Can anyone link to cheap ones that aren't going to get me in trouble? I saw a thread a ways back that said there are fake pins. Also what's like the minimum I'd need to get? I don't want to buy a lot if they don't get into it.
Any eBay seller that sells opened pins in lots where the actual pins are not specified in the listing is selling fakes. They might be very good fakes, but they’re fakes. If the listing says they are “tradable” that’s a red flag for fakes. If the listing works out to be under a dollar a pin, they are fake.
The listings for specific pins are less likely to be fakes. It’s not guaranteed, but if you can see the actual pins (good pictures front and back) in the listing, you have a better chance of getting genuine pins.
For the best chance of getting real pins, buy unopened lots. There are people living near the parks/outlets who scoop up clearance packs, and sell them for under retail. The prices are typically higher than the super cheap scraper lots, but usually work out to a decent discount over buying directly from Disney.
No matter which you choose, you are unlikely to “get in trouble” for trading fakes, because CMs generally accept any trade that has the Disney logo on the back, even if they strongly believe it to be a fake.
This also means that as the day goes on and CMs trade with more guests, the chances increase that you’ll be getting a fake from a CM. If this bothers you, trade earlier in the day when the lanyards are fresher.
I’m not going to go down the path of ethics of fakes and scrappers because that’s been done to death in other threads. Some people care, and some don’t, and I have yet to see a debate change anyone’s mind.