Why are Disney Pins so EXPENSIVE?? 💰

[@DisneyKittee]

Sing it, girl! Thank you for making this video! Way to call out the sharks hehehe! Seriously, excellent info and quality as always. Thanks for your contributing such high value content to our little (huge) pin community!

[@DisneyKittee]

And YES, that Nick Wilde pin!!! Argh!!! And hi to Mica!

[@SouthernExploring]

I think the answer to this question is the same answer as the question why do we have to pay $22 just to park when we're about to pay $200+ on admission, food and PINS! The answer is pure greed. I used to be into pins, and I still have a few, but it got too expensive for me. To answer your question I think new pins at the parks should be $5 to $10.

[@lakb45]

It is beyond my comprehension why people are willing to pay so much for pins across the board. I can see having a few favorites that deserve a splurge--but in general, I believe pins are way too pricey. I think there should always be pins available in the stores at Disney for $5.00--then everybody could afford to get in on the fun. But I guess I can dream on!!

[@DearestRabbit]

LauraKB45 I agree so much!! If you think about it, a lot of people participating in pin trading are kids, it’s sad to think they can barely afford pins for trading. Which then leads to people buying more fakes.

[@fantasylandfaith890]

I agree, if Disney does lower the price, there would be a higher demand for the pins. So it could be a win win.

[@susanmcallister4912]

You don’t want poor people having similar hobbies as you

[@ninarose2464]

I believe the prices of pins should go from $5-$10. The fact that a small, sometimes flawed pin (that you can find online for a fraction of the cost) is $10 at the cheapest, is ridiculous!! I love love love Disney pins but I just don’t have the money for them. I collect casually based on my favorite movies/attractions because if you go all in, you’re looking at a very very expensive hobby. I wish it was less expensive.

[@bekahdoesdisney5563]

The green need to be max $8 in my opinion. It’s getting insane!

[@_Emma_Does_Stuff077]

I fully agree, I mean why should I pay more money if quality control gets worse?

[@TheKcrossen]

Thank you for making this video. I honestly have been trying to figure out how some of these pins get so pricey! I just started pin collecting in January and can see how crazy this hobby gets. I was getting so discouraged about how to build into my collection some more limited edition pins. I have been trying to acquire a stunning silhouette pin each time they get released and they sell out in hours! It’s amazing. But then I remember that i have so much more fun discovering open edition pins featuring my favorite characters that become special treasures to me.

[@luanncorbin8652]

I to am a pin collector. I call myself a pin hoarder. I buy what I love and to me it’s like art. I enjoy looking at them. Love your info as usual.🤓

[@ozpin707]

I think 8 dollars is worth it for an open edition personally, maybe 15 for an LE. Though I have spent up to 30 dollars on one LE pin that was rather recent, on eBay. I also want one but it’s sold for over 200$. I’m thinking about saving up for it though

[@pintrader_mcqueen9105]

I think this video was the best explanation of this pin drama! I just got lucky to get that Carsland framed set for $115. I mostly don't buy pins as much as I used to to save up for Grail pins and I just did my first mail trade in over a year considering it gets expensive plus international shipping! YIKES!

[@shepherdjohnsonva]

Very honest and rational explanation of the valuation of Disney pins. Great video

[@pintrader_mcqueen9105]

I have a lot of pins that are worth so little but I love them so much!

[@disneyasmr1369]

I used to work in merchandise at WDW. When we got shipments, the stock sheets would have the price it cost Disney, and the price the item would be sold for. The only one that I really remember was the sprayer bottles with the fans. They cost Disney about 10¢ and they would charge $20+. I’m sure it’s similar for Pins.

[@MagicalKittyLen]

I've recently really gotten into collecting pins and the prices straight from Disney is insanity. I understand that you get quite a few, but $30 for a mystery pack? I've bought pins from the Disney Store, high quality pins, for $5. Why are the pins so much more expensive at the parks? I'd assume it's the same reason everything is so expensive. Disney inflates their prices because of demand. People will pay whatever they have to because there is no other place to buy this stuff.

[@HappinessandSweetTea]

I just started pin collecting the end of last year. You are so right. I only buy from Disney and my collection is slow to grow, because I can’t buy all of the ones I want at once. I’m so blown away by the resalers. That’s insane!! Thank you for sharing!

[@UmmYeahOk]

Before Disney made Pin Trading official, pins were $6-6.50 each, no limited editions. It was a step up from getting a pressed penny. I bought several as a child because it was something I could afford. There were a lot of merchandise that was affordable. For example, $3 figurines was a big deal back then.

[@laracox2728]

I loved this video, yes it is all about the price people are willing to pay! I try to just decide on one mystery box set that I want to collect and restrain myself and maybe I can just trade mystery set pins for mystery set pins otherwise it is quite the rabbit hole! And then just turn away from all of the trading chats and Facebook groups so that you are not tempted!

[@leebalmforth2269]

Good info. I think rack pins should be 5-8. Limited editions 10-15. Jumbo 20-30

[@_Emma_Does_Stuff077]

It’s unfortunately true that disney’s pin quality control is going down. For example I bought a limited edition Robin Hood pin directly from the parks and the back had little bubbles in it and one of the spike posts broke off without me actually doing anything to it. Like why am I paying so much money just to get a pin that breaks when I buy it.

[@carolinewatts1985]

Great video!! Thank you for making it! I love your Zootopia pins in the background. I think it's crazy how much pins sell for.

[@amanda6568]

You make some great points, Emily! I started buying pins in the early 2000s when they were about $5 each. $15 and up for a single pin is just more than I care to spend on a collectible. Since they are so expensive, I really only buy them as souvenirs​ while on a Disney trip. I would love to collect and trade more frequently, but I feel like pins are just sadly beyond my budget.

[@Beckylem1]

Excellent video, I have a serious issue with the "sharking" and the entire pin secondary market issues drives me insane!! There should be a limit of how many people can buy. It is totally amazing how much people will pay for a pin. You are right a pin value is set by what people are willing to pay. It is amazing how much people are willing to pay.

[@DJJteezee]

Great job Emily! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keeping it real!

[@laurakc181]

I agree that it is just fun to trade whatever pins to meet what and who I enjoy movie wise at the moment! The smaller less expensive pins are just as good.

[@CoreyFiasco]

I have a few different reasons to why the pins are/become so valuable. The point you brought up about the Donut shop pins for example was a really good point. Pin of the month sets have a pretty good chance to spike given some time because some people will decide they want to collect it later on in the set - which eventually crowds the LE size and drives the demand through the ceiling. The super low LE pins have just a nutty second hand price - you said it perfect though. It’s like an Indiana Jones adventure trying to get some of these pins at first hand price lol!

[@kaityreneetorres]

Fantastic points. I think that yes, at the end of the day they are pieces of metal. There are some people that very invested in to the pin collecting/trading community and can be almost belittling (lack of a better term) to those that are wanting to trade for fun. My husband and I had gone to one pin event and haven't been back because we didn't have the high caliber of pins that people were wanting to trade for, so we weren't able to make any trades. It was a bit of a bummer.

[@apesyapes495]

Thank you for the video. Learned a lot of insights. One I'd like help with is how can we find Ebay's Sold List so I know what the value of what people are actually paying is? Where can I find this?

[@StormyStrikeVideos]

Being familiar with other collecting/hobby worlds (model horses, dolls, and vintage items in particular) I can say this is pretty much the same with any world of collecting. Whenever something is LE or a lower run it will be worth more. If it's retired but for some reason suddenly became highly desired, it's worth more. If it's common or not highly desired, it's worth less. Second hand prices constantly change with supply and demand and it can be hard to gauge when something will be at its high or low point in price.

[@amytoedtli8194]

I think $9.99 not bad because every thing is going up in price but I think they should they should make every pin worth the price

[@sandrawalkes3588]

Thank you for your video. It has helped me to really consider my interest in pin collection. Living abroad, England UK, it is hard to get pins except on EBay which have additional costs; import/shipping. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can purchase some of the beautiful pins that I see being unboxed by people like yourself on You Tube?

[@jacqueline9973]

I think I ask myself this question every day

[@hazydaze0]

I am quite new to pin collecting so I have joined a few facebook groups and looked around on eBay but I have been very hesitant to buy any pins because I'm not sure of how the value works and how pins achieve such high prices so I very much appreciate all this info! Now I don't know if I want to start buying them because I know I am going to get addicted real quick! :)

[@imsleepingbeauty]

I've been collecting since 2002. Back then pins were still $6-$10 each. Pins are so expensive now I can't really afford to buy them anymore. I have to be selective. Also most of the LEs sell out so fast because the pin sharks snatch them up. It's sad.... almost unenjoyable to collect now ☹

[@funkoholic1952]

Was anyone collecting when the 60th Disneyland Anniversary Pins came out? It was so crazy! I have a huge collection of the pins that were released during that time. We live in Oregon and I went at least three times during that year and some months. I treasure those pins and am proud that through trading and the kindness of friends who live closer, I was about to make a nice collection. Excellent topic.

[@alexsandrakelly7586]

Thanks for helping me understand this pin trading world! The Shanghai pins seem to be such better quality at lower price.... $10 per pin is high. But they know we'll pay it. Thanks again for a very informative vlog. I do look at pins like little works of art. More than a piece of metal for sure. ❤️ Totally agree...my enjoyment is limited to rack and mystery pins!

[@polynesianreenie267]

Great video, so much good information! We started collecting back in 2007 when the highest price rack pin was $10, so it is a bitter pill now when the quality isn't as good. I am ok paying an extra 20% for someone to pick up a pin, I think they deserve it for the time. But I cannot bring myself to pay the inflated prices on ebay. If the pin is meant to be mine, it will find its way around to me in the future. The PIN UNIVERSE will answer, lol! I am sending out good pin vibes to everyone!!!

[@mythdusterds]

This was very interesting and informative. I can totally believe this is true when it comes to the Pirates of the Carribean pins, Star Wars, or Marvel pins.

[@ronreckart5649]

Love watching your videos. And all the information you give. Keep it up

[@ozpin707]

Yes! I have always wanted a WDW profile Scar pin, but on eBay, ITS 600 DOLLARS!! I don’t understand that. The pins I own are somewhat expensive and they are worth the world to me, but gosh are they expensive..

[@TwinkleBellTerryn]

Such an incredible video. Thank you for all the information. The most expensive pin I have is a LE from Disney’s Hong Kong its the fairytale collection of Merida. I can’t remember the original amount but I paid $60, and that was more than I was wanting to pay. No matter how much I love pins and may want them I gotta pay my bills first lol.

[@christinecrawford]

I absolutely love Disney pins but only have about a dozen. I chose, instead, to collect Funko Pops. The pricing and buying situation in that community is exactly the same as in the Disney pin community. And its a shame. Thank you for making this video!

[@ToontownAndCpenguin]

Pin Sharks: Fish are not friends, they're food. Really though, thank you, enjoyed this video. I happened to buy this pin on ebay in 2010 with Darkwing Duck & Launchpad on it, my Darkwing Duck obsession hit huge in 2009/2010 & with the at the time new comic books for it coming out, I was even more excited about the series & I remembered pin collecting during my 2002 Disneyland trip so I figured I'd buy a couple of Darkwing Duck pins online, one of mine might be fake, it's an older one that I got for $20 but it's in storage right now so I can't check it but the one I got with Darkwing & Launchpad on it, I think I paid $25 for it online & that was a brand new pin at the time which surprises me, I didn't think they'd come out with new pins. The seller I remember marketed it as a staff pin but I read about it on pinpics because I was curious about it since I know I have this pin in my collection with its original packaging too. It says it's a limited edition 300 & was released in Walt Disney Studios Burbank. I bought it 11 years ago using my mom's ebay account so I couldn't tell you who the seller was, far too long ago but yeah, it was originally sold at $8 so they did profit off of that pin but given how much I love Darkwing Duck, so happy I snagged that for my collection. I believe I was smart enough to leave it in the original packaging it came in, I stored it in my mom's jewelry box because I was too terrified of it getting damaged & I felt like I had nowhere safe to put it but she might of moved it into the cases she was keeping all of the Disney pins in we got from our 2002 Disneyland trip. I'm going to have to ask her about that, I know all of my pins are in storage with her stuff but I did buy her a peace offering to hopefully gain access to my pins here soon, I got her a limited edition Small World anniversary key pin because I remember how badly she wanted to ride the small world ride even though I begged to go into Toontown instead & both of us ended up miserable on the ride because it was December & they were all singing in English due to Christmas stuff & my mom was complaining that they should be singing It's a Small World in other languages so I thought buying that pin for her would be a funny callback to that as well as reminding her that she has my pins. Going back a bit, I'm happy I bought the Darkwing & Launchpad pin when I did because I imagine it might be selling for a little over what I had paid for it & given how much I love DWD, I'd be upset for not getting that in my collection. There's a 2019 Morgana Halloween pin I'm eyeing now, I'm seeing it sell for $20 around on ebay so I'm wondering if I should grab that, just grow my Darkwing Duck collection a bit before that one becomes too much money.

[@TheViolaPeak]

I don’t mind paying $10-$15 for OE that I like, $25-$35 for large-ish LE, and $50~ for low LE. It’s crazy how people buy up all these pin releases and then quadruple the price! I can’t bring myself to spend over $60 on a single pin that was originally being sold for $15... :-/

[@lillymay3677]

Yes!! Thank you so much Emily for making that video! I am so sad about the quality and prices of disney lately! So i more and more buy fantasy pins. They are mostly more expensive but also mostly bigger and way better quality. Sadly :( For a normal rack pin it also depends from which country it is. If I would be asked I would pay for US: $5; DLP: 7€ and HK: $7-$10

[@Comfiicutie]

This!! I honestly don't have a lot of money between bills/cosplay/ travelling but I really do like pins! However I am always stopping myself from paying the big bucks for , yes the heroines, pins. I have itabags for anime and I know how much collecting anything can come at a cost. (bills before pins)

[@rebel063]

The coco pins are crazy expensive. 😩😭

[@mythdusterds]

I have never heard of pin sharks before till this video. Does not surprise me that this happens. Good to know about.

[@fistiria]

It's so annoying when people charge high prices for pins. My other pet peeve is people who buy multiple of the PODM pins because they have the different film slides. There's one lady who has 3 of the same film, which means there's 2 people who can't have that pin (one of my grail pins, and it's not like this person is displaying the pins, they're just in one of many pinfolios not being looked that as it's not their favourite film. It's a shame disney don't sell more open editions or higher no LE online, because I would much rather go straight to disney and guarantee authenticity than pay higher prices second hand and then they still be fake. I've paid full price for LE pins on ebay and then them turn out to be fake. So frustrating. While I understand disney want to draw people to the parks, I want to be including in the pin trading community without having to pay double what everyone else does just because I can't visit disney parks (family don't go on holiday and my partner lives in a different country so if we're having a holiday it's just one visiting the other's home country). It's also insane that disney will willingly take your money for a genuine 10 euro pin, and then let you trade it for a fake with a castmember. Completely unethical. They seriously need to do something more serious about the fake pin makers because it ruins pin trading for new collectors who don't know any better.

[@LauraJayneRobinson]

We bought pins when we we went to Disney, I would say around 5-6 dollars would be more reasonable, cheaper they are the more people that buy them

[@emimarie8519]

I think the most funniest pins are for me the blind boxes pins, because you never know what you will get and if you don't like it you can sell it or trade it :)

[@littleblackcat356]

When I first got into it, I feel like a lost more than a few pins from the subpar backings. I can’t trust to keep my pins on a lanyard without a locking back

[@rizzobarajas]

This is starting to become a huge thing in the community isn't it? I wish Disney didn't change the pin prices so much. I don't mind paying between 10-15 dollars for open edition pins from the park. I can understand the prices of LEs and especially jumbo pins because of the availability and the artistic work it takes to design them. It's still frustrating all the same. My whole family started collecting in 2006 and no one really seemed to be into it, so when I started again my aunt was surprised it was still a big thing. I think a lot of these folks who sell overpriced pins realize the size of the pin community and how some people will sometimes do ridiculous things for a pin they need.

[@natashaannelux468]

Thank you so much for your video. I have to agree with you regards to Disney's quality control of late. This is not only with pins but other Disney merchandise. It is so frustrating spending money expecting one thing getting another. In my opinion Disney doesn't care because they figure no matter what the final product looks like, someone will buy it! I wonder if we could rally all of our fellow pin collectors, including collectors from other groups to petition Disney to be more on top,of quality control. Another thing that I noticed and please this is my opinion only. That Disney merchandise from the Asian parks, like Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc... is at a higher standard. The merchandise is exceptionally done and so much more attractive than what one find state side. And the pins are amazing! Now I am not saying that is true of all merchandise in the U.S. as not being nice but I find I am more likely to be interested in the merchandise from the Asian parks. There must be different marketers overseas. I truly wish I knew how one can address this situation. Thank you for your videos . Love watching them!

[@SaltandPepper8010]

Great video! I was looking for something just like this. Question for you: the pins that are released in the other Diney land parks around the world, are they only sold in that park? Also concerning hidden Mikey pins: when I traded and WDW I found quite a few hidden Mikey’s that were from another Disneyland (Shanghai I think). Are those released everywhere too and just have that specific Disneyland name on the back of the pin? Thanks so much for the info. Sit in Sharks! I really wish WDI’s where not just released to cast members

[@sarawardian4232]

Interesting question! I think I will read alllll the comments- curious to see what other people think. I think $10 is a decent price for the rack pins since I collect flair pins/ enamel pins that aren't Disney and they are usually a minimum of $10. I know that they are a lower edition size than Disney (usually) but many of those $10 pins are lower quality than the Disney pins. Although I see seconds sales online and those pins are usually between $3-$8 just from what I've seen. I also see them as jewelery so I don't mind the cost. But hey, I'm not a very practical or frugal person and pins are my fave thing.lol I do think it's pretty lame that Disney would sell the flawed pins for the same price. That's my big negative. They should automatically sell the flawed pins at the outlet stores for a lower price. But that's just my opinion. :) Love your videos, they are so informative and have a great pace!

[@garygiles3464]

I get what you are saying. I collect. I collect amiibo also and that was a disaster and disappointed with scapler

[@ItsKimOlson]

I can be a cheap / frugal person, so my answer might vary from others, but... It looks like I’m out of the running for buying pins. I don’t mind pins being expensive as long as they’re good & I like them. (By expensive I mean... starting @ $7? The base price of a mystery?) As someone not obsessed with pins, if I don’t like it or it doesn’t mean anything to me I won’t buy it. Something basic like a pin that I’m only gonna stick in my wall, I’m not gonna pay more than $10. If I like it, I’ll consider paying (less than) $10. (The cheapest rack.) The max price pins should be is $15. Anything over $20 is asking TOO MUCH for something I’m gonna stick in my wall! A mystery pin, I WILL NOT pay more than $10. I won’t pay more than $10 for anything mystery! (Cus what if I don’t like it?!) The “packs of 5 mystery for $25”?! Great... what if I don’t like it?! At $25 that’s... a lot of regret! “Disney is a greedy company.” You said it! You are making me think tho that I should start buying pins just to sell on EBay, or look through my old ones (early 2000s) to see how much those go for on EBay. (I could never be a counterfeit, cus I wouldn’t even know how!)

[@joxepineldelaciana758]

Cool info ! I'm begin my first collection pins and recollect info for all this. It's the first video I see but you are amazing 👍👌 I live in Paris and Disneyland it's near 😊 something especial to looking ?? Thanks and kisses to Paris 😘

[@cocorain6549]

Hi Emily, I am trying to find the video you made about rare and LE pins it included the LE 15 pin set. I really like that video and would like to see it again. Can you PLEASE reply with that link. Thank you

[@Wonderish]

I love your informational videos! They're so helpful, especially for newbs like me. I got into the pin thing for my son when I took him to Disneyland for the first time last year, but I quickly got obsessed myself. When you're shy or have anxiety , it's easier to socialize with people if you have a common interest and the people in DLR were so nice. I saw the Maid Marian heroine when I first started to want pins outside the mystery boxes and really wanted it because I haven't seen many pins of just her and I love her. But I quickly realized that there are lots of other kinds of pins I love too. No way am I going to pay that much for pins, I have a mortgage, a kid, a dog and a cat! I am occasionally entering pin opps and just won the Kevin spring pin from @lizettethemermiad_pintrader 's Insta pin opp and was so happy! But I'm letting go of that need for the new hotness and have started to collect older pins that I love through live pins sales on Insta. Sometimes it's hard when the masses are frothing at the bit and the pins are so pretty, but there's always going to be more pins we want, than we have, right?

[@fantasylandfaith890]

I think a fair price for a base model colored pin should be around $5, which is still expensive, but so much more affordable.

[@subzippo]

People suck. I wanted to get into pin trading casually but half the people involved are scalping and the other half are counterfeiting.

[@gabriellehopkins]

I would say a rack pin should be $5.00, that price seems more fair😄

[@brim6060]

As a cast member where do they buy the WDI pins?

[@madebymaggi]

Sharks and fakes are a total turn off. I absolutely hate it. I was early enough to purchase the new monthly Mickey pin but I didn't like the design. It did pop into my head to just buy it and resell it at a higher price but that just wasn't me.

[@isetkatonfire]

Where is the blue pin bag from in the background?

[@thebaliunicorn5010]

I own a Disney Olaf Apple hidden Mickey pin how much does that cost

[@funhippie]

It’s not really worth much. Some common hm pins aren’t worth much

[@andreajuarez3094]

ive never paid over $20 for a single pin. i’ll pay that much for multiple, but not for just one.

[@maddierose9157]

I think they should cost like $7, but I wish they cost $5

[@onebadtj1581]

“Disney is a greedy company” you can say that again

[@memelord-ny8um]

I think the normal ones should be either 3 or 4

[@nunyabizness9459]

So many freaking jump cuts it’s jarring.

[@AlphaTraveler1]

Totally agree with you! Crazy how much it costs especially we all know the quality is definitely down. Great video. I wouldnt agree with you more.

[@shirgaming2072]

Good video

[@KatieGrady1997]

I think $5-20 should the averages.

[@newmoonlight3917]

I think a rack pin should cost a maximum of $7,99

[@jossiebparzons]

Thanks for making this video. I collect pins for my enjoyment. I buy only the pins I like and plan to keep. I sometimes trade with the cast memebers. I buy a lot on eBay, keep the pins I like and when I go to Disneyland, I'm a pass holder, I look at the pins they have at the cash registers or any cast member has and trade with them. I used to trade with people that used to go to trade at DL, but I don't see them anymore. My collection is mainly Mickey and Minnie. As of late, I've been buying Pixar little green alien pins. I, like you, believe the prices are getting to be too much and the quality is not as good. I don't buy from people who escalate the prices. If I can't get a pin at a reasonable price, I don't buy it. To me collecting is for fun, not to spend my hard earn money. I wanted to add that I know some of my pins, unfortunately, are fake. Of course, I get disappointed, but I don't mind too much because I collect the pins I like. It was disappointing that when one trades with cast members and buy kits on eBay it is al pat 100% the pins are fake. It's a good thing the majority of my pins, I have bought at Disneyland. What are the pins you like to collect?

[@sirenthomas4595]

Disney is going to get to where no one can afford to go oh wait they dont care bc out of country guest who come from places with better pay scales can afford to come :(......maybe if i move to canada get a job there i can afford to go to Disney lol