Disney Pin Trading with Cody

If you ask any Disney fan, they'll tell you that, regardless of their affinity for it, Pin trading is a huge part of the Disney Universe. Today, the Disney Teen Blog has the honor of hosting an interview with none other than the Disney Pin authority himself, Cody, from the Global Disney Pinvestigation Blog, for an interview AND a surprise, first-ever announcement about his site. And without further a due, here we go!

DTB: Hey Cody, how's it going?

Cody: Pretty good, happy to be here!

DTB: Great. So what sparked your interest in Disney?

Cody: My real interest in Disney was sparked in 2005, during the Happiest Celebration on Earth as Disneyland’s 50^th Anniversary was celebrated around the world at all (at the time) 4 resorts, and the newly added Hong Kong Resort. After that I tried learning everything I could about it. But I had always been a ‘fan’ of Disney since I was a child, but didn’t get very in-depth until the Happiest Celebration on Earth.

DTB: What got you into pin collecting?

Cody: I got interested in Pin Collecting near the beginning, in 2001, as I just collected several Open Edition pins for attractions, characters, holidays, etc. (the basics). Then it continued on, and evolved when I attended my first pin event (one of the first), in 2002 at Disney-MGM Studios, the Lights, Cameras, Pins Event, and got a few pins there. That was where I learned and saw that many more people are addicted to pin trading. Since then, I’ve gone to ALL WDW Pin Events (except two), from 2002 to now, I’ve been to about 20 events.

DTB: What inspired you to start the GDP Blog?

Cody: I started the Global Disney Pinvestigation (GDP) Blog in March 2009 as a way to share my love for Disney. I wanted to do something involved with Disney, but different. At first I was going to do just a Disney blog with EVERYTHING Disney involved news, but I didn’t go far with it because it was like everyone else, and I wanted something to set me apart from other Disney Blogs out there, and I wanted people to read it, as if I put work in it, I wouldn’t want it to go to ‘waste’. Originally titled Global Disney Pinformation, the GDP (as it has become to be known as), or the Pinvestigation Blog as others call, is a blog that searches and tells in-depth histories of some of Disney Theme Park’s attractions, shows, etc, and shows how Disney Pins have evolved with the attraction(s). Beginning this year, we started a Vinylmation section, as they are getting popular, and I love Vinylmations.

DTB: Explain the concept behind vinylmation. What is it and how does it affect pin trading?

Cody: Vinylmation is basically a more creative way for the Disney Design Group Artists to make more art. They can make art based on either Disney Theme Parks (the Park Series) or just other random stuff (the Urban Series). The main concept is the blind boxing, where you don't know exactly what you get, which a lot of people think is fun, i know i do. As for affecting pin trading: many people thought that they would start phasing out pins, but all in all it was said by Steven Miller (Disney Trading Project Manager) that it is giving guests more options for purchasing, and Pin Trading and Vinylmation Collecting/Trading are both here to stay and will be together.

DTB: As a teen yourself, how do you view pin collecting/trading versus someone older or younger than yourself?

Cody: Speaking for myself, I feel that as a teen I view pin collecting as more of a hobby and fun as opposed to an older person. As a lot of the older people in the collecting aspect of it (especially the ones that have been at it from the beginning, of which there aren’t that many left) look for ‘profit’ and don’t really consider it a hobby, sure lots of people do consider it a hobby, but there are many people out there that almost consider it a business. As for children younger than me, they go for anything they like, which is good. Being someone that started out when I was about 9, I have learned to evolve WITH the hobby. As more came out, I had to cut more themes out. Originally having over 5,000 pins, I have recently cut back tremendously and now probably have a little less than 1,000, and just stick to one main theme, International Stitch pins from Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

DTB: Explain the concept behind vinylmation. How does it affect pin trading?

Cody: In the coming months we will be having ‘themed’ months, May will be a Pirates month, themed to Pirates of the Caribbean, both the attractions and movies. In June we will have a Toy Story month, for the release of Toy Story 3. And the thing I am most excited about: we are in the midst of trying to set up an interview with Chief Disney Archivist, Dave Smith. So just stay tuned to Global Disney Pinvestigation for information and more surprises.