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Best places to pin trade at WDW?

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Best places to pin trade at WDW?
K

kettinger

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Hi all - I am a new trader and headed to Disney World for a trip next week. Does anyone know what the best places are that I should check out for pin trading? Anyone know if the tables are back at Pin Central in Epcot? Any tips for where the best places to go to find good pins and other traders would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much!!
 
First and foremost - MK at 1pm on select days - you have to find Scoop Sanderson. TRUST ME

As for other places around WDW. Look for hidden pin books and boards, those are your best spots.

At MK in Pete's souvenirs there are 2 pin boards that look like popcorn that you might get lucky at if you go early. Also another at the picture printing station at the main entrance.
At Epcot there were no tables last time I was there, not many legit traders hanging out. Look for books instead. The main pin station gets run over with scrappers super early.
At DTD the pin station super board is always a good spot. There is also a hidden book at Disney Quest if you go to the window.

Also, the lanyards at the Disney Vacation Club are normally good because people don't want to get sucked into a sales presentation. I did really well there this trip.

Good luck! Happy hunting!
 
michelle06 said:
Does Scoop have a particular location? MK is a big place! Would love to find him since you've recommended him.
Click to expand...

Yes, he is always on Main Street towards the middle. His lanyards are EPIC! Be sure to be super polite and ask "MAY I PLEASE trade with you." I was lucky enough to get some alone time to chat with him and get a picture away from the crowds. He also gifted me his exclusive "Continuing the Tradition" Pin (which he signed) but you can NEVER ask for that pin. He only gives it to people he deems worthy of it.

*****For reference, that is him in my avatar picture with me.*****
 
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Last week was a whole lotta junk at the resorts, at MK, and Epcot. However, my best luck has been at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom (both spots I did not go). HS has a board at guest services in the front, and there is usually something good on there, also lanyards to the back of the park near Mama Melrose's (be sure to check custodial services, they usually have hip lanyards, and I have found some gems). AK, just check every lanyard, especially deep in the park. Hit-or-miss at AK, but when you hit, it is usually home-run (like LEs on CM lanyards).
 
You definitely want to meet with Scoop. He comes out at 45 mins past the hour and usually sings with the sax band or the dapper dans or mills around with the mayor and Smokey. Then he trades for about 15 minutes before going back stage. Try and catch him early if you can. He's there mornings to early afternoons several days each week.

I usually wear a lanyard or two. One with recent hidden mickeys and one with good pins, LEs and things I am trying to finish but have spares of. I trade a LOT with other guests. I look for lanyards but more often for hip packs or bags. Serious traders tend to have a certain look and can be spotted--they may have a few pins showing either on a lanyard or hat or something, but there's usually a hip bag or backpack with their traders. I often set a book out at the tables in the alley outside of the jewelry store on main st. Or, sometimes outside the ice cream shop or caseys. Outside Frontierland there are some good places to sit and trade. And, don't overlook people in line for various stations playing the Sorcerers of the Kingdom game. Lots of them are pin traders too and love trading while waiting for their turn.

Sometimes I wear a button that says "Yes, I Trade" so that new traders are more comfortable approaching me to trade. And, I almost always carry a kids lanyard loaded with boosters that they tend to like: princesses, nerds, babies, etc. And, of course, a few Star Wars or others for the boys. The kids lanyard is always a big hit. Kids love knowing there is a special lanyard just for them and they can trade me anything they like. It also helps prevent disappointment if there's something on my LE lanyard that they might have wanted instead.
 
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Also when you are at WDW - there are 2 sets of local traders that have had a huge success of making their own pin meets!!! With Disney making them to few and far between and so many guests still wanting to enjoy the experience these are another option. If you are in the area usually the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in the month - Central Fla Pin Traders I think just had theirs for January - the next Holiday Inn meet by DTD is Feb. 15th if anyone is visiting. The Feb. 15th Holiday Inn meet is I think $5 per family to trade - they all pay for the big room for all of us to enjoy - well worth it!!! You can also check on Facebook - there is more info there too
 
Ok, quick update. I just got back from Dtd today and all the books and boards (including the giant board) were junk. I mean really really bad. Almost all scrapers or repeat HMs. I did get a few good pins on cast lanyards and I did great with guest trading.
 

What are HMs?
 
I wish I had known about Scoop. I was just in MK for the first time since I was 7 and I was helping my friend propose to his girlfriend (now fiance! ) After he proposed we went to the Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom area to pick up our cards for the day. Afterwards we sat just behind the shop and Scoop walked out, greeted us, and congratulated my friends on their engagement! He even had the Dapper Dans sing them a "Happy Engagement" song to the tune of Happy Birthday :lol: Aw well, missed opportunity.
 
Every DVC has a pin board. I know SSR and AKL have borads. AKL has the Pin King! he comes out in the gift shop in African dress and has pins all over it. The candy shop on main street has a pin book just asks to see it. I believe there is a pin book in DHS in the last shop as you walk upi to the tower of terror. I hope this helps.

Happy pin hunting and trading
 
A lot of the pin books we found at random shops in the various parks (even World of Disney in DTD) were almost entirely junk. I'm pretty sure they don't refresh them on a daily basis because we tried to hit them pretty early. Every now and then you find an awesome book, but 95% of them are really sad to page through. Page after page of scrap and old unwanted pins.

The popcorn trays at Pete's in MK were actually pretty good, despite us finding them later on in the afternoon. Make sure you check the lanyards there too, as there are a lot of service CMs around. I picked up four pins from the Sport Goofy HM set from the lanyards at Pete's alone! I'm really not sure why this place is such a bounty of HMs compared to the rest of the park... Perhaps I was just there on the right day.

Every park should have a board a the customer service area at the front of the park. Be sure to check those out because not everyone knows about them. At least the one at Epcot had a fair amount of HMs when we went.

The tables at Epcot returned mid-week during my trip, but I only really saw guest traders hanging out there on the last day of my trip. Sometimes it's easy to get preconceived notions with all the talk of sharks and hustlers on the forums, but I met a couple great traders there. We chatted and made some nice fair trades, everyone was happy all around. That's what trading is all about!


During my last trip, I could only make it to MK on Friday the 24th and Scoop wasn't working that day Sadly, another opportunity missed!
 
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