Represent your Disney fandom by starting a pin collection of your own of your favorite characters, events, attractions, movies, TV shows and more! It’s a great way to display your Disney spirit and participate in a fun scavenger hunt-type activity while visiting the Disney parks.
Pin varieties
There are three different types of pins to be familiar with. The first is the Open Edition (OE), also called Rack Pins, which are pins that you will often see displayed visibly on the store racks.
Limited Edition (LE) are pins that only have a limited amount produced, ranging from 100 to 10,000. The number of pin you received is indicated in the back of the pin with the numbers stamped.
Limited Release (LR) are pins that are released during a limited period of time. These pins commemorate specific events at the park. Once the time period has expired, they remove them from being sold. It’s possible for these pins to be re-released at a later date but not guaranteed.
Pin Packs and Sets
A great way to get your trading started is by buying a pack that comes with multiple pins, like Lanyard Starter Sets or Booster Packs.
Mystery Pouches and Boxes give you a fun surprise with each unboxing. They provide a great variety of styles and themes with 1-5 pins from each pouch or box. Pins from mystery packs are more sought after, since people tend to want to complete a set or find a specific pin they haven’t been lucky enough to unbox yet. This is when pin trading enters, and the hunt begins. One thing to note is that there is usually one pin in each mystery pouch or box that has a smaller amount produced, making it super rare. These pins are called Chase pins.
Hidden Mickey Pins
One type of pin you can look out for when trading are the ones with silver Mickey heads hidden in the design. These pins are attained exclusively through trading with a cast member or by purchasing a hidden Mickey mystery pin pack, making them a fun pin to find!
Traders beware
Be careful when trading pins because there ARE fake ones out there, also known as Scrappers. Hidden Mickey pins are among the many that do get replicated. A common tip to avoid unauthorized pins is to not buy pin lots from eBay. Being familiar with the back of pins is super helpful when trying to identify scrappers. Some pins are stamped with “Disney” or “Disney Trading” to indicate authentication of official Disney pins.
Official Disney Park pins will have Mickey head-shaped pin backs. Try not to lose them because they are something traders look for when trading pins. In case you lose them, you can purchase replacements at select stores in the parks. Just note that Disney affiliated brands, like Marvel or Star Wars, may not have the same Mickey-shaped pin backs. Please support your pin trading community by being honest and not trading in fakes!
Here are great videos to watch that goes in depth on how to identify scrappers:
DISNEY PIN TRADING & COLLECTING! How to Get Started, Fake Pins, Rare Pins & More!
I Bought a Counterfeit Disney Pin Lot (So You Don’t Have To)
Once you dive into the world of pin trading, you’ll come across some really neat and unique pins. Some have movable parts or little doors you can open and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. A good number of pin enthusiasts like to collect pins for major milestones with dates on them to commemorate a trip or event. It’s fun seeing what’s out there!
Pin Trading at Disney Parks
There are multiple pin trading locations throughout Downtown Disney and Disney Parks. You will find trading pin boards at cash registers or on Cast Member lanyards. If you don’t see a trading pin board at a cash register, feel free to ask a cast member if they pin trade because they may have their pin collection hidden away at that moment. Some are presented on a board or in a box.
Once you find a pin you want to trade, just let the cast member know and they will swap with your traded pin. Remember to bring your pin backs with you since it goes with your traded pin. You can trade as many times as you want as long as you have a pin to trade and if a pin you want to trade doesn’t already exists on the board. Cast members discourage any duplicate pins on one board at a time.
A few select locations offer pin trading using numbered drawers, similar to an advent calendar, where you select a number to uncover your mystery pin. You get a second chance to pick a number if you didn’t like your first option, and it’s not mandatory to trade if you don’t like either pins. Other locations use creative ways to display pins based on the store that is participating in pin trading. They’re fun to check out!
Show them off
Once you’ve gotten your pins, you can display them in so many different ways. You can put them on a lanyard, backpack, denim, hat, bag, or cork board to name a few. Shop Disney sells a variety of bags that allow pins to be displayed.
I personally display my pins on a cork board and in an album I DIYed. When I visit the park, I use a backpack that has clear pockets so I can safely display my pins for trading. This bag is an example of an “ita bag”, which is a bag that has clear pockets with the purpose of displaying miscellaneous charms, pins, plushes and merch. I have heard that the backs of pins could easily fall off when people wear them on lanyards, so I prefer an ita bag and not worry about losing my pins. You can shop for ita bags at stores like Hot Topic, Amazon or Etsy.
If you want to wear your pins as part of your outfit, I love denim jackets the most because of its sturdy fabric and the holes left by the pins won’t be as visible.
Trading Online
If you want to continue the trading fun outside of the parks, there are some facebook groups and sites that host pin trading. I have not ventured into that form of online trading yet. If you do, please do your research to find trusted groups.
I hope this is enough info to get you started or at least get interested in pin trading. From my own experience, it’s been a great way to explore the parks in a new way while interacting with cast members and fellow traders. These pins serve as fun souvenirs and reminders of when and how I attained them. Pin trading will now be a Disney park tradition I enjoy doing on every visit and hope you will too!
-Elle
