Someone posted a site that showed all the pins cast members had to trade over the years, anyone have that link?
What’s the best way to get started? I’m temped to buy on amazon or eBay but who are the Liner approved sellers?
Any other tips appreciated.
I don’t have that link, but this link is pretty much a definitive source.
To get started, you are probably best off buying a “starter set” which comes with a lanyard and a few pins. Then decide WHAT you want to collect. For example, I collect Goofy, Villain and Haunted Mansion pins. Almost anything else I will trade.
Now about buying pins on Ebay: Many of the pins offered are “scrappers” - fakes that are cheap looking and feeling, although they may have been made as run-ons from the original presses in China. Most people - myself included - try to not buy or trade scrappers. If you are paying $0.50 per pin, you can be pretty sure it’s junk - so stay away from those “50 pins for $25” sales. I will usually spend about $2 per pin - which is much cheaper than in the parks. I do buy them in groups, but it’s more like 25 pins for $50. In the past, I’ve used bizzybee1 on Ebay. They seem to have reasonably priced things, and they look and feel authentic
Trade is usually between two people, one of whom may or may not be a CM. If it is a CM, they MUST trade with you, with a few exceptions. I believe those with a green lanyard only trade with children. Also, I think it is a 2 pin max per CM.
If you are trading with another guest, you BOTH have to agree to the trade. If you can’t you both walk away, no hard feelings. Usually I approach a guest (or they approach me) and ask if they would like to trade (if I’ve seen something I would like). If they agree, I tell them what I would like, and they pick something they would like. If both are OK with the trade then it happens. For that reason, I usually take pins I’m not interested in trading off my lanyard.
Other good places to trade are resorts (they usually have pin boards, as do many of the stores), Guest Services in DTD, and even the support staff in the parks, such as the cleaning staff. They usually have something on their belt and are happy to trade. Just stopping to talk to them often brings a smile to their face - I often think they are “invisible” to most people.
I think those are the highlights. It’s a lot of fun, especially for the kids. I’ve bought 100 pins for our next trip, which works out to about 30 per kid. They will even trade between themselves. Again, though, I make sure pins they absolutely MUSt keep are not on their lanyards. Lost pins are a bummer.
Any other questions, just ask. 
Thanks for the info!
I just remembered - you sometimes can find cheap pins in Disney outlet stores - even the outlet stores in Orlando.
I had gotten my kids 12 each for our first trip thinking it would be plenty - but once they started collecting they quickly ran out of ones they wanted to trade which hurt the fun. It would have sounded crazy to me before the trip - but I like that 30 per kid level.
Each of the kids has 4 (yes, that’s right, haha!), 4 pins to trade. One per day per park (4 day trip coming up). We have 4 kids under 7 years old. Pin-trading could easily take up a ton of our time. I want them to get to experience it, but also need to set a strict limit on it or it would be all we we would do. We aren’t spending thousands of dollars to trade $2 pins so if it becomes their thing, then we will give them a lot more freedom with it in coming WDW trips over the next several years!