Honestly, I would go online and buy from the Ebay lots. Whether the pins are "fake" or not, it's incredibly hard to tell, and I don't think that many people care. Anyway, I started by getting a lanyard already filled with pins at Hollywood Studios. I think you can get about 8 pins with a lanyard for something like $30. That's always a great way to start your pin collection! If you are looking for limited edition pins (which is the most fun to me) look for big, colorful pins that you haven't seen before. Ten years ago, you could find all sorts of limited edition pins, but now, people seem to snatch them up quicker. Also, I always enjoy collecting a certain character. When I first started, I collected Stitch and it was so exciting to constantly find new Stitch pins. And last but not least, if you seen a pin that you really like that's in the store, buy it! I have hundreds of pins but some of my favorites are the ones that I bought. Good luck and have fun!