A Good Old Soapbox Rant

[DisneyMom]

I have my one lanyard of pins and for me, that is plenty. But it seems that some people can be down right jerks cause of it. What is up with shoving children away for a silly piece of metal? Attendant friends have told me of how they would get their lanyards yanked and necks jerked by the pin sharks or even how pixie dust tink pins demanded from them. I even one came here making a post about pin trading and someone even had the nerve to ask me if they can HAVE my pins (no offers to trade or even money), as I didn't yet know how to pin trade! When I asked if they would be willing to pay for them, they never answered me!

Pins people can be such asses it seems. I'm kinda scared to wear my lanyard cause of all these stories I hear. Think goodness I only really have easy to find tink pins.

I went back to read those posts because I clearly remembered it was ME who said you could just mail them all to me, followed immediately by my saying that I was just kidding and giving advice on how to NOT get cheated.
You did then say I could pay for them, but I never responded because I wasn't serious about wanting them in the first place.
Sorry that there was a misunderstanding.

[Mayonnaise]

I think they kind of precipitate these things happening with the Hidden Mickey Pins that you can only get from trading with a CM. I would happily have just bought the pins I traded (6 from the Figment Emotions Series and 1 Figment Epcot Parking Series) for on my trip in December, except that they could only be had via trading. I felt like such a pain getting to the front of a cashier line and the lady being looking like "Where's your purchase" only to have me be all "May I see your pins please?" Of course... I wasn't wearing a lanyard, out of fear of the scary pin traders, so I guess it came as a surprise. Instead I just kept a couple rack pins in my fanny pouch the whole time, and left the pins I wanted to keep back up the room. I did buy a lanyard near the end at Epcot trying to buy enough stuff for the completer... but they were sold out of it!!! I bought the Lanyard and the other Figment Pins I found there anyway.

8^S

[Christine43]

I'm considering having my autistic son trade pins when we come back next year for the socialization more than anything else. If we only look for CMs with green lanyards that trade with children is he going to run into any of this foolishness with other guests? It would be defeating the purpose.

[mechurchlady]

First of fhe should trade with any CM vest or lanyard. The green/teal are reserved for kids and usually have kid friendly pins.

Some of the biggest sharks are the kids in any type of trading or collecting but there should not be a problem if you train him properly like how to say no thank you, MOM HE CHEATED ME, and may I please she your pins.

[HarryFromMarydelDE]

And that's why I feel attendants shouldn't be required to wear pins. I feel just the opposite actually, that they shouldn't be allowed to wear pins at all for safety purposes. A big part of their role is to keep their eyes on things and to keep the characters safe which they cannot properly do if they are distracted by trading pins.

I agree, just like they aren't allowed to wear pins behind the bulk counter in the Confectionery because of food safety. There definitely should be positions were safety and/or guest service considerations should forbid pin trading.

In reference to the posts about green lanyards, I once had a pair of guests, who are pin sharks that are familiar to many CMs and who I was told by at least one CM had been the inspiration for them changing to a green lanyard, come to me and asked me to TURN IN a CM who had refused to trade with them from a green lanyard. When I explained to them that that was the rule they pulled out the old "Everybody else let me do it". Needless to say, I didn't turn anybody in. I also saw them talking to a (non-green lanyard) CM before they came to me; since they came to me I assume that the the other CM told them the same thing I did. I'm not sure what they expected me to turn them in for even if I had wanted to; I probably should have turned them in with a Great Service Fanatic card.

-Harry

[CycloneMan]

At the World of Disney, New York. It is required to wear a lanyard. Each lanyard must have 12 pins on them. If you have a green lanyard, you can only trade with guests under 12 years old. Same rule applies to the pin board. Also, you are only allowed to trade 2 pins per guest.

Before I worked for Disney I loved pins....now I can't stand them, and the pin traders drive me crazy! Don't get me wrong, I like pins....but some of the pin traders (not all of them) are incredibly rude and inconsiderate!

Me and my counterpart were in Disneyland Paris two weeks ago and I watched a British family go up to a CM, and the lady in the ECV immediately pull the guys lanyard and demanded (in English), "Show me your badges!" These folks were nothing but rude, so when they left I went up to the CM and felt it necessary to say (in French), "I'm sorry, I feel your pain. I'm a CM in the States!" and he laughed and walked away with a smile.

[Main Streeter]

when they left I went up to the CM and felt it necessary to say (in French), "I'm sorry, I feel your pain. I'm a CM in the States!" and he laughed and walked away with a smile.

Cyclone, I read your post then reread. Your kindness is amazing! You gave pure Magic to this French CM.

[marcim]

I thought the whole pin thing was dumb from the start - like another Beanie Babies craze.

We won a YOMD lanyard & a few tink pins in 2006, which got our kids interested. I was opposed to throwing money away on useless garbage, but DH is a pushover ;) so got a few as souvenirs & few they traded with CMs. They don't know what's rare, they just trade for what appeals to them (as it should be, IMHO). DD likes princesses and DS likes pins that move.

Hearing about that crazed pin trader makes me wish I'd stood my ground and insisted on a different souvenir to collect. Pressed pennies were a lot easier to deal with, and I liked that you had to actually go to a certain place to get a specific design.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I thought the whole pin thing was dumb from the start - like another Beanie Babies craze.

We won a YOMD lanyard & a few tink pins in 2006, which got our kids interested. I was opposed to throwing money away on useless garbage, but DH is a pushover ;) so got a few as souvenirs & few they traded with CMs. They don't know what's rare, they just trade for what appeals to them (as it should be, IMHO). DD likes princesses and DS likes pins that move.

Hearing about that crazed pin trader makes me wish I'd stood my ground and insisted on a different souvenir to collect. Pressed pennies were a lot easier to deal with, and I liked that you had to actually go to a certain place to get a specific design.

I know that some SG's obsess over the whole pin thing. I think that those traders just don't have much else going on, so they focus in on an inane trinket.

I know DW and buy a few each trip, but its more to commemorate the trip, and we dont trade them. (and they fit into a suitcase a lot eaiser!!!)

I think that Disney should make the trading ONLY for kids. And get those whackadoo's with the books of stuff out of the parks!!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

I am one of the people that "doesn't get" the whole pin trading thing..
DH & I have got a few pins as souvenirs & I have them on foam board in a frame in my office. But to run over kids, Collect huge suitcases full of pins, I don't get it..
I guess some people have nothing better to do with their time & money..