Maximilian m pin fake?

[lovethattink]

We were very serious traders when pin trading first started. Went to most of the PTN. But as scrappers became more prevalent we stopped trading anything we paid a lot for. I can't tell the difference. But my oldest son claims to be able to tell.

 

[bryanb]

Wow, at first I thought that it was an exaggeration to say that most of the traded pins are scrappers, but it sounds like a couple of people have said this. I'm surprised that there are this many that have flooded the market. I would think that only a small percentage of a factory's output would be defective merchandise.

Is there an easy way to tell the difference between defective pins that should've been scrapped, versus a pre-owned pin that has been worn after exchanging hands a few times?

In the clothing industry, the quality control inspector is supposed to deface the tag (by cutting it, punching a hole, or writing on it with a permanent marker) when they reject something. Sometimes people will buy them in the local outlets and try to pass them off as the real deal on eBay. Do the pin factories do anything like this to the pins that can be easily detected? I guess it would be harder to control.

 

[rwdavis2]

Same here. If I like the pin, it looks good to my eye, I plan to keep it, not sure what else matters. I never plan to even try to find out if the ones i have are scraps or legit pins since I never plan to become some aficionado or trade with anyone other than a CM.

That's what I was wondering. If the pin looks OK and/or is unique what difference does it really make? I doubt if many (any?) have any significant value. I think the value would be enjoying the trading with others. Although I understand about being a collector of the real thing.

 

[cadien]

Wow, at first I thought that it was an exaggeration to say that most of the traded pins are scrappers, but it sounds like a couple of people have said this. I'm surprised that there are this many that have flooded the market. I would think that only a small percentage of a factory's output would be defective merchandise.

Is there an easy way to tell the difference between defective pins that should've been scrapped, versus a pre-owned pin that has been worn after exchanging hands a few times?

I think the bulk of the bad pins are actually counterfeit rather than being literal scrappers. They're just all lumped under the term scrapper.

There are blogs and YouTube videos that give advice on the more common ways to spot fakes. But many you won't know about until you've had a chance to do an image search on the pin for comparison.

 

[cadien]

That's what I was wondering. If the pin looks OK and/or is unique what difference does it really make? I doubt if many (any?) have any significant value. I think the value would be enjoying the trading with others. Although I understand about being a collector of the real thing.

There are hundreds of pins out there that regularly go for hundreds of dollars each. Even a handful for $1,000+. Those are much less likely to be faked, but it still gets people riled up.

 

[AngiTN]

I think the bulk of the bad pins are actually counterfeit rather than being literal scrappers. They're just all lumped under the term scrapper.

There are blogs and YouTube videos that give advice on the more common ways to spot fakes. But many you won't know about until you've had a chance to do an image search on the pin for comparison.

There are hundreds of pins out there that regularly go for hundreds of dollars each. Even a handful for $1,000+. Those are much less likely to be faked, but it still gets people riled up.

I can fully understand why anyone who collects pins or wants to sell pins is concerned about fakes or quality issues. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed and you'll never get them out of circulation now. I guess at this point, all anyone who wants to collect or sale can do is to research thoroughly any pin they are interested in before completing a transaction. Otherwise, I think those of us who are just hobby pin traders are typically rather happy with the pins we get in trades. In this case, ignorance is bliss.

 

[rwdavis2]

There are hundreds of pins out there that regularly go for hundreds of dollars each. Even a handful for $1,000+. Those are much less likely to be faked, but it still gets people riled up.

I wondered about that. This reminds me of someone caught and prosecuted for counterfeiting extremely rare wines. The guy made millions until caught. They made a documentary and a movie about it. Look up Rudy and wine counterfeiting.

 

[cadien]

I wondered about that. This reminds me of someone caught and prosecuted for counterfeiting extremely rare wines. The guy made millions until caught. They made a documentary and a movie about it. Look up Rudy and wine counterfeiting.

I know that one! It's fascinating how long he got away with it.

 

[cadien]

I can fully understand why anyone who collects pins or wants to sell pins is concerned about fakes or quality issues. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed and you'll never get them out of circulation now. I guess at this point, all anyone who wants to collect or sale can do is to research thoroughly any pin they are interested in before completing a transaction. Otherwise, I think those of us who are just hobby pin traders are typically rather happy with the pins we get in trades. In this case, ignorance is bliss.

I'm fine with people being happy to get a pin to keep that they like the looks of without worrying about whether it's a scrapper. I do not support continuing to knowingly buy the fakes on bulk from eBay and Amazon in order to make those trades.

 

[rwdavis2]

I know that one! It's fascinating how long he got away with it.

Oddly enough I was at a wine festival in California where he showed up for the auction. The most sought after lot was 5 cases of wine by a "cult" producer. He put up his bidding paddle and never lowered it until he won. At $15,000 for 5 cases of wine.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm fine with people being happy to get a pin to keep that they like the looks of without worrying about whether it's a scrapper. I do not support continuing to knowingly buy the fakes on bulk from eBay and Amazon in order to make those trades.

It's not like the sellers state scrapers or over run on their add

 

[BigredNole]

Because Disney produces pins in Chinese factories with no controls, there are fake pins everywhere. Disney does nothing about, does not care about it, and in fact CMs trade fake pins. Therefore, I am not going to spend time looking to see if a pin is fake. If I like the pin, I trade for it. More than likely, you will not see 2 pins next to each other and never really know the difference when they are on display. After I spent $30 for 7 pins to trade only to find out that I got $0.50 pins, I only trade $0.50 pins.

 

[dmband]

My kids love trading pins. Of course they started out with all "real and official pins" but ended up with scrapers from trading. (Mostly with CM)
Then they found links to buy pins, which I knew were scrapers from the cost. It has been an endless fight with them over morals.
Part of me says don't let them buy/trade scrappers but the other part says that's what they are ending up with most of the time and in turn losing a bunch of money on their end.
So far they haven't got any scrappers in bulk and if they get an official pin at the park I set it aside and make them keep it but it's hard trying to get young ones who don't necessarily understand it all to understand it.
Ultimately they don't care if it's official or not, they want ones they like but like I said it's hard personally knowing they are scrappers :shoulder shrug

 

[AngiTN]

My kids love trading pins. Of course they started out with all "real and official pins" but ended up with scrapers from trading. (Mostly with CM)
Then they found links to buy pins, which I knew were scrapers from the cost. It has been an endless fight with them over morals.
Part of me says don't let them buy/trade scrappers but the other part says that's what they are ending up with most of the time and in turn losing a bunch of money on their end.
So far they haven't got any scrappers in bulk and if they get an official pin at the park I set it aside and make them keep it but it's hard trying to get young ones who don't necessarily understand it all to understand it.
Ultimately they don't care if it's official or not, they want ones they like but like I said it's hard personally knowing they are scrappers :shoulder shrug

Is it that easy to tell unless you have the 2 pins, a certain pin you bought from Disney store and a pin you know if a fake side by side?

 

[dmband]

Is it that easy to tell unless you have the 2 pins, a certain pin you bought from Disney store and a pin you know if a fake side by side?

Some are easy to tell based on things like painting chips but it's not even that I/they can tell. It's that you know they are scrappers when they are .50 or less vs $8 or more and should "you" teach kids right and wrong.

I guess if Disney doesn't care then why should I ???

 

[AngiTN]

Some are easy to tell based on things like painting chips but it's not even that I/they can tell. It's that you know they are scrappers when they are .50 or less vs $8 or more and should "you" teach kids right and wrong.

I guess if Disney doesn't care then why should I ???

That's not what I mean. I mean if you trade for one in the park. How do you know? Not all have obvious flaws

 

[dmband]

That's not what I mean. I mean if you trade for one in the park. How do you know? Not all have obvious flaws

No not all do and I'm sure they have got some that they don't even know are scrappers or not

 

[lovethattink]

That's not what I mean. I mean if you trade for one in the park. How do you know? Not all have obvious flaws

You usually can't tell. I know all my series 1 cast lanyard series pins are real. But beyond that it's hard to tell. I think Pooh on the train came out later as a scrapper.

I got to the point where I decided if I liked the pin, I'd trade for it anyway. I have quite the Tink collection. Even traded for a bootleg Tink at a PTN because I loved it.