by M. Sparga

Created on: July 21, 2009   Last Updated: July 23, 2009

As you plan your next trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, don't forget to prepare yourself for some Disney pin trading. These small, collectible souvenirs can bring a whole extra element of fun to your trip. Whether you're new to the whole concept of pin trading or you're looking forward to building up your collection, you should familiarize yourself with the basics so you'll be ready when you arrive.

Trading with Cast Members

Some cast members (i.e., Disney park employees) wear lanyards covered with pins as they work. If you have a pin or two to trade, you may approach them and ask to look at their pins. Don't just reach out and grab their lanyard, of course, but allow them to show you what they have. Then make your offer, a certain pin of yours for a certain one of theirs. As long as you aren't trying to give them a pin that they already have, and as long as the pin you're offering is a legitimate Disney pin with the proper back stamp on it, the cast member will be obligated to accept your trade.

Disney pin trading etiquette dictates that you can trade a maximum of two pins with a specific cast member each day. This means that once you've traded your two pins that cast member, you're free to trade two more with a different cast member that same day.

Youth Traders

One thing to keep in mind before you start trading with cast members is that certain employees will only trade with children. If the cast member's lanyard is teal or green, they won't trade with you unless you're 12 years old or younger.

Unacceptable Pins

There are plenty of unauthorized, unofficial, bootleg Disney pins floating around out there, and you won't have any luck trading these with cast members. Proper pins for trading must have a Disney copyright on the back. You might want to check out PinPics.com or Dizpins.com for more information.

Also, some pins are in fact legitimate Disney pins, but they are still ineligible for trading. These include pins manufactured by third parties such as Sedesma or ProPin. Pins made before the start of official trading in late 1999 also won't be accepted. Disney pins that don't have a post backing like a thumbtack, or that are missing the pin back to cover the sharp point, are untradeable too. Of course, a missing pin back is an easy fix for an otherwise tradeable pin.

Special Cast Member Pins

Certain pins can't be purchased through Disney; you have to trade with a cast member to attain one. These pins have a small

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