Originally Posted By Clotho So two or three years ago was the last time I was at DLR. And everyone, but everyone, was wearing a lanyard. Seemed every staff member had to have one, from the ride operators to the janitorial staff. I thought it was a bit excessive, but it made for a lot of fun trading opportunities for me, who can be quite shy about approaching other pin collectors (I fear being woefully out of their league...meaning they are in a higher one! I don't get to the parks often, and is the only time I truck them out and trade...) Last year we went to WDW, and again, seemed nearly everyone in the MK had them, and a ton of other parks, as well. Lots of places in Epcot to trade, for instance, which was a pleasant surprise. This year, we come to DLR, and voila...the pin phenom seems to have come to s creeching slowdown. So much so that while I saw an occasional janitor with a lanyard, I was seeing CM's at PIN CARTS WITHOUT LANYARDS. That seemed too wierd to me! That is the one place I would expect to see them with lanyards, if nowhere else. Has the phenom slowed so much??
Originally Posted By smeeeko I think at some locations they have trading boards.. at the Pin Central or whatever they call the DLR equivilant at Downtown Disney (where the Monorail Station is) the CMs were wearing lanyards. I don't know what the sales are like or how trading is going. For me personally, I know that a lot of the 'sharking' has tamed my interest in trading with anyone other than CMs.. I don't buy nearly as many pins, as I just don't have the interest or money to spend on it. I *do* plan to bring a trader bag and spare lanyard with us when we go to WDW just so I can trade for some WDW rack pins. I think we only bought maybe 4 new pins in the past 4months.. and that is including the 2 50th anniversary pins we got on the Disneyland 50th bday. SeanYoda got the other 2 Sunday night when we were walking off our dinner at Hook's. One of them I think is a present for someone else so I dunno if that counts. =) I think if we run out of trader pins, I will just stop trading altogether. It's just not fun anymore and I can think of other things I'd rather get (like the main street pieces).
Originally Posted By BrerOtter I've collected pins for quite a while but not really traded until I went back to WDW in January. I have NEVER traded with anybody but CMs, just because I'm not crazy about all the hassle of "mmm, I don't know..." and bargaining that has to go on. But like the OP said, the CMs with lanyards were EVERYWHERE (and amazingly accomodating, BTW). After four trips to DLR as an AP over the past few months, I too have noticed things slowing down a bit, but not so much that I can't get a few decent trades every time I go. One thing I have noticed is the alarming slowdown of pin availability for purchase. They seem to have really cut down on the diversity of characters they offer now compared with just a few years ago. I love Stitch, the fab 5 and Pooh, but would also love to get the obscure characters, too. This is still possible, but not nearly so much as it was in the past. Most of my best purchases in the past few months have been, sadly, from ebay. I compare this with a DLR trip a couple of years ago in which I was able to get some really offbeat pins. This, too, seems to be a DLR issue, because WDW still had a pretty good selection this year.
Originally Posted By -em In my world it hasnt died and is strong as ever Then again Ive always got pins that I wanted and not focused on the "trade" aspect- I love trading with CMs and have just done a few trades with "guests" mainly through Pinpics/dizpins. I havent bought many from ebay lately as I have a friend who humors me for current DL pins I "need" and Ive been lucky to trade for the one WDW one I wanted and several other ones I liked/needed Ive kinda hit the wall with the "themes" I collect as I have most of the pins that I want so I want to find a new set to get
Originally Posted By hopemax I've cut back because of the prices. I refuse to pay $6.95 or $10.95 when I see the pins that I can buy when I travel. I get my fix by trading with CMs, and purchasing from the Dizpins sale boards, or since my Mom is a CM they have pin sales were they sell them for 75% off.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper My guess was this was a fad that would slow down like any other. This will go the way of Trivial Pursuit, the Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Dolls and Beanie Babies. I don't think it will disappear and there will always be avid followers but I think it will quiet down some. Who has the next great idea? Is it time for patches to make a comeback?
Originally Posted By hopemax WDW has pin parties once a month, each in a different park or resort. You get a free pin just for showing up. They have grab bags for $10, and you get two auction pins in the bag, plus about 5 other pins. And yeah, 75% off pins. Depending on where the event is, the CMs can bring guests. And at other times they sell pins at Cast Connection for $2 or 75% off the higher priced ones. I still haven't figured out if this is a good thing for me to have access to or not. LOL! But if you every wondered how people get so many lanyard pins, or can sell pins for so cheap on ebay, this is why. But a truckload of pins at cast events, sell for profit or trade for pins to sell at profit.
Originally Posted By Sir_Clinksalot We haven't bought a pin in AT LEAST 2 years. We never traded, just bought pins we liked. I always found it funny that people would come into DL with HUGE binders of Pins to just trade.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <My guess was this was a fad that would slow down like any other. This will go the way of Trivial Pursuit, the Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Dolls and Beanie Babies. I don't think it will disappear and there will always be avid followers but I think it will quiet down some. Who has the next great idea? Is it time for patches to make a comeback?< yep, and Disney bean bags -- the same thing kills many of these things--oversupply. Too much of everything... I'm still waiting for pogs to come back
Originally Posted By John_CM One difference between WDW and DL is that at DL, you can't be forced to wear a lanyard. We seem to have fewer CMs now, at least in my department, who are even interested in wearing them anymore. The old rule was that there was supposed to be at least one CM at each store wearing a lanyard, but if the cast member doesn't want to wear it (even at the pin cart, which seems weird to me too), they can't be made to wear it. I was told by several CMs at WDW when I was there, that they were required to wear them as part of their contract. They DID seem to be everywhere, even on a few that seemed less than thrilled to have them on. One tip is to look for lanyards at locations that aren't being worn around the neck. Some now wear the 'hip' lanyard, that clips on your belt, and others will have them hanging from a pin cart, or somewhere near the register.
Originally Posted By poohbear14 If you can't find CM's wearing lanyards you might have luck with super traders during these times and locations. Disney's Pin Traders Downtown Disney® District Friday, Saturday and Sunday only 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Plaza Pavilion Disneyland® park Held Daily 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. P.T. Flea Market Disney's California Adventure® park Friday, Saturday and Sunday only 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can always ask in the shop if they have a lanyard. While they may not like to wear them they won't mind showing them to you if you're polite.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Pogs? What is a pog? And, oversaturation killed Millionaire too, didn't it?
Originally Posted By Sir_Clinksalot Disney does seem to over-exploit things until they are dead. Pins Beanies Millionairre Animation I just hope they don't do this with LOST now.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper If Disney owned exclusive rights to New Year's Eve it would be once a month.
Originally Posted By BrerOtter <<<If Disney owned exclusive rights to New Year's Eve it would be once a month.>>> Never been to Pleasure Island, have you?
Originally Posted By BrerOtter <<<even on a few that seemed less than thrilled to have them on.>>> Yeah, heaven forbid a DISNEY CM has to actually INTERACT with a guest. My single best experience was when I was at MGM in January. I was walking (alone) down the path toward Fantasmic a couple of hours before the show, and there were very few people around. A CM who was talking with some of her fellow CMs saw me from about twenty yards away, excused herself from the conversation, and came to ask me if she had any pins I wanted to trade for. A true-blue CM, IMHO.
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Question, why do the CMs not have to wear a lanyard? Don't they have to if told, I mean they are an employee! There is a CM at P.T. Flea Market that is awesome. I was scouring the parks for a particular pin one day that my daughter and I really wanted. I had been in most the stores to be told it was "sold out". I finally went in PT's and asked about it. I was really nice, described it (because it wasn't on the board) and asked if she had any in the back. She very nicely told me that both parks were sold out, but that she had one that she had worn for display if I wanted it. I jumped at the chance! It was in mint condition. The funny thing was, she told me to put it away. She said sometimes people can get overzealous if they find you have a pin that is currently sold out and it is not wise to show it. I thought that odd!
Originally Posted By Disnerd Want to know why Cast Members don't have to wear lanyards? Lanyards are not issued costume pieces. Also female Cast Members have had problems with guest "touching" them. The union will defend the Cast Members right to not be man handled by guest. I had to go to the hospital for stiches to close a wound on my neck caused by a guest who pulled a lanyard off my neck while I was ringing up a guest. Those metal pin backs are sharp. Then I had to spend a week in the hospital on an antibotic drip because of my diabetes and being prone to infection. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why Cast won't wear lanyards. It's a point I'm sure the company will argue during the current union talks. Look for them to drag on to next year. And in the meantime our guest suffer from slow service in the stores.
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Wow, what a horror story Disnerd! I can't believe that some people can be so rude, impatient, and aggressive!! [Well, I can, but its really sad] Thanks for the explanation. It really explains a lot, I'm just sorry you had to go through this experience!
