Just because a pin lacks one of the criteria, it’s not necessarily a fake. These elements will ensure that you’re looking at a genuine pin but are not necessarily present on every pin that’s authentic. The following qualities will help you determine whether a pin is real or a fake.

These same molds are then used in counterfeit production runs to create pins that can look nearly identical to the real thing. When a factory finishes with a legitimate run of real pins, they often discard the old mold. Most Disney pins, both real and fake, are manufactured in China. The problem with pin trading is that there are a lot of counterfeits out there that look extremely similar to the real thing. There are many pins that you can only get by trading with Cast Members because they’re never sold in stores. Guests can buy many pins directly for their collection, but the fun is in trading them. Disney’s vast collection of pins includes special designs featuring attractions, resorts, characters, special events, holidays, and more. The trend was inspired by pin trading activities at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. One of the most popular activities for guests at any Disney resort is pin trading.

Disney pin serial number database