Today we're delighted to share an interview we conducted with one of our favourite fantasy pin creators, Bo! You might know her better as @pintradeohana on Instagram.
Bo from PinTradeOhana
Thanks so much for taking the time. To start, can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Bo; I am a 21-year-old girl from the Netherlands. I live with my parents; two bunnies named Pua & Heihei, my dog Oscar and my boyfriend. I'm studying for specialized pedagogical employee and currently combining that with my pin making business!
I love that your pets come before your boyfriend on the list! When and how did you get into pin trading?
Back in December 2019, I saw someone that was selling some Stitch pins on Facebook. I didn't know anything about pins, only that Stitch was on it, and since I loved him so much, I thought it would be cool to get them for my collection. Later, I started to join some pin groups and found out many people were collecting and trading. I started only to buy the ones I thought were cute; why buy pins to eventually trade them away? That was my first thought 🤣 The deeper I went into the pin collecting, the more I wanted to trade! I ended up buying some pins to trade, and it was honestly so much fun! I've met some amazing people already, and I'm glad I got into the pin trading!
Very cool, and how long have you been making fantasy pins?
I presold my first pin about a year ago (25th May 2020!) It was a baby Moana, and it did pretty well! I now only regret that I made it LE100 cause I still have a bunch left 🤣 I've now made around 45 so far, and many more to come!
Some of her fantasy pins
We're so glad to hear it is going well! If I can ask, which is your favourite out of all the pins you've made?
The favorite pin I have created so far has to be the Stitch Christmas Cutie. He was so fun to make, and I just love the candy cane nails I gave him!
Stitch Christmas Cutie (with adorable nails!)
I didn't notice the nails before, how adorable! What are your main collections, and why?
My main collection used to be Stitch. I literally bought EVERY Stitch pin I saw 🤣 Now, I've decided only to collect a few 'themes' of him and made everything Moana my main collection. I've watched the movie a few times, and I just adore her and all the songs!
If you had to guess, how many pins do you have?
Uhmm... Good one! I'd say about 500/600, maybe? My Moana collection only is already 100+ 🤣
image5.jpeg4.81MBBo's Moana collection
Your collection is growing fast! And what is your favourite pin?
I really can't choose one. I really love the POP pins by Yoyo; they are my faves! I have Te Ka, Te Fiti and Pua so far and a trade for Maui! Only need Moana and baby Moana. ❤️
What do you like most about pin trading?
Making friends all over the world! Especially Ellie, she's the owner of geek out.shop, and she became my best pin friend in such a short time! We share the love for making fantasy pins and always help each other out with Pantone colors and choosing designs. We recently decided to swap the pins we made; I love to do creator swaps with other pin makers and support small shops!
If you could change one thing about pin trading, what would it be?
I hate that there are so many people that scam other people in the pin world. I just wish it was a safe place for everyone to buy pins! So sad that there are so many fake ones too, it really is a thing not all people know about, especially when you recently started with pins.
With that in mind, do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into pin trading?
Don't ever buy pin lots on eBay! Most likely, they are all fake, and you shouldn't trade them in the parks! Buy through pin groups and always ask for pictures of the back of the pin to double-check. Besides that, just have fun!
And finally, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about making fantasy pins?
It takes a lot of research and investment to start making your own fantasy pins. Not many (almost no one) shares their manufacturers, so please respect those who don't want to. Make sure to build a good relationship with your manufacturer and let them know you appreciate their work! But most of all, have fun creating them. 🥰
