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My Obsession

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My Obsession

DPintrader

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Austin, TX
Hi there!

My name's Jonathan, and I'm a 37-year old who *just* started pin collecting and trading about a month ago. Until now I'd been aware of Disney. I'd known of the brand, Walt's genius, and even watched a number of Disney features. It wasn't until this past summer, though, that I started to immerse myself in the history of the company (it also helps having a wife who spent many childhood family gatherings at Club 33 events). Now we're planning our Disney vacation (I've never been to anyplace remotely related to Disney, save for walking into a Disney Store once, many years ago), I'm a D23 member, and she's been pulling out pins for me left and right (as well as talking to her own resources to get me pins - not only to collect, but to trade on our adventures).

I love the variety in pins, and most importantly, I really enjoy researching the history behind the pins (when they were released, for what particular event or commemoration, etc). My research led me to this forum over and over again, so I decided to take the plunge and join (I'm already meeting great people).

The short version: Adult finds the magic of Disney, goes through childhood wonder (for the first time), becomes obsessive about his hobby (also for the first time).

Thanks for providing such a great resource, and having this place for those of us who have been charmed by the shiny, shiny pins.
 
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Big welcome to you. Were fairly new as well, as we have only been trading for about 3 years.

We have been Disney fanatics forever though. ;-)

Vicki
 
DPintrader said:
The short version: Adult finds the magic of Disney, goes through childhood wonder (for the first time), becomes obsessive about his hobby (also for the first time)..
Click to expand...

:lol: I love the Cliff Notes!

Welcome to DPF! Make yourself at home, we have a great time here.
 
Thank you all!

I know that once I start to get my bearings that I'll have a ton of questions. Right now, I've been spending my time cataloging and taking pictures of each of my pins, because (with the amount I have, and the ones still "in transit") I can see myself getting overwhelmed if I don't keep on top of things. Yes, I have my own section of wall in our house dedicated to "keepers" and a sectioned box for those pins I have for trading.

I was never too big on baseball cards (though I had a ton of Star Wars trading cards form the 70s and 80s), and never really jumped on other fads. But this (even looking at the designs of the newer pins) has such a timelessness about it.

Pins. So small and varied in shape and color. At least the wife doesn't have to worry about me bringing home pinball machines.
 
Aloha Jonathan and Welcome! :wavey:

If you ever have any questions - about pins, pin trading, or planning your trip to Disney - don't hesitate to ask them. We're a very friendly and helpful group and I'm sure that someone (or several someones) will be more than happy to help you out.
 
Thanks!

Right now I'm cataloging my pins (taking pictures, organizing them by sets, looking up release dates, etc.). This seems like a step in the right direction (it's progress compared to pulling them all out on the table and looking at them while repeating "Look at ALL the shiny pins!" - which is what I was doing for a week or so). I'm taking time to group them in a semi-logical (?) fashion - vinyl-mation pins go together; certain (but not all) Star Tours pins have their own section; Disney villains on bowling pin-shaped pins don't necessarily go with the Disney villains emerging from cauldrons, and so on.

I guess my biggest questions are as follows:

1. Is there a practical way to organize pins (I understand that everyone has a favorite group, or that people focus on particular characters or themes)?
2. What constitutes how "cool" a pin is among traders, apart from personal taste?
3. Club Penguin Puffles. I realize these are (virtual) things (research was required), but how popular are they and, who would like to take a few (in pin form) off my hands? Right now, they're working their way up my list to rank with the Figment "Expressions" pins.
 
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Hi Jonathan and welcome! Let me answer your first question. If you haven't already start a profile at pinpics.com--its a sight that has almost evry pin photographed, catlogued and given a number. You can separate you collection into wants and traders and connect your profile to your dpf profile so you can start trading. It will take some time, but pinpics is a great way to access most things pin related. Have fun!
 
DPintrader said:
Thanks!
1. Is there a practical way to organize pins (I understand that everyone has a favorite group, or that people focus on particular characters or themes)?
2. What constitutes how "cool" a pin is among traders, apart from personal taste?
Click to expand...

1. For cataloguing, pinpics is a must! Physically, I've found the best way to organize is to frame, it not only organizes, but lets your pins be somewhere you can see them! I think the secret to collecting is really limit yourself to the specific group/theme you're after. We had a pretty big scale of things we (my husband and I) collected, and we just simply had to decide what we actually loved, and what was just interesting/cute. We also learned that being a completist for anything is money-draining and heartbreaking in some cases, and so between that and the fact that neither my husband nor I really care for pins with words on them, we've managed to narrow down what we collect greatly. Framing make us really consider what we like the most, too. If something looks nice in a frame, we can enjoy it all the more.

2. Personal taste is most of it, with a splash of demand. There are things that will always be popular (Stitch invasion, Jessica and Tink as Other characters) simply because they cross-over movies, and because they're cute/clever/pretty, but mostly I think I could safely say that most of us here at DPF think ALL pins are cool, it's a joy to see what everyone else has, even if it's not what I collect myself.
 
Well, the most to actual frames will probably happen this month. For now, I have three large cork boards above my desk, and I'm constantly rearranging the pins on there into new groupings.

I couldn't agree with you more. My wife and I don't really care for the ones with words on them (I know I'm mentioning the Figment "Expressions" pins again, but they are a prime example, along with the ones of various characters holding the word "Good"). She is a big fan of anything to do with the Haunted Mansion, and we both like the ones that hearken back to an older day/style (Minnie & Mickey pins from the 1928 cartoons, the old "letter ticket/coupon" pins, etc.).

On a personal note, I get giddy over the Tron pins, a few of the Muppet pins, and even the alphabet pin with V.I.N.Cent on it.

As far as being a completist - we're not venturing into that territory. If we're missing a single pin in a set, and it presents itself later on down the line - so be it. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm crazy about the pins I like, but I'm not raising an army and spending all of my resources to find that one pin to complete my favorite set of pins. (Speaking of which, if you run across a Scrooge McDuck/Coca-Cola pin, drop me a line. It seems these guys don't want to learn how to disarm booby-traps and dodge live tigers just to get a pin for some slacker in Texas). I kid, I kid...sort of.
 

Tron and Mansion are our main collections, with a smidge of Princess-Prince-Villains in there and a dash of Tower of Terror (but only Hollywood Tower themed pins, not TOT itself!). I just recently got myself out of Stitch because I was so overwhelmed by HOW MANY pins we have. It's been so nice really to pare down and get things framed up and put away!

Will keep my eyes peeled, husband and I are experts at dodging tigers and the like!
 
Welcome Jon and I know you will love the whole experience here on the best board there ever was. Everyone seems to have covered your questions admirably and I know you will "discover" what pins you really want to keep. My keep list is constantly changing, except for Fantasia and Alice in Wonderland. You are lucky that you are not a completest, because I am and you wind up with way too many pins. Good luck and hope you enjoy the magic.
 
I could be, but I had to drop one H and pick up two extra syllables to prevent a space-time anomaly. Wouldn't want to disrupt superpin theory now, would we?
 
You would have been a great college partner! i love the cliff notes as well! too funny! Welcome to dpf.. it is an amazing place to meet amazing people and play with shiny things! lol TAKE CARE! ~Kim
 
Hi My name is Jinafer I'm 53 years young and LOVE collecting Disney pins. My main collection is Winnie the Pooh and his pals. I only live 30 minutes from Disneyland and go about 3-5 times a month. I'm hoping to be able to post my wants very soon.
 
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