Pin Trading - Basics 1

LaughingPlace.com Guide to Pin Trading
Care and Feeding of a Cloisonné Addict

What is Pin Trading?
Pin trading is one of the most exciting (and profitable) merchandise promotions in the history of the Walt Disney Company - most especially for the company’s Resorts and Theme Parks divisions. Begun in the Walt Disney World parks and resorts as part of the WDW Millennium Celebration in October of 1999 it has spread to every venue within the theme park division (with the notable exception of Disneyland Paris, the French, it seems, aren’t much for collecting). It soon extended to Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel in February of 2000, and to the Disneyland® Resort, the Paradise Pier and Grand Californian Hotels with the opening of Disney’s California Adventure in February of 2001, to Tokyo Disneyland in January of 2001.

You could even trade pins on the high seas on both the Magic and the Wonder, the two ships of the Disney Cruise Lines, almost as soon as they hit the water. Disney Quest, the Disney Stores and many of Disney’s Operating Participants and Vendors have also joined in the fun offering Guests pins as part of their merchandise.

The pin cart logo at Animal Kingdom

To support this international and cross cultural phenomenon, the Disney Company is producing tons of pins on a monthly basis - with varying price points, designs and edition sizes - to keep the world-wide marketplace of voracious collectors and traders happy. So, if you’re walking down Main Street USA and you happen to overhear a conversation in which the fate of Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain hinges on the availability of the Magic Kingdom’s Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse - don’t worry they’re probably pin traders and any persuasion is only the art of the deal.

How does it work?
Pin trading is - for the most part - a civilized and fun way to add small, colorful, collectable, crafted pieces of cloisonné to your collection. There are some rules and common sense and courtesy should prevail. Most Cast Members and other Guests are trading for fun and enjoy the interaction and it should be treated as a friendly exchange. Nothing will turn a Cast Member or another Guest into an EX-Pin-trader faster than negative experiences and pushy traders.

Disneyland Resort Manager of Pin Trading Becky Carter shows her lanyard to guests

Cast Member to Guest - Rules about what is and isn’t tradable apply for trades between Cast Members and Guests (see the new Disneyland Resort Guidelines in the Pin Etiquette section on page 3). It’s very easy to tell which Cast Members are taking part in the Pin Trading promotion as they wear their "official" Pin Trading lanyards while in costume and on stage. A Cast Member lanyard must have 12 tradable pins on it at all times and each of those 12 pins should be different (pins that a CM may have on their costumes, their name badges or service pins are off limits to trades). You are free to trade for any of them as long as the pin you’re offering is tradable under the guidelines (has a ©Disney) and isn’t already on the lanyard. Trades with Cast Members are one for one - one pin of yours for one pin off of their lanyard (except if it’s a set, then multiples are traded as one pin).

Cast Members are free to trade with any Guest at any time during their shift. Do take into account that Pin Trading, while fun for you, isn’t the only activity the CM is responsible for during their day and some common courtesy should prevail during trades. If you see a pin that you want, but the CM is busy loading an attraction, serving food, ringing up a sale or helping another Guest, let that Cast Member know that you’d like to trade and then wait for them to finish, or get in line and let them do their jobs until they get to you. Cast Members wear lanyards and trade because they want to and are appreciative of traders who don’t interrupt their "other" jobs.

Guest to Guest - Trades between Guests only have one hard and fast rule - no monies are to change hands during the trad.- Guests asking for money or those accepting payment can be asked to leave the park or trading location. Beyond that - anything goes and any pin is tradable. While trades with Cast members are one for one, trades between Guests have no limits. There are some unspoken rules though: primarily - look out for newbie traders and children. While some are trading for fun, others are not above taking advantage of those who are new to collecting or that may be too young to understand a trade.

Even Mickey joins in at the Disneyland Town Square pin trading spot

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Posted: 6/19/13




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