New Releases: Have you noticed?

There’ve been some big changes to Disney pins over the years (especially Disney Parks Exclusives), and it’s been so gradual, I guess, that it really only hit me on my visit to Disney Springs yesterday. It’s still a bit of a chore for me to drive to Disney, so I try to keep in mind how much a lot of you would love to be able to drive there in the half hour or so that it takes me. So, anytime I’m in the area, I try to pop in. The security screening has gotten much faster, and is no longer an additional deterrent to going. Also, I have an annual pass I’ve used maybe five times since my wife gave it to me for Christmas, so I get a discount on merch! 

Gone are the days when I’d make a trip to Pin Traders to grab a hot new release before it’s gone, and as you can see here, there’s not a lot that’s hot and flying off the rack (especially when compared to some of the great pins just released at D23 and After Dark). 
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(Limited Edition samples are displayed under lock and key in this transparent cabinet, and stock for purchase on request are kept behind one or two register counters. LEs are still two pins per customer.)

Limited Edition

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The Mary Poppins 60th Anniversary 3-pin set has been hanging around for two months! There is something distinctive about it, though, that made me realize the biggest change to Disney pins in general. Before I point it out to you (just keep reading), I want to see if you can figure it out for yourself.

Let's look at everything that was on the racks. 
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Animated Features

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Another interesting realization for me (and maybe a helpful tidbit for us all) is how Disney categorizes their pins, as labelled with signage at the top of the racks. Personally, I'm always looking for new ways to categorize my pins!
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Mickey and Friends

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Marvel and Star Wars

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Theme Parks and Resorts

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Animated Features and Princesses

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As you can see, it was not crowded, making it easy to get pics of the entire displays. I had to wait briefly here and there for shoppers to stand clear, and only once did I politely ask someone to move to the side to get my snap.

Starter Sets

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Booster Sets

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Mystery Boxes and Pouches

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​Holidays and Celebrations

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So, did you notice the big difference that I noticed? It looked like almost all the LE pins in the case are silver-plate now, instead of gold like they used to be. Only the Mary Poppins pins and boxed set were gold, but I don't think it was actually gold-plate, just gold-colored. (I'm sorry to report that the commemorative pin with the butterflies and 60th Anniversary title banner below was not there, but wanted you to be aware that it's part of the collection.)

Years ago, pins were made with a copper metal base and frequently plated with gold. REAL gold. As you might imagine, there’s a cost to that, and even though the prices for pins has increased significantly (one change that’s been impossible NOT to notice) the omission of gold plate in favor of silver is another cost savings. I’m not even sure that any pins with gold colored metal now are even gold plate, but just some kind of colored electro-plating like they use these days.

One last observation is how busy many of the pins are now. It used to be that most pins were simple character art, like the new Paint Jar pins we saw released at D23 (sans jar, of course). Their simplicity was a significant part of their appeal, and probably why I'm so drawn to Booster and Starter Lanyard sets, especially the Villains starter lanyard on the purple card in the middle pic of the Starter Lanyards above. The clean graphics and original stylized art caught my eye immediately.

It was nice to see some of the new OE pins that had been previewed at the After Dark event starting to show up on the "What's New" rack.

​So, had you already noticed the change to the plating? Have you noticed any other changes to pins over time? I’d love to hear your thoughts!