

Do I think DSF should switch to all surprise releases? Nope. They couldnt even if they wanted to, their releases are timed to go with movies playing in El Capitan or being DVD released. I think they should do fewer surprise pins though. People are showing up to get wrist bands just for the off chance of getting a surprise release. I heard folks with wrist bands left when it was revealed there was no surprise release last week.

Click to expand...

Thank You, that was the point I was making .
Erica, who cares if it was off topic, it broke the ice and brought an end to the drama .
Chicken Little , you yourself sells DSF pins for a higer price when some are still available . Why because you stay out overnight and pay parking fees . Nobody says a word, so why is it ok for some and not another .
Nathan, I wasn't trying to get a set . I give up trying to explain like a broken record the point I was making .
Yes, my order was cancelled too, but I still left good feedback . She is a very sweet, sincere person . Her credir card got stolen, if everyone must know, she put a fraud alert on her cards, when her bank picked up on a $1,000.00 transaction the red flags went up and her orders were canceled .
I personally spoke to her, one thing I know for sure is Disney cannot tell you because of privacy & confidentiality, if any orders were confirmed or canceled .
So stop unaccepting her cancelation transactions on ebay and get over it already . It cracks me up, we all complained, but all ordered anyway .
I got an infraction from calling someone out, where is the infraction here . Whether it be ebay seller name or DPF user ID it shouldn't be allowed . It's causing hard feelings . Is that truly who we are, people that hurt each other !
And Selen, I love you .

Merryweather said:

True dat.

But then again, riddle me this .... why do we see frustrated threads every time a Tangled marquee sells below its perceived market value ?? hmmmm ???? I wonder if there are people who e-mail those Ebay sellers offering more money for the pin they just sold, asking them to cancel the sale ??? Anyone ???? There are many ways to "*****".

Do not get me wrong, I am not trying to show anyone at fault. Complaining if you do not get what you want, and if your friend is not playing nice and sharing, is just human nature. It is not a good quality, but it happens.

Click to expand...

That thread wasnt a "bitching" thread simply because im not a bitcher. If i miss out on something i dont ***** because if i really want it I'll wait for it. Thats pretty sad that grown adults whine and complain when things dont go their way or when they miss out on something.

and now a seller has sold the 6 pins individually totaling $1,025

Nathan95 said:

That thread wasnt a "bitching" thread simply because im not a bitcher. If i miss out on something i dont ***** because if i really want it I'll wait for it. Thats pretty sad that grown adults whine and complain when things dont go their way or when they miss out on something.

Click to expand...

I perceived your thread as a complaining one, but it is my opinion of course.

If you were the buyer, I think we would see a "I am so happy, I just won Tangled Marquee pin for $18.95" thread instead of

"OMG!! Someone is trying to devalue Tangled Marquee" thread.


Simply because somebody else was at the right place at the right time, a lot of people chimed in with negative opinions about how false and fishy that Ebay transaction looked. IMO it was just another form of bickering.

The people who missed out on this last release are doing just that. They are frustrated and bickering and expressing their feelings. If happy buyers, cut a little slack for unhappy collectors and let them release steam, it will all die down much sooner.

Instead, everytime someone complains, they get salt on their wounds and a lecture they do not want to hear.

Luis75 said:

If Disney moves all it's releases to Florida I won't demand for justice. I'll just say damn, that really sucks. I won't come on here and cry about it. I won't call Disney and demand justice. Maybe it's just my personality to deal with the cards that were dealt and make the best of my situations

Click to expand...

You have a wonderful disposition. But, not everyone is capable of doing the same. I think they should be allowed to express their opinion without being crucified. At the end of the day, there are some unhappy Disney shoppers and they express their frustrations towards Disney.

Maybe somethings can be changed for the better, maybe not. Who knows?? What I find discouraging is almost everyone concluding "Nothing can be done to help" while UK Disney has clearly a better system in place. Is it not worth trying ?

LOL, I agree.

catburger said:

Tinker, can we safely assume you're in Point of View #1 in my first comment on this thread? I mean..whats just as worse, or close, are the people who actually called DISNEY STORE to complain...like really??? cmon everyone. Lets grow up! Believe me, if Cat and I didnt get a set we wouldnt be calling or complaning to anyone in disney authority..we'd find a way to get them regardless.

Click to expand...