Disney Pin Trading Acronyms & Glossary

Pin Trading Glossary

Price/rarity guide: $ very common and cheap $$ easy to find $$$ mid-range $$$$ hard to find $$$$$ grail-level pins This is rough - some pins escape their bracket entirely.

A

AC Pin type

Artist Choice pin. Usually a Limited Edition design where a specific Disney artist is credited as having chosen or created the artwork, often for events or Disney Cruise Line.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ depending on character and edition size.

AP Pin type

Artist Proof. Test pins produced before the main run so the factory and artist can check colours and finish. Usually stamped AP on the back and made in tiny quantities.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ because of very small numbers.

ATLD Pin origin

Artland. High quality, officially licensed Disney pins sold via authorised dealers, often with fine art style artwork and quite low edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some pieces hitting $$$$$.
Trading rules: treated as third party for park rules. Not officially accepted for Cast Member trading in any Disney park. Guest-to-guest trades are fine.

B

Booster set Pin type

Carded set of several Open Edition pins sold together, often marketed as a starter or booster set for trading.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$ for individual pins once opened.

Boxed set Pin type

Multi-pin set sold in a presentation box or tin, often Limited Edition for anniversaries or events. Some boxed sets contain individual grail pins.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ for complete sets, depending on age and hype.

BL Pin origin

BoxLunch. Retail chain that sells Disney licensed pins, many of which are produced by Loungefly and similar manufacturers.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ some limited runs.
Trading rules: They may be accepted by Cast Members if they have the © Disney stamp on the back. Non-US parks - not accepted for Cast Member trading.

C

Cast Exclusive Pin type

Pins that are only sold or given to Cast Members, not the general public. They often celebrate internal milestones, roles or training.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ higher for popular characters or old sets.

Cast Refresh Pin type

CR pins are special, often limited-release pin only available from Disneyland Paris, initially available at "Pin Trading Time" events with the purchase of a snack or drink, or from Cast Member lanyards and the trading boards. They feature characters with a minature hidden Cast Member name tag design, similar to a Hidden Mickey. It can sometimes be mistaken for a diamond ring, as it's so small.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ higher if a set becomes sought after or was short-lived. DLP only.

Chaser Pin type

Variant of a pin in a mystery or lanyard set, usually with a different finish (for example silver outline, glitter or lack of colour). Chasers are intentionally harder to find than the regular version.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ in popular sets.

D

DA Pin origin

Disney Auctions pins. Originally sold via the Disney Auctions website, many are highly detailed Limited Editions and still very desirable.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ especially for famous grails.

Dangle Pin style

Pin with a second piece that dangles below the main body on a small chain or link. Cute, but easy to snag on bags and clothing.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless also LE or WDI.

DSF Pin origin

Disney Soda Fountain pins, the earlier brand for what is now Disney Studio Store Hollywood. Known for limited and themed releases.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$.

DSSH Pin origin

Disney Studio Store Hollywood pins. Many of the hobby's biggest grails are DSSH releases tied to film premieres or special events.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$.

DVC Pin origin

Disney Vacation Club. Member-exclusive pins released through DVC kiosks, resorts or special events. Themes often match the DVC home resorts or milestone anniversaries.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ Older event pins or low-run resort issues can hit $$$$$.

F

Fantasy pin Pin type

Fan-made pin inspired by Disney art, not officially licensed. Officially you should only trade them guest-to-guest, not with Cast Members.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$$$ depending on artist, run size and hype.

FIG Pin origin

FiGPiN. Large hard-enamel character pins sold on stands, including an officially licensed Disney line.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some older or hyped releases.
Trading rules: US parks - they can meet the technical rules if they are metal with a standard pin post and a Disney copyright stamp, but size and style mean Cast Members may decline. Treat them as guest-to-guest traders, not something to rely on for CM boards. Non-US parks - do not expect them to be accepted for Cast Member trading.

Free-D Pin style

Pin that includes a three-dimensional rubbery element fixed to the metal base. Adds texture and depth, sometimes called a Free-D element.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless also LE or scarce.

FS Trading shorthand

For Sale. Used in listings to show that pins are available to buy, not necessarily for trade.

FT Trading shorthand

For Trade. Used when someone is offering pins to trade rather than sell.

G - H

GPP Pin origin

GoPinPro. Best known for pin trading accessories and cases (including the PinFolio folders and bags), but they also produce some branded pins and logo pieces.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$.
Trading rules: pins are treated as third party. Not officially accepted by Cast Members in any parks. Guest-to-guest trades only.

Grail Collector slang

A personal dream pin or very high-end pin that a collector most wants to own. Grails are usually rare, expensive or both, and often sit at the top of someone's ISO list for years.

GWP Pin type

Gift With Purchase. Pins only available when you spend a certain amount or buy specific merchandise.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ depending on how strict the original offer was.

HM Pin type

Hidden Mickey pin, also known as Cast Lanyard pin. Small series of pins primarily released to Cast Member lanyards and boards, recognised by the tiny Mickey head icon.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ higher for old or popular sets.

HTF Trading shorthand

Hard To Find. Community label for pins that rarely appear for sale or trade, regardless of whether they are officially Limited Edition.

J - L

Jumbo / Mini Jumbo Pin style

Mini Jumbos are larger than standard pin with Jumbos larger still, often multi-layered and highly detailed, usually released for special occasions or anniversaries.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ more for famous jumbos.

LFY Pin origin

Loungefly. Fashion and accessories brand that also produces a huge range of Disney licensed pins, including mini backpack matching pins and blind boxes.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ chased or vaulted sets can push $$$$.
Trading rules: US parks - can be traded if they have the © Disney stamp on the back. Non-US parks - not accepted for Cast Member trading.

LE Pin type

Limited Edition. A pin produced in a fixed, published quantity, for example LE 500. The back stamp usually includes the total edition size and sometimes an individual number.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$$$ low demand LEs can be cheap, hyped or tiny-run LEs can be grails.

Lenticular Pin style

Pin with a lenticular panel that changes image as you tilt it, often used for transformations or before-and-after scenes.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless combined with LE or WDI.

Light-up Pin style

Pin with small embedded lights that flash or glow when activated. Less common now, as batteries age and corrode.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ more for rare themed sets.

LR Pin type

Limited Release. Pins tied to a specific event, festival or time window rather than a fixed edition size. May be restocked while the event runs, then retired.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ with some popular LR sets creeping into $$$$.

M - O

MOG Pin origin

Mickey's of Glendale, the Walt Disney Imagineering employee store. It sells WDI-branded pins in small runs, occasionally to D23 or event guests.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$.

Mystery Pin type

Mystery pins are sold in blind boxes or pouches, where you do not know which design you are getting. Sets usually mix commons with harder chasers.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$$ chasers.

NFS Trading shorthand

Not For Sale. Used for pins the owner will trade but not sell, or occasionally for pins that are purely for display.

NFT Trading shorthand

Not For Trade. Pins that are part of a keeper collection, even if shown in photos or on boards.

OE Pin type

Open Edition. Standard pins that stay on sale for a while without a fixed edition size. They can be restocked and are classic trading fuel.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$ unless retired and oddly popular.

P - S

PALM Pin origin

Pink à la Mode. Online retailer producing limited edition Disney licensed pins, often with very bold colours and small edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some series nudging $$$$$.
Trading rules: treated as third party. Not officially accepted for Cast Member trading in any parks. Guest-to-guest trades only, and some collectors are particular about trading PALM for park pins.

PP Pin type

Pre-production or Prototype pin. Very early factory samples used to test moulds or finishes before the main run.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ because quantities are tiny.

Scrapper Pin type

Pin made outside authorised runs, often using stolen moulds or rejected factory stock. Quality varies from almost perfect to obviously wrong. Officially should not be traded with Cast Members.

Typical price/rarity: $ they are cheap and common, but not desirable.

Slider Pin style

Pin with a moving element that slides along a track, such as a character sliding across a scene.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ more if LE or WDI.

Spinner Pin style

Pin with a central part that spins, showing different images or text as it turns.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$.

T - Z

ISO Trading shorthand

In Search Of. Used when someone is actively hunting for a specific pin or list of pins.

VHTF Trading shorthand

Very Hard To Find. Community label for pins that almost never appear for sale or trade.

Wave [A/B] Pin type

These refer to the two separate annual releases of the collectible Hidden Mickey pins, with Wave A coming out between January and April, and Wave B appearing around August to October. They have been released in shiny silver bags with different castle colours. For example in 2025, Wave A bags featured blue castles whereas Wave B used pink castles. WDW 2023 packs were yellow. Since 2020, there is usually only one "wave" per year, but 2025 had two. See Hidden Disney Pins: A History for more information.

WDI Pin origin

Walt Disney Imagineering pins, usually sold through Mickey's of Glendale and select events. Often feature more unusual art and very low edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$ especially for popular characters.