What kind of pins do you look for when trading?

I am going to WDW soon, I obviously am not a HUGE pin trader. I just think it's fun, but anyways. I was wondering what kind of pins are popular right now? I usually just try to find ones that I like best... and that do not look fake! Haha! I don't expect to find a SUPER rare pin on a cast member's lanyard, or anything.

In short: What should I watch out for?

or I guess reply with the best pin you've ever found on a cast member!

I'm curious about this as well I leave for WDW on sunday, and I think I pretty good at spotting things, but first hand account would be good lol. I've only traded with a cast member once and that was when i knew nothing

Yeah! Haha! I just trade for things that I like... but they end up being pins that EVERYONE has, or doesn't really want. And the ones someone does want I do not wanna trade! Haha! It's such a struggle.

Usually any new hidden mickey pins are good traders.
everyone wants them badly when there new.

BugCatcherJenna said:

Yeah! Haha! I just trade for things that I like... but they end up being pins that EVERYONE has, or doesn't really want. And the ones someone does want I do not wanna trade! Haha! It's such a struggle.

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Yep story of my life lol. I'm the worst pin trader haha

Ahaha! Yeah... me too.. ://

I like to look for cast members that don't look like cast members. Like the ones that are in regular business clothes because they're not working out in the street or on an attraction. One of my favorite Pooh pins came from them. They usually have some pretty decent pins because they're not trading as much with guests due to their lack of visibility. At DLR, I usually catch them on their way into the park or coming out of the cast-member only doors where the parades start/end. As for WDW, I think it should be about the same.

Pin wise, I look for anything that catches my eye. I'd always trade for a Pooh pin if I don't have it. Even if it ends up being a scrapper, I end up keeping it because I like the way it looks and don't plan on trading away any of my Pooh pins. I also look for some pins that come from a booster/starter set I like. I usually check a store to see which sets are being sold, pick a set that looks nice, and hope a family that bought it already started trading it (I'm 5/7 of the way done with the mini-pin villains collection after a couple visits) And finally, I look for the pins on lanyards that are pinned backwards (so that they're not showing, and you can only see it after you agree to trade for it). Before I got into pin trading, I've read a bunch of old posts/blogs that say these "mystery" pins usually were really good. I've only been able to see one cast member with a couple pins like this and they ended up being a couple of older hidden mickeys.

Edit: Oh and be gung-ho about looking for those lanyards. Usually the cast members in front of attractions or in the main stores have pins that have been traded so many times already that it's hard to find some nice uncommon pins. Try to hunt down those that are cleaning the streets or the busboys at restaurants. I've found a couple keepers off them as well

I stay away from things that have been heavily counterfeited such as certain hidden Mickey series, Vinylmation pins, etc. I like to try and find booster set pins I like, but that I didn't want to buy the entire set for. I also like the free pins they give tourists since I'm a local that never gets those. I've gotten really nice random pins off cast members. I always take a second look when I see something older like a pin that still says Disney MGM Studios or a DCA pin where the ferris wheel still has a sun on it. These older pins aren't terribly valuable, but I like the nostalgia factor and for the most part they are legit.

I like to look for cast members that don't look like cast members. Like the ones that are in regular business clothes because they're not working out in the street or on an attraction.

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Those are usually managers, in my experience. Sometimes if you catch them just starting their shift, they are wearing decent pins (usually Hidden Mickeys these days).

I would say that probably the best pins that I've ever found on CM lanyards was from a long time ago, these (I've been able to complete the entire parade set, since then--gotta frame that someday):






And I also got one of the other floats, but I can't remember which one...anyway, you can just imagine how excited I was that day to find those on CM lanyards! Btw, these are from the DLR - 45th Anniversary Parade set. I started pin trading/collecting the end of 2001, and by then you could find a lot of pins from the series on CM lanyards, but nothing this spectacular, normally!

Shiny pins - that's what I look for

Great advice guys!

bombardon3 said:

I also like the free pins they give tourists since I'm a local that never gets those.

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They give out free pins? o.0

I love the vintage pins also. I find a lot at thrift stores around my town!

Cast member refresh pins are pretty easy to trade when you get home. I found Pascal on a cast member lanyard and was able to trade for LE hercules and zeus one of my more doable grails.
Tangled is pretty in right now and there are a lot of stitch collectors (myself included).

If there's a PWP set that I like and am trying to complete you can often find them on cast member's lanyards because it comes in a black bag and therefore you can't choose what you get. If someone doesn't like what they get, they trade it. That's how I finished the snapshots PWP set - bought 3 of them, traded for the rest!


Careful of scrappers though! Have fun at WDW!

Speaking from the perspective of someone who goes to DLR, usually the stores that sell mainly pins usually have a good selection. Along with the castmembers wearing lanyards, they also have boards that usually have a lot of options. Recently, I got this one: Pin 68191: DLR - Disney Princess - Sleeping Beauty Castle which has pretty good stats too for being a current rack pin. I was excited

Also, make sure you check out hotels because they have huge pin boards full of pins as well at least I hope they do it at WDW!

My overall favorites from trading with cast members are: Pin 23807: DLR Cast Member Lanyard Series - Black/White Princesses (Belle) and Pin 25307: DLR Cast Member Lanyard Series - Black/White Princesses (Aurora) but I got them years ago, before scrappers were such a big deal.

Yep! We are staying at the Pop Century Resort... and we can walk over to the Art of Animation resort from there.

I stayed at Saratoga Springs, and they had a lot of nice pins on their board. I love that resort.