Monday Manners Moment

Back by popular demand.... well actually back because 2 people FINALLY asked what happened to MMM!

I am currently bidding on a few items on ebay so I wondered if there was ebay etiquette. Imagine my delight when I found this gem. I REALLY want to go to Disney World sometime soon so this has really helped me learn how to prepare my pin collection for the big trip! :) Enjoy. (I don't know why the font sizes are all funky. Sorry.)

(it is titled) "Some folks have more dollars than sense."

(This made me chuckle because it is TRUE. It also reminds me of my Mom when she tells my sister she has more money than brains. Hopefully one day she will be able to say that to me! Ha! It's going to take awhile because I sure do have a LOT of brains. )

When I first got into Disney pin collecting, I wasted lots of money getting caught up in the hoopla of it all. (Who doesn't?) I freely traded pins I had paid full price for, and traded away pins of value for useless junk. Though I'm still learning, after several years I've learned some tips that may save you some dollars.

Inside the Park Tips

• When going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World (and for you lucky few going to Tokyo, Hong Kong or Paris, those parks), prepare in advance. That's pretty obvious, since you're on eBay right now, looking for pins. Purchasing lots of pins off of eBay to use as traders with Cast Members and not paying the $7.95 to $15 per pin that new pins cost in the parks is a huge savings. Pins can be found for $1-$2 per pin in groups. Cast Members have Lanyard pins - pins that cannot be bought in the parks and can only be traded for off of a Cast Member's lanyard. Concentrate on finding those pins, as well as pins on your wants list. (See my article, "Disney Pin Scam: Avoiding Scrapper & Bootleg Rip-Offs" for details.)
• Cast Members with lanyards are required to trade with Guests, as long as the pin you have is not already on their lanyard...and that brings up a point. Certain pins have SO flooded the eBay market that almost every CM lanyard has one. People buy these duplicates for cut-rate prices on eBay, but are then disappointed when they are unable to freely trade them.
  
• Cast Members with green lanyards only trade with children...if you have kids, this is a great way to let them have fun. (Because where else can you let them have fun at Disney World?) Of course, they can trade with anyone, but CMs with green lanyards are usually less swamped with others searching their lanyards.
• Just because you don't see a lanyard on a Cast Member doesn't mean they're not trading...look on their belts for rectangular trading boards (about 5 inches by 8 inches). It's a great alternative for CMs who don't want a lanyard hanging around their neck (or for female CMs who get tired of guys staring at their chests all day long).
  
• Don't be afraid to approach any person with a lanyard - Cast Member or Guest. If they're wearing a lanyard, they may be willing to trade. (While Cast Members are required to trade with you, Guests are NOT.) The worst thing they can do is to turn you down. Always follow the rules of etiquette for pin trading when approaching a Guest or CM.

Who knew there is a whole pin trading world out there? If you want to learn more (and who doesn't), go here. I wonder if the garbage picker uppers get to trade pins too. I was once offered a job to pick up garbage at Disney World (or DW as us hip folks say). Yup. Because I was dumb and said in my interview "I would be the happiest person alive if I could pick up garbage at Disney World." I am still kicking myself today... for not taking the job. :)