Disney's Studio Store in Hollywood is known for its series of unique and collectable pins. Generally only available instore and often sold on the aftermarket at a significant markup, obtaining one of these pins is a high achievement for any serious Disney collector.

In April of 2021, Disney bucked its previously established release strategy and offered its new pin collection through an online queue system. The queue attracted far more buyers than usual and now, months later, a complete collection of the series can sell for thousands of dollars.

Understanding Pin Collecting

There's quite a long history behind buying and selling pins in the Disney fandom. For a dedicated fan, each pin is a badge of honor, commonly purchased at a particular Disney park and earning a place in their collection.

However, parks are not the only places pins are made available. The Studio Store in Hollywood, commonly referred to as "The Soda Fountain" is notable shop for collectors. Here, Disney often releases unique series of pins, typically available in quite limited quantities.

So, in April of 2021, when the Soda Fountain's Facebook page started teasing a new series, collectors took notice. Nobody ever knows what quite to expect, and the continued situation with the COVID-19 pandemic made things murkier than ever.

Would Disney still require in-person purchases? Would people be expected to stand 6 feet apart in lines that already wound outside the store and down the street? Or would Disney try something different?

A Legendary Scramble

On April 27th, Disney would provide an answer. The Cursive Cuties series, as it was now known, would be released online only, and buyers could add their email addresses to a queue for their chance at a purchase. Only 400 of each pin would be made available, making for just 3600 total pins available.

While that was a similar number to previous releases, those had all been done instore only. Only serious collectors were likely to make the trip and purchase a pin before they sold out, whereas an online purchase leveled the playing field and made collectors across the world have an equal shot.

But it gets worse.

Disney made this announcement two hours before the queue would open. So, for the hardcore fans who had spent days speculating about the release, turning on notifications and obsessively refreshing feeds, this was a bit of a slap in the face. Additionally, two hours was enough time for word to spread, and spread it did, far beyond the initial community.

Generally, these pins are a fairly niche item, primarily appreciated and exchanged in small numbers. With a two-hour window, basically anyone with an internet connection and twenty bucks could get in on the action, so the size of the queue ballooned into the tens of thousands.

The Soda Fountain's Facebook page quickly filled up with upset comments, as longtime collectors expressed their frustrations at missing out.

Meanwhile, resellers would use the same comment sections to start offering pins for sale. Prices for individual pins would vary wildly, from $100-$300. Over time, the price for a single pin from the collection would settle to around $200, sometimes a bit more or less, depending on a particular pin's popularity. However, it was a complete collection of all 9 pins that would become the most valuable.

Because of the packed queue, even someone lucky enough to buy a pin or two had nearly no chance of acquiring the entire collection, so they had no choice but to turn to resellers. Complete collections would sell for $2,500 easily, a 25% increase in profit from selling pins individually, and some sales were recorded nearer to $3,000.

For collectors, this series will be remembered as a time things didn't go their way. But for resellers, this was rare opportunity, and will likely not be repeated by Disney again soon.