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.