Beware the Ribbon Dancers!

Okay, I’ll admit it: It’s my fault that Cast Members’ pin trading lanyards at Walt Disney World and Disneyland always have that damn “ribbon dancer” millennium pin that nobody wants.

In my defense, I can only plead ignorance. I simply didn’t know better, back in 2005. And, well, maybe it’s not my fault alone. There were at least a couple hundred others, probably, who bought large lots of said pin on ebay, assuming that we could easily trade them for better pins once we got to the parks, since the pin is in fact a Disney pin, with a Disney logo. Not surprisingly, Disney wasn’t crazy about the way these surplus pins were flooding the parks, and the Cast Members’ lanyards. So, we saw the enforcement (perhaps the creation?) of the rule that “Guests should offer a pin that is not already displayed on the Cast Member’s lanyard,” as stated on the official Disney Pin Trading web site.

There’s at least one Kodak pin you have to be wary of too . . . but among pin traders, they’re not quite so widely-loathed as the ribbon dancers. And of course there are also the dreaded Sedesma pins, which are manufactured in Spain and generally of a much lower quality, and smaller size. I’ve got nothing against them myself . . .some of them are cute, and my son has a few he cherishes. But given the size and quality issues, I Just Say No myself.

It only makes sense that as pin trading became more and more popular, and as pins became more and more expensive, that people would resort to such tactics. The ribbon dancer pins were running about $1.25/each on ebay in large enough lots, which was a far cheaper deal than buying even the relatively-inexpensive “starter sets” onsite. (And these days, even some of those starter sets clog up the Cast Member lanyards, so I hesitate to buy those unless I actually want at least one of the pins.)

These days my strategy as a budget-conscious pin trader is to either stock up during the semi-annual pin sale at Disney Shopping online, or to hit the Character Premiere store at one of the outlet malls near Walt Disney World. And yes, I’ve still bought pins on ebay . . . . but am now much more careful about exactly what I’m purchasing.

So, as a public service announcement, and as an apology to Disney pin traders everywhere, I share with you my story. Beware of large lots of identical pins! And if anybody actually wants the pin pictured above, drop me a note, I may well be able to drop you one in the mail. I’ve still got a handful in a ziplock bag, wasting away. Just promise me that you’ll just add it to your own pin collection, and that you absolutely will not try to trade it with anyone!