Artist Proofs (AP) & Pre Production (PP) What are your thoughts??

[katinthehat28]

Artist Proofs & Pre Production pins.... What are your thoughts?? Do you love them & if so why?? Only have a few or don't really care? Are they worth more in general or does that vary?? I'd love to hear people's thoughts on them. I know they tend to be harder to find but why do some people go after them so much & others (like me) not too worried about them. Is it for the rarity? I supposed I don't concern myself too much with them because they tend to be harder to find, although I've seen some pretty cheap too but I've never really cared if my pins are or arent AP or PP BUT I'd love to know more about them & why others love them so much. I will say I've had some AP & PP that look identical to the reg pin but are most different? I know some use different backs sometimes but I've seen several that don't look any different aside from the stamp on the back. So, what are your thoughts?? And go.....

[buzz2001]

I have a quite a few.  If I can get the pin for a reasonable price or trade, I'll do it.  Especially if the pin is different than the base pin or its a rare pin to begin with. 

[TheTwins]

We have a few APs, and every one we've seen is identical to the regular versions. Would love to hear thoughts, too, as I echo a lot of the OP's questions! What's the thing about them?

 

I'd love to add a couple more questions to you list, Kat! Anyone have good guidance for trading them? Are they worth a fraction more than the regular? Double? How do I judge them when trying to make trade offers?

 

Have one PP . . . and I don't know if it matches as I don't have a regular version of the pin. What exactly are PPs? I know APs are the Artist Proof for the artist to see how the finished pin is going to look. But . . .what's a PP for?

[katinthehat28]

@TheTwinsPre Production or PP pins are the pins before the final pin design is released for the factories to mass produce. So they might have different colored backs, different colors fillings and so on, than the final design would.

[sithathoriunet]

I only have one AP currently in my collection and no PPs.  I think they're kind of cool, like the pin version of behind the scenes features of a movie on a special edition DVD.  I once read that an AP or PP is only worth 15-20% more than the regular run of any particular pin.  Though I'm sure @mollyanne could tell us with more authority about the value.

[momin.ator]

There used to be a pinpics blog about aps and pps

[buzz2001]

Here it is.  Article  @ScoopsPins

[bellesenchantedrose]

I like AP's/PP's when they're different than the actually version that is mass produced. I have some loungefly pins that are AP's/PP's. Sometimes AP's/PP's for a single pin have 2,3, or 4 versions (etc)  before they settle on a final design so I think it's cool to own something that hasn't actually been created to be sold. Others are just the AP/PP version of the pin they actually decided to produce which in that case there wouldn't be any differences design wise but it's still signifying that this was made prior to the final production. What's interesting is the loungfly AP's/PP's I have are in no way marked as such. I know they're proofs because they originally came with a piece of paper with the details (the person who gave them to me didn't know the significance of the description paper so they didn't keep it *cries*). 

[momin.ator]

17 hours ago, buzz2001 said:

Here it is.  Article  @ScoopsPins

That is a different article. The other was written by a ap  pp  collector.

[katinthehat28]

Thanks for the article search. I'll definitely have to read that. And @bellesenchantedrose I had no idea there were AP/PP of Loungefly, especially that were different. That's really cool, I'd love so see and compare if you have any pics available? Are they on Pinpics?

[bellesenchantedrose]

@katinthehat28 I do have an example pic! This one isn’t Disney (it’s Gilmore girls) but I have a Disney example too I just have to locate it. @TheTwins offered to add the AP/PP designations to listings of the Disney ones I have. 
 

this one is Factory Coded as a AP- 1st. I can’t find an actual mass produced version so they may not have actually ended up making it or it’s not out yet. (I was gifted a Cinderella wallet that it looks like they never actually released or it was international release). 

You can’t really read it but there is no designator whatsoever, I just know it is because I saw the paper with the info. 

 

 

[bellesenchantedrose]

Okay I actually found it fast! Haha 

 

@katinthehat28 here are the mystery box AP’s I was gifted. I think they’re the 3rd edition? As you can see, mine have color differences from the final versions like the white boarder on mine vs the brown on the final.  

 

 

[katinthehat28]

Wow that's very interesting! Thanks for the pics! Are the back of the pins marked differently or anything?? Or just the difference in the pins themselves? Thank you for the pics! That's very cool!

[bellesenchantedrose]

22 hours ago, katinthehat28 said:

Wow that's very interesting! Thanks for the pics! Are the back of the pins marked differently or anything?? Or just the difference in the pins themselves? Thank you for the pics! That's very cool!

So far the Loungefly ones I’ve gotten don’t have any differences in the backings. But I’m happy to update if any I come upon do!  

[swim2sea]

I personally think AP pins are just a fractional more than the regular pin. All of the AP pins I have exactly match the Regular pin. I do have lots of PP pins that are very different from the AP and Final pin.  I am always disappointed when I see people gouging unsuspecting buyers for AP pins. The biggest discussion is over how many AP pins were made.  Some say 25, some say 100.  I think years ago 25 was probably correct, but today I think 100 plus is right. Just my humble opinion. 
 

Just read Scoop’s article and I had to laugh when I got to the end.   He’s correct that even after all these years I can’t get why people want so much money for them.  And yes, if you have any AIW AP or PP I want them.