What is your primary method of acquiring your pins?

[hopemax]

So seeing some of the large quantities of pins in some of the Mail Day acquisitions posts, has got me curious about how people acquire most of their pins. I realize that people acquire them in all ways, but when I see the posts with a lot of DA or Disney shopping pins, I wonder if people are trading for them, or buying them.

Personally, the majority of my pins are purchased directly from Disney. Friends, family, and personally. Although, I am going on a secondary pin buying spree thanks to several of the pin sale posts here, lol.

 

[tiggermickey]

I buy or trade

Judy

 

[huertajv]

I mostly buy, as trading for what I want is difficult, because I do not have much that other people want. :-(

 

[tiggermickey]

Or get zapped

 

[talesoftobv]

I mainly buy from here or ebay. I try my best not to get scrappers, it has happened but I usually give them to my little cousin who doesn't know the difference (she's 3 and loves them.)

I also buy from DS.com and DLR when I can.

 

[lunarbasket]

Well, 90% of my pins came from WDW when I was only collecting and not trading. My second source would have to be ebay, and my third (and more recently) is DS.com

 

[JAllenWood]

I have also purchased quite a few pins recently from the good people here on the forum (thanks again everyone ). Before, I bought as many as I could from the parks, but only going once a year really limited what I could get. Most of my purchases have come from ebay and DS.

 

[halloweenfiend]

I will buy and primarily trade. I like the interaction with other traders.

 

[tyleet87]

I say buy only because no one ever has the pins I'm looking for for trade!

 

[edgeo99]

I Primarily buy my pins when I go to DLR and then trade, I rarely buy anything off e-bay.

 

[moo_moo_uk]

i buy and trade kind of do both of the same

 

[pauly88]

Depends usually from private sellers or ebay only traded for two holy grail pins my whole time..

 

[Abyssinian28]

I chose "Directly from Disney", because most new releases and my traders com from them. But if you were to ask about my *older* acquisitions (as in, released a while ago), then obviously, it's the secondary market/trading, because I wasn't going strong until around 2004/2005.

Erk. I'm thinking maybe it's split closer to 50/50 between the two groups...

 

[Tiki]

For most collectors, it goes like this.

1) Get 1 pin at a Disney Resort
2) Find out about cast member lanyard trading
3) Go back to said disney resort and buy cheap 6 pack of traders
4) Go running all over DLR like a wild person looking for cast members to trade pins with
5) Start buying "Rack" pins at the resorts
6) Go to a PTN at a Disney resort, where you run into people with what seems to be millions of disney pins, take their advice and then head to....
7) EBAY this is where you spend $20.00 or more for the first time on a single pin
8) Do a search on ebay, buy what you thought to be the best deal in the world.... BULK pin at $.65 ea per hundred
9) Next trip to Disney, you hang your head in shame hearing from every pin trader that you have nothing but SCRAPPERS for that smoking deal on ebay, Do not fret, cast members do not give a damn, trade away hoping not to get scrappers
10) Find pinpics, go crazy trying to find and list all of your pins so you can trade
11) Find Disneypinforum, find out most of collection is junk or on the brite side, you have a complete set of hidden Mickey scrappers...but nice scrappers
12) Find out your collection is pretty much worthless again in the "Trade" venue, no success trading on pinpics
13) Start heading to Disney events, not only buy pins that you need, but buy extras for trading
14) Find out the "Extra" pins you bought are not getting what you want via trades on pinpics
15) Back to Disney pin boards and start buying nice pins to trade with others
16) Finally you now are trading real well, you feel like the master of trading.... Problem now is you have 117 pins in your personal keeper collection and 2,365 pins listed as traders
17) You wonder what in the hello kitty has happened and why you are late on your car payment and 2 months behind on your Mortgage
18) Become newest member of the pinboards 10 step, pin-o-holics online chat room, You are one of the few lucky ones and find atleast 1 collector that is in even worse shape then you are.
19) All is not lost... You just found out that there is an extra pay period this month, You run to Disney and spend new found wealth on more pins, you are again a happy camper.


Well atleast this is how I felt collecting

 

[huertajv]

For most collectors, it goes like this.

1) Get 1 pin at a Disney Resort
2) Find out about cast member lanyard trading
3) Go back to said disney resort and buy cheap 6 pack of traders
4) Go running all over DLR like a wild person looking for cast members to trade pins with
5) Start buying "Rack" pins at the resorts
6) Go to a PTN at a Disney resort, where you run into people with what seems to be millions of disney pins, take their advice and then head to....
7) EBAY this is where you spend $20.00 or more for the first time on a single pin
8) Do a search on ebay, buy what you thought to be the best deal in the world.... BULK pin at $.65 ea per hundred
9) Next trip to Disney, you hang your head in shame hearing from every pin trader that you have nothing but SCRAPPERS for that smoking deal on ebay, Do not fret, cast members do not give a damn, trade away hoping not to get scrappers
10) Find pinpics, go crazy trying to find and list all of your pins so you can trade
11) Find Disneypinforum, find out most of collection is junk or on the brite side, you have a complete set of hidden Mickey scrappers...but nice scrappers
12) Find out your collection is pretty much worthless again in the "Trade" venue, no success trading on pinpics
13) Start heading to Disney events, not only buy pins that you need, but buy extras for trading
14) Find out the "Extra" pins you bought are not getting what you want via trades on pinpics
15) Back to Disney pin boards and start buying nice pins to trade with others
16) Finally you now are trading real well, you feel like the master of trading.... Problem now is you have 117 pins in your personal keeper collection and 2,365 pins listed as traders
17) You wonder what in the hello kitty has happened and why you are late on your car payment and 2 months behind on your Mortgage
18) Become newest member of the pinboards 10 step, pin-o-holics online chat room, You are one of the few lucky ones and find atleast 1 collector that is in even worse shape then you are.
19) All is not lost... You just found out that there is an extra pay period this month, You run to Disney and spend new found wealth on more pins, you are again a happy camper.


Well atleast this is how I felt collecting

OMG!!!!! This is sooooo funny, but sad all at once, because it is soooo true!!! You just wrote my life story on Pin trading!

Thank you for sharing this with all of us!!! Truly a treasure!

 

[hopemax]

Yes, very true! I didn't quite have the same experience. Although, I do remember wondering when I updated my trader list right before joining DPF.com, where the 150 or so trader pins I had came from, when I spent years thinking I had nothing. And as it turns out, the ones I bought for traders have sat, where its the ones that I picked off of lanyards here and there for 10 years have had the most interest. But when I was putting together my Animal Kingdom boards, yesterday, I pointed and asked my DH, "Do you know what these are?"

They are the original "lanyard fodder" pins. Five pins for $18. While, I was lucky to start my first trip post-trading with about 50 100 Years of Dreams pins because of of my Mom's ex-coworkers was selling off her Disney stuff, they were gone the 2nd day. I don't even want to think about how many of those packs I bought to make it through the rest of the trip.

 

[gbdb4ever]

For most collectors, it goes like this.

1) Get 1 pin at a Disney Resort
2) Find out about cast member lanyard trading
3) Go back to said disney resort and buy cheap 6 pack of traders
4) Go running all over DLR like a wild person looking for cast members to trade pins with
5) Start buying "Rack" pins at the resorts
6) Go to a PTN at a Disney resort, where you run into people with what seems to be millions of disney pins, take their advice and then head to....
7) EBAY this is where you spend $20.00 or more for the first time on a single pin
8) Do a search on ebay, buy what you thought to be the best deal in the world.... BULK pin at $.65 ea per hundred
9) Next trip to Disney, you hang your head in shame hearing from every pin trader that you have nothing but SCRAPPERS for that smoking deal on ebay, Do not fret, cast members do not give a damn, trade away hoping not to get scrappers
10) Find pinpics, go crazy trying to find and list all of your pins so you can trade
11) Find Disneypinforum, find out most of collection is junk or on the brite side, you have a complete set of hidden Mickey scrappers...but nice scrappers
12) Find out your collection is pretty much worthless again in the "Trade" venue, no success trading on pinpics
13) Start heading to Disney events, not only buy pins that you need, but buy extras for trading
14) Find out the "Extra" pins you bought are not getting what you want via trades on pinpics
15) Back to Disney pin boards and start buying nice pins to trade with others
16) Finally you now are trading real well, you feel like the master of trading.... Problem now is you have 117 pins in your personal keeper collection and 2,365 pins listed as traders
17) You wonder what in the hello kitty has happened and why you are late on your car payment and 2 months behind on your Mortgage
18) Become newest member of the pinboards 10 step, pin-o-holics online chat room, You are one of the few lucky ones and find atleast 1 collector that is in even worse shape then you are.
19) All is not lost... You just found out that there is an extra pay period this month, You run to Disney and spend new found wealth on more pins, you are again a happy camper.


Well atleast this is how I felt collecting

Who's been spying on us? :ugh:

 

[Gloomy]

I do most of my buying at the DSF, and a little on eBay for rarer, older stuff. I do alot of trades via Pinpics, too.

 

[redstorm63]

I usually buy them in the parks first then turn to eBay for older ones or ones that are at DLR that I want.

 

[hearts48]

For most collectors, it goes like this.

1) Get 1 pin at a Disney Resort
2) Find out about cast member lanyard trading
3) Go back to said disney resort and buy cheap 6 pack of traders
4) Go running all over DLR like a wild person looking for cast members to trade pins with
5) Start buying "Rack" pins at the resorts
6) Go to a PTN at a Disney resort, where you run into people with what seems to be millions of disney pins, take their advice and then head to....
7) EBAY this is where you spend $20.00 or more for the first time on a single pin
8) Do a search on ebay, buy what you thought to be the best deal in the world.... BULK pin at $.65 ea per hundred
9) Next trip to Disney, you hang your head in shame hearing from every pin trader that you have nothing but SCRAPPERS for that smoking deal on ebay, Do not fret, cast members do not give a damn, trade away hoping not to get scrappers
10) Find pinpics, go crazy trying to find and list all of your pins so you can trade
11) Find Disneypinforum, find out most of collection is junk or on the brite side, you have a complete set of hidden Mickey scrappers...but nice scrappers
12) Find out your collection is pretty much worthless again in the "Trade" venue, no success trading on pinpics
13) Start heading to Disney events, not only buy pins that you need, but buy extras for trading
14) Find out the "Extra" pins you bought are not getting what you want via trades on pinpics
15) Back to Disney pin boards and start buying nice pins to trade with others
16) Finally you now are trading real well, you feel like the master of trading.... Problem now is you have 117 pins in your personal keeper collection and 2,365 pins listed as traders
17) You wonder what in the hello kitty has happened and why you are late on your car payment and 2 months behind on your Mortgage
18) Become newest member of the pinboards 10 step, pin-o-holics online chat room, You are one of the few lucky ones and find atleast 1 collector that is in even worse shape then you are.
19) All is not lost... You just found out that there is an extra pay period this month, You run to Disney and spend new found wealth on more pins, you are again a happy camper.


Well atleast this is how I felt collecting

We miss you lots Dimitri! Your humor and wit was most welcoming in those all night lines! Thanks for opening the Bible of the 19 Commandments of Pin Trading!

 

[pauly88]

Dimitri you wrote all that...

 

[nursek8]

LOL Tiki!:lol: You hit the nail right on the head and hammered it home! I get my pins from disney (dlr) dsf occasionally wdi and the disney store.com, sponsoring someone for an event, and Ebay. I dont buy lots on ebay unless i know the seller and / or i can see actual real pics of the pins the seller has front and back plus i check the feedback and what people have written in the comments.

 

[Stitch2814]

I mainly buy my pins but recently Ive been able to trade for quite a few of my pins so glad to be actually saving a bit of money for once XD

 

[SimbaNala]

I tend to buy all my pins from Disney (no ebay here) and trade for the pins I have to have with other collectors

 

[earthbound]

As my collection is mainly Hidden Mickey pins then they are traded for - as early as possible after release to reduce the fear of scrapper ending up in my sets!! I do purchase the monthly Piece of History pins from an established seller via eBay - otherwise that is it - no other buying or eBaying!!