PinPics Update: Scrappers to Counterfeits*

Hello everyone! Hope I find you well!

I'm reaching out to let the DPF community know PinPics has made an update in regards to submitting Scrapper notes on a pin; namely that the Scrapper notes tab now reads Counterfeit.

Why does the tab for Scrapper notes now read Counterfeit? What and why?


The reason for this change is that any Disney pin may have scrappers which exist. Hidden Mickey pins, open edition pins, and some limited editions are the primary target for these. Disney even accepts them for trade in the parks.


Because of this, PinPics will be focusing its attention on highlighting and calling-out counterfeit pins instead of scrappers. In terms of dollar value and loss, counterfeit pins pose a larger threat to the pin community. That is what we want to bring to the attention of collectors. Henceforth, notes submitted that pertain to paint dips, nubs, lack thereof or color variations will no longer be approved.


Posts/submissions which cite a large number of a limited edition pins (please include links which will be removed before approved) being sold or spotted on CM lanyards will be approved. There are a number of very low LE pins from sets which are appearing on auction sites or lanyards, and it is important for people to be aware of them!

I'd love to hear your comments/opinions in regards to this change post below, private message, or email all work!

I think it's a good idea since the counterfeits are actual attempts to cheat. I'll confess, I don't always spot the scrappers when I'm trading off a cast member lanyard if it is a character or pin that fits my collection. A counterfeit, however, is something else again. Thanks for the update.

Thanks for the update! The scrapper notes on pinpics saved me from purchasing a set of counterfeit pins on ebay. I'm glad I bothered to look them up!

Woohoo! I've been hoping for this change for a while now! I think that it's very important to get counterfeit notes down, as they have something that is specific to the pin that can be looked out for, unlike scrappers where there are a myriad of common problems to look out for that are general for all pins!

Thanks for the update! Very happy!

Glad everyone likes the update so far!

Just to review, and please correct me at anytime, a scrapper is a pin that was part of an authentic run of pins, BUT is of lower quality and therefore did not receive the final blessing to be an authorized pin. These quality issues are varied and some are easier to spot than others leading to questions and confusion. Counterfeits however, were never part of an authentic run of pins and are imitations of pins rather than just a quality issue.

I need to pop over and review the "How to spot fake pins" thread in the Pin Comparison board. I swear I need to study up for this hobby!

McMorgan said:

Just to review, and please correct me at anytime, a scrapper is a pin that was part of an authentic run of pins, BUT is of lower quality and therefore did not receive the final blessing to be an authorized pin. These quality issues are varied and some are easier to spot than others leading to questions and confusion. Counterfeits however, were never part of an authentic run of pins and are imitations of pins rather than just a quality issue.

I need to pop over and review the "How to spot fake pins" thread in the Pin Comparison board. I swear I need to study up for this hobby!

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Right, and what makes scrappers exceedingly difficult to deal with is how many rack pins nowadays have QC issues, but are indeed authentic/officially sold. My friend bought some pins in DTD while he was at WDW and I found flaws on several of them. I also have two pins directly from Disney that have color leaking (such as Alice with a yellow forehead), not to mention all of the DSF pins with holes and dips in the enamel.

It's like they say, you never really know what you have unless you bought them straight from the stores!

But of course there are known scrapper sellers out there, so there are ways to help yourself avoid some of the more common scrappered pins!

I like the change. I'd rather know that a pin is completely counterfeit or that it has been reproduced illegally after Disney has released it.

In my opinion, the REAL "Scrapper" pins (usually Hidden Mickey and some booster sets) ARE counterfeit since they are released from other factories in China and sold to individuals in bulk.

Let's face it, how many pins that simply didn't pass Quality Control and got "thrown out the back door" could there be of any particular pin?? Especially Hidden Mickey pins since they are produced for only a short time. Plus, would one REALLY expect Hidden Mickey pins from "years ago" to still be put on Cast Lanyards by Disney and be legit??

The term "Scrapper" has been used too loosely to describe simple Quality defects instead of what they are - Counterfeit.

We've adopted the phrase 'pins of questionable origin' to lump all the scrappers/counterfeit/etc at our house...

-em said:

We've adopted the phrase 'pins of questionable origin' to lump all the scrappers/counterfeit/etc at our house...

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How about 'Pins that shall not be named'?

-em said:

We've adopted the phrase 'pins of questionable origin' to lump all the scrappers/counterfeit/etc at our house...

Click to expand...

unibear said:

How about 'Pins that shall not be named'?

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I love both of these!!!