From the Archives: What's Happening to Me?!

Do you know where you were 25 years ago? If you were at Disney World, then you were probably waiting in line. Most of us were back then, especially when a new pin was released! And believe it or not, I do remember exactly where I was 25 years ago today. Yep, you guessed it. I was waiting in line at Disney World's first-ever pin event (an Artist's Choice Weekend). My wife and I were celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary that day, standing in that line together (her first and last time in a pin queue), sweating and waiting . . . “swaiting” (ooh, I imagineered a word for the inevitable heavy sweating we do when doing nothing more than waiting). Remembering this, I'm reminded just how much my wife loves me! Of course, twenty-five years later, I'm not going to ask her to stand in line for the new pin releases coming out today. One anniversary in a pin line is probably enough, right?

All of this has me thinking about what's happened in these last twenty-five years, the many pins I've traded, and all the Pin Pals I've met. In the last Pin Post, we talked about this year being the official 25th anniversary of Disney pins, which gave me an idea! Wouldn't it be fun to dust off an article "from the archives" to travel back to those early years of pin trading? Do any of you remember when an incognito pin-trading news reporter wrote articles for PinPics under the nom de plume of Scooper Trader for a column called "The Pin Scoop"?

What's Happening to Me?!

Originally posted on January 28, 2002.

Do you find yourself spending an entire day at Disney without riding one attraction?

Do your fingers show evidence of little pinpricks all over them?

Do you find yourself drawn to people whose chests sparkle and gleam in the sunlight.

Do you even remember if those people had faces?!

You're not alone!

Thousands of people just like you are sharing the same experience… Pin Fever!

Unlike adolescence, Pin Fever can strike at any age.

Children of all ages are falling for this captivating and quirky treasure hunt. Fully grown adults say things to their children, like, "Look! See! Everybody's doin' it! C'mon! There's a Cast Member lanyard!"

For years, the Walt Disney Company has offered hundreds of styles of enamel pins, each uniquely designed and inspired by the treasury of Disney's best-loved Characters & Attractions, Holidays and Events. Pin Trading is the new sensation at Walt Disney parks throughout the globe. It's continued popularity seems only to increase, and with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration, Walt Disney himself appears on more pins than ever before. Walt memorabilia has always been very popular, collectable and valuable. Pins bearing his image are the perfect tribute to the man for whom this new Disney Tradition would surely have been a favorite pastime.

That's because Pin Trading is family fun that's all about meeting new friends who will continue to meet during their visits to Disney Parks and events throughout their lives.

Now, how harmful can that be? So relax. Enjoy what's happening to you and your body. (Your shoulder is starting to droop from carrying a fifty pound pin bag!) We will get through this together.

Your Pin Pals are here for you. And yes, I am one.

My name is Scooper Trader...
...and I am a Pin Addict.

Please join me as we explore the History, Manufacturing, Etiquette, and Stories of this addictive hobby, as well as the people who make it so fascinating and FUN!

We thought there were lots of pins to collect and trade back then, but there were fewer than 9,500 pins in the PinPics database on the day this article was originally posted. Today there are more than 145,000!

So, do you have a favorite pin trading memory? When did you enter into the pin-craziness of this addictive hobby?

For me, it's always been crazy! And it kicked off at the beginning with Disney's Millennium Celebration during the year 2000. While I can’t remember every day of that year, I can say that I was at WDW everyday but one. Even on my anniversary! Of course, that Artist's Choice Weekend twenty-five years ago was just the first of many pin queues for me, and I still like to head to the park on Tuesdays for new releases. The most recent frenzy was standing in line for the Dining with Disney PizzeRizzo pin. What a line! It's just like the old marketing adage says, people like to be part of a trend. Lines create excitement, and sure enough while waiting for that pin, I saw guests who didn't even collect pins come along and ask what the line was for. I think a couple may have even bought the jackpot pin having no idea what they’re gonna do with it. The pin has it all: part of a sensible limited edition series; a sensible edition size; a popular character; a Muppet; food. (YUM, Pizza even!) Most frenzy-inducing of all, the restaurant is closing. It sold out by noon. That kind of thing used to happen all the time during the Millennium Celebration, but that hasn't been a regular occurrence as much lately. It kind of felt like the good old days!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past as we all continue celebrate Disney Pin Trading!

If you'd like to learn more about the different styles of pins released over the years (real cloisonne, synthetic, enamel, lithograph, etc.), tune into Talkin' Pins with The Twins on April 7th. It's a ZOOM meeting where I'll be discussing pins and how to identify the different styles. You can register for that event by clicking here:

https://pinpics.com/events/event/269-scoops-pins-talkin-pins-with-the-twins/