If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know I’m super into Disney pin trading & collecting! I purchased a cloth covered cork board in a cute white frame to display them on the wall in my office! I certainly feel that if I’m going to spend money on all of my pins, I definitely want them displayed where I can see them everyday! So many of you have reach out in response to my IG story’s asking about my collection & how you can get started! I decided to put a post together answering all of your questions in one place so that you can begin collecting, too!
“How do you start?”
Pick a pin collection based on characters you like, and just go for it! You can easily google a pin you have and see how many/which ones are in the collection! Whenever I get a new pin that I love, I always research it to see which collection it belongs to! I also have tons of pins that I bought/traded for just because I love the characters on it, not because I’m going to collect them all! I also collect any Little Mermaid pins I can find, because she’s my favorite! Just collect what you love most!
“How do you know where to trade pins in the parks?”
Most cast members will be wearing lanyards or squares clipped to their belt loop that have pins for trading! Any pins a cast member is wearing are fair game for trading! You can also go into most shops in the parks and ask the cashier to see the pin board behind the counter! Not all shops have them but many do; it never hurts to ask! *Attractions, food service cast members & Photographers do not wear pins for safety reasons; stick to looking for managers walking around, Character Attendants, Janitorial, & merchandising cast members, etc.!*
“Where is your favorite place to trade & shop for pins?”
Whenever I visit the parks, my very favorite place to go for pin trading and shopping is the Frontier Trading Post in Frontier Land at Magic Kingdom! Not only do they have a great selection of pins to shop, but its an awesome location for trading! The cast members always wear pins for trade, and they have a book of pins behind the register that you can ask to look at, too! Make sure you stop in this spot next time your in the Magic Kingdom!
“Where do you find pins outside of the parks?”
Whenever I post that I have new pins coming, everyone wants know where I shop for them when I’m not at Disney! The app Mercari is my favorite place to shop for them! (It’s very similar to Poshmark, however the prices are much more reasonable due to the selling fees being lower. FYI, I am not a Poshmark shopper.) Mercari allows you to “like” items, which I love to do so that I can watch to see if prices drop or wait to decide if I want to make an offer! Ebay is another place I look for pins; I tend to use it when I am trying to complete a collection. You can search a little more specifically on Ebay for harder to find pins! *Lots of sellers on Ebay tend to offer free shipping on pins which is always a plus!*
“Where can I find a similar board to display my pins?”
I purchased my board from Homesense, but I have also seen many just like it at Home Goods! I wanted something that matched my decor, so a white frame was a must! I like that it doesn’t look like a traditional cork board and really flows with my office vibe. If you can’t find the kind of board you really want, you could totally make your own!
I hope you enjoy pin collecting as much as I do! If you ever have any questions or want to talk more please feel free to send me an email at karascupoftea@gmail.com or via DM on Instagram!
XO, Kara
