Good/Bad Internet and eBay Pin Sellers

[Anjelica]

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

I just got my refund through paypal. I filed the claim, didn't want to wait to escalate it, so I called paypal. They had me email the pictures of the signature etc. and I got my refund back. Phew!

Now I have been searching to find small lots of real pins, but I haven't been having much luck.

We've been real lucky in the past and kept an eye out on Disneyshopping.com when they have their sales and have been able to stock up on pins for the purpose of trading at $3.00 plus pin. While that's expensive it is cheaper than buying them at full price.

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

I just got my refund through paypal. I filed the claim, didn't want to wait to escalate it, so I called paypal. They had me email the pictures of the signature etc. and I got my refund back. Phew!

Now I have been searching to find small lots of real pins, but I haven't been having much luck.

I'm glad you got your refund! thanks for the update!

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

OP, can we get the first post updated with the green/red sellers? Its hard to search this entire thread for names.

The OP is really good about updates but he gets busy at times.

Originally Posted by Anjelica

We've been real lucky in the past and kept an eye out on Disneyshopping.com when they have their sales and have been able to stock up on pins for the purpose of trading at $3.00 plus pin. While that's expensive it is cheaper than buying them at full price.

That's a great price. WTG!! I love Disney shopping pins.

[TeenaS]

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

Now I have been searching to find small lots of real pins, but I haven't been having much luck.

I know MUBUNNY (who sells off and on on ebay in lots of five normally) will sell some privately if you contact him. I just purchased about 35 pins from him two weeks ago. Has anybody else dealt with him recently?

[Tnkrbelle565]

UGGGHHHH So wish i had found this thread before I purchased two separate lots from tradepinsforyou. My pins looked perfectly legit (no obvious color or metal issues, stamped appropriately in the back). I thought that was all you had to look for (didn't know about the whole fake date thing, etc that others are reporting). And it makes me really sad that these pins are circulating all over the parks because the CMs don't even look at what you are trading them for How are little kids supposed to spot scrappers?!?!

[surfergirl602]

Originally Posted by Tnkrbelle565

UGGGHHHH So wish i had found this thread before I purchased two separate lots from tradepinsforyou. My pins looked perfectly legit (no obvious color or metal issues, stamped appropriately in the back). I thought that was all you had to look for (didn't know about the whole fake date thing, etc that others are reporting). And it makes me really sad that these pins are circulating all over the parks because the CMs don't even look at what you are trading them for How are little kids supposed to spot scrappers?!?!

They aren't, and thats how these sellers make so much money. The CMs aren't going to say anything, and kids just want to have fun and trade for different pins that interest them.

its up to the people that are buying the pins to educate themselves, and take the high road and not put even more potential scrappers out there. When we first started trading several years ago, I had no clue! I just thought - great! Cheaper pins on ebay!! It was only after I joined the DIS did a realize the difference, and I felt so horrible about contributing to the scrappers out there.

Last trip, my dd traded for a sedesma pin, for one that she had bought with her own money, and as I was putting it on her lanyard, I noticed it. (they look really different) I immediately asked the CM where there was a trash can, and tossed it. I then told my DD why I did it, and the CM was interested as well. He let her pick a new pin from his lanyard and thanked me for not recirculating the bad pin. He said that even though they spot its a bad one, they can't say anything about it. Some CMs are avid pin traders, too!

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

They aren't, and thats how these sellers make so much money. The CMs aren't going to say anything, and kids just want to have fun and trade for different pins that interest them.

its up to the people that are buying the pins to educate themselves, and take the high road and not put even more potential scrappers out there. When we first started trading several years ago, I had no clue! I just thought - great! Cheaper pins on ebay!! It was only after I joined the DIS did a realize the difference, and I felt so horrible about contributing to the scrappers out there.

Last trip, my dd traded for a sedesma pin, for one that she had bought with her own money, and as I was putting it on her lanyard, I noticed it. (they look really different) I immediately asked the CM where there was a trash can, and tossed it. I then told my DD why I did it, and the CM was interested as well. He let her pick a new pin from his lanyard and thanked me for not recirculating the bad pin. He said that even though they spot its a bad one, they can't say anything about it. Some CMs are avid pin traders, too!

Actually the CM's can do something about it. I've seen them put pins they suspected were scrappers in their pockets or turned backwards on their lanyards. Yes, sometimes the pins turned backwards are "mystery pins" but other times we've asked and the CM has said the pin looked broken to them and they weren't trading it. I have some Sedesmas as well, I really don't like seeing them on CM lanyards...but I do like the ones I have.

[ILuvMulan]

Originally Posted by surfergirl602

They aren't, and thats how these sellers make so much money. The CMs aren't going to say anything, and kids just want to have fun and trade for different pins that interest them.

its up to the people that are buying the pins to educate themselves, and take the high road and not put even more potential scrappers out there. When we first started trading several years ago, I had no clue! I just thought - great! Cheaper pins on ebay!! It was only after I joined the DIS did a realize the difference, and I felt so horrible about contributing to the scrappers out there.

Last trip, my dd traded for a sedesma pin, for one that she had bought with her own money, and as I was putting it on her lanyard, I noticed it. (they look really different) I immediately asked the CM where there was a trash can, and tossed it. I then told my DD why I did it, and the CM was interested as well. He let her pick a new pin from his lanyard and thanked me for not recirculating the bad pin. He said that even though they spot its a bad one, they can't say anything about it. Some CMs are avid pin traders, too!

Still trying to figure all of this out... can you tell me how you immediately knew it was a"sedesma pin". What do you look for?

[earthfaries]

Originally Posted by ILuvMulan

Still trying to figure all of this out... can you tell me how you immediately knew it was a"sedesma pin". What do you look for?

Sedesma pins are really crappy quality and say Sedesma on the back.
A lot of people like them and collect them and they technically are tradeable with CMs as they do say (c)Disney on the back and per the PinFormation handbook available for free at the WDW resorts it says any pin bearing the (c) Disney is tradealbe with a CM.
Usually the Sedesma pin is of a character from a Disney movie. If you go to pinpics and type in Sedesma in the search box you will see them and have an idea of what they look like.
I personally don't like them and hardly ever trade for them to keep as the quality is usually bad ~ but I do trade for them to trade with other collectors.

[ILuvMulan]

Thank you. I will look at them on pinpic and I didn't know about the PinFormation handbook either. That is great info.

[earthfaries]

Originally Posted by ILuvMulan

Thank you. I will look at them on pinpic and I didn't know about the PinFormation handbook either. That is great info.

I think the reason a lot of collectors like the Sedesma pins is because you can find characters that you normally don't find on other Disney pins ~ from older movies, etc.

The PinFormation guide is available throughout the WDW resorts ~ at parks, in the pin shops, resorts, etc. and is a guide with all the info needed about trading pins with CMs.

I could send you one if you'd like

[thatkid]

I just ordered a bag of 12 pins from sleepysemporium for 20ish dollars.. before i found this thread. Do you think i'm safe? How do i know if they're real when I get them? I ordered a grab bag of 6 winnie the pooh & friends and goofy pins.

[ILuvMulan]

Originally Posted by earthfaries

I think the reason a lot of collectors like the Sedesma pins is because you can find characters that you normally don't find on other Disney pins ~ from older movies, etc.

The PinFormation guide is available throughout the WDW resorts ~ at parks, in the pin shops, resorts, etc. and is a guide with all the info needed about trading pins with CMs.

I could send you one if you'd like

Thanks so much, I would love to have one before our trip in April. We have done some trading on previous trips, but this thread has really educated me. Never knew there were so many things to consider and look out for when trading.

[Dzny-pins-UK]

Your best options BEFORE buying any pins outside of Disney is to check:- http://pinpics.com/

Every pin ever listed is on this site, the most important info of course if there is a scrapper alert on any pins you are thinking of purchasing.

[ksl5f123]

I am not a pin collector - in fact I have never even traded a pin, but I wanted to share my experience. I thought that pin trading would be fun for my kids on our next trip - a way for them to start conversations with CMs. So, I bought a lot of pins from "steamtraininc" on ebay for about $1/pin. The next day, I found this thread. When my pins arrived (very quickly) 2 days later, I started comparing them to the pinpic site as was recommended here. While I couldn't tell any visible differences between my pins and the pictures, every and I do mean EVERY one of them, had the following warning on the pinpic site:

Please be aware that this pin is being offered for sale to pin collectors directly from factories in China. As such, there are "unauthorized" versions in circulation. Please be advised that counterfeit versions of this pin are darker in color than the original.

I decided that the likelihood of buying authentic pins for $1/pin that all having warnings was probably pretty small, so I returned them to the seller and received a refund. I don't know for certain that these were scrappers, but I would encourage others to be cautious.

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by thatkid

I just ordered a bag of 12 pins from sleepysemporium for 20ish dollars.. before i found this thread. Do you think i'm safe? How do i know if they're real when I get them? I ordered a grab bag of 6 winnie the pooh & friends and goofy pins.

I've received good stuff from Sleepy, she should be on the first page as a green seller.