Legacy

These just arrived, courtesy of my brilliant wife! It's the Legacy of a Dream Collection!

Pin Collecting: Are We Having Fun?

Almost a year ago, I became a Disney convert, complete with the symptomatic condition of collecting Disney pins. I scoured estate sales. I approached eBay auctions with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm that some people have when entering an Old Country Buffet.

Pins! Everywhere! And at a fraction of the original prices!

One of my personal treasures

Never forgive. Never forget: Toad Hall Piece of History

I soon racked up a large collection of Haunted Mansion Pins, Nightmare Before Christmas Pins, and even a few Vinylmation and retired Disney pins. On top of that, because I was using eBay, I was getting pins at an incredible discount! What could possibly go wrong?

The Hangover


It wasn't long after I started collecting pins, when the term "scrapper" appeared on my radar. I joined a few Disney pin collecting forums, and found out there were unauthorized pins, flat out fake pins, and some pins which were indistinguishable from the real McCoy - but were still considered fake. (That last one still has me scratching my head, but I'll touch back on this in a little bit.)

I felt a bit let down. Cheated, actually. Here I was, spending money on Disney pins to add to my collection, and they weren't even legitimate?

Well, this disappointment turned to outrage, and I investigated a few claims on Disney pin collecting sites about what to do, and what to look out for when buying or trading Disney pins. It was around that time that two people got in big trouble over fake Disney pins. Upon researching this, it wasn't so much a case of selling fake pins as it was blatantly stealing intellectual property from Disney and having a manufacturer in China reproduce it. Kind of like sneaking a camera into the movies to record the original from the screen, and then selling homemade DVDs that you filmed, complete with people walking in front of the screen. Luckily, someone took notice and those people were shut down. These were people who knowingly tried to cheat people. What about the second and third-hand sellers on eBay who couldn't tell that they were selling fakes? How was a buyer (such as myself, and many other fans) to know if he/she was being scammed?

Tilting At Windmills


There was a lot of concern on various sites over real pins versus fakes, how to approach sellers on eBay who probably didn't know a real pin from a scrapper from a beer bottle cap. There was talk of starting a site to make note of obvious scammers (which really went nowhere), and there have been a few helpful guides written by eBay clients to help people when buying pins.

However, when all was said and done, people selling used Disney pins still sold them regardless of if they were scrappers. People buying Disney pins on eBay still complained about getting counterfeit pins, and very little was resolved. Unless you figured out the source producing fake Disney pins, you couldn't really fault the unwitting seller, and that Caveat Emptor axiom would always come back to bite buyers, especially when it came to used goods.

What could possibly be done about this?

Pictured: Goatse Mickey (not this pin's official name outside of my house)

 It's a fake, though. I may not be able to tell you how, but heaven knows someone will let you know why.

Of Smart Shopping & Bruised Pride


There I was, with a collection of Disney pins, and a portion of them were (according to other enthusiasts) counterfeit. I stopped trading and collecting from eBay, and resolved to only buy pins from the Disney Online Store, or from the parks (whenever I got around to going). It was really the only way to ensure I was getting 100% genuine Disney merchandise for my hard-earned money.

Then something hit me out of the blue while I was writing an article for a web site that deals in skepticism...

Why do I collect Disney pins? And why did I get so upset when someone told me part of my collection contained fakes?

Pictured above: You can see how certain claims might lend to the confusion.

These were questions I had to ask myself, because I allowed my enjoyment of a hobby to get ruined before it even got off the ground. Then I came to some realizations (a few of which I know are not going to be popular with the more vociferous Disney pin collectors) which got me back out of my Disney pin trading funk and let me enjoy the hobby once more:

Collecting Disney Pins is not funding my retirement legacy


First and foremost, whether I give money directly to Disney for brand new pins, or if I take a risk and buy used Disney pins elsewhere, no matter how much the perceived value of my Disney pins appreciates over time, it's not likely that I'm going to get rich because of it. If anything, the amount I spend on Disney pins moves me further from financial stability (which is the way with most obsessions). Dealing in Disney pins isn't like investing in penny stocks, nor is it like collecting fine art. They are pins - little things, if you will - that make people happy.

This was placed next to a quarter to show you how you can get a cup of coffee with your pin collection.

Authorized Disney Pin Sellers, present your certificates!


Do you know who is authorized by Disney to sell Disney pins? Disney stores. When it comes to those pins I mentioned earlier - the ones where the fakes can't be differentiated from the real thing? Ultimately, Disney has the final say in which ones are authentic, and unless we're talking an egregious case of intellectual property theft (as mentioned above), the House of Mouse isn't going to take a stand.

Why?

Because, apart from speculative errors pointed out on pin enthusiast sites, there is little (if any) way to tell if a Disney pin - made in China and stamped as such on the back - is real, or if it is simply a knock-off that was manufactured in China (also stamped as such on the back) and sold directly to people without being handled by Disney in any official way. Simply put, Disney pins do not fall under the same auspices as Faberge Eggs or Cisco Network Solutions. Traders and re-sellers do not have to be certified, and the cost of a fraud prevention screening would ultimately make even the act of trading pins with Cast Members a bureaucratic ordeal.

I don't know if it's art, but I like it!


If someone knew you liked something - let's say Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and painted a picture for you based on the characters in that animated feature, would you turn them in for trying to defraud The Happiest Place On Earth? If you were at a garage sale or poking around Etsy and saw items based on Disney intellectual property, at a price that seemed very reasonable to you, would you cry foul? Did the Catholic Church, eBay, or descendants of the Merovingian bloodline crack down on the person selling that grilled cheese with the Virgin Mary on it a few years ago?

The reason for all of the rhetorical questions is because the perceived value of a thing will always outweigh the component value. This is why we don't refuse to buy Disney pins that are over 20 cents, and also why "scrapper pins" can sometimes sell for more than the real thing. (On a side note, I know a number of people who collect fake pins, either out of morbid curiosity, or as some personal crusade to remove what fakes they can from the current pin trading market. Disney responds to both groups with a nod and a smile, like one would the tinfoil hat crowd, but they're never going to hand out merit badges for this sort of behavior.)

As an example, if you offered me the rarest, most sought after Figment pins for a penny each, I would not take them off your hands. The personal value of those Disney pins is actually less than, say, a fake version of a Donald Duck pin that everyone owns (and I don't particularly care for Donald, to give you some perspective). The point is that what makes something valuable to me, could mean it's utter garbage to someone else. This is how trading and buying used goods works.

Bottom Line


If you like something, and it's not hurting anyone - be it collecting Disney pins, praying to the deity of your choice, or liking Figment (in which case, you are a misguided individual who makes even kittens cry) - then I'm not going to stop you. Likewise, I'm not going to tell someone that spending money on second or third-hand goods might yield in some fakes, when ultimately the price looked great compared to paying the full retail value at a Disney store.

I don't like you.

Do I expect that sort of open mindedness in return? No.

Why? Because this is the age of the Internet - where decorum is easily eschewed for raining on someone else's parade, and going overboard with hyperbolic threats over opinions has almost become a digital arena sport.

Who's better - Superman or Batman? Which Disney pins are worth more, and OMG I can't believe you might have paid good money for possibly fake pins by buying them from places that aren't Disney!

Outrageous, no? Yet you can have my Donald Duck pin with the "Wanger Bros." logo (yes, I am aware of everything I just did there) when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

But...it was only $1.99 on eBay! Why didn't anyone tell me it was fake?

Of Bedknobs, Broomsticks, and Jungle Books

These awesome pins came in the mail yesterday, courtesy of my sweetheart:

Limited Edition of 250

Also a Limited edition of 205 - Baloo & King Louie dance!

I cannot tell you how happy I've been, having a wife who actually encourages my obsession.

Ya Big Hag!

This came via UPS today, and was a surprise gift from my sweetheart! This is a jumbo (note the quarter on the right for comparison Snow White Limited Edition (only 350 were made) pin! 

To The Max

Many of you might already know that I am a big fan of Disney's Black Hole. This is why I was very surprised and excited to find the following pin in the mail last week:

Sometimes the best villains don't need to utter a single word.

It's a shame that the characters from this movie (mainly, the robots) only show up on a few pins. Though with their appearances in Tron Legacy, and rumors of a remake, I can hope to see their proliferation once again.

A Wild Ride

Here's to super secret surprise presents!

This arrived in the mail today, courtesy of my wonderful (and sneaky) wife:

Through the third eye I saw
The battle left to be won

This pure face ornamented
With long and pale red scars
Everlasting under the golden stars

The time has come
For you, my son
To bear the mark of power

Gods, hear me know
I will revive the serpents throne
Gods, hear my cries
The throne is mine to rule alone

See this our providence,
Your breed and your blood
The everlasting stand
Through (the) devouring flood

It's time for one
To become
Heir to the throne of fire

I care not if you hate me
As long as you will fear me
I rise monuments as
The victor's fortune
And as display of your fallen
And failed creation
For what I have undone
I stand here as the peerless son

"You helped to put the sword in my hand
We have climbed this mountain together
And I stand on your shields at the top
Your spears - my fortification
Your enemies are mine
But I speak the words of the gods
And I can summon the thunder"

The time has come
For the one
To bear the mark of power

Through the third eye I saw
The battle left to be won

Fantasmic!

My rare Disney-MGM Studios Fantasmic Pin

That and a few other rare/hard to find pins can be found at our store!

Bacon Framed By The Mouse

This is the superbacon from earlier, flanked by our latest acquisitions - Mickey Mouse kitchen towels.

Pirate Pin With Booty!

My beautiful and amazing wife got me this awesome pin, and it arrived in the mail today!

More details in a little while. Right now I'm too excited!

Reverse of pin reads:

This Limited Edition trading pin 

contains pieces of the

Audio-Animatronics (R) Figure of

the original Pirate Ship Captain

from the Pirates of the Caribbean (R)

attraction.

This figure was featured in the

attraction until Captain Barbossa

was added in 2006.

This Magic Kingdom (R) Park

attraction opened on

December 15, 1973.

Not Just A Fan Of The Mouse

They're here! They're here! They're here!

Okay, so maybe I've become more of a fan of Star Wars merchandise over the movies during my post 1999 fanboy career, but these are so cool!

Stations of the Mouse

Sometimes people look for conspiracies where there are none. Sometimes the conspiracies exist, based on misdirected truths. Sometimes the conspiracies are very real, but the evidence connecting the salient points only mock the person who just knows something isn't right, when viewed from a more grounded standing.


Oh, before I go further into this post, you should probably play the following on repeat until you are done reading:

We see references to the number three everywhere we look. It's a magic number, after all. Three signs of the Holy Trinity. Three rings in a circus. Three circles to draw...a mouse?

How could I have been so blind?

Well if one 3 is magical, then two of them would be twice as nice, right? Plussed, even. Here I present Walt Disney's own exclusive Club 33 - named after (according to the two stories) the address of the club (located at 33 Royal St. in New Orleans Square in Disneyland) or the 33 corporate sponsors of Disneyland when the club opened in 1966-67. You decide.

Let me offer up a different theory. Club 33 exists because Walt himself (along with Winston Churchill, John Adams, Buzz Aldrin, and a host of others, if you believe the list) was a 33rd Degree Mason. The highest of the order, and privy to all sorts of historical secrets, Walt probably designed both parks as giant maps to Masonic and Templar treasures. 

And what better way to hide those secrets than with grinning cartoon mascots? Seriously, who would believe a person ranting about the secrets of the Founding Fathers, along with the true Grail Legends and location of the hidden Templar treasure, if he or she told you that everything was revealed by following the Hidden Mickeys at the Disney Resorts, or by analyzing the motions of the little audio-animatronic children on the It's A Small World ride, correlating them to astrological charts, and then discovering that the ultimate answer in in the chemical bonds of a Dole Whip?

This is how Disney discredits Dan Brown, Michael Baigent, and the History Channel in one fell swoop.

So what is the real truth? What am I trying to reveal in this article that is so urgent that I will stop at nothing to let the facts be known?

Well, the first thing of note is that the black and yellow pin in the first picture is from the Cast Lanyard Collection 4 from Walt Disney World. It was released in 2005 and contains a Hidden Mickey in the lower right of the circle.

The second is the pin below. It depicts a skull wearing a Mickey crown, with a Hidden Mickey at the bottom of the pin itself. It's from the Disneyland 2007 Hidden Mickey Lanyard Pirate Collection.

In Hoc Signo Musculus

Special thanks to PinPics.com and the fine folks at DisneyPinForum.com for information on these pins.

Certifiable

I took yesterday off from blogging, but today I was met with much in the way of pins. (SO MANY PINS...yet somehow, never enough.) I was happy with that, and found myself bouncing around the house at the new and shiny arrivals, but there was also another package. It contained...

MY D23 MEMBERSHIP KIT!

That's right. Back in the early part of September, my wife gave me the gift of a D23 membership (still getting a foothold on this Disney delirium, I had no idea what this was or what it meant), and I saw that the kit with official papers, a card, and a watch (more on that in a little bit) would be arriving in 3-4 weeks, so rather than marking days on the calendar, I started reading about the D23 Club, what it means to be a member, and what I can and can't do with the bestowed privileges (that part is an experiment in progress). 

The club is designated as D23 in commemoration of the year (1923) when Disney opened up his animation studio in Hollywood. Members get a card (shown at the bottom of the photo above), a certificate signed by both Robert A. Iger (President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company) AND Mickey Mouse (though between you and me, I think the first signature may have been forged), and watch.

The watch itself is very interesting, as the face depicts Mickey as a bandleader (I've heard something similar in a song somewhere), and the only positions that are marked with numbers are the 2 and the 3. 

Get it?

Pretty cool, huh? But (I say to you, adjusting my plaid blazer, polka dotted bow tie, and tipping my straw hat) that's not all! 

You see, being  D23 member isn't just about being able to show off a watch and a club card to people in order to see how many different types of shrugs have been developed by people, or to have even those closest to you smile and nod in hopes of mollifying one's Disney-related madness*. It also allows you to receive invitations to events that regular Guests (and if you like any aspect of Disney, you're far from regular) cannot attend, as well as being able to buy merchandise exclusive to D23 members. 

Yes. In addition to being able to attend special events, my D23 membership allows me to empty my wallet in ways no one else can!

Of course there are exclusive pins!

Let's take a look at a typical day in the life of a D23 member, to give you an idea of the awesomeness that is experienced:

You wake up and spring from bed, still wearing your Eeyore footy-pajamas with the tail tacked to the partially-buttoned butt flap. As you rub the sleep from your eyes, a host of woodland animals fly in through your open window (because that's the kind of safety you feel, being a D23 member), and begin cleaning your house, preparing breakfast, and dressing you for the day ahead. You bound to the door, throw it open and greet the Sun with a wink (if only because it's polite enough to wink back at you, knowingly). Marching down the street, you sing a happy tune. If you stop, a passerby will pick up where you left off, or a bird will chirp the refrain back to you. Heck, you can even cross in the middle of a busy intersection and the cars will all honk in chorus to your jaunty little song. People shower you with attention and give you exclusive deals at stores. Every day is like your birthday, winning the lottery, and being anointed King Ralph** rolled into one!

Then you really wake up. Well, you don't really wake up so much as learn about Newtonian Physics the hard way when you realize that the song you heard was really your snooze alarm going off for the seventh time, and you rolled too far in the opposite direction of the clock on your nightstand and abruptly met with the floor. Struggling to your feet, you slip once again on what may have been a bag of Doritos or one of the many Disney vacation planning guides scattered all over your bedroom floor. People on the street don't so much sing with you as much as they yell at you, because you're trying to make it to the corner store for a cup of coffee and your somnambulation is causing you to get right in the path of oncoming joggers, cyclists, and dogs who are more than happy to ensnare you in the leashes by which they are leading their owners. The cars honking at the intersection? That really happens, and it actually does sound musical if you stand still long enough while you get your bearings. You cannot (and this is important to note) pay for coffee, energy drinks, or beer with your D23 membership - nor is a card depicting Chip and/or Dale considered legal identification at most convenience stores, bars, or gun ranges. 

However, go into a Disney park, Disney store (I'm sure there's one at a mall near you), and most Disney-related areas and flash your D23 card - and you will be given glimpses and opportunities to get things that no one (save for other D23 members) else can have! Pins. Film cels. Events. Tours. Pins. Books. Ornaments. Statues. Did I mention pins? 

These are the advantages of being a D23 cardholder. It's for those few who appreciate Disney...in a very mature way.*** No jumping around. No getting giddy and squealing like an overly excited man-child. This is serious and official stuff.

Right?

* There is no mollification. Not successfully, anyway. Once afflicted, a person will forever have Disney Madness, and start seeing Hidden Mickeys in clouds, bowls of cereal, and (so help me) even bank statements.

** I have never seen this movie. I just assume (hopefully) that it's about a man who, because he witnessed something to do with Roseanne Barr in the late-80s, was granted royalty status and all the Burger King meals he could eat, as reparation for his suffering.

***Like Peek Freans

Five Days Of Figment Part IV, A New Hope

Today I have realized the true magical nature of Figment. 


This comes in the form of a gift. For you. For me. For Figment, himself. A bank error in your favor. A way out of the fun house. 


I was going through  my pin collection, when it hit me that I don't have enough Figment pins to give you a full week of happy, smiling, winged, betailed, and bepurpled (you can tell me they aren't real words when you can argue the etymological existence of words such as "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Imagineer" - so ferme la bibbidi bobbidi bouche) dragons. 


Figment and I both have come to an accord. How do I feel about not having to post more about Figment? Oddly enough, the same way Figment feels about my daily harangues. 


In a word:

He's even sparkling at the notion!

This particular pin is part of the 2011 Cast Lanyard series, and features a Hidden Mickey. Actually, there are a number of pins with Disney characters holding the word "Good," such as Goofy and both Chip N' Dale, but I'm saving those characters for week-long celebrations of their own...but those posts are for WAY in the future.

As always, special thanks to PinPics.com for the factual information on this pin.

Five Days Of Figment Part III, Northwest Parking Territory

This pin arrive the other day, along with a bevy of others from a trusted seller (which were not Figment related):

I had no idea what any of this meant at first. Were there very narrow age ranges for creative activities at Walt Disney World? Is Figment a misguided Polk supporter with a poor sense of geography? Does the C stand for "citrus," and is that a scary orange in the background? Were those the numbers of the local growers unions?

A little research has shown me that this cryptic pin denotes a parking area at Walt Disney World. As in C-section (the C is for "Create" in case any of you are getting apprehensive about the qualifications for going on vacation), parking rows 38 thru 42. Oh, and that orange thing in the background? It's Spaceship Earth. There are no conspiracies to be had, save for those intentionally looking for them.

This pin is part of the Cast Lanyard Series #3, and contains a Hidden Mickey.

If you've been with me in this celebration of Figment, stay tuned for tomorrow's special entry! 

Thanks to PinPics.com for the non-speculative information on this pin.

Five Days Of Figment: Part II

Does Figment have a voice?

A recent search has shown me that not only does Figment have a voice, but he also plays the foil against Eric Idle (slightly older than his role as Paspartu in Around The World In 80 Days, but younger than his last round of Watney's) in the Journey Into Imagination (with Figment) ride at Walt Disney World's Epcot.

Yup. That's Figment. Here be...mascots.

In watching the video, the veteran humorist (Google thinks it's a word, so I'm not arguing) reacts very well with the animated Figment - to the point where one cannot help but being reminded of Mr. DNA:

But Figment isn't just a perky yet informative character. No sir. Figment has an entire range of emotions:

This is Figment when he is confused.

This is Figment feeling lonely.

Here is an angry Figment. 

Why? BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO EMOTIONALLY DEAD TO READ THE SUBTLETIES OF HIS EXPRESSIVE NATURE!

These are part of the Figment Expressions Set, and each has a Hidden Mickey. They were released in 2008, and, if you do further research, you'll discover that there were at least two series of pins with Figment showing various emotions.

In short, Figment is infinite. One cannot know the whole of Figment, but one can know aspects of Figment. Figment, Most Confused. Figment, Most Lonely. Figment, Most Angry. 

I think Figment, Most Merciful is the completer pin - so if anyone has that one, please drop me a line.

Special thanks to PinPics.com for this enlightening journey in letting Figment into my soul. 

Five Days Of Figment: Part I

This is Figment:

Figment seems to be very popular with EPCOT visitors and Disney fans who have been to the parks, and I think because of this, I have very little attachment to this character. I don't know it from a movie. I don't know it from a book. I thought I knew it from something outside of the parks, but I was wrong. Figment seems perky. Figment also seems "clever" in a special or savant-type way. 

That being said, I'm appealing to you to tell me exactly what Figment is, beyond the "Two tiny wings, eyes big and yellow, horns of a steer, but a lovable fellow. From head to tail, he's royal purple pigment" description. He's not a dragon - well, certainly not a dragon that any other dragon would admit to (and I'm including the creature from Pete's Dragon in this), so what is he?

I have more attachment to O.L.D.Bob, as far as Disney characters go, and even I forget who he is at times.

To give you an example, the above picture is of O.L.D. Bob. Odds are, you don't know who he is - and that's not a bad thing - I worry that one day I'll meet the person who really identified with this character, and has built up an impressively scary collection of O.L.D. Bob merchandise, as well as homemade O.L.D. Bob action figures, costumes, an O.L.D. Bob encasement for a Segway, and possibly an O.L.D. Bob RealDoll (link not provided, and research not done for everyone's safety). I barely know who he is, and I only found a decent picture of him on MySpace (stop and think about that, because it'll save me a lot of time in explaining why this is funny). That's how much less relevant Figment is to me - I prefer the Disney equivalent of a hipster band. "I know this really cool Disney character, but you've probably never heard of it."

I have a bunch of figment pins, and this is just the first that I'll be showing this week. If you have a real interest in this character, make me an offer, or wait until I list a few pins this week.

Now for the pin trading facts:

This pin was released in 2010 as part of the Figment Collection of Hidden Mickey Pins. This is 4 of 6 in a set, and is a Cast Lanyard only pin.

Thanks again to PinPics.com for information regarding this pin.

Stay tuned for Part II, wherein Figment gets all emo on us.

Monorail!

"There's nothing on Earth like genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail!"

I may not be a big fan of the color orange, but I am a fan of the Disney monorail, Tomorrowland, and this pin's sleek, futuristic design. This pin, while not part of a numbered set, was released in 2010 as part of the "Mini-Pin Collection." I have other pins from the seven-piece collection, but this one is my favorite. 

Special thanks to PinPics.com and the Official Disney Pin Trading Store for the historical information.

Hop Low

This is Hop Low. He's one of the dancing toadstools featured in Disney's Fantasia. To me, it's always a wonder to see characters from movies/cartoons/television shows/et cetera given names - especially when they don't have speaking parts, or who aren't even addressed in any way. It's sort of like what Star Trek and Star Wars (feel free to direct your hate at my inbox, regardless of which camp you favor, for my digression in naming both franchises in one sentence) are doing to give a name and story to every Bothan wearing a red shirt in the background (I know what I typed). The only difference here is that (despite some Freudian and ethnic overtones I'm willing to overlook because, well, it's Disney) he's cute. He was also a very unexpected arrival in my collection.

Now for the history:

Hop Low was apparently released to the public at Walt Disney World in 2007 (October, to be precise), as part of a Disney Character Collection. He has a Hidden Mickey on the bottom of his...foot? Stalk? Stump? How do mushrooms move around?

Anyway, he's also 1 of 4 in the set (as stamped on the back of the pin), but I'll be darned if I can find what the other three are. I'm assuming they are either from Fantasia, or they are lesser-known Disney characters from other animated features (like the Bit from Tron, or Pink Elephant #4 from Dumbo). So if anyone knows, or has any additional information, please send me an email at d.pintrader@gmail.com so I can update this entry.

Special thanks to PinPics.com and the Disney Pin Store for the historical information

My First Pin And How I Got This Way

I'm sure everyone has memorable firsts - a kiss, a home run, talking one's way out of a traffic ticket - but today I'm going to tell you about my first Disney pin, and how I came to be a fanatic. For those of you who are more visually oriented, and would rather not read through my mental meanderings, you can scroll down and look at the picture. For those of you who like stories, lazy verbal rides, or want to humor me while you plan your intervention, please read on...

I grew up in a household that didn't really care for Disney. It's not that Walt or his legacy were despised by my family, it's that what Disney offered wasn't considered up to snuff. Sure, I saw a few Disney features - heck, when my folks got a VCR, I rented all sorts of Disney movies! Being ten years old, and having the best taste in fantasy of adventure of anyone inside my own mind, I indulged in Disney greats such as Condorman, The Three Caballeros, and The Devil and Max Devlin.

So, given the available options...

...my outlook may have been a bit skewed...

I was about seventeen when I first watched Fantasia, and later studied Disney as the disgruntled, anti-corporate, retail manager I was - which, if I'm being completely honest, was just me crying sour grapes at never having gotten the chance to be the "It's A Small World" conformist who got to go to a Disney theme park as a child.

There were a bunch of other things that happened as well (I'm fairly certain, anyway), but I'm trying to stick to the relevant points of why I am now obsessed with The Mouse, and why I get silly each time I have new pins to catalog and organize in my personal collection.

Last January, I decided to treat myself to a gaming console. For the past few years, I'd relegated my personal gaming to my computer, or with friends who had the latest and greatest of hardware, but all I wanted was a Wii. Graphics and processing are all well and good, but I just wanted to have fun, and that's something Nintendo has always been able to offer me.

Along with this console, I decided to order one game - Epic Mickey. I'd casually glossed over articles about the game before it was fully into production, and even a few humor sites that poked fun at how much "darker and more serious" this game would be compared to other offerings featuring Mickey Mouse. When I saw the first in-depth video of the game - how you could wander around the theme park, see detailed attractions, and even old animation clips - I knew I needed this game.

I used to spend Friday nights relaxing with glass of wine (or more) and playing Epic Mickey. I loved the colors, the tone, the detail, playing not only through park attractions but old animation clips as well, and the in-game movies reminded me very much of things I'd seen as a kid in school (Donald Duck In Mathemagic Land comes to mind)!

I don't care if you think you've outgrown it, watch it anyway - from an adult's perspective.

Well, work and winter (I lived in the frozen north at the time) started to take precedence, and I never really got past the second or third stage of the game. As a matter of fact, I didn't really put  much time aside for any leisure activities.

Hitting the fast-forward button, a bunch of things took place. My work life is less hectic. Wine still tastes good on Fridays. Most importantly though, I've moved to a warmer climate to be with my wife and revel in our adventures and idiosyncratic life. This is where my personal Disney obsession picks up...

My gateway drug of choice!

One day, she happened upon me playing Epic Mickey and decided to watch. What follows is a paraphrasing of the conversation that took place:

My wife: What did you just find?

Me: A bunch of E-tickets. They're like money in this game.

My wife: You know, they don't have E-tickets anymore.

Me: They don't?

My wife: Nope. What's that?

Me: Oh, I just found a gold pin. They're just things you collect in the game...

My wife: Just like at the real parks!

My controller: Thud (that's the sound it made when I let it fall to the floor so I could hear more)

And leave the real world far behind...

(Image courtesy of givemedisney)

Finding out about pins opened up a whole new string of questions. This was followed by my beloved telling me tales of having family gatherings and birthdays at Club 33 - which only brought about more questions. I was suddenly a kid asking "Why?" and "What's that?" at the mention of every little thing.

Being a patient and smart (and beautiful - being married to an editor has its advantages) woman, she gathered books for me to read and documentaries to watch. Suddenly, this entity known as Disney started to seem not only like one of the smartest corporations, but like the most magical thing one could experience in this reality - let me scratch that - Disney is its own magical reality, and one I am embracing fully.

The worst part about this obsession is that, unlike many kids and adults who consider it "just another vacation" or something everyone does, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A DISNEY PARK IN MY LIFE!

There. I said it. I have perceived the Disneyland and Disney World experiences as much as a spoon perceives the taste of food.

NOTE: We're planning a trip to Disney World for next year, and saving every penny to have a blast!

But it's not like I'm only dipping my toe into the crazy pool of Disney magic. And my wife, being smart, patient (did I mention beautiful and an excellent proofreader?), and an enabler (partly because I think it amuses her to see me bouncing through the house and giggling maniacally at everything related to Disney) only encourages my lunacy. As such (and not by my doing), I am now a D23 member, and (this is where the ride nears the destination, folks) the owner of hundreds of Disney Trading Pins!

"It's a good start," says my wife, who has been very methodical in encouraging my madness.

She scouts out pins by the lots, or by individual coolness (it's a subjective, but very accurate scale), and when I go to get the mail, I find packages filled with little gleaming pins to catalog and research. She looks at them with me, and tells me what is rare and what ones people are looking for out of my collection, and then she leaves me be to my research. (It should be noted that "research," as defined by this blog involves smiling and laughing like a kid who just had to eat his way out of being trapped in a candy store and marveling at the shiny, colorful pins as if tearing open a plain brown envelope was like Dave Bowman going to Jupiter and beyond the infinite.)

So, without further tangents, here is my first pin:

Fun is very serious business!

It's a Minnie Mouse skull & crossbones pin! According to PinPics.com (one of the places I cross-reference when researching my pins), this was issued in 2009 to the public at park locations. The original price was $12.95 (USD) and that there was a Mickey Mouse pin of similar design. I've yet to get that one, but the above pin will always be my first (though I have so many yet to post here). 

But that's why this blog exists. I figure if I post (at least) one pin a day here, along with what information I can find on it, I'll have enough content for a few years (until next week's shipment arrives).

If you find that any of the information is incorrect on my pins, or if you have additional info, please tell me! This is a brand new world to me, and any help is appreciated!

Most importantly, if you see any pins on this blog and you want to trade, let me know! You can reach me at d.pintrader@gmail.com (clever, eh?), and even if I don't respond immediately, I do respond to each and every message I get.

Happy Trading!