Why is everything I want so difficult?!

Since I've started pin trading stitch has been my primary collection. I'm getting frustrated though because he can be so hard to get :/ I've been thinking about wether or not I should trade off my small collection or sell and start collecting something new that's a little easier. I gravitate towards Snow White, Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck. I also loveeeee wreck it Ralph but I feel like that's even harder than stitch lol

I just need some help. I'm scared I will trade away all of my stitches and regret it.

Don't give up! I know, it can be very hard sometimes

Up until now, my main collections weren't drastically difficult to get pins from. Every now and again a Brave pin would come out that I would want, and I would miss it, but I've learned that that's okay. I don't need to be a completist. I try to just get the pins that I love! Now I am in love with Frozen (it has just replaced Tarzan as my number 1 Disney movie), and its proving to be VERY difficult for me to secure pins, especially the DSF ones. But I won't give up until all of my traders are gone!

I think that should be every collector's motto. Collect what you love, not what is easy, hard, popular, or whatever. If you have passion for a film or character, go for it! It may be a bit challenging at first, but it will be rewarding every time you add a pin to your collection!

Pin trading can be intimidating at first but just keep what you have an be diligent when you are looking for a certain pin or pins. Check the forums often, Ebay, the Facebook pin trading pages (if you are on any) and just keep your eyes and sometimes ears open and when you least expect it you will find the pin or pins you want Trust me I have found pins that I thought I would never get and I was just in the right place at the right time! Keep your chin up you WILL get there

ElysionsPrincess said:

I think that should be every collector's motto. Collect what you love, not what is easy, hard, popular, or whatever. If you have passion for a film or character, go for it! It may be a bit challenging at first, but it will be rewarding every time you add a pin to your collection!

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thank you!! This made me realize stitch is what I love and to not give up! I just feel like I have to spend a fortune to get him because my traders aren't good enough :/

Honeybunny said:

thank you!! This made me realize stitch is what I love and to not give up! I just feel like I have to spend a fortune to get him because my traders aren't good enough :/

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You can always start a small side collection of something else you love, too!

I know how you feel. I have felt the same way. I started collecting stitch and it has become super hard with some. I stated a side collection of glow in the dark pins. Some can be very easy to get. This gives me something to ttrade for when Stitch is hard to come by. I am always on the look out for Stitch but now I have something that is easier at times to trade for and sometimes even includes Stitch.

I know the feeling, my friend.


Good to see you back in the scene!

Maybe I do just need to start a good steady side collection...

Thank nl you Jenna My disneyland trip reminded me how much I love it and really inspired me. I met so many fun people there through pin trading.

As a fellow Stitch collector, I understand your pain. The good news is that with Frozen, Tangled, Brave, Ariel, etc. etc. etc. becoming the "hot" new things, Stitch has actually been a bit easier to collect in the past few years.

I would trade away all of your stich pins if I was you....

pinbum said:

I would trade away all of your stich pins if I was you....

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Why would you say that? If she loves her stitch pins she should keep them

Pins will come Pins will go...Its fun to start a new pin collection...Good luck.

I love Stitch too! I collect the Stitch pins that I love (mostly Halloween and Autumn themed) and he seems to be a little easier to get these days. He's really popular with pin collectors and Disney seems to like putting him on pins too which sometimes works in our favor. I would say collect what you love and what you can afford.

Trading is a marathon, not a sprint...

Trading for a more popular character and being a completist about it; is a marathon, uphill, into the wind, through the snow, backpedaling...
It will be difficult. It will seem like you are at a stand-still at times, or like you never will finish...
But stick with it!!!

You will love the pins more if you have to wait or work hard for them, and you won't ever get to the point that there is nothing left to hunt for. Enjoy the thrill of the chase. I hope you will.

The thing with Stitch is that there are sooooooooooooooo many pins. What you might want to do is restrict your Stitch collection to one or two specific themes. Like only Holidays, or only six-limbed Stitch. Try to keep it to less than a couple hundred pins.

When you just collect everything Stitch, it's a little tough to feel like you've accomplished anything when there are thousands of pins still left to collect!

Definitely keep what you love and continue on that. I have a bunch of side collections, but I don't feel I need to be a completist except within sets, like certain hidden mickeys or a villains set.

I've been at this 2.5 years now and I've been collecting Tinker Bell for a fair share of that time and I still only have 4 or 5 LE100's. I have over 300 Tink pins, but those low LE's are just hard to get out of people because many are in collections for the long haul and the few trading are desired by many more than are available. Also I get to go to DSF and WDI multiple times a month and get really good traders. If you are in TX you will have to be very very patient with your collection unless you buy pins to trade them. Stitch, Jessica, Tink, and a few others have a myriad of pins from year and years. Depending on what you want, the edition size, and many other factors it may be all but impossible to find a certain pin. If you try to rush head first into LE100's from Disney Auctions your going to get frustrated quickly. But try to pick a less popular group of Stitch pins, maybe Holiday, or with sunglasses, or some other constrained group and work on that.

I feel for the new traders that just started and all they want is Tangled. But at the same time it does get a little annoying to hear them whine about how they can't get the pins they want, like they should be entitled to it because they like them. When a collection, ie Tangled, has 5,000 people wanting to collect them and the pins are often LE300, LE500, LE1500 it makes it hard. Not everyone can have them all. The "I want" generation doesn't do well with that. So those pins go up insane in value instantly because of all the people after them.

I wanted to collect all the marquee's from DSF and I was well on my way but then they exploded and I was forced to quit them. I picked up PTD's and was close to completing them when they started to blow up too, but I told myself now or never and I completed them before they got crazy. But I have many side collections. Cars Land, Grand California Hotel, Candlelight Processional, Star Tours, SPace Mountain, Astro Blasters, etc. So when I can't get the pins I really want I at least don't waste a trip to a PTN. There is always something, at whatever level of the value spectrum, I can find.

Well said Mark.

As an UP collector I know exactly what you mean about pins being hard to get, and people wanting the earth for them!! All I can say is stay strong, positive, and keep trying....you will get there, patience is the key. I only just got my ultimate grail after 3 yrs lol so it takes time....good luck and well done on your collection so far xx

I'll add that about the whining part I'm not talking about the OP. I mean more the people at the parks, DSF or wherever that don't really know how popular their wanted pin is and expect it to be easy. I saw a lady chew out a manager at DLR because the Rapunzel window was sold out like 30minutes after the park opened. She was obviously fairly new to collecting. I feel their pain because of the veterans that know the tricks to get 6 or 8 or more of that pin and the newer folks came happy and naive until it was obvious they missed out. Then the meltdown ensues. This hobby has become all about knowing the tricks, insider info, having kids, or gullible compadres, and skewed to benefit people with no job or not in school. Pretty much. So if you miss a release, try to get something to trade for it if you are lucky to be near another release. If you are not near the parks, ouch, that's gonna be a tough road to hoe.

Stitch pins aren't insanely hard to get anymore. He's kind of taken a back seat to princesses and newer film releases. Jessica still seems strong since DSF had 615 people come to that. Frozen was 695 and I can only imagine how many more would have come if they had seen the movie before the pins were released. So try to get ahold of the newer pins and trade for the Stitch pins. Or if they are park Stitch, unless it's like w/ Ducklings or as Yoda you should be able to find someone on here nice to buy you pins at cost. I have 2 of the Stitch holiday ear pins for trade. I'd trade them for an old Tink park pin probably. Or sell them to someone who really wanted it for a good price.

Welcome to the world of stitch lol I'm a fellow stitch collector and it's a tough collection and hard to trade for. Just don't get discouraged. Also, I know the popular stitches are so nice but if you really like the character trade for lower end ones, Paris open editions, and others in that level just so you can get your feet wet and still have a stitch collection. Stitch will always be in abundance so don't feel bad that you can't get your holiest of grails. I mean they're called grails for a reason. lol

Add one more to list of fellow Stitch collectors who feel your pain! As a new collector and one not near the parks I have come to conclusion it will take some time to get a good Stitch collection. I have mostly started with the really easy (an inexpensive) pins and figure I will work on the harder to get ones as time passes. I am glad to hear everyone else saying that patience is important in this hobby. I am learning that for sure !

I agree. ..don't give up! But start a side collection..or two! Maybe I can help?

Don't forget. Patience is a BIG part of this hobby. Good luck! Also, when all else fails, hidden mickey collections can be fun .

If you love Stitch then you should stick with it. Just have patience. You should also take a good look through the Stitch pins on Pinpics. When I search "stitch" I get 102 pages of pins, but you have only 2 pages of Stitch pins on your wants list (and a number of them are very hard to find pins)...I'll bet there are tons of great Stitch pins that you just don't know about yet!