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A baseball pin collection is just about the most American thing anybody can own. It's a one-of-a-kind slice of Americana, steeped in nostalgia and fetching some incredible prices for the right pieces.
But how do you get started? Where do you trade these pins? And which pins should you collect?
These are all pertinent questions and, luckily for you, all ones we will be addressing in this blog piece. Join us, as we break down how you can start collecting the pins you really want, today!
Pin trading is central to the Little League experience, as much a part of it as the games and tournaments. You'll see tents set up at the Little League World Series and Facebook groups flooded with people doing thousands of trades every year.
But where do you start if you want to make this hobby legit? Baseball pins are everywhere, making them one of the easiest collections to pick up. Supply isn't the issue, but is there a "right" way to get started?
Not to get too philosophical, but your first point of order should be looking inwards. Ask yourself: "Why do I want to collect pins?" Are you supporting or commemorating your team, or is this more for the love of collecting?
Answer this question and you can gear your collection towards numbers, rare items, or whatever makes sense for you. Once you know what you'll be collecting and why it's time to start collecting.
In the world of baseball trading pins, there are four varieties of you can collect:
As with any collection, these pins tend to be traded for one of two reasons. Often, collectors will buy or trade pins based on their design, with more colorful, more intricate designs trading faster. Bold colors, limited edition designs, and eye-catching visuals go a long way, here.
Alternatively, there's always vintage items. These are valuable because of their age, not their design, as sometimes there are only a dozen or so of them left in circulation. The market for these can be great for the savvy buyer, but they are also an attractive option for nostalgic pin collectors.
As we've discussed, sometimes a pin collection is just a pin collection. You'll find boxes full of team pins from amateur locals, perhaps a few from your kids' big games. All of which is fine if you're just collecting for the sake of having a collection, in which case the value of the pin doesn't matter much.
But collectors also put a great deal of stock behind the value of many baseball pins. And, luckily, there are a lot of great resources online. As a collector, it's easy enough to research a pin's value on the Internet, either via articles or communications with antique dealers.
There's nowhere on this earth more important to a collector than the trade show and convention circuit. These meetups connect pin enthusiasts, collectors, dealers, and specialists with each other. Appraisers and pin dealers do great business at these events. But they also make their expertise available to help collectors gauge their pins' or collections' worth.
This is the promised land for an avid collector, bringing everyone from beginners to experts together under one roof. Spend the day indulging your passion for these pins, and you'll gain valuable insights, grow your collection and even find rare pins. What could a collector want more?
So you've cottoned on to the wonderful world of baseball pin collecting and now you're hooked. You've got the passion, and it's time to kickstart your own hobby, collecting pin after pin from your favorite teams. Or maybe you already have a collection, and you're just looking to expand.
Whatever your motivation, you'll want a working knowledge of where to get pins, and where to take the ones you do have to trade them.
A love of baseball pins often starts in the stands at actual baseball games. You're likely to spend a fair amount of time watching your local team play baseball games, either at home or away.
This is a perfect opportunity to meet other collectors, and meeting other collectors is the best way there is to get trading. Ask around and see if there are any pin fanatics in the stands with you. You might be surprised by who you meet and how many trades you'll kick off in this manner.
As an added bonus, there's always the chance you'll jumpstart someone else's passion for pins in the process.
Pin collectors often affectionately refer to themselves as "pinheads". Do your research and ask around for local postings about trading meetups.
These are specialized events where traders can start up or add to their collections, making connections in the process. It's an opportunity to meet people with your interests.
And knowing that everyone's there for the same reason makes starting conversations easier. You might even start your own smaller meetups with friends and collectors as a result.
Collectors will also often trade pins on internet forums and auctions. Websites dedicate resources to connecting collectors with opportunities to find and sell pins. Social media channels, similarly, offer an expansive number of avenues in which to trade.
Whether you're an avid local baseball supporter or just wanting a piece of the collectible pie, anyone can start a pin collection. For more on these pins and the people who collect them, check out some of our other awesome blog content today!
Do you want to get your baseball trading pin design just right?
There are over 2 million little league baseball players in the U.S. It's a way to learn skills and lessons that will last a lifetime.
Baseball is about teamwork, community, and camaraderie.
A way to commemorate that community and the lessons learned are through trading pins. You want the pins to stay with the kids as long as the life lessons they learn.
That's where a good eye for design comes into play. A good baseball trading pin design will be remembered for years to come.
Keep reading to learn how to design a baseball pin that people will want for a long time.
When you're beginning the design process, you'll want to start out by brainstorming ideas. Ask yourself a few basic questions about the trading pins.
When you start to think about the end result, it becomes easier to decide how you want your trading pins to look.
You'll also want to think about how someone feels when they receive the pin. The reason why pins are traded and have such a long history is that the pin creates an emotional connection between players, teams, and events. Will they be excited to have a baseball trading pin from your club?
Start to jot down ideas and sketches on paper. Note if there are any elements you want in the design, such as a logo or a symbol.
You'll want to look at other trading pins for a couple of reasons. The first is that if you want your baseball pins to be a collectible, you need a baseball trading pin design that stands out.
The second reason is that you can draw inspiration from other pin designs.
Trading pins come in all sorts of shapes and designs, and it helps to know what you like about certain pins and what you don't like about other pins.
You can take that knowledge and apply it in your own design.
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When it comes to basic elements of design, there are a number of things to consider. Color, symbols, text, logos, and spacing all have an impact on the final product.
Symbols & Icons
In baseball, there are typical icons. There's the baseball diamond, bat, baseball, glove, and home plate, just to name a few.
If you want to have a pin that stands out, you can move beyond the typical imagery and have a pin shaped like your team's state instead. That's a great option if your little league team travels to tournaments all over the country.
Another symbol or icon to add to your design is a logo. You can add the logo of your team into the design for an added boost of recognition.
Colors
Did you know that colors have psychological meanings?
Before you automatically put your team's colors on the pin, think about the impact and connection you want your pin to make. Match that up with the colors in your pin.
Text
The main point of the text you use is to keep it easy to read and keep it to a minimum. You probably don't need a big fancy font if it's going to be difficult to read. A lot of teams like to add their team numbers, baseball team name, or team players first names. Get creative!
You can spice up your trading pin design by adding a little sparkle to it.
Trading pin enhancements include items such as crystals, sparkles, and glitter can attract attention and make your baseball pin design become an instant hit.
Good design is usually very simple. There are only a few elements and that's it. You don't need to add too much information because it will detract from the design.
Remember that first impressions are everything. People will look at your baseball pin very quickly. If they can't figure out immediately what the pin is about and who it's from, they'll quickly move on to something else.
If your design is simple, they'll be able to know what the pin is immediately and make that connection.
For a very simple pin, have the design feature the team's logo, name, and location. Another simple pin includes a tournament name, the year and location, and a little bling.
Now it's up to you to test your design. Mock up a few ideas on paper or by using trading pin design software.
Take your ideas and show them to other people for feedback. You can ask other coaches, players, and parents for their thoughts. Keep it to a few people so you don't get overwhelmed with feedback. Don't take it personally. Good design rarely happens on the first try.
Take the feedback and apply what you heard into a new design. You can take it for another round of feedback, or if you're happy with the design, go with it.
Now that you have your design down, you'll want to pick your material for your pin. There are two main types of pins to choose from for your custom design.
Soft enamel is the highest quality material that gives you the most options for your designs. This is a good fit if you have colors that you don't want to bleed together. You can get different types of metals such as silver or brass.
Offset printing is the best choice if your design has a lot of details or if you would prefer not to have colors separated by metal lines.
Baseball trading pins have a long history. They're a hit with collectors, players and parents alike.
Baseball trading pin design isn't difficult as long as you know what people are looking for in a trading pin and know the basic elements of good design.
If you'd like to get started with baseball pins for your team, we can help.
Contact us today if you have any questions or fill out the quote form below.
