Are you KIDDING me

I just HAD to have these. They are gorgeous, from the unique frames to the beautiful, stylized watercolor "sketches" of the princesses. I'd seen the Belle image before at Disney World, but not the rest. I found them on eBay, as well as a few shady websites; eBay it is. Not 100% reliable, but a great way to find harder to locate pins, or just pins for a cheaper price. Many are unused, which makes them less expensive AND just as good as getting them on the official website or at the parks.

The soft colors, the matte frames, the identical (but different colored) backgrounds, the gorgeous hair and stylized bodies... these are probably one of my favorite sets. I even got Rapunzel, something I rarely do.

Okay, yes, one of these things is not like the others... I added Ariel's pin because it was similar, though not the same.

I love these animator pins! All limited edition pins, they really bring to mind the artistic part of the princesses. Simple, not at all garish or overdone or blinged out. I have a few friends in animation and I love watching them do their blue-line sketches on the special paper! (The holes are there to fit over special pegs which are on a round part of the table that rotates for better drawing. The blue pencil doesn't show up on scanners or photocopiers, so it's great for the underdrawing... didn't think I'd know all this, did you? ;) )

Aurora always looks so much older than all the princesses, though she was what, 16? Anyway, I like Jasmine the best of the four. Her expression is more subdued and coy, and her hair is adorable the way it is.

None of these pins are anything fancy, but look at how gorgeous Aurora and Belle (my two favorite princesses from childhood) are! The flowing hair, the side views... but why, oh why, is Aurora never dressed in blue?

The patterns in the backgrounds are gorgeous, as well as the filigree, lacy sort of frame; the stones are a lovely touch as well. This is a beautiful set to help boost your princess pin collection!

Hey guys! In true Star Wars tradition, two new pins came out today! "May the Fourth be With You" and "Revenge of the Fifth." They're pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself, though I don't often find the Star Wars pins appealing. 

Put them side by side, and their dueling lightsabers overlap! Awesome, right?

The first is priced at $16.95, the second at $14.95. Each is a limited edition set of 2500.

I love the comic cover-style packaging the most; adorable, right? They're beautifully made and sure to be a big hit for the Star wars pin fans! (As everyone knows, I'm more of a princess pin girl.)

Has anyone gotten these? Let me know how you like them in the comments!

Here's an image of the complete Carousel Princess collection (each one is a surprise, so you never know what you'll get unless you cheat and get them on eBay). I love Prince Philip's horse with Ariel, but Rajah with Jasmine is adorable! Ariel and Tiana's are just silly. (I love them the most.)

If I had to pick just one, I would go with Ariel. She's a favorite of mine already, and the seahorse is adorable. I love her swoopy hair as well!

The colors could be different, just a bit, maybe; colorwise, the first two are the least garish in my opinion, besides Tiana's. I wish they all matched together a bit more, maybe a common color throughout or something.

What do you guys think?

So the Disney Parks Merchandise site came out with some gorgeous pins for April... and I'm in love!

This gorgeous pin is the second of four in a limited-edition series. The Tinker Bell pin is a two-piece keyhole, and one of my favorite Tinker Bell images. She was released on the 10th, and only costs $15 online. She's beautiful, and there are only 1000!

This super-kickass pin, "Captain America; The Winter Soldier," can be found here. It came out earlier this month to promote the new movie and is beautiful, reminding me of a pocketwatch. His shield is the cover, and looks absolutely beautiful! Any fan has to have this one. It's $16, with an edition size of 1,500 total.

I'd like to just take a moment and start talking about Princess Pins. (It's my blog, so I can do that.)

Look at these gorgeous "secret fairytale" pins (2013 Fairytale Designer Pins):

Now, the only one I'm dying for is the beautiful Snow White pin; have you ever seen her with those flowing locks before? I bet not. How about these amazing shoes?:

Not to be outdone by the deliciously wicked villains, of course!

...go ahead, guess what my pin series is.

~Elizabeth!

The Disney Store sells some wonderful starter sets for affordable prices; this one, for example, is the Princess Starter Set, found here. A common way to start your collection is to pick a theme or character (such as princesses, or retro rides; a good friend of mine loves Tinker Bell pins and will only take those).


How about lanyards?

Picking a lanyard with the year you begin trading is a cute idea! Or how about the physical spot you started? There are lanyards for every Disney parks, and even one for the Disney cruise line. Eventually you'll move on to pin boards and all kinds of things, so the first lanyard is for your own special fun; don't worry about it!

"Did you say pin board?"

...you don't even know.

I found THIS blog post on the Orlando Vacation Store blog about a man who adores his Donald Duck pins, wearing them on his trips to Disney: 513 and counting. Check it out!

Anyway, just jump in; start collecting and have FUN!

~Elizabeth.

Yet again, I claim no authorship of this; Wikipedia, save the day!
A list of Disney pin terms and their definitions, priceless for pin traders.

"Build-A-Pin - The Build-A-Pin program was introduced in 2002. Guests could personalize pins bases with character add-ons. After selecting their favorite base and add on, the pin was assembled with a special machine. The Build-A-Pin program was retired in Summer 2004.
Continuing the Pin Trading Tradition Pin - Also known as a CTT pin, these annual pins were created for guest recognition by cast members. Guests may be awarded a Continuing The Pin Trading Tradition pin for demonstrating positive Disney Pin Trading etiquette and promoting Disney Pin Trading.
Fantasy Pin - A pin commissioned or produced by Disney pin collectors that contains similarities to Disney pins, but has not been created or endorsed by Disney. These pins are not allowed to be traded with cast members, although collectors may trade for these pins amongst themselves. From time to time, Disney will produce a pin that is very similar to a fantasy pin.
FREE-D - Free-D stands for Fastened Rubber Element on a pin for Extra Dimension. Pins that feature Free-D elements sometimes have discoloring issues and extra precautions should be taken to make sure that the Free-D element is not dirtied.
GWP - A GWP (Gift with Purchase) pin is a bonus pin given to guests who buy at least $25 of pin merchandise in one transaction. The Disneyland Resort designates the first Sunday of every month GWP Sunday, and has two collections each year of six pins each. The pins are often traded as lanyard fodder, and as a result they are not valuable initially. Walt Disney World has promotions where GWPs are available for $1 each with a $30 purchase. Their current promotion involves surplus Mystery Machine Pins .
HHG - HHG, or the Hitchhiking Ghosts, are the most famous residents of the Haunted Mansion.
HM -HM denotes either a Haunted Mansion or Hidden Mickey pin depending on the context.
Jumbo Pins - Jumbo Pins are larger and often more intricately designed than a regular size pin; as such, the pins cost between US$20 and US$35. Featured Artist (Jumbo) Pins are currently released at DLR, while WDW released a monthly Jumbo Monorail Collection for 2008. Traditionally, Jumbo Pins were released monthly with an edition size of 750 and available for $25. Recently, Jumbo Pins have been sold in editions of 1000 for US$20 or, at the Disneyland Resort, in editions of 500 for US$35.
Limited Edition Pins - Limited Edition pins are just that - limited. This means there will be a finite number of pins manufactured and sold. The "back stamp" (the text on the back of a pin) on the pin will list the edition size. Sometimes, a Limited Edition pin will be individually numbered meaning it will be #XXX of XXXX (depending upon edition size).
Mickey's Mystery Pin Machine - Debuting at Mouse Gear in Epcot at WDW in late 2007, the machines were a modified Gravity Hill arcade machine that dispensed a pin regardless of outcome. The pins were part of small collections consisting of five pins each. Although the pins originally cost $5 and were distributed randomly, remaining pins were sold as GWP pins and the Machines have now been designated as inactive and removed. [2]
Name Pins - Name Pins are pins that have a name engraved on them, and may not be traded with cast members.[4]
POH - A Piece of History pin (POH) from the 2005 set is considered to be one of the rarest series in Disney Pin Trading. Each pin contains a minuscule piece of a prop from a WDW attraction. The first pin in the series, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea pin with a sliver of a porthole, has sold for over $275 on eBay. The success of the series has led to a 2006 and 2008 set and a 2009 and 2010 set for Disneyland Resort.
PTN - Pin Trading Nights are monthly meetings of Disney Pin Traders at DLR, WDW, or Disneyland Paris resorts. The Pin Trading Team provides pin games and gives traders the opportunity to trade and socialize. Often, an LE pin is released to commemorate the occasion.
Rack Pins - Rack pins, also called Open Edition (OE) or core pins, are pins introduced and sold until they are discontinued or retired. These pins are re-ordered for up to several consecutive years. The starting retail price for these pins is typically $6.95 (for a flat pin). Depending upon the number of features on the pin (such as pin-on-pin), the retail price will increase to either $8.95 or $10.95. Some OE pins have a high secondary value, such as the Soda Pop Series pins which each go in the $20 range.
Retired Pins - Retired (or discontinued) pins are pins that are no longer in production. We periodically "retire" pins so we can introduce new pins.
RSP -The Random Selection Process is the method by which LE pins are distributed at the Pin Events. Each guest submits a form which has slots for the Limited Edition merchandise items offered. Each slot is filled in order based on pin availability. If 1000 forms were to be submitted and 50 forms had an LE 25 framed set in their first slot, the first 25 forms would be given the purchase, with the remaining 25 given the opportunity to purchase their second-slot pin. Typically, there are three rounds of the RSP process with the smaller editions being unavailable to purchase in subsequent round. RSP forms only allow a style of pin to appear once on each RSP form so that there is a better, fairer chance of each person getting one pin.
Scrapper - An unauthorized Disney pin. These pins are literally scrap pins. Sometimes they are seconds from the factory runs, or sometimes they have errors in color, design, or the imprint on the back. Scrappers can also be the result of extra unauthorized production runs. These pins often make it onto the secondary market where they are sold, often in lots, at much lower than market price. Scrapper pins can then be traded with cast members, as cast members do not decline a trade based on suspected scrapper status. Recent Hidden Mickey pins, DLR pins especially, have flooded the market months before their initial introductions.
Surprise or Mystery Pins - These pins usually feature a low-Limited Edition size. Typically, the back stamp will included the words "Surprise Pin". The release of this pin happens randomly at various merchandise locations within the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts. Although Surprise pins have continued at the Disneyland Resort (as evidenced by their current Resort Sign set), WDW releases Surprise pins at PTNs rarely."

Jeez, that was a long read... I hope this comes in handy.

Happy trading!
~Elizabeth

Ready for some heavy stuff? Here's some basic terms and definitions, again in part by Wikipedia (what would we do without you?):

• Artist Proof - Artist Proof pins (or AP pins) are created during a manufacturing run to verify quality. AP pins have an AP stamped on their back. Generally 20 - 24 AP pins are made of each pin per run. Some collectors may value AP pins more than others.

• Back Stamp - A pin's back stamp contains information about the pin and can include copyright information and edition size.

• Cloisonné - A French word meaning "partitioned." It refers to a style of pin in which the surface decoration is set in designated sections, one color at a time. Cloisonné also refers to a pin type in which crushed minerals and pigments are used to create coloring on a pin.

• Dangle Pins - Dangle pins have an extension to the base of the pin that dangles (hangs) from one or more small loops or chains.

• Die Cast - Die Cast pins are cast from brass zinc alloy using high quality hand engraved dies which create an eye-catching, three-dimensional image.

• Epoxy Coating - Epoxy coating is a glassy, opaque substance used as a decorative or protective coating. When the coating drys, it forms a smooth, glossy surface.

• Flocking - A flocked pin has an area that is fuzzy.

• Hard Enamel - Hard Enamel is sometimes called the new cloisonné. It not only retains the characteristics of classic cloisonné, but also provides a much wider selection of colors. Just as with cloisonné, each pin is hand-crafted in a process that begins with a flat piece of brass which is die-struck and then filled with enamel colors. The surface is then hand polished to give it a smooth finish.

• Lenticular - A Lenticular pin has two or more images that can change when it is tilted back and forth.

• Light-Up Pin - A Light-up pin has lights in its design that flash when activated. The Light-up element has been used less in recent years due to difficulties in battery replacement and metal corrosion.

• Pre Production/Prototype Pin - Pre Production/Prototype pins (or PP Pins) are received by product developers prior to a pin being manufactured. These pins sometimes contain different coloring, fills or features than the final production pin. The number depends on what the final product will be, as these pins may be different in size, texture, color, etc. The developers use these "test" pins to determine what the final product will be. Pin from late 2007 - now will contain a PP stamp on the back. Pins prior to late 2007 may contiain a Pro Products label signifying its a pre production pin. Some pins may contain no identification that it is a pre production pin at all.

• Scrapper Pin - A Scrapper pin is an unauthorized pin. Many of the molds Disney uses to make pins are not destroyed after the creation of its pin order, and bootlegs are created. This practice has flooded the Disney parks and secondary markets like eBay with cheap imitations, mostly of Cast lanyard pins and mystery release pins. Some are sold on eBay or found in the parks before the real pins are even released.

• Slider Pin - A Slider pin has a movable piece that slides back and forth across the base of a pin.

• Spinner Pin - A Spinner pin has a spinning mechanism that moves a piece of the pin 360 degrees.

• Soft Enamel - A soft enamel pin has the design stamped into the base metal. These pins are filled with enamel colors and baked for durability. A final clear epoxy dome is applied to protect the finish. Typically a thinner pin than cloisonné pins.

And you thought my last post was long! Well, my next post will be Disney-Only terms, which are even more numerous. Happy trading!
-Elizabeth.