Enamel Pins FAQs
How do you grade your enamel pins?
When sorting through enamel pins, I divide them into the following categories:
- Collector grade
- Standard grade
- B grade
- C grade
- Junk grade
Collector grade pins are those that are basically perfect in every way. Since enamel pins are handmade items, very few pins in a given batch will be Collector grade, and sometimes, I won't have any pins that are quite up to Collector grade standard.
Standard grade pins are those that have very minor imperfections. These are still beautiful pins and look great when worn or displayed on a pin board. Some of the minor flaws that Standard grade pins may have include the following:
- very light scuffing on the enamel or metal
- some small imperfections in the metal plating
- tiny air bubbles or dust particles that can only be seen upon very close examination
- very small and light nicks on the enamel or metal
- very minor under filling of enamel
B grade pins are those that can have any of the above-mentioned flaws, but to a slightly greater degree. A pin that is otherwise perfect might also be downgraded to B grade if there is a small area of unfilled or incorrectly filled enamel. B grade pins aren't perfect, but they're still quite attractive and are great for wearing around. They're also great for pin collectors on a budget.
C grade pins are what I sell during my Seconds sales. These are pins that have flaws slightly more significant than B grades, but they are still good enough to be worn. If you are looking for a pin to put on a backpack, tote bag, or denim jacket, these are great for that!
Junk grade pins are pins with faults so great I will not sell them.
Can you make a custom enamel pin for me?
Due to the manufacturing process of enamel pins, they can only be made in large batches, typically of 100 pins or more. Therefore, I cannot offer single custom enamel pins. If, however, you are interested in having me design an enamel pin for a large event, organization, company, etc., I'd love to hear from you. Just fill out my contact form and I'll get back to you.
I have a cool idea for a collaboration pin. Would you be interested in working with me?
Quite possibly. Please contact me with your idea and I'll let you know if it's something I could work on.
The metal posts on my enamel pin arrived bent. What do I do?
Enamel pins are generally pretty sturdy and do just fine when traveling in the mail. Occasionally though, the posts can get slightly bent in transit. If this should happen, you can easily straighten out the posts using metal pliers. In the event that there is more significant damage to the pin or the posts actually fell off during transit, please contact me.