If you've wandered through the parks and seen people swapping shiny Disney pins with Cast Members, you've probably wondered what all the fuss is about. Pin trading is part collecting, part treasure hunt - and completely addictive once you know how it works.
Before you dive in, it helps to understand what all these pins actually are - and which ones are worth trading.
Your first pins - what to buy (and what not to)
It's tempting to buy the first pins you see & like and start trading - but don't buy pins that you'll want to keep! Your first few pins will be for trading, so buy a 5-pack of mystery pins that everyone is talking about, or a cheap booster pack or lanyard set with 4 or 5 pins you don't mind parting with.
What makes a genuine Disney pin
A real, tradeable Disney pin will have the copyright symbol © Disney (or © Disney/Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm etc.) stamped on the back, along with a Pin Trading logo and a Mickey Waffle (this is the textured back that's been added since 2012).
Most recent pins (since 2022/3) also feature a pattern of 3 tiny zirconia stones that make up a Diamond Mickey Head (see an authentic "Diamond Mickey" in the left photo), which helps to prevent counterfeits - although there are some that have tried to fake them with varying results from awful to rubbish, so they're pretty easy to spot.
Read more about Diamond Mickeys and "Diamond for Diamond" pin trading here.
Other signs of authenticity include:
- Clean edges and smooth enamel on the front of the pin (no dips or bubbles - see example of dips from using soft enamel over the usual Disney hard enamel in the fake piglet image)
- Clear, centred lettering with spaces between the letters on the back
- Solid weight and a sturdy metal pin on the back with 1 or 2 sharp nubs/stubs either side of the main pin. Some smaller pins may not have nubs. Nubs are included so that the pins don't move around on lanyards.
- A proper Mickey-shaped rubber back.
Anything that feels flimsy, misspelt or oddly coloured might be a fake.
Fake Pins and Scrappers
You'll hear the words "fakes" and "scrappers" a great deal once you get into pin trading.
It's disheartening to hear the same story repeated so many times on social media of families buying real pins from a store in a hotel or park, only for their child to trade them away for $1 fakes on the pin boards. None of them realised that fakes were even a thing before it cost them $100 or so in return for less than $10 in pins. They're annoyed that Disney hasn't stopped this but the pin community is also angry at the scroungers - people who pounce on the real pins that are left and replacing them with fakes - who make money by re-selling the real ones on eBay or Vinted.
Fakes, counterfeits and scrappers (count these terms as interchangeable for now) are rip offs of Disney pins made with low quality metal and enamel.
There are nearly always ways of telling them apart from an authentic Disney pin and we'll cover that more in this guide on How to tell a Fake Pin from an Authentic Pin - and also dispel some of the myths.
If you are going to be a lifelong casual pin trader (rather than ever becoming a pin collector or collector/trader), then whether a pin is fake may not worry you and you will trade for pins that you like - whether they're authentic or not. And that's great! But remember to abide by the Golden Rule.
Please don't be the type of pin trader - the scrounger - who scours the boards for authentic pins only to replace them with a $1 fake and then sell the authentic one on eBay or Vinted (UK/Europe). This isn't just bad pin etiquette, it's dishonest, if it's done intentionally.
What if you already own fakes?
Everyone does! I don't know one pin collector that doesn't have at least one fake in their collection (although I'm sure there are some!) If you've bought a bag of fakes, or have traded or bought some pins online that you now know are fake, then don't worry about it, unless you intend to curate a perfect collection. If you like a pin and don't want to privately trade or sell it, then there's nothing wrong with it being a fake - and you can always put it on your ISO (In Search Of) list and replace it with the authentic version in future.
And what to do with all those fakes? Play Pingo Bingo of course! But never take an authentic pin from a board and replace it with a fake... have I mentioned this enough yet?! 🙂
Types of pins you'll come across
NB: For a handy reference sheet of all the terms, acroynms and initials you'll come across, see our Acronyms & Glossary page.
Open Edition (OE) - The most common type - available in shops and Disney stores online for a year or more. Affordable, fun and perfect for trading. They may sell out of a type of pin but they may eventually restock with more.
Limited Release (LR) - Available for a short time, often tied to holidays or park events. They're marked "Limited Release" on the back and on the card front.
Limited Edition (LE) - The LE pin production number is the total number that will be available worldwide, so if an LE pin is only sold in Disneyland Paris and has an edition size of 300, for example, it will be very hard to get hold of in the USA and it's value will reflect this.
Produced in smaller numbers - anywhere from LE 100 to LE 5000 - once they're gone, they're gone, and collectors snap them up fast - especially the more collectible characters, like Winnie the Pooh or Stitch. They're marked "Limited Edition" on the back of the pin and the front of the card, along with the edition size, e.g. 1000. If it's a low edition size then you may also see the number of that particular pin stamped on the back. This image shows a pin from Disneyland Paris - hence the ÉDITION LIMITÉE - that shows the pin is 697 out of an edition size of 700.
Edition sizes of 3000+ are realistically more like Limited Release pins and won't be as difficult to find - values for these will start from $20/25+ per pin. This is a great way to find your very first Limited Edition pin, which is a wonderful stepping stone on your pin trading/collecting journey, as you should easily be able to trade 2 Open Edition pins for a high edition size LE pin.
Hidden Mickey pins - Originally available only through trading with Cast Members, these are now sold in blind mystery packs (see below). Disney changed the name more recently to Hidden Disney pins since they started to include Intellectual Property (IP) like Star Wars, so you will hear both terms. Each design has a tiny Mickey head icon somewhere on the front. They're fun to collect but unfortunately they are can be some of the most commonly faked pins, as they are the pins that are traded the most to complete annual (or bi-annual - Wave A and Wave B) sets.
Cast Refresh (CR) pins - Only found in Disneyland Paris, these are trading pins given directly to Cast Members. Each includes a subtle (and sometimes tiny) outline of a typical CM's name badge hidden within the artwork. Because they come straight from Disney, they're much more likely to be genuine - but they are starting to be faked. You can see the name badge in Stitch's foot in the image - it looks like a diamond ring when it's this small. And just to confuse the issue, there are now CR pins being produced that don't have the tiny name badge emblem on them, but do have Cast Refresh stamped on the back. I have a feeling that these won't be as collectible - and the older ones with the emblem will become worth more as time goes by.
Cast Exclusive pins - These pins are produced specifically for Disney Cast Members. They are often given out internally for things like anniversaries, training milestones, special events, or as recognition awards. Some may pop-up in trading circles, but they are never originally sold directly to the public. Cast Exclusive pins are usually higher quality or more commemorative in style than standard trading pins.
Blind Pack or Mystery pins - Sold in sealed bags or boxes where you don't know what you'll get until you open it. Great for trading to complete a set, since duplicates are common. The packs may include a Chaser and even a Super Chaser. These are simply pins that there are fewer of, so if there was a Mystery Pack set of 7 pins, and included in the 7 was one Chaser and one Super Chaser, then there are maybe 10,000 released of the 5 commonly available pins but only 5,000 of the Chaser and 2,500 of the Super Chaser (I'm guesstimating these numbers for exaple only, as they're never publicised).
Below you can see the Chaser and Super Chaser for the WDW (Walt Disney World) Ear Hats Collection from 2024.
Disney Employee Center (DEC) pins - Created exclusively for Disney employees and sold through company stores or internal channels. These are usually Limited Edition 250 or fewer, beautifully designed and highly sought-after by serious collectors.
Artist Proof (AP) - Test pins made before mass production, marked "AP" on the back. Highly collectible with numbers as low as 25.
Print Proof or Pre-Production (PP) - Early samples used to check artwork and colour. They are rare outside serious collector circles, as there may only be between 5 or 10 produced, and sometimes less.
Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) pins - Produced for Disney Imagineers and staff, often in very small numbers. Beautiful, rare and expensive but you might find a bargain online. Currently, the Ariel "profile" pin is selling for around $5,000 with an edition size of 250. You will rarely see a "profile" pin on sale for less than $500.
Licensed pins - In the US parks you may trade any pin that has ©Disney on its reverse. These could be Disney-made pins, but they could also be from licensed manufacturers such as LoungeFly, FIGPin, Pink à la Mode (PALM), GoPinPro, Artland (UK), Stewpins (UK), etc. The licensed pins are far less likely to have been faked, but you will be unable to trade them in Disneyland Paris and the Asian parks, as they only accept Disney-made pins.
Fantasy pins - Fan-made pins inspired by Disney designs. These can be stunning works of art but they're not official and can't be traded in any park. Many collectors enjoy them privately or trade them. Because of the limited manufacturing runs for smaller designers, they can be very expensive but the popular ones will increase in value.
Pin costs - what to expect
Prices vary widely. Open Editions are the cheapest; Limited Releases are usually around 25-50% more; while Limited Editions, Imagineering, DEC, jumbo pins and event pins can cost far more. Buying in multi-packs or blind boxes can be more economical if you plan to trade regularly.
If you live or are staying in the Orlando region, there are a couple of Disney Character Warehouses, where Disney sends its old stock to be sold at discounted prices. It is possible to buy Open Edition pins for $4 or $5 each if they're discounted and on sale.
Beyond the parks
Pin trading isn't limited to the parks - it happens on Disney Cruise Line ships too. You'll often find boards in the shops or atriums, and crew members sometimes wear lanyards or pin pads. It's a smaller but equally friendly trading scene, and a great place to buy exclusive cruise pins you won't find anywhere else... unless you want to trade for them at a later date.
Building your collection
Many collectors pick a theme - a favourite character, attraction, park or even a specific colour or shape. There's no wrong way to collect - that's part of the charm. Display boards, PinFolio boards and pin bags help keep everything organised (and safe from being knocked loose).
Some people use cork boards but they're not recommended, as they can damage the long pins on the back. And if you do display your pins on a lanyard, invest in some locking backs from Amazon to replace the rubber Mickey backs, as they tend to fall off and you may lose a pin without noticing.
Display bags and boards can be bought from Disney or online at Amazon or eBay; PinFolios (like the blue ones above) can be bought from gopinpro.com in the US or from stewpins.com in the UK and Europe.