ScoopsPins Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 Some Secrets of Main Street In October 1999, when I first arrived on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom in the guise of the enthusiastic Main Street Reporter, Scoop, it was my job to put a big smile on my face and greet everyone as long-lost friends and family. In addition, I would act as a de facto “guide” sharing the "secrets" of Main Street. Secrets like the party line recording on the phone in the Chapeau (that's the store where they used to emboider your name on the back of the Mickey ears in yellow thread). I'd sneak Guests in like little kids and tell them to put their hand over the receiver to listen in on the conversation! Since most folks were visitors, another part of my routine was to direct visitors to the mailbox on Main Street just outside The Emporium. Scoop lived back at the turn of the century in a time before e-mails and mobile phones, so he figured Guests should know how to send mail back home to let their folks know they'd arrived safely (whether they'd come in on the steam train or the "single rail" aka Monorail). Did you know you can still mail Disney postcards or anything else straight from the Most Magical Place on Earth using that Main Street mailbox? Mail posted from that box used to get a custom Disney World postmark, but nowadays you'll want to take your postcard over to City Hall for a special rubber stamp instead to add that Disney Magic to your mail. Pretty soon, I became another Main Street secret (or rather, Scoop was) as a sort of "secret pin trader". The secret didn't last long, though, since Scoop was the only official Disney character out there trading! Over the years, I talked a lot about pin-trading etiquette for trading in person at the Parks or while attending an event, and the first thing you start with is a smile. Working as a Disney Cast Member teaches you that, even when it feels like a thousand degrees outside, most people respond positively to a smile or friendly gesture. I taught traders how to introduce themselves and offer a closer look at their pins, but the most important piece of pin trading advice I shared is what I call Scoop’s Golden Rule of Pin Trading: “Trade unto others as you would have others trade unto you.” You know what goes around comes around, and more often than not, when you make it easy for someone to trade something they want from you, they’ll return the kindness. Sure, there are times it’ll be a one-way street, when you can’t agree on the trade at the time. If that’s the case, consider exchanging contact info. Maybe you can complete a trade by mail. After all, the fun doesn’t have to stop with in-person trading! Whether you're new to the Disney pin trading hobby or a seasoned “PinAddict”, it's a good idea to remember that Disney pin collecting isn't just about the shiny piece of enameled metal. It's also about the personal experiences and relationships that we make while trading our treasures. More than when buying, trading often produces memories which are easily recalled whenever we catch sight of a certain treasured pin in our collection. If it’s an especially meaningful trade (like scoring a grail or discovering an amazing pin you never knew existed), you might also remember the "pin angel" who traded with you. So much junk mail! Nowadays, when your mailbox is mostly used as a receptacle for junk mail, it always feels great to open the mailbox and find “pin mail” inside! Pin mail can come in everything from an LBE (Little Brown Envelope) to a colored bubble mailer or even a box. Beyond the delight of holding your new pin for the first time, you might possibly enjoy finding out where the package came from, too. I just got some WDW park pins that came all the way from Utah, and it's fun to wonder how they got there only to end up with me back in Florida. Whether it's from an old Pin Pal or a new one, they packed those pins up just for you. And they're checking their mailbox at the same time for the package you sent to them. Smiles for Miles Since you can’t do it in person, a great way to start your trade by mail with a smile is a with a ZAP. When someone includes a little something extra in a trade package, then you've been ZAPPED. When you receive a package from someone that has nothing to do with a trade, you've been ZAPPED. To us Disney Pin Traders, a ZAP is always a surprise, and just one of the ways to add a little Pixie Dust to pin trades in the mail. It doesn't have to be a pin, either. If you've gotten to know the person you're trading with, it's easy to toss in a little cheer -- maybe a pressed penny, stickers, or even a piece of candy. ZAPPING someone is sending smiles across the miles; and you'll find yourself smiling, too! For me, the most meaningful thing anyone can include is a handwritten note. It doesn't have to be an epistle; even just a "thank you" for the trade spreads the Pixie Dust. Tell them where they can find you, if they’re out trading: a park, the next trading event, the next Disney event, etc. Tell them what you collect or what you're looking for. Who knows, you might end up with a brand new Pin Pal! Have you had a zaptastic experience you want to share? Do you have any special ways you personalize your trades? I'd love to hear your ideas, so please just post a reply. End your comment with the answer to the riddle/question: What are you sending across the miles? (Hint: the answer is hidden somewhere in this article.) Top it off with a big exclamation point and answer this riddle before Saturday, November 30, and you could be randomly chosen to get a ZAP! If you're looking for a way to enjoy pin trading with a personal touch, why not check out the five-pin package exchanges that are usually running in the PinPics forum? Sign-ups are limited, but there's always a package going around and/or one starting up (and the more interest there is, the more packages get started). Of course, there's always the option to start one yourself. It's a great way to meet other traders, discover what they like, and enjoy a fun personalized trading experience. Let's play a ZAPPING game! Because ZAPPING is so much fun, guess what . . . ? We're going to play a game called "ZAP-It Forward"! @TheTwins told me about this, so we're going to try it here. To start the fun, reply to this post with answers to the questions above. After one week, @TheTwins will randomly select a response, and I'll ZAP a pin to that person. After that, the game begins . . . but they're going to respond here and explain how it all works! View full record 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTwins Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 We love ZAPS!! We always try to include something extra and fun in pin packages and actually keep a stash of fun Disney-themed things just for that. Usually, we try to pick things that fit with the interests of who we're mailing to, and sometimes we'll just do generic Disney stickers or something if we don't know very much. One PinPics trader has a very unique method of packing pins: she makes miniature brightly-colored Origami paper stars and uses a handful of those to pad the inside of her envelopes. You've never opened anything cheerier than that! Our first trade together was several years ago, and while we couldn't remember her username, we kept those stars on the desk in a little bowl to make us smile. Then, in the past year, we ended up trading again, and there were more of those paper stars! We don't even remember the pins we trade every time, but we've got the little bowl of those stars that makes us happy all the time. Will respond with the ZAPPING GAME instructions in the next reply! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTwins Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 Quote Let's play a ZAPPING game! Because ZAPPING is so much fun, guess what . . . ? We're going to play a game called "ZAP-It Forward"! @TheTwins told me about this, so we're going to try it here. To start the fun, reply to this post with answers to the questions above. After one week, @TheTwins will randomly select a response, and I'll ZAP a pin to that person. After that, the game begins . . . but they're going to respond here and explain how it all works! This game has the potential to be the "game that never ends" . . . sort of like the old Lamb Chop theme song! In this game the ZAP has to be at least one official tradeable Disney pin. (You are not limited to a single pin and can send whatever you'd like in the ZAP, as long as it includes one official pin.) The play is simple. Each player sends a ZAP to the previous player who responded by ZAPPING someone. You can play as many times as you want to play. The official start time will be Saturday, Nov. 30 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving). On that day, a reply to this article will be randomly selected, and Holland is going to ZAP a pin to that poster. We ( @TheTwins ) are then going to start the game by ZAPPING Holland. The next person to play (Player C) would come along and claim their move to send a ZAP to us. Player D then posts to ZAP Player C, etc. The game continues as long as people want to send ZAP packages. If you're playing, just send a PM to the person you are going to ZAP to request their mailing address for the game. Once this game starts, we'll have a thread just for the game replies, and I'll link to that from here. Get ready for some ZAPPING fun! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchinj Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 This sounds like alot of fun!! Who doesn't love pin mail? Can't wait for it to begin!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firechief18 Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 I'm in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon57 Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 I think everybody likes to get pin mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz2001 Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papadin Posted November 26 Share Posted November 26 I’m in! I received a Zap from Hart, that was a Hand drawn and painted piece that looks like the icon I use! It was so sweet. When you get pin mail you receive SMILES!! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTwins Posted November 26 Share Posted November 26 @Papadin Fabulous! And thanks for answering the riddle. A few members have been a bit confused and thought that all answers had to wait 'til this weekend. Only the ZAPPING game will be waiting to officially start 'til this Saturday (Nov. 30). Feel free to answer the below this week! Quote Have you had a zaptastic experience you want to share? Do you have any special ways you personalize your trades? I'd love to hear your ideas, so please just post a reply. End your comment with the answer to the riddle/question: What are you sending across the miles? (Hint: the answer is hidden somewhere in the article.) Top it off with a big exclamation point and answer this riddle before Saturday, November 30, and you could be randomly chosen to get a ZAP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sithathoriunet Posted November 26 Share Posted November 26 I like to include stickers and a short hand written note with my trades. And of course, sending SMILES across the miles!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattim Posted November 27 Share Posted November 27 I love the games when I learn something and have fun, and I loved reading the article - for me it was learning! The answer to the riddle is “smiles”! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTwins Posted November 30 Share Posted November 30 Hi, everybody! Things got a bit busy today, so I'm going to start the ZAPPING game officially tomorrow (Sunday, Dec. 1) and will be sure to tag everyone who expressed interest in this thread. Holland will also be posting about the ZAP for the riddle answers . . . just been a bit crazy busy everywhere today. ~ Sarah 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoopsPins Posted December 2 Author Share Posted December 2 Thank you for taking a moment at this busy time to kick off the start of our game. @TheTwins and I have fun putting things together like this to bring together our Pin Pals and help the community grow. My personal reason, besides making people happy, is to thank you for making me feel my writing is worth reading. Congratulations to Patti @pattim for being chosen for answering the hidden riddle answer! You'll be getting a ZAP in the mail. Congratulations to Don and Crystal @Papadin and @mamadin for being first to kick off the ZAP Game! That's been started in the Pin Games board here: And to thank Jen Chin @jchinj for being the first to respond in the comments, I’m going to include a ZAP for you in a future package. Here’s one more way to get ZAPPED: Please share my articles with your favorite Pin Pals to introduce them to our community of cheerful, friendly Pin Friends, and I’ll randomly keep the pin mail coming! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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