Good/Bad Internet and eBay Pin Sellers

[acrayon]

I am fairly new to the pin trading. We are surprising my boys to a trip in a few weeks and thought I would try ebay for pins. I did this last year when we went for the first time, unknowing about the whole scraps... I don't remember who I bought from last year, but am sure that not all were... but anyway. I just wanted to post that I just purchased from mcarmga and they were 100% scrappers. I am sending them back and he's giving a refund for the product and shipping-he's actually already given the refund before we have even mailed them back! I looked at feedback and went with a higher priced auction, but when I bought I thought it was for 25 not 50 for the price.... which I should have paid closer attention to. I just wanted to give you a heads up---in case it helps someone!

I found a few that appear to be authentic but the seller isn't on the list, that I can see---but I haven't had time to go through ALL of the posts. If they are good, I'll let you know!

Thanks for this thread!

Angie

[n2mm]

Pixiewings71, I sent you a PM!

[KatNiemeyer]

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to the whole Disney Pin collecting/trading thing but have already immersed myself into it. I started buying online through ebay in preparation for our Disney trip (Sept 2012) from several sellers and I was wondering if anyone had any bad experiences with any of them

First: barbies4u502
Second: robertpruden
Third: tennpins

As was noted in a previous post, I saw a few people recommending bizzybee1 so I looked her up and she's no where to be found... Probably cause she's on vacation as was noted as well. (lol!!) Anyhow, if anyone can tell me another great ebay seller that sells lots I'd gladly purchase from them as well.

Oh and I wanted to know more about boosters. I found a seller (she was so sweet, she messaged me back a whole bunch of info) that sells booster sets for such a low price, her single pins were priced about right $6+ but her booster sets were only $15+, when I asked her why they were so low she said that its good karma to sell the boosters at what she bought them for. They are real though, right?? Would it be safe to buy a booster set on ebay for that price or could they be fake? The seller's name is themuchnessofdisney.

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by KatNiemeyer

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to the whole Disney Pin collecting/trading thing but have already immersed myself into it. I started buying online through ebay in preparation for our Disney trip (Sept 2012) from several sellers and I was wondering if anyone had any bad experiences with any of them

First: barbies4u502
Second: robertpruden
Third: tennpins

As was noted in a previous post, I saw a few people recommending bizzybee1 so I looked her up and she's no where to be found... Probably cause she's on vacation as was noted as well. (lol!!) Anyhow, if anyone can tell me another great ebay seller that sells lots I'd gladly purchase from them as well.

Oh and I wanted to know more about boosters. I found a seller (she was so sweet, she messaged me back a whole bunch of info) that sells booster sets for such a low price, her single pins were priced about right $6+ but her booster sets were only $15+, when I asked her why they were so low she said that its good karma to sell the boosters at what she bought them for. They are real though, right?? Would it be safe to buy a booster set on ebay for that price or could they be fake? The seller's name is themuchnessofdisney.

themuchnessofdisney is a good seller, I didn't know she had starter sets up. That's a great deal.
I believe that tennpins is good, but can't quite recall. If you go to the first page and follow the directions you can search this thread for them specifically. I don't know off the top of my head how to do that or I would just post it for you.
barbies4u502, I have never used them, my initial impression is favorable but without having purchased myself I cannot be sure.
robertpruden, again I have not purchased from this seller, but they use pinpics photos and not their own and I don't like that so much. They do have nice pins and I cannot say if they are legit or not without having purchased from them. I personally would use caution when buying from the 2 sellers mentioned above.

[n2mm]

Originally Posted by KatNiemeyer

First: barbies4u502
Second: robertpruden
Third: tennpins

Hi and welcome to the Disboards!

I wanted to add a different perpective here.

Without advertising myself, I've been selling my huge personal collection of pins for this past year. I've been doing pretty good and have learned alot. I checked out those mentioned above (known as my competitors). First off, as someone who sells pins too, I think their shipping is too high. It only cost $1.64 to ship one pin (postage). So the fact that all of them are charging double to ship a pin bugs me a little. Yes, there's overhead like supplies, but you can't add gas into the equation because the PO will pick up their packages (a service I sometimes use). I've been trying to keep my shipping at $2.00 (no moderators, I'm not advertising). The extra .36 does go to help with some of the supplies (bubble envelopes, tape, labels, ink). I think shipping cost are too high to begin with, and try to keep it as low as I can, but that's my opinion and what my competitors do is up to them.

And here's the big thing. I know for a fact one of these buyers actually buys my pins for my lower price and re-sells them again. While the person is very pleasant and a good buyer and fast payer, I think it's important to know where your pins comes from. I don't really think this other pin seller is a bad person, as they have the same opportunity as any other buyer, but I can tell generally when I'm selling to a collector or a reseller....that super high feedback is a real indicator. This is a very common practice of sellers to watch Ebay for some lowball prices and rebuy to resell. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten emails of some of the bigger sellers trying to make "deals" with me - which is against Ebay policy. When my pins are gone, they are gone. It may take me a few more years, but I have no intention of doing this forever. I've met some wonderful people doing this and actually have many repeat buyers.

Also, feedback is a big thing too. While any seller can get bad feedback - because like bad sellers, there are bad buyers too, it's important to read what the feedback is about. Did the seller work out the problem? Or did they ignore the messages. Are they slow to ship?

Personally, I would never buy any of the newer cast lanyard/hidden mickey pins online. While I got out of pin collecting in 2005, last year we thought we might try it again. That was a mistake. There were so many fake pins on the cast lanyards even we couldn't tell them apart. We came home with maybe 60 pins and when I checked them out, I was so confused which were real and which were fake I gave them to my grandkids and would never attempt to sell them. I've been letting my Cast lanyard pins go, but mine are from the first series (2002), so fakes were not an issue then. I actually feel sorry for any seller out there trying to sell the current cast lanyard/hidden mickey pin series now, because it's nearly impossible to know what's real or what's not (yes some are obvious, but not all).

Obviously, stay away from buying bulk pins via international sellers.

Hope a different view was helpful! Good luck on you pin collecting experience.

[The Wise One]

Just wanted to add some positive feedback here. I recently purchased an Eric pin for my "shell" collection from myceplace on Ebay. I was wary because I know there are many scrappers of this series but it seems I got a genuine pin! The sides and front are smooth. Paint is perfect, not dips or smudges. The back looks wonderful. I would recommend this seller! I also got free shipping.

I'm bidding on lots of other things so I'll report back on those when/if I get them.

[The Wise One]

Okay I just got LOTS of pins in so here are some reviews:

I ordered a POTM Little Mermaid pin from flashback*10 and it was packaged really well, free shipping, and they also included maps from DL and DCA! Really awesome.

I got two pins from gitanoman. Again packaged nicely, beautiful, authentic pins. Definitely a good seller! Combined shipping which was nice.

I ordered 3 pins from cosmogheetuffy . All were beautiful, authentic and in great condition. I also got free shipping.

I got one pin from disneyaddicts. It was the DLRP Ariel pin in her pink glitter gown. I was hesitant about it being genuine because the price seemed reasonable but to my surprise I am 99% sure it is genuine and it is beautiful. Also got free shipping.

I ordered 1 pin from nwkems. Came on original card, packaged nicely. Nice, genuine pin. Shipping took a little longer than expected but otherwise great transaction.

I got a lot of 10 princess pins from rmgerace for a pretty reasonable price. I expected half to be scrappers but it seems I did not get ANY scrappers! Hooray.

Finally I got some really cheap pins from mr.disneycollector who I know is on the red list. I ordered because I figured if they were scrappers I could just use them in other projects. I honestly can't be sure with these pins on authenticity. They're very convincing if they are scrappers. What throws me off is that they seem TOO new, does that make sense? So I'm not sure about these but they didn't cost me very much and I won't trade them just to be safe.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how well most of my transactions went. =)

[kmaria]

Originally Posted by frogsandflowers

we bought a lot on ebay and just got them today.. the copyrights on the back of the pins are ALL spelled wrong MICKEY was spelled MIKEY little mermaid was spelled lille mermaid a bunch of others are spelled wrong as well!

not a happy mama

the pins were purchased from disneyfamily801

aw crap I just got 2 lots from her. that's what I get for diving into this without checking here first!

[Voltes]

I wish I did some research before buying some pins on ebay. We have lots of relatives in Southern CA so we've been to DL & CA many times. We're totally new to pin trading tho. I bought 4 lots of 25 pins from 2 sellers for $48. One of the sellers sent pins with rough edges & light weight. My kids were so happy & excited so I kept them. I gave this person a positive feedback but mentioned the rough edges & light weight. Basically, I got what I paid for since they were so cheap. The other seller sent some decent pins. On that feedback I said, the pins were probably fine for trading but NOT for serious collectors. Both sellers left the same feedback on me: "Hope to deal with you again. Thank you." I've been bidding on some 25 pins lots from other sellers for my niece & nephew. A couple of them have BLOCKED me from bidding on their auctions. I thought it was a glitch, so I sent a message to one of them. I got a rude response about how they don't want my business because of the feedback I left. I looked at the feedbacks that the sellers left. I think when they leave "Hope to deal with you again. Thank you.", it's their code to block the buyer. Has anybody else got this feedback and has been blocked from bidding?

Anyway, I bought some pins from gitanoman. They were more expensive but they have smooth edges and heavier. I'm waiting on an order from themuchnessofdisney also.

Since I bought 2 lots each from the 2 scrapper sellers, I could still leave both of them negative feedbacks. I don't want to get negative feedback from them tho. I've had 100% positive feedbacks since 2007.

[Voltes]

Originally Posted by frogsandflowers

we bought a lot on ebay and just got them today.. the copyrights on the back of the pins are ALL spelled wrong MICKEY was spelled MIKEY little mermaid was spelled lille mermaid a bunch of others are spelled wrong as well!

not a happy mama

the pins were purchased from disneyfamily801

I got some "litte mermaid palace" pins from disneyfamily801.

[sbrngritton]

I think I get a D in Pin trading already I bought some off Ebay and can't figure out if they are scrappers or not

[SupernaturalMommy]

Originally Posted by KatNiemeyer

First: barbies4u502
Second: robertpruden
Third: tennpins

Hi, I am new here. I have spent hours over the last two days reading through this post. I eventually just had to skip to the end because 120 pages was too much. I don't normally read forums anymore as my schedule just doesn't allow it. But, a friend and fellow trader pointed me in this direction. We are a DVC family since 2008 and have been collecting pins since 2002. It was our first (and only) family hobby. This board is huge and I don't know if I will ever reap the full benefits of it, but I have bookmarked various sections of it to hopefully learn some stuff for future trips.

In response to above sellers, one sent me a completely obvious scrapper, one sent me a beautiful legitimate pin, and one bought my pins, perhaps to keep, perhaps to re-sell. I don't know if I am allowed to say who is who. So, I will wait until someone lets me know.

Originally Posted by n2mm

Without advertising myself, I've been selling my huge personal collection of pins for this past year. I've been doing pretty good and have learned alot. I checked out those mentioned above (known as my competitors). First off, as someone who sells pins too, I think their shipping is too high. It only cost $1.64 to ship one pin (postage). So the fact that all of them are charging double to ship a pin bugs me a little. Yes, there's overhead like supplies, but you can't add gas into the equation because the PO will pick up their packages (a service I sometimes use). I've been trying to keep my shipping at $2.00 (no moderators, I'm not advertising). The extra .36 does go to help with some of the supplies (bubble envelopes, tape, labels, ink). I think shipping cost are too high to begin with, and try to keep it as low as I can, but that's my opinion and what my competitors do is up to them.

And here's the big thing. I know for a fact one of these buyers actually buys my pins for my lower price and re-sells them again. While the person is very pleasant and a good buyer and fast payer, I think it's important to know where your pins comes from. I don't really think this other pin seller is a bad person, as they have the same opportunity as any other buyer, but I can tell generally when I'm selling to a collector or a reseller.

I want to second this. As both an eBay seller and buyer I felt compelled to weigh in. I only recently started selling and am not advertising myself. I am selling to narrow down my personal collection to make room for new pins as my tastes have changed, as have my children's. Compared to what the pins cost, I am losing money not making it, but my loss is someone else's gain. We know it's an expensive hobby but love it anyway. This is not my eBay ID.

I, too, learned the hard way about scrappers on eBay in the beginning. I don't perpetuate it if it can be helped. But, two posts on this page caught my eye, so I am quoting them.

I also keep my shipping at $2.00 and felt I overpaid on shipping to two of those sellers, especially considering I got a scrapper out of it. The third also bought low cost pins from me. I can maybe add other scrapper sellers to this thread... pins I purchased as single pins to add to my personal collection and wound up with scrap, on more than one occasion. I thought I knew all the tell-tale signs on spotting the scrapper sellers on eBay, and I try to give the benefit of the doubt on single pin purchases, unless the same seller does it more than a few times. I don't even buy "lots" anymore. I really wish I had been a forum reader and seen this thread years ago when it was started. I could have saved myself a fortune. Thank you to all the wonderful people who have contributed. I will be keeping an eye on it for the future.

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by Voltes

I wish I did some research before buying some pins on ebay. We have lots of relatives in Southern CA so we've been to DL & CA many times. We're totally new to pin trading tho. I bought 4 lots of 25 pins from 2 sellers for $48. One of the sellers sent pins with rough edges & light weight. My kids were so happy & excited so I kept them. I gave this person a positive feedback but mentioned the rough edges & light weight. Basically, I got what I paid for since they were so cheap. The other seller sent some decent pins. On that feedback I said, the pins were probably fine for trading but NOT for serious collectors. Both sellers left the same feedback on me: "Hope to deal with you again. Thank you." I've been bidding on some 25 pins lots from other sellers for my niece & nephew. A couple of them have BLOCKED me from bidding on their auctions. I thought it was a glitch, so I sent a message to one of them. I got a rude response about how they don't want my business because of the feedback I left. I looked at the feedbacks that the sellers left. I think when they leave "Hope to deal with you again. Thank you.", it's their code to block the buyer. Has anybody else got this feedback and has been blocked from bidding?

Anyway, I bought some pins from gitanoman. They were more expensive but they have smooth edges and heavier. I'm waiting on an order from themuchnessofdisney also.

Since I bought 2 lots each from the 2 scrapper sellers, I could still leave both of them negative feedbacks. I don't want to get negative feedback from them tho. I've had 100% positive feedbacks since 2007.

Please let us know who you got the bad pins from. I've left negative feedback when I've received scrappers, if someone blocks you because of FB you left then it is my opinion that they are also selling scrappers so they are best avoided, please share their seller names as well.
I don't have negative FB either, but that wouldn't stop me from leaving it if I felt it was warranted.

Originally Posted by SupernaturalMommy

Hi, I am new here. I have spent hours over the last two days reading through this post. I eventually just had to skip to the end because 120 pages was too much. I don't normally read forums anymore as my schedule just doesn't allow it. But, a friend and fellow trader pointed me in this direction. We are a DVC family since 2008 and have been collecting pins since 2002. It was our first (and only) family hobby. This board is huge and I don't know if I will ever reap the full benefits of it, but I have bookmarked various sections of it to hopefully learn some stuff for future trips.

In response to above sellers, one sent me a completely obvious scrapper, one sent me a beautiful legitimate pin, and one bought my pins, perhaps to keep, perhaps to re-sell. I don't know if I am allowed to say who is who. So, I will wait until someone lets me know.



I want to second this. As both an eBay seller and buyer I felt compelled to weigh in. I only recently started selling and am not advertising myself. I am selling to narrow down my personal collection to make room for new pins as my tastes have changed, as have my children's. Compared to what the pins cost, I am losing money not making it, but my loss is someone else's gain. We know it's an expensive hobby but love it anyway. This is not my eBay ID.

I, too, learned the hard way about scrappers on eBay in the beginning. I don't perpetuate it if it can be helped. But, two posts on this page caught my eye, so I am quoting them.

I also keep my shipping at $2.00 and felt I overpaid on shipping to two of those sellers, especially considering I got a scrapper out of it. The third also bought low cost pins from me. I can maybe add other scrapper sellers to this thread... pins I purchased as single pins to add to my personal collection and wound up with scrap, on more than one occasion. I thought I knew all the tell-tale signs on spotting the scrapper sellers on eBay, and I try to give the benefit of the doubt on single pin purchases, unless the same seller does it more than a few times. I don't even buy "lots" anymore. I really wish I had been a forum reader and seen this thread years ago when it was started. I could have saved myself a fortune. Thank you to all the wonderful people who have contributed. I will be keeping an eye on it for the future.

Please PM me your seller name, don't post it here, your post will be deleted and you will get a warning (it's against DIS policy to list things for sale).
Please feel free to share the seller information that you have, generally we all post on our personal experiences or reason why we would avoid a certain seller, we welcome all input.

[Voltes]

Okay, here goes my feedback on ebay Disney pin sellers I've dealt with:

disneyfamily801: obvious fakes - rough edges, light weight, & misspelled words like "litte mermaid palace"

irpliquidators: some obvious fakes like above but had some decent pins also. I'm not sure if they are just better quality fakes or the real deal.

domimgood: The RUDEST, NASTIEST person I've ever dealt with on eBay. I sent them a polite email asking if there's a glitch because I could not bid on their auctions. I mentioned I have 100% positive feedback since 2007 and a verified Paypal account. They told me they don't want my business because of the feedback I've left on other sellers. Have fun buying Disney pins at full price at the parks, etc. What a LOSER!!

423disneypinfreak: I had been bidding on their auctions, but they blocked me after I got the rude email from domimgood. Oh well. They just lost a good customer.

My GUESS is the sellers of fake pins communicate with each other about who might know & mention some signs of counterfeit pins.

I'll keep the obvious fake pins on our pin board at home since my kids like them. I'll throw them out when my kids are not paying attention or lose interest. I bought some authentic pins from gitanoman, themuchnessofdisney, & rmgerace that we might trade at DL & CA next month.

Has anyone bought from gomf03 yet?

[SupernaturalMommy]

Originally Posted by pixiewings71

Please let us know who you got the bad pins from. I've left negative feedback when I've received scrappers, if someone blocks you because of FB you left then it is my opinion that they are also selling scrappers so they are best avoided, please share their seller names as well.
I don't have negative FB either, but that wouldn't stop me from leaving it if I felt it was warranted.



Please PM me your seller name, don't post it here, your post will be deleted and you will get a warning (it's against DIS policy to list things for sale).
Please feel free to share the seller information that you have, generally we all post on our personal experiences or reason why we would avoid a certain seller, we welcome all input.

I tried to PM you but I don't have enough posts yet to use that function. So, I will post some of my experiences here, and when I have enough posts, I will send you that PM. If any of the posts I list break policy, feel free to remove them. I am just going to post by personal experience. I will try to use the search function before I post of a specific seller. I have bought hundreds of pins the last few months and have a lot of people to comment on, but they may already be here.