Bought these from a local shop, not sure if they’re real?

[Captain Fartbeard]

Hey y’all! I found these pins in a local shop and was super excited (especially for the cats collection as it’s one of my ISOs) However I just want to make sure they aren’t fakes as the price was a bit too good to be true. (About $40 for all of these and one other pin) I’m fairly new to pin trading so I’m still learning the ropes on what’s real and what’s not.


I can upload more pics when I get back from work. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[momin.ator]

I do know that the dog dsf pins have been counterfeited. Also the cat pins. Do the cat pins have a printed number on the back? Mine do and they are real.

 

[hopemax]

Unfortunately, I believe they are all counterfeits. The Lilo and Stitch and the Bolt are pins that were sold through the Disney Soda Fountain / Disney Studio Store in Hollywood CA, and should come on a card that looks like the below. Your packaging, is something you would expect to find on *park* pins, not one of Disney's specialty outlets.

15191 - Bolt - Disney Dogs - Disney Studio Store Hollywood / Soda Fountain Disney Pin

2016 Disney Studio Store Hollywood / Soda Fountain Limited Edition (LE) 300 Bolt Pin from the Disney Dogs Disney pin series.

pinandpop.com

The Cats & Dogs set is a set that was sold in the US Parks, and if you found it here in the US, would probably come on a card that referenced "Disney Parks" or "Disneyland and Walt Disney World," while this one is from Hong Kong Disneyland. While it is possible that someone acquired it abroad, and got rid of it, and ended up where you found it... it is unlikely.

Unfortunately, the Chinese Factories have learned it is very profitable to sell counterfeit merchandise to American clients who are looking to sell them to unsuspecting pin traders looking for bargains. And as collectors got more savvy about learning the signs for fakes, the American clients started requesting "pins that have packaging." And the Factories obliged. You'll find a lot of these in the gift shops on US-192 around WDW. It has made it a difficult landscape to navigate.

My recommendation for people starting out, is even though it's more money, invest in pins you know are authentic such as from DisneyStore.com, Box Lunch, Hot Topic, or from the parks on your vacation. Or reputable second hand sellers, and you can find some of those here, Facebook, Disney Shopping Services, etc. After you start handling a lot of pins, you will begin to notice the color differences, the enamel differences, weight and quality differences etc. and you can get more comfortable determining what is real. If you look at a lot of pin lots on Ebay, Mercari or Amazon Sellers you will start seeing the same pins, again and again. And if there are only supposed to be 300 of them, like the DSSH pins, that is not a good sign. You can check the location of the seller. There are some Ebay sellers that always seem to have new American Disney pins for cheap but are located in China. Once you identify a sketchy seller, you can note their other items and start to develop a sense of what might be fake.

And welcome to the forum!

 

[SoraPandora]

Welcome to the forum! And try not to get too discouraged if your first few pins turn out to be scrappers. Almost all of us fell for some fakes in the beginning!


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[timeerkat]

Welcome! As others have said unfortunately these are all fakes. Are you able to return them to the shop for a refund?

I hope you don't feel bad or discouraged, those shops get a lot of people just from lack of knowledge. We all start off somewhere and when I first started in pins I also had a lot of fakes without knowing. Once I was in the community for a bit I was able to learn a lot of the "tells" and start to avoid them. And you took a really good first step in checking in about them!

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Welcome to the forum! And try not to get too discouraged if your first few pins turn out to be scrappers. Almost all of us fell for some fakes in the beginning!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welp, I had a feeling it was too good to be true. I wonder how many of my other pins are fakes ;w; I did send some of the pins I got in the trade arcade though when I thought they were real. (A stitch pin from the same series and some starters I bought online) Is there a way to cancel it after it's already been shipped? I don't want to inadvertently scam anyone

 

[hopemax]

Welp, I had a feeling it was too good to be true. I wonder how many of my other pins are fakes ;w; I did send some of the pins I got in the trade arcade though when I thought they were real. (A stitch pin from the same series and some starters I bought online) Is there a way to cancel it after it's already been shipped? I don't want to inadvertently scam anyone

You can contact @PIN & POP Jenn at support@pinandpop.com and she should help you get it sorted out. This is a big part of why they have their inspection process, so unauthorized and damaged pins can be caught before they get sent out to the other trader. Like others have mentioned, ending up with fakes is something happens to us all at one time or another. So chalk it up to a learning experience, and don't sweat it.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Welcome! As others have said unfortunately these are all fakes. Are you able to return them to the shop for a refund?

I hope you don't feel bad or discouraged, those shops get a lot of people just from lack of knowledge. We all start off somewhere and when I first started in pins I also had a lot of fakes without knowing. Once I was in the community for a bit I was able to learn a lot of the "tells" and start to avoid them. And you took a really good first step in checking in about them!

Welp. What gives it away? (For next time I encounter these in the wild) At least I'm figuring it out now vs. later as you said.

I might keep the cats one for sentimental value until I get the real versions of each pin. I already have another Siamese one that I got from another trader but I'm now I'm not sure if this one's real or fake either. I might have to post my entire collection on this thread lol.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

You can contact @PIN & POP Jenn at support@pinandpop.com and she should help you get it sorted out. This is a big part of why they have their inspection process, so unauthorized and damaged pins can be caught before they get sent out to the other trader. Like others have mentioned, ending up with fakes is something happens to us all at one time or another. So chalk it up to a learning experience, and don't sweat it.

Great! I'll make sure to verify any pins I trade in the future here before shipping them out. (At least any that weren't directly purchased from Disney or an authorized retailer) Does it affect your rating in any meaningful way or will I still be able to make trades?

 

[hopemax]

Great! I'll make sure to verify any pins I trade in the future here before shipping them out. (At least any that weren't directly purchased from Disney or an authorized retailer) Does it affect your rating in any meaningful way or will I still be able to make trades?

It will probably show up in your star rating initially, but shouldn't be a factor in preventing you from trading. Jenn lets people who make honest mistakes, the first time, select a pin from the Pinocchio board. Repeat offenders is where consequences might start to build.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Unfortunately, I believe they are all counterfeits. The Lilo and Stitch and the Bolt are pins that were sold through the Disney Soda Fountain / Disney Studio Store in Hollywood CA, and should come on a card that looks like the below. Your packaging, is something you would expect to find on *park* pins, not one of Disney's specialty outlets.

15191 - Bolt - Disney Dogs - Disney Studio Store Hollywood / Soda Fountain Disney Pin

2016 Disney Studio Store Hollywood / Soda Fountain Limited Edition (LE) 300 Bolt Pin from the Disney Dogs Disney pin series.

pinandpop.com

The Cats & Dogs set is a set that was sold in the US Parks, and if you found it here in the US, would probably come on a card that referenced "Disney Parks" or "Disneyland and Walt Disney World," while this one is from Hong Kong Disneyland. While it is possible that someone acquired it abroad, and got rid of it, and ended up where you found it... it is unlikely.

Unfortunately, the Chinese Factories have learned it is very profitable to sell counterfeit merchandise to American clients who are looking to sell them to unsuspecting pin traders looking for bargains. And as collectors got more savvy about learning the signs for fakes, the American clients started requesting "pins that have packaging." And the Factories obliged. You'll find a lot of these in the gift shops on US-192 around WDW. It has made it a difficult landscape to navigate.

My recommendation for people starting out, is even though it's more money, invest in pins you know are authentic such as from DisneyStore.com, Box Lunch, Hot Topic, or from the parks on your vacation. Or reputable second hand sellers, and you can find some of those here, Facebook, Disney Shopping Services, etc. After you start handling a lot of pins, you will begin to notice the color differences, the enamel differences, weight and quality differences etc. and you can get more comfortable determining what is real. If you look at a lot of pin lots on Ebay, Mercari or Amazon Sellers you will start seeing the same pins, again and again. And if there are only supposed to be 300 of them, like the DSSH pins, that is not a good sign. You can check the location of the seller. There are some Ebay sellers that always seem to have new American Disney pins for cheap but are located in China. Once you identify a sketchy seller, you can note their other items and start to develop a sense of what might be fake.

And welcome to the forum!

That makes more sense than I wish it did lol. I didn't realize packaging could be faked as well as the pin itself. (Ironically I did get these pins from one of those shops, though that was probably obvious)

I'll also have to check my hidden mickeys and pins I got from other traders, and maybe post them on this thread as well. Now I'm kinda paranoid lol

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

It will probably show up in your star rating initially, but shouldn't be a factor in preventing you from trading. Jenn lets people who make honest mistakes, the first time, select a pin from the Pinocchio board. Repeat offenders is where consequences might start to build.

Oh ok! I'll definitely try and avoid that mistake in the future. Luckily I have everyone here to help me out!

 

[hopemax]

That makes more sense than I wish it did lol. I didn't realize packaging could be faked as well as the pin itself. (Ironically I did get these pins from one of those shops, though that was probably obvious)

I'll also have to check my hidden mickeys and pins I got from other traders, and maybe post them on this thread as well. Now I'm kinda paranoid lol

It will probably be a disheartening experience. If you live near WDW, just picking up the Monogram pins from one of the Walmart or Targets near the park, if you are familiar with those, is a good place to start. Monogram is an official licensee, and those pins run a little cheaper than Disney. And they are hard to get for people who don't live near Disney.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

It will probably be a disheartening experience. If you live near WDW, just picking up the Monogram pins from one of the Walmart or Targets near the park, if you are familiar with those, is a good place to start. Monogram is an official licensee, and those pins run a little cheaper than Disney. And they are hard to get for people who don't live near Disney.

Oooh, it's nice to hear the Walmart and Target pins are officially licensed! I've had my eye on those but ironically thought those were knockoffs. That'll be a nice place to stock up! I'll also have to check out Boxlunch, I saw a lot of their pins on the arcade that I really liked as well.

 

[hopemax]

I also just saw you are in the College Program. Get thee to Cast Connection off Western Way / Bear Island Rd! You will find all the authentic pins you need to get you started.

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

I also just saw you are in the College Program. Get thee to Cast Connection off Western Way! You will find all the authentic pins you need to get you started.

Yup! I already got a couple from there. I got pulled in by the souvenir shops while shopping at a nearby Wal-mart lol (since Cast Connections selections can be limited sometimes and don't change out super frequently) I'll have to make that my main source of pin acquisitions (other than trading lol.)

 

[hopemax]

Do you know about GoPinPro HQ? They are a secondary market retailer, and creator of Pinfolios, which many people use to store their collections / traders. You can find pins for sale in their store that range from "$8 or so" to "how much money do you have?" The address is:

11920 W Colonial Dr Suite 30, Ocoee, FL 34761

 

[Captain Fartbeard]

Do you know about GoPinPro HQ? They are a secondary market retailer, and creator of Pinfolios, which many people use to store their collections / traders. You can find pins for sale in their store that range from "$8 or so" to "how much money do you have?" The address is:

11920 W Colonial Dr Suite 30, Ocoee, FL 34761

Cool! I'm looking to get into rarer pins so I'll be sure to stop by and check that place out. TYSM for your help!