I happened to be at the parks during a pin trader event weekend this past weekend, and was so disappointed with the behavior I witnessed, I have to vent about it. Even the CM's themselves were complaining about the rude and thoughtless behavior that was running rampant as a result of what I used to call Pin Vultures, but now prefer the term one CM shared with me: "Pin Hawks".

They circle and circle, snapping up anything they can sell or trade for a profit, they don't want to trade with you unless you can increase their collection value--they have no interest in making a new friend or the social benefits of pin trading, instead only in their selfish gain. They will shove people aside and cut in front of anyone in line to get to see the lanyards. I would wait patiently in line at a register to get to see pins on a busy CM. AS I did, a Hawk would run right up while I was waiting and not only interrupt the current transaction but also cut in front of me who was waiting patiently for my turn.

I was thanked and complimented multiple times this week by CM's who were grateful for my polite, "May I please look at your pins?" and "Thanks so much. Have a great day." to *every* CM I approached to consider trading with. Because not only were these Pin Hawks being rude to other guests, but they were rude to the CM's. One CM, a janitorial staff member we talked to, was even threatened with violence by one of these kinds of "traders"; and I am certain she is not the only one.

I talked with many CM's about their experiences, and whether they felt put out by people coming up and asking to see the pins, or if they would prefer traders just try to peer at their lanyards without interrupting them. Every one of them said they vastly preferred politely being approached by someone, rather than just glaring at their lanyard wordlessly trying to scope the selection. They all preferred the interaction and getting to talk to guests, they said. I of course knew this had to be true, but was glad to be able to hear from them, and let them know some guests really do care about how the trade goes down and not just in the pins themselves.

I purposefully avoided the pin-laden traders, especially those with the tags identifying them as attending the pin event, and certainly ones who were wheeling around suitcases clearly full of their stash. Many were sporting two or three lanyards, displaying their collections. One time I approached a gentleman just to look at his collection, and he quickly snapped, "I am not trading all of these." And all I could think is "Why wear them if you are not saying, 'here is what I have available'?" I can only assume it is an egotistical, "See what I have and you don't" attitudes. Perhaps someone on the "inside" of the Pin Hawk culture would be impressed with simply looking at someone's collection. Me? I am there to get a chance to chat people up and TRADE. If you are showing me everything you have but aren't willing to give up, it smacks of rubbing noses in it, and is certainly counter to the point of the social interaction that the pin trading hobby was designed to be.

For my part, I always considered anything I am wearing on my lanyard to be trade-able. I am advertising what I have to share with someone else. If I want to just show off my collection, I would bring a small booklet of my displayed pins, and meet other traders at the trading shops to share and talk about them. I have also always considered vests and hats as display locations, while lanyards are intended to be trading locations. But I guess I am disabused of that now...

As my trip progressed, I was desperately trying to finish a three-pin set of a cast lanyard series. After all, I only get to WDW every three years or so, so it's not like I will be back in 6 months to tie up any loose pin trading ends like many of the Pin Hawks can. Obviously, due to bad timing of our trip overlapping with the event, this was the worst time to try and do that. By mid-morning, most of the CM's had long since been scavenged. My luck only appeared when I caught someone who just walked onstage from replenishing their pins, and it was rare. I was getting very discouraged, and just wanted to give up, but hubby and I enjoy a little "scavenger hunting", and going into the shops to chat up CM's was a fun part of our trip, so I tried to just relax about it and be okay with it if I didn't get to complete my collection before I left.

Finally, my last night there, hubby and I jumped on Jungle Cruise during the last hour of EMH on our last night before we flew home. Another young couple, festooned with multiple lanyards of pins each, sat down next to us. I pointed to the gal's lanyard to show my hubby the pin I was looking for, as she had a complete set.

"Oh! Are you looking for this one?" she smiled and she indicated the one I was looking for. "I have seen it everywhere and have a couple spare. I will trade it with you if you have something to trade." She started to remove it from her lanyard as she spoke.

My heart leapt! Finally, I had found a pin trader who was kind and generous--a "pin sucker" like me (sucker for making fun trades, regardless of value). I held out my bag, on which I had attached all my traders, including any of the other cast lanyard series' that were much-coveted at the time.

"Oh thank you!" I said breathlessly. "I have been looking everywhere for it and haven't seen it even once! And I leave tomorrow morning so I thought I would never find it before I had to go home! Here are my traders. Which one would you like?"

She screwed up her face and peered at them, then asked her husband if he wanted any. He shook is head.

She said, "Sorry, you don't have anything I want," and sat back in her seat.

My heart sank. She said she had extras even, and she refused to trade with me! She even knew I was leaving, and this was my last chance to get one, and she couldn't see the innate value in making a trade?? I was so upset. But not surprised in the least.

Sadly, my experience this past week revealed so many other people trading were either Pin Hawks, or are so scared of having a run-in with Pin Hawks they don't want to trade for fear of being taken advantage of. I ran into this with another guest this week as well, and I had to trade her two pins for her one to convince her I wasn't taking advantage of her and simply genuinely wanted the pin she had to trade for my collection.

I will make a point to avoid the parks during pin events in the future. It is dismaying to me that such a fun and innocent hobby can be turned into something so selfish and ugly in the wrong hands.

Of course I know that not all pin traders who have large collections are like this. So if you are an avid Pin Hound please don't assume I am talking about YOU and take offense. This was my experience, and is directly about people who would classify as Pin Hawks due to rude and selfish behavior. Pin Hounds and Pin Hawks are very different in my lexicon. Sadly, I have rarely if ever run into a Pin Hound in the parks. Myself? I am a Pin Sucker. That means I am a sucker for pins and pin trading, and love to trade for the joy of trading, not for personal gain. Of course I am not an idiot who wants to be taken advantage of, and I prefer making trades which complete collections for myself or follow a theme I am trying to pursue. But if someone came up to me and really really wanted a pin I had, and they had little to nothing I wanted, I would consider their strong desire to have a pin over my desire to keep it. And as a Pin Sucker, the joy of seeing them get something they really want is why I do this, and wins out in the end.

Thanks for listening to my vent.

PIN SUCKERS UNITE!