Pin Trading
Pin Trading, a take off of the practice of Olympic athletes
to trade national pins (it became really big with the public during the
Atlanta games in 1996, but was popular with the athletes for several Olympiads
prior to that), is a fad that The Disney Company is encouraging.
Pins can be purchased all over Walt Disney World, and can be traded with
other guests -- or cast members.
Here is a press release, and some personal experiences:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- To help "celebrate the future
hand in hand" during Walt Disney World Resort's 15-month Millennium
Celebration, millions of Disney collectible pins will be sold and traded
throughout the Vacation Kingdom.
At interactive millennium "pin stations" located
throughout the four Disney theme parks, Disney's Wide World of Sports
complex, Downtown Disney and Disney's BoardWalk, guests will be able to
purchase hundreds of colorful pins, trade pins with other guests, and
even trade with designated Disney cast members who will be wearing pins
on special lanyards.
"Pin collecting has become a phenomenon," says
Linda Conrad, general manager of Epcot Merchandise. "During the millennium,
we will be adding Disney magic, taking the pin craze to a new level."
Each pin depicts images of Disney film characters. When
the pins are put together for an entire month, they form a pictorial mosaic
of an Epcot image. This "photomosaic" effect is the creation
of artist Robert Silvers, author of several books on the subject, including
one devoted to Disney images.
For each day of the 459-day Millennium Celebration, a limited
number of unique pins will be available as a gift-with-purchase of a commemorative
poster at designated Epcot retail locations.
Disney's limited-edition millennium pins for purchase will
be created using the cloisonné process, which are colored with powdered
glass and fired at 800 degrees, as well as semi-cloisonné, using epoxy
resin for a wider color range, and enamel, in which all the colors are
applied simultaneously. "Pin of the Day" pins will use the photo
process, offering reproduction with vivid details.
Guests who want to be sure of collecting every "Pin
of the Day" pin can join the Millennium Pin Club. Each month of the
15 months of the Millennium Celebration, members receive a framed photomosaic
pin set depicting images of Epcot. Membership, available to the first
2,000 guests who sign up, costs $3,000, includes the home-delivered pin
sets, a special gift and a certificate signed by Robert Silvers.
For information about the Walt Disney World Pin Celebration,
guests can call 407/363-6200.
Amy Lynn Johnson (amy@pressroom.com)
posted this information on pin trading. I include it here with her
permission:
I loved pin trading! It was really a lot of fun! I started
out with 5 pins, 4 I bought at the Disney store and one Magic Music Days
pin I had to trade. I ended with 13 pins in the end with the ones I bought
there but none of the pins I had at the end were ones I bought. Every
time we passed the pin stands I had to stop and look at the pins and look
for traders. A lot of people had these camera straps that I kept thinking
were pins on the straps. I did get some good trades from cast members
but most really didn't have much of a selection. A lot of them had these
pins from a Tarzan set or name pins. It was fun meeting cast members and
guests with pins though. Some guests had some really great pins but they
weren't trading and then others with great pins were. Here are the pins
I ended up with.
-
Pooh-just because I like him
-
Piglet-see above
-
Black nosed Tigger
-
Sleeveless Sleeping Beauty -- Supposed mistakes but
I'm not sure how rare they were. I saw lots for sale at the pin stands
-
Cast member safari with Mickey and Goofy
-
Cast member safari with Pooh and Tigger
-
Disney Vacation club 2000
-
Adventureland
-
A jungle cruise pin that doesn't say Jungle cruise but
just has a picture of a boat and the areas around it (eg, Mekong,
Nile, etc) -- Does anyone know anything more about this pin?
-
A blue square pin that says Disney 75 years, Part of
the Magic, October 16, 1998. -- The guy I traded it with said it was
from Burbank. Does anyone know anymore about this date?
-
Disneyland Main Street I really wanted a pin from Disneyland
so I was happy when I traded for this one.
-
A small gold square pin that says Fed Ex on the bottom
with a picture of Space Mountain -- I found this on a CM in the AK.
Someone told me that it's given out at the VIP lounge at Space Mountain.
Anyone have any more info?
-
Tron -- I traded with a CM for this one. Jason wanted
this one so I gave it to him.
Amy's whole trip report can be read in the trip report section.
It's a "Holiday 1999" report from December.
Steve Pyles (sonny@icarus.net)
posted this information on pin trading. I include it here with his
permission:
I read in RADP about the experiences of others doing the
pin trading, yet I had to experience it for myself. This past weekend,
I had just that opportunity, and wow - what an experience that was!
I've been collecting Disney pins for a few years, odds
and ends of whatever caught my fancy - and free ones along the way.
The past year or so before the beginning of pin trading, I noticed that
pins were freely given out at resorts, the DCL, and some shops in the
parks (and TDS). With the odd Cast Member pins here and there, it all
sort of rounded out to a nice set.
Armed with DCL, TDS, and some older park pins (okay, I'm
still a chicken - I've only been trading in what I have in duplicates!),
I spent Saturday - Tuesday doing some fun and educational pin trading.
What I learned are 3 good concepts: 1) If you don't want to do a trade,
it's OK! Be polite, though! 2) People collect different things - your
'junk' pin may be a treasure to another pin trader. 3) Have fun!
My favorite pins happen to be Limited Editions, Cast Member
Exclusives, "Historical" Pins (like from a by-gone attraction,
event, or other dated pin), and personal favorite characters. OK, so
it may be what others are also looking for, but, not in all cases (for
instance, Steamboat Willie from TDS for a CM Exclusive Cruise Line Pin
- for me, a great trade, for them, a great trade). Other trades were
a 10th Anniversary Grand Floridian Pin for a Mouse Gear CM Pin, a #101
Walt/Mickey for a Cast Member Safari (AK) Pin, a TDS pin for a Space
Mountain/FedEx pin (it was on a lanyard of a pin trader who didn't know
what it was!), Cruise Line (Inaugural) pin for an AP Pin, a Limited
Edition MM (4 park dangle) pin for another Cruise Line CM pin, a Davy
Crockett Mistake Pin for a Company D Pin, and a Figment pin for a Teddy
Bear/Doll Convention pin.
For the most part, it was also a great way of meeting
some great people. Pin trading is a real icebreaker for those that don't
normally get in touch with other guests outside of their personal sphere
(family, friends, whatnot). It really does help guests notice other
guests, and increase the interaction. For me, I'm the guy that talks
to young kids, adults, teens, whoever - because I'm normally an outgoing
person at the parks. It was good to see people just come up to me to
see my pins. Being the person that I am, I didn't mind that at all (*grins*).
Notes: Limited editions are just that, limited. Outside
of exclusives and limited edition pins (maybe even 'mistake' pins),
things in production can be found with a little bit of looking. All
exclusive pins (yet not all CM pins!) are imprinted with that on the
back. Same goes for the "Limited Edition" pins. What may be
hard to find at one park may be unpopular at another park. Case in point
being the Monorail Pin. Epcot - it's a great seller, but at MGM - they
don't sell as much, and is easily findable (Monorail park may have something
to do with it...hmm).
TDS pins and Character Warehouse pins can make a good
start at the parks. With a lot of people seeing pin trading for the
first time when they get to the parks, they begin and purchase the $6+
pins for trading. TDS Pins are $4 (less with MKC/CM discounts - if applicable
or valid anymore!), and are still not as visible in the parks (and a
little more popular - especially pins like Walt/Mickey, Steamboat Willie,
Davy Crockett, and whichever is hyped on EBay). These can be traded
for the more expensive pins (the pins at the park start at around $6),
which can then be traded for other pins, ad nauseam. Instead of purchasing
a Baloo, Tigger, Pooh, and whatnot, why not trade for them? It's fun!
Keep in mind - Disney Pins only (copyright by Disney) are valid for
trading.
Stores put out new pins on what seems to be a non-set
schedule. For the most part, they do not know what they will get, and
put new pins out as they get them (or the day they get them). For instance,
I found 2 Limited Edition pins (Alice in Wonderland 3 set and MM 4 park
dangle pin) in 2 shops - Mouse Gear in Epcot and a kiosk in the American
Pavilion. What is limited will usually sell out quick, so if you see
it, get it. It will probably be your only opportunity. I went back 2
hours later to find more MM 4 Park pins, and they were sold out!
I definitely cannot wait until January 2000 when I will
be there again. Loaded with pins and more pins, I'll have a week! Watch
out! :-)
Good luck with your pin trades!
|
|
Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide
|
