Fake Disney Pins | What they are | How to tell a fake from a real pin | Side by side comparisons

[@tarahartshorne4439]

Great video ! Sometimes I like the fake pins better than the real ones. I collect what I like even I know sometimes they are fake

[@lesleyegbert4807]

This has the best production value of any fake pin video I've seen. Well done!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much!

[@SarasDisneyMagic]

I didn't know about the dips and using the light! That is good to know. I normally look at the writing on the back, the knobs and the design of the pin. Thanks. This was extra helpful!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@Pin_The_World]

This was very informative! It is suuuuuper hard to figure out fake vs real now a days especially with Disney's rough quality control 🤦‍♀️

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Yeah it's not always easy to tell the difference.

[@PINcessSerena]

Seriously the best video I’ve watched on this topic and it is so important to spread this information out there. The enamel dip dance HAHAHAHHAHA

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! I agree that it's important information for all pin collectors/traders to know. It's also good to share my smooth dance moves. 😂

[@bridgetclement2968]

​@@ChurroChadPinsI've got lucky in lots from Amazon. I only buy Loungefly pins from Ebay

[@SoulRythm]

Extremely helpful! Great vid! Thank you so much for sharing this! I've wanted to know the differences for so long and now I feel fairly confident in telling them apart. Thanks again!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@DisneyInsideAndy]

What a great video! So much good info. We have such a hard time with fakes in the parks. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Yeah there are so many fake pins on the pin boards. Hope this video helps some people avoid them.

[@Tser]

More and more of the authentic Hidden Mickeys seem to have waffle borders since 2020, but overall it's still a good thing to look at when combined with all the other signs. I really loved the side by side comparisons and also the little quiz at the end, I'm always trying to keep my fake-pin-detection keen. Haha.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks you! Yeah, the Orange Bird Flower & Garden pin I got from ShopDisney last week has a small border on the waffle pattern, so it's becoming a more normal thing.

[@elliots_mayhemed_ear]

Such a great video! I had never thought about the Mickey icon on the pin. Love your videos 😄

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Yeah I've seen some pretty bad looking Hidden Mickey symbols on some fake pins.

[@RJnSD]

Good information, Chad, thank you. You are a good instructor! I appreciate your attention to detail 👍🏼

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much!

[@SunKissedKrissy]

Awesome info Chad!!! Happily subscribed!🎉👍🏼🧷📌 Newbie here learning from your video! Happy Wednesday!!!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks so much!! Glad it was helpful!

[@EndlessHarmonyTV]

This video was perfect, answered every question I had in perfect detail and was enjoyable because of the excellent presentation and great personality Thanks so much

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!

[@tarahartshorne4439]

Great video ! Sometimes I like the fake pins better than the real ones. I collect what I like even If I know sometimes they are fake

[@ChurroChadPins]

That's a good way to look at it. Real or fake, if you like the pin, you like the pin.

[@bridgetclement2968]

I feel same way. I just make my Collections. I also love Loungefly pins.

[@MelindaR412]

This is very helpful.

[@crystalr8715]

Thank you for such a detailed yet simple explanation!! This was very helpful! I subscribed😊

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. And thanks for subscribing!

[@Haven428]

🤣 Oh yeah... Let's do the Enamel Pin Dance!!! 😂❤ Love the video... Thank you for sharing all your knowledge!

[@ChurroChadPins]

🤣 You gotta dance to find the fake pins! Thanks for watching!

[@nailsandwarpaint7397]

Awesome awesome video! Love that you went into detail on so many aspects. I'd like to start paying more attention to what I've traded and "clean" my collection, so thank you!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! Hopefully you don't find too many fakes in your collection.

[@pawnusa]

😊 Thanks So Much Chad!! Just getting in to Pins and enjoying it so far!! Great Video with Wonderful Information regarding knowing originals to after market/scrappers 🎉🎉

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! Collecting Disney pins is a lot of fun. Hope your enjoy your pin collecting journey!

[@jasonbainter9793]

Thank you for the great info! I am still processing how I feel; pretty sure 75% of my pins have now just been invalidated. 🙂

[@ChurroChadPins]

Oh no! That's not fun to find out!

[@elizabethconley4996]

I hope you still enjoy the ones you truly enjoy the design of! I just found out my top favorite is probably a fake' but I wouldn't have been able to tell had the letters not started peeling

[@camicow3329]

Just checking, are Disney pins not sold by Disney but are licensed count as fake? There is a UK and Ireland retailer called Primark and they have disney pins e.g. munchings, do they count as fake/not a proper Disney pin?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Disney pins with the "©Disney" copyright on the back are officially licensed Disney pins. I'm assuming the Primark pins are officially licensed ones. Fake pins will have ©Disney on the back too, but they aren't licensed by Disney, they are just pretending to be.

[@camicow3329]

@@ChurroChadPins Thanks for clarifying

[@judithm6604]

Thank you so much for this awesome and super helpful video! 😊

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@lovejonas95]

This was the best video i've seen explaining the differences. Thank you so much!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@limelightaquatics]

Super useful info. Thank you, especially for the side by sides.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I think the side by side examples are super helpful, so I'm hoping to do more of those soon.

[@zacharycalderon9589]

Is it safe to assume that shadow box trades will be authentic?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yes those are all authentic because you have to open the mystery box in front of the cast member to trade.

[@siennadietrich2433]

May I ask what a shadow box trade is??

[@ChurroChadPins]

@@siennadietrich2433 in some pin stores at the parks, they have a separate pin trading board that has pins from mystery pin sets that they sell. You buy a mystery pin box and open it in front of the cast member and then you can trade those pins with ones on that board. That way all the pins on the board are official Disney pins. It works great if you are trying to complete a pin collection that they sell.

[@crystalkleinkauf3683]

Good information, now I know what to look for. Though I don't think it change anything for me. If I like the pin I will still trade for it.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! That's a good way to do it. Fake or not, if you like it, you like it.

[@mrbretward]

Thanks for the video! It was very helpful. I have a pin that I bought at Old Key West that doesn’t have good nubs, also, we have a Tower of Terror pin that we bought at the store that has 2 big posts and no nubs. Any thoughts there?

[@ChurroChadPins]

If you bought them new at an on-Disney property store, then they should be official pins. Sometimes official Disney pins have lower quality features than others. And I have seen official pins have no nubs too or even 1 nub next to the big post. I wish they would stick to a standard configuration. 😂

[@nicoleslagoski8779]

Thank you so much for this video! I have been having such a hard time determining which are real and which are fake. This was super helpful!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Awesome! I'm glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@tiaguting9232]

GREAT videos! I received Disney pins from EBay 150 of them and I was starting to sale it on whatnot and the views on my streams was telling me that they were fake and I HAD NO IDEA it was fake. Thank you so much for this well lesson of what is fake and real Disney pins.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Sorry you ended up with 150 fake pins but I'm glad my video helped you figure it out.

[@anad.8568]

I just got into pin trading and I want to thank you! For making such a fun and easy way to learn how to spot a fake one! I still have a lot to learn but I’m enjoying it, just wanted to come here and say thanks for the video, it was very helpful!😊

[@ChurroChadPins]

Welcome to Disney pins trading! It's a lot of fun! I'm so glad that this video was helpful!

[@debbylefler3297]

I have some that are real but missing a nub in the back. So that doesn’t always mean fake. Great video.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! And yes, that's true, I have some official mystery pins that only have 1 nub on the back. Not sure why they made them like that. Maybe they save some money by leaving off the 2nd nub. 😂

[@dianeevans9842]

Great video. I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing this information.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful!

[@The.Spicy.Raccoon]

This was so interesting! Thank you.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Thanks for watching!

[@lavendercat3621]

What is the best way to clean pins? I find it hard to tell if a pin is authentic at times because it’s older and has been well loved

[@ChurroChadPins]

I haven't cleaned any pins yet but it's something I want to try because I have some dirty and tarnished ones. I've seen people use jewelry cleaner and Brasso, but I'm guessing you have to be super careful to not damage the paint.

[@beeh11]

Excellent video and super helpful! Thank you!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful!

[@MelindaR412]

Very helpful! We bought some from ebay without knowing but lesson learned.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful!

[@EAS727]

I very much appreciate how you presented this information. I found it really helpful! I'm curious: do you ever feel responsible for pulling the fakes off the boards to replace them with ones you know are real? I went yesterday and traded my official pins for some I knew were fake because I didn't want someone new to pin trading being duped, especially a kid. But then my friend said I was being "wasteful", and that (1) kids don't care if they're fake or not and (2) leaving the fakes is how new pin traders learn how to spot fakes. And I can see her point.... I just like being proactively nice I guess?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful! Trading a real pin for a fake pin is of course a nice thing to do, but you can’t control the outcome of that trade. Someone new to pin trading may see the real pin and trade for it and be happy. But like your friend said, most kids collect what they want and if they collect Frozen pins, they’ll choose a fake Elsa pin over a real Haunted Mansion pin every time. Most likely your real pin will be seen by an experienced pin trader, and they’ll trade for it. Worst case is your pin will be seen by the “business” traders who come to the parks with cheap fake pins and trade those for all the real pins on the boards and sell them on eBay. In all those scenarios, the person trading for your pin will be happy, but it might not be the outcome you hoped for. The state of the pin trading boards is tough to fix. We could have 1000 pin traders go to the parks on the same morning and trade real pins for all the fake pins. All the pin trading boards would then be filled with real pins. It would look amazing! However, by the end of the day, 90% of all the pins on those boards would be fake again. ☹️ Sorry if all that sounds a bit bleak. 😂 I say do what makes you happy. If you want to make someone’s day or trip, you could trade directly with a guest. That way, you get to see the smile on their face when they receive a really nice pin.

[@magicaladventuresyt]

Great video!! Super informative and I know it has and will continue to help a lot of people

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!

[@lorenzoklappers7800]

do you know a site where to check te pins (if the color is right)?

[@ChurroChadPins]

It can be challenging because pictures aren't always perfect, but two good pin database sites are pinandpop.com and pinpics.com The other option is to post pictures of the pin in Facebook or Reddit pin groups and someone will be able to tell you the correct color or maybe even post a picture of a real one.

[@maxfinds3525]

This video helped me spot a couple of fakes I have, very helpful 👍

[@ChurroChadPins]

Nice! That's good to hear! I'm glad it was helpful!

[@6200Bummy]

I have to say I have that Pluto one and the front is like the fake, but the back of it looks like the real one so now I'm even more confused! :(

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yeah sometimes it's tough. It's normal for the colors to be a little different on these long running pin series as they've been manufacturing them for years.

[@jcam5341]

Good to know. Thank you so much.

[@ChurroChadPins]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@andrewnicholson6634]

That mater one messed me up 😂

[@ChurroChadPins]

That was a good one. I love the headlight detail. 😂

[@mikesilverson5490]

Very informative and interesting, and well-presented, thank you!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!

[@karlyk6682]

I've heard that some of the authentic pins that are sold in HK/Singapore have softer enamel and will have paint dips, is this true?

[@ChurroChadPins]

I'm not 100% sure about that, but soft enamel is sometimes a style choice. I've seen an unboxing of the Hong Kong Disneyland World of Frozen mystery pins and all of those had a soft enamel type look to them. But I've seen other unboxings of HK pins and they looked like hard enamel.

[@stephan1emar1e]

Super informative and helpful content, thank you.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Awesome! I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@PCL73314]

I bought my first few pins yesterday. This is the best video I watched to find the fake. Thanks! I don't plan on being an avid trader. I just think it's a fun thing to do at disney.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Awesome thanks! Yeah that's how I started out too. Just a fun thing to do while in the parks and then it turned into this. 😂

[@Xedgehog1]

Quite an education. I've been collecting all manner of things for nearly all my life. Pins for 30+ years. My first thought was "they counterfeit pins? Really?" The obvious answer is "of course they do...anything that has some intrinsic value to anybody they will take in order to make some money". Pins don't cost that much, pin to pin, but in bulk they kind of do. If your average genuine pin runs $9 - $20 new, selling you a lot for similar prices, when the copies are cheaper to begin with, makes some money. I can't imagine a real pin trader selling fakes, but trading away fakes to the trading board (even when they don't know they have fakes) helps populate the boards with junk. Good lessons to know what to spot.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Yeah that's basically what has happened, people buy the bulk fake pins on ebay (knowing or unknowing), and then they trade them in the parks. So many people are doing that, that the pin trading boards are mostly trading fakes for fakes. So you have to know what to look for if you want to find the real ones on the boards.

[@cindycrossman9880]

Great video!! Thank you. I learned a lot

[@ChurroChadPins]

That's great!!! Thank you so much!

[@HeyDanisaurus]

I collect pins i love even if they’re fake or real 💖 Just makes it more fun sometimes! (also i did get a 3/3 on the test at the end lol was fun!)

[@ChurroChadPins]

So true. A fake pin is still a pin, so if you love it, that's great! Glad you liked the Real/Fake tests. I'm planning on doing more of those.

[@YouAlreadyKnow100]

This helped me spot a fake pin in my collection, Thank you

[@ChurroChadPins]

Glad it helped! But at the same time, sorry you had a fake in your collection. Good and bad I guess 😂

[@denisesmithhisler3109]

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Thanks for watching!

[@aaronjames7073]

Very interesting to watch this. I was thinking, if REAL / FAKE pins have a different weight, has anyone every documented the weight of their real pins?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yes, the thinner, fake pins would weigh less that the official pins. I don't think anyone has a list of the correct weight of the real pins. If you had 2 of the same pins and one was heavier, then it might be an indicator that it's real. However, the fake pin quality is sometimes so poor that their weight may vary a lot, so the heavier pin may just be a heavier fake. So using weight alone wouldn't be good enough, but using it along with the other indicators in this video will help determine a real vs fake pin.

[@francescab6636]

Can you ask to take a closer on a pin?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yes, you should be able to ask for a closer look at a pin. Just know that different pin trading cast members handle their pin trading boards a bit differently. Some boards are closely watched and others are just on a counter and are like self-service pin trading boards.

[@WholeNewWorldTravel]

Learned so much, thank you!!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yay! That's always good to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@midnightcat6116]

Is it me or do the fake pins have more vibrant and arguably better colors than the real ones? Thank you for this tutorial! 🙏 i don’t trade Disney pins but am so fascinated and have been binge watching pin trading vids!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks for watching! Fake pins tend to use basic colors, so if an official pin uses a shade of a primary color, the fake pin will probably just use the bright, bold primary color instead. The color will be less accurate for the character or pin design, but it will be brighter.

[@s1111rrah]

‘These are things’ pins have mistakes with the astrology order on the wheel and the palm for palmistry. They’re very nicely done at $10, but I can not support mistakes like that with something I know so much about. I often find the palm image with the elements not corresponding with the right signs… Turns me off from buying anything. As far as I know I haven’t any “scrapper” fake Disney pins, but I have a few cheap (not Disney) ones from Temu as fillers for my bag. (Halloween, magic based bag not for trading) I had never seen such poorly made pins before until I bought those, but that’s only because I know/look closely. I get all of answers right so this makes me feel more confident about my investments/hobby.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Interesting. You would think they would research the subject to make sure to get the details correct. I've never heard of These are Things. Looks like they have some fun pins.

[@alishalewis300]

Can you still trade with fake pins at pin events

[@ChurroChadPins]

For the Disney park trading boards, trading fake pins is against the rules. If you are going to a pin trading event and trading with other people, then you should let the person you are trading with know that they are fake pins. You may find someone who has other fake pins and will trade them.

[@ASMRshayla]

I got all 3 correct. :D Thanks for the tips. I'm not a fan of collecting anything fake.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Nice! Yeah it's never fun to collect things and find out that your collection has a lot of counterfeit pieces.

[@pinsandme]

Took me years to become confident knowing what a fake looks or feels like!!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yeah, over time it gets easier. The feel of the pin is sometimes all it takes to determine if it's a fake.

[@CoralinhN]

Thank you for posting this video!

[@ChurroChadPins]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@marinaagathangelou4049]

I don’t get it,they all look the same to me!

[@ChurroChadPins]

You get a couple of different camps for this. Some people don't see much of a difference and don't mind if they have fakes in their collection. Other people notice the difference and don't want the fake pins anywhere in their collection.

[@xayners]

Are you not allowed to pick up and examine a pin before trading? I will never be able to afford going to Disneyland/World so I have no idea how the pin trading works.

[@ChurroChadPins]

It depends on the pin board. For some boards, you need to ask the cast member to see a certain pin, but I suppose you could look at it and then give it back. Some pin boards are more of a self-serve type so then it's easier to get a good look at the pins. The just updated the pin trading etiquette FAQ on their site: disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/parks/pin-trading/

[@v_zach]

One of of the best explanations I've seen. Thanks, Chad. By the way, have you ever seen a counterfeit Loungefly pin?

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I haven't seen any fake Loungefly pins, but they are most likely out there.

[@dodgersnation8574]

Great video!!!! My question, where I can I buy real bulk/lot pins online? Thank you!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Real bulk pins for sale online is tough, because most auctions on ebay for bulk pins will say they are real, but they are fake pins. Your best bet would be to look for pin sellers on Instagram or Facebook and you can select a bunch of their lower cost pins. Some good sellers that I've used are: Heather Feather Pins - instagram.com/heatherfeatherpins/ Collect Random - instagram.com/collectrandom/ Jessie's Reef - instagram.com/jessiesreef/

[@dodgersnation8574]

@@ChurroChadPins thank you very much!

[@bridgetclement2968]

Love COLLECT RANDOM. Have bought from them a few times on Ebay. Looking for more​

[@stanrock2225]

There is way to much going on to tell in a quick glance unless you do this all the time. Most of us would have trouble seeing the difference. Very informative.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Yeah it's tough at the start, but after a while you'll notice the pin boards mostly have the same 20 or so fake pin designs, so you can start to rule those out immediately and focus on the other ones.

[@stanrock2225]

@@ChurroChadPins Thanks

[@WPUpioneer]

Simple rule of thumb: if its on a park pin board or a cast lanyard, its 99% fake.

[@ChurroChadPins]

That's a pretty safe rule of thumb.😂 It's sad, but probably pretty accurate.

[@alisonneverland]

A perfect video! Thank you!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you so much!

[@melaniekuhn8096]

this was so helpful!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear it!

[@ashleejohnson8617]

So very helpful!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thank you! Glad it helped!

[@kylerhardy1612]

I collect authentic pins but I have gotten my young kids scrappers. We don’t go to the park or trade though 😂

[@ChurroChadPins]

That's a good strategy to save some money on pins for young kids.

[@showbizpizzafan66]

love this!

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Thanks for watching!

[@Methusalah0]

Great... lmao another thing for my autistic self to hyper focus on BUT I would much rather be in the know. Didn't cast members used to inspect pins or pull suspected fakes ?

[@ChurroChadPins]

😂 yeah it's one of those things that's good to know, but also bad because it takes the fun out of the pin boards. Some cast members will reject a trade but it's pretty rare. I doubt they want to have a confrontation with a guest over a pin.

[@seplevi9207]

Great video I will not be pin trading when I go to Disney don’t think I’m built for it I’ll just pay full price and buy at the stores if I really want them 😂

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks! Yeah the safest way is to buy them new. It's fun trading on the boards too, but unfortunately most of them are fake.

[@melaniewhite7677]

I was so hopeful the amazon packs of 50 would have some real ones so my kiddos could start pin trading...and the boards even have fakes? ughhhh That makes me sad.

[@ChurroChadPins]

Yeah I hate it when the sellers all use words to make it seem like they are official Disney pins. The trading boards in the parks are mostly fake. I was recently at Disneyland and was so tired of seeing those old Hidden Mickey Footprints series on every board. 😂 I did find some real ones though, so you just have to keep an eye out and look at the boards every time you walk by.

[@theechrismb]

oh my goodness! thank you so much for this video. i hope to start my disney enamel pin collection soon and this is a great start to be "in the know". this video is so informative and it has really helped me. thanks a lot. 🫶🏾

[@ChurroChadPins]

Thanks so much! I appreciate it. Glad this video helped you out. If you are just getting started out with Disney pins, a great place to start is through Pinderella (pinderellashop.com/). She has great prices and has a lot of sales on Facebook.