Help! I'm Addicted to Disney Pins and Need a GREAT Trading Pin Source!

There is nothing as exciting for a Disney Pin Collector than getting a new fabulous trading pin. This is an easy thing to accomplish if you are at Walt Disney World as there seems to be a pin seller around every corner. If you are a trader, there are dozens of cast members wandering through the park, so it won't take long to find a treasure, if you keep your eyes open. You don't even have to enter the parks in Florida as their is a wonderfully, overstocked pin store right in Downtown Disney. Heck now you can stop in a the Orlando Airport and pick out a favorite Disney character or two before your flight takes off!

But for the Disney pin collector that lives outside the Orlando, a good pin can be hard to find. Living in the Midwest, it is truly a treasure hunt when looking for bargain Disney pins. I have been able to get some affordable pins that are not scrappers.

Here are a few of my favorite Disney Trading Pin resources:

1. Craigslist--I search the local listings to find others wanting to sell their Disney collectibles and place posts that I will pay cash for Disney pins.

2. Thrift Stores--Every so often, I find a donated pin for sale at a great price. Most of the ones I have found have been older too. So it is quite a "SCORE" to get a sold out limited edition for a buck.

3. The Disney Store--Occasionally, I can snag a bargain on pins sets that are on sale online. I buy several when I find a good deal for traders!

4. Amazon & Ebay--Like thrift stores, there are bargains on Amazon & Ebay from time to time. But read the ads carefully to avoid scrappers.)

5. Promotional Pins--Every so often a large company will partner up with Disney and create a pin; Kodak and Smuckers have both participated in past promotions . When they do, I make sure to get at least one or two as these are usually sought after once the promotion is over.

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disney Pin Trading—It’s Not Just a Hobby…It’s an Addiction!

It started innocently enough. A trip to Walt Disney World booked through Disney Travel gave each of us a free pin to keep or trade.It was the infamous 2000 Ribbon Dancer Pin. My husband and I gave our sons our pins so they could keep one and trade the other. The dancers were traded and after many more pin purchases, our family was hooked.

By our next trip my kids were official Disney pin traders and armed with a dozen or so pins purchased on sale at the Mall of America Disney Store. They loved trading with WDW cast members and had all of the pre-bought pins traded away by the end of the first day. After that we were back to the pin stands and spend a bundle on new pins for their collections.

By our next pin trading…I mean vacation, I had about two dozen pins for them each to trade bought from online sales at Disneyshopping.com and a dozen extras for the boys to trade for me. Again, most pins were traded within the first few days but we had discovered Hidden Mickey pins. So the kids were searching for specific pins on the cast member lanyards. This took more time and made the vacation a hunt. We did have to buy a few souvenir pins but not as many as on previous trips to the world.

Last summer we had another Disney adventure and the boys (and Mom) were well stocked with about 35-40 pins each. Again, they scoured the park to complete Hidden Mickey sets and add to their collections. Even though they had enough to last the trip, they think maybe 50 each is a good number for next time.

Pin trading adds to the fun and anticipation of a family vacation but heed this warning: It is very addicting!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales