Recognizing an Official Disney Pin
Disney pin collectors who have been trading pins for any length of time know how important it is to make sure that the pin they are considering trading for is eligible for trading. No trader wants to find out later that he’s been taken advantage of. He wants to know that each pin in his collection is an official Disney pin.
There are several different signs a collector can look for to confirm that the pin he is looking at is an official Disney pin. Although none of these features alone will confirm beyond a doubt that a pin is “real,” the presence of two or more of these features adds a great deal of credibility to the pin in question.
Many of the features of an official trading pin can be found on the pin’s back. The Disney copyright mark is always a good first indication that a pin is eligible for trading. However, the serious collector should know that some pins do not have the Disney trademark. Vintage pins from the 1960’s or 1970’s may have no mark on their back. Some of these pins may also have the words “Walt Disney Productions” stamped on the back. In general, though, collectors who are trading pins inside a theme park should expect to see the copyright mark on the back of any prospective pins.
Official Disney pins also tend to have the iconic, rubber Mickey head as its back. Certainly, most of the pins sold today feature this style of attachment. However, internet traders or collectors looking for a vintage pin can also expect to see “squeeze” backs, tie tack backs, and even screw on backs. Pins released before the 1990’s simply have the old-fashioned back similar to those used on brooches. Collectors should have an idea what style of back the pin they are interested in should have.
Pins touted as limited edition pins should carry its number on the pin’s back side. For instance, a pin that is one of a run of 500 pins should include a marking that tells the owner where the pin fell in the sequence of 500. If that marking doesn’t not include the sequence number, the pin is probably not an official trading pin.
Finally, no discussion of the authenticity of a Disney pin would be complete without pointing out the existence of "scrapper” pins. Scrapper pins are often manufactured by the same companies that manufactured the licensed Disney pins. These pins were created in excess of Disney’s order quantity or or did not meet the standards required of a Disney
pin. The manufacturer in these situations, however, did not destroy these unauthorized pins. Instead, they are sold on the market.
Fortunately for pin collectors, scrapper pins can look visibly different than their official counterparts making it easier to distinguish between the two types of pins. The method of display for these pins also lends a tip towards separating the two. Scrapper pins are often sold in bags rather than being displayed on the traditional card seen in Disney Pin Trading shops or Disney stores.
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Tagged With Disney Copyright Mark, Disney Pins, Limited Edition Disney Pins, Scrapper Pins, Vintage Pins, Walt Disney Productions
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2 Responses to “Recognizing an Official Disney Pin”
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I have a sterling silver employee donald duck stick pin print code on back 34643 i came across it at a yard sale do you have any idea if its worth any thing ive had it for years. if so how do i find a buyer?
thanks
adrienne purcell
You could always check ebay for either the exact match or something similar. Pinpics is also a really good resource if what you have is a Disney pin. There are also tons of Disneyana sites to reference, as well as forums.