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Pin trading in sports first started in the 1890s as a way to promote companies to baseball fans. Today, pin trading is a worldwide phenomenon in all sports.
You can find pin trading at trade shows for many industries. Pin trading is a popular activity at Disney theme parks. Athletes participate in pin trading at the Olympic Village during the Summer and Winter Games, a tradition that began at the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
For children just getting started in pin trading, sporting events provide a great opportunity to get involved. There is an avid pin trading world for collecting sports pins.
But before you have your child slide into the world of pin trading, there are a few key tips your child should know. Read on for tips to make the pin trading experience an enjoyable one for your child.
Even with unlimited time and money, it would be impossible for someone to collect every type of pin out there. When your child starts collecting pins, it is a good idea to set some limits.
Deciding how big a collection should be can involve discussions about how much space you have for the pins. For instance, some pin collectors use a corkboard to show their pins. When the board is full, they have to decide what to keep and what to trade or give away.
Another factor to consider is the cost of pins. Whether your child will purchase pins to add to their collection or purchasing pins that they can trade, setting a budget will be helpful.
Once you've got the ground rules established with your child, now the fun can begin. Talk about what types of pins they find most appealing. It could be for a particular sport, a geographic area, or even a particular color.
Determine whether the pins that your child trades for are ones they plan to keep trading away or if they will have some that end up in a permanent collection. Some children enjoy the act of trading pins more than the collecting of pins.
Some pins may have significant monetary value. While it is unlikely someone would trade a 1911 Philadelphia Athletics Press Pin to your child, if your child is told that a pin is particularly valuable from a collectible standpoint, take a look on ebay to get a general idea of its market value.
In addition to the fun aspect of pin trading, the act of pin trading itself provides valuable life skills. In order to trade, your child will need to engage in social interaction with another person, sometimes an adult.
Explain that to start asking about a trade, be polite. Don't interrupt if the person is speaking with someone else. Make eye contact and speak in a clear voice. Don't grab for a pin without permission.
Once they have the attention of the pin trader, your child can introduce themselves, and propose a trade.
This is also a great opportunity to learn more about the pin they are looking at. Let your child ask questions that they are curious about. Is the pin old or new? Is the pin about a team or does it commemorate an event?
Sometimes pins can have a fascinating story behind them.
Although most pin trades are one pin for one pin, some collectors may want to trade a couple more common pins for a rarer pin. You can teach your child the art of negotiation.
In some cases, a pin trader may have a particular pin that they don't want to trade, but just bring to show. Teaching your child how to handle rejection if a trade isn't successful is an important life skill.
Once your child has a collection of pins, this provides a great opportunity to teach responsibility in caring for the collection.
There are a variety of different pins created for trading, including soft enamel pins and molded pins. Some pins come with a safety back pin, and others are a pin that is covered by a rubber or metal clutch.
Pins that have a pin covered by a clutch backing are easily displayed on a corkboard or decorated foam board that can be mounted into a frame. For example, a foam board designed to look like a softball is great for displaying a softball pin collection.
You can wear pins on jackets or vests, and there are collectible pin booklets with padded pages for portability when trading.
The two main factors your child will need to know is to protect the pin front from scratches and protect the pin back from bending. Most modern pins are made from materials that are resistant to rust.
For pins that are worn on a jacket, hat, or vest, special locking pinbacks provide an added layer of security. These special backs are tightened in place with a small hex key, ensuring that a pin will not fall off of an article of clothing.
To keep pins clean, simply use a slightly damp cloth. Harsh cleaners can cause damage to pin surfaces and should be avoided. Aside from that, pins require minimal regular care, making them a perfect collectible for children of all ages.
Pin trading is a fun hobby that reinforces the values of camaraderie and good sportsmanship between pin traders. It gives a great way for kids to connect with different teams, players, and fans, along with valuable life skills. With a variety of unique designs, there will be something for every child to take an interest in when they start collecting pins.
Considering creating pins for your own softball team? Contact us today for a quote to help your fans or players start collecting softball pins.
Whether you're with a local Little League or a regional travel club, custom trading pins are a staple at baseball fields around the country.
Games and tournaments often see more trading than Wall Street. Players exchange their own pins for new ones, creating friendships and memories.
While most pin manufacturers offer to help with artwork, it's rewarding and special to design your team's pin yourself. Here's our guide on how to design custom trading pins for your baseball team.
Every great creation starts with an idea.
To design great custom trading pins for your baseball team, you need to brainstorm and develop a concept.
Just like with designing a logo, designing pins is easier said than done. Sometimes we can't come up with anything. Or the opposite happens -- with so many possibilities, it can be hard to narrow them all down.
Even the most creative minds can have "designer's block."
If you're stuck, search for inspiration!
A great way to start is by looking at some of the trading pins your team has used in the past or ones you've collected from other teams. Pick a few favorites, and write down what makes them so cool.
Another way to find inspiration is by browsing an online photo gallery of baseball pins. You can find pins of teams from all around the country, and you don't even need to meet them at a game or tournament to see them.
If you need even more ideas, don't be afraid to expand your search and look beyond baseball. Trading pins are a popular thing to collect in other sports as well. Check out pins made for football, hockey, basketball, and soccer teams.
Also search for pins from theme parks, museums, and events. They might not relate to sports, but they can show you all the possibilities of special things you can put on a trading pin.
Luckily, there's a lot of great imagery and symbols in the game of baseball. Here are some elements that you might consider including on your custom trading pins' design.
This is the obvious one, but your baseball pin needs to have a baseball!
Many pins take advantage of a baseball's round shape and use it as the main framework and outline of the design. Circular designs, called roundels, are a common feature of logos. They look great on hats, clothing, and yes, pins!
Baseballs are also great things to use as smaller design elements. They're the perfect thing to use for interactive pin enhancements like sliders, spinners, and danglers.
The diamond shape of the basepath is another iconic symbol of the sport.
Like the circular baseballs, a diamond is commonly used in the background to set the main shape of the pin.
Have you ever seen the skull and crossbones or crossed swords of the Jolly Roger?
Mirroring the famed pirate flag, long objects crossed into an X have long been a common design motif. Crossed baseball bats could add an aggressive feel to your design, even if your team name doesn't relate to pirates.
With their long, flat shape, baseball bats also make good underlines to the name of a team or player.
After all, these pins are made to represent your team.
Featuring your team's branding helps the fans that wear your pins root on the ballclub. They also help the people you trade pins with remember who you are and where you are from.
Some teams only have a generic pin for their team. It's economical, as they can order a lot of them at once to supply the team's players for several seasons.
But other teams like to order new pins for each season. Each group of players has a unique pin to remember that specific squad.
What can you add to a pin to make it unique? One thing is the year. You can also include the names and numbers of each player on the team, which will likely change every year.
You can also order special pins after the season and make note of the team's accomplishments. You can include the win-loss record and any championships and titles won.
When you've found inspiration and come up with some ideas in your head, it's time to sketch out your design.
This can be intimidating for some. But you don't need to be a great artist to make a design.
You don't need fancy art tools or an expensive sketch pad to draw some concepts for your pin. Some of the best ideas were drafted on a napkin with an ordinary pen.
Your first drafts will be rough drafts. Don't worry about perfection with these, because the point is only to make a proof of concept.
You may go through several versions of your design before narrowing it down and producing something you truly like. Tinker and tweak until you've found what you're looking for.
For some, this might be the end of your designing. You can send your sketch to your pin maker, and their professional artists will create a more finalized version based on the work you've already done.
The manufacturer will perk up your design to meet their requirements, but the design and ideas will still be yours.
For more advanced and tech-savvy graphic designers, you may choose to take the designing a step further and make a final version of your design with a digital program.
Hardcore artists may have access to top industry software such as Photoshop and Illustrator through Adobe Creative Cloud. These programs are powerful, but also expensive.
Luckily, budget-friendly alternatives are also available. GIMP and Inkscape are popular graphics programs that are completely free. You can even pull off some fantastic designs with some clever use of PowerPoint.
Digital graphic design might be tricky for novices, but learning how to use editing programs gives you more power to create the perfect artwork for your pin.
Once you've created your designs, upload them and send them to the manufacturer. They'll turn your great design into real pins for your team to collect and trade.
Contact us today to get a free quote on your order of custom trading pins for your baseball team.
If you play baseball and you haven't been introduced to the world of baseball trading pins, you're missing out.
This tradition is almost as timeless as the sport itself, and many people find great joy in this past-time. It offers players and fans alike a chance to share their love for baseball with something special.
But why are trading pins so special? It's really up to the beholder, but they can stand for the team effort.
These items represent the trials and tribulations that finally got you that championship win. Other pins in your collection might represent teams that you admire.
Not to mention that you can even find trading pins beyond the world of sports!
If you've never collected anything before, it can be difficult to know where to start. That's why, in this article, we're discussing how you can start your own baseball trading pins collection. Keep reading to learn more.
This tradition has its roots in the 1920s in Rochester, NY. It was a bakery that started the trend by distributing pinback buttons that featured hometown heroes or baseball players. You could collect a pin with each purchase of a loaf of bread, and the pins came in sets for collection and/or trade.
These original trading pins are quite valuable today. Fans wear them and collect them for various reasons that include supporting a team or honoring its history.
There are several different kinds of baseball trading pins that you can find for your collection:
Many collectors that are just starting out begin with soft enamel pins. They are long lasting and affordable.
Stock trading pins are simple and basic without personalized details.
Offset digital pins use designs that are encrypted on a metal plate. Photo-etched pins display images.
No matter what type of baseball trading pins you prefer, you should start a collection.
Trading pins is a great way to get involved in your sport. You can make new friends among those who collect and show support for all of your favorite teams. You can even trade with other players from different states and regions to expand your collection further.
Collecting trading pins will give you something to talk about during the downtime at games and off the field. It's even more exciting when you find someone who has a pin that you've been looking for. Now, which pins are you willing to trade for that one special pin?
That's the fun in it. See how many pins you can collect in a season, and think about which friends you enjoy trading with the most. Remember that you can keep collecting for your whole life, so the opportunities to find your favorite pins are endless.
Start by finding baseball trading pins that really catch your eye. Pins that represent your own team are a good starting point too. You can also ask your friends if they have duplicates of any pins they may have collected.
You only need one pin to start collecting. Later, it will feel like a game to see when and where you'll find your next pins. Hopefully, it's not too challenging, and you'll be well on your way to a fine collection in no time.
Now that you have a few trading pins in your inventory, check everything you've collected so far.
You want to make sure you know which pins you have, and which ones mean the most to you. This can help you organize your pins, which will prevent you from accidentally trading them.
If you have any duplicates, ask your friends if they're up for trading something. Or you can wait until the next game and see if there are other players with pins that you might not ordinarily find.
Keep duplicates separated from the rest so you'll be able to access them easier when it comes the time to trade.
Believe it or not, baseball trading pins can hold significant value.
It's not likely that your local team pin is worth more than what you paid for it. Who knows, maybe you'll even find one of those original trading pins from the 1920s!
The Internet is a good place to start researching values. You can also take your pins to a local collector's shop where they may be able to assess their worth for you.
Look up trading pin forums and collector's sites online. Don't forget to ask questions.
Don't ever give up a pin if you think it holds value. Do your research first.
Beyond catching up with the other players at your games, try to find out where other pinheads are.
You can find pin meets where collectors come from far and wide to see what other pin collectors have. These are extremely social events that add a little dose of competition to the mix.
Ask teammates and fellow collectors where to find a pin meet near you.
Check online forums to find out where other collectors are meeting in your region or state.
The most important thing to collecting trading pins is to have fun.
This is an awesome hobby for many sports enthusiasts who want to further involve themselves in this awesome sport.
Don't be let down by a shutout. Get out there and trade some baseball pins with your opponents, and make friends.
Starting a new baseball trading pins collection is exciting because you'll have an opportunity to share with all of your friends.
As you get older, your pins might even be worth some money. Not to mention the sentimental value they hold for years to come.
Look for other 'pinheads', those that also enjoy collecting these items, so you can have others to trade with. You can easily display your pins on a cap or backpack so that they know you're interested in trading too.
Keep this timeless tradition alive by starting your own collection today. You won't be disappointed.
If you're interested in purchasing baseball trading pins, or if you have questions, contact us. We offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee!
Baseball is a beloved past time for many sports enthusiasts of all ages. It allows friends and family to gather for the sake of doing something fun. And, whether you enjoy watching the sport or you're always on the field, there is added pleasure in collecting baseball trading pins.
But, why are baseball pins so cool, you ask? We'll go into it with greater detail in a moment. For the time being, remember that being cool is all about being a good sport.
Baseball pins invoke camaraderie and team effort. They're also a good way to show off your team spirit. No matter how cool you want to be, starting a baseball trading pins collection is a good place to start.
If you're trying to learn more about why these little pins are so cool, you've come to the right place. In this article, we're providing you a little history and details to get you started on the coolest collection in town.
Baseball pins got their start in an unusual place back in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a Bakery in Rochester, NY, that started the tradition of trading pinback buttons that featured famous baseball players. Patrons received a pin with their favorite hometown heroes displayed with each loaf of bread purchased from the bakery.
The pins came in sets that were made in 1920, 1922, and 1933.
That's part of the excitement of collecting - you just might end up with one of these originals in your own collection someday!
Baseball itself is a timeless tradition that has roots as far back as the 1300s in France. Today, it's regarded as America's favorite sport after earning a rich history in the United States.
With baseball gaining in popularity around the turn of the 20th century, it became a profitable market for manufacturers and retail sellers. People that love baseball will inevitably buy baseball related products and collectibles. And so, baseball collector's pins got their start.
Remember those original pins that started with the Bakery almost a hundred years ago? Those pins are worth some big bucks nowadays because they are rare and hard to find. There are other pins that have been popular through the years and thus carry a high value.
Your favorite pin is also your most valuable pin when it comes to trading time. And, you may even be keeping it because you think it could be worth some money someday.
If you become a serious collector, you could find some valuable pins along the way.
Besides the value and history of your favorite trading pins, they're so cool because they allow you to show off your pride in and for baseball. It's an awesome way to decorate your favorite hat or backpack. Get them in all the different styles to add variety to your collection.
There are four different styles of baseball pins to choose from:
Now that you know how cool baseball pins really are, it's time to start your own collection. Even if you already have a collection going, you need to know where to get more pins and trade them, too.
Of course, you'll already be at your favorite teams' baseball games or your own where other collectors are bound to hang out. Maybe you know some people on your own team, or even the opposing team, that collects pins. If you don't, ask around.
Asking around is a great way to get others to start collecting, too. This way, you'll have more people to trade with later on.
Ask around some more or look for local postings where 'pinheads', or other pin collectors meet up and talk about their pins and even trade with others.
You can start up your own trading events with friends and collectors that you meet. It won't be hard to start up a conversation about your pins if you wear them often. And, other collectors will be able to find you in a crowd.
There are many collectors that trade pins via online forums and auctions. You can find local and international websites dedicated to helping collectors find the pins they're looking for.
Don't forget to work your social media channels, too. Social media networks are extremely expansive so that you may reach even more collectors.
Local sports shops are best known for carrying your favorite sports memorabilia. So, make sure to ask them if people are looking for baseball pins. Maybe the shop even has a few that you're looking for.
Sports shops are great places to meet other fans and even if the shop doesn't have pins, there might be other collectors hanging out there anyway.
Whether you're trying to be the coolest collector in town or you just really love baseball, trading pins are fun to collect any time of the year. All you have to do is figure out what kind you like and get out there and find them. You'll be the talk of the team when you introduce others to this awesome past time.
Anything that is this fun is bound to be cool by most standards. It gives you a reason to connect with your friends and make new ones. And, of course, if you're lucky enough to find a gem, you could even make some money down the line.
If you're interested in trading pins, or if you have questions, contact us! Or, you can get a quote to jumpstart your collection, today.
Collectible trading pins have been around for over one hundred years and continue to be popular among sports fans, players, and collectors, alike. But, there's more to trading pins than simple trinkets that attract the eye. Trading pins as a pastime is just as much about tradition as it is about supporting your favorite team or sports players.
Knowing the history of the trading pin will only make you a more popular person to trade with. Not to mention that you'll feel a sense of connection to those that started the tradition and have a shot at becoming a part of history yourself.
If you've always wondered about the history of the trading pin, then you're in the right place. In this article we're discussing how it all began and why collecting baseball trading pins should be a priority for your team. Keep reading to learn more.
Once you know all about the history of the trading pin, you can share your knowledge with other pin traders to help keep the tradition alive. The history is what makes it all so fun and exciting in the first place. And, regardless of your affiliation to the pastime, you'll be better equipped to find pins for yourself and your friends or family that make an impact on your collections.
In today's day and age, it's actually difficult to find a reason NOT to collect trading pins. Many sports teams from youth leagues to professional enterprises engage in creating, designing, and trading pins as a way to promote team spirit among players and fans. Some people trade pins solely as a hobby, even if they don't usually participate in the events for which the trading pins are made.
Many baseball pin traders have probably heard the story about how trading pins got their start. For baseball, in particular, it began in the 1920s in Rochester, New York when a local bakery began distributing pinback buttons featuring local baseball players. The bakery offered the pins in four-packs for collection or trade.
But, the real origin of the trading pin itself began at the end of the 19th century in Athens, Greece. It was the first Olympic games where athletes, judges, and officials all wore different cardboard discs with multiple colors to identify themselves. Wearing, distributing, and trading such type pins eventually evolved into the custom that we know today.
When the first Olympic Village opened in Paris in 1924, trading pins grew in popularity because athletes had more frequent contact with each other and officials. Each country featured its own pin. It was not long after that spectators took an interest in trading pins and collections which eventually urged Olympic organizers to limit the number of pins produced in order to maintain exclusivity.
By now, it was 1948 and pin trading and collecting was becoming a popular hobby. Sports fans began organizing their own trading events and the tradition took off with great enthusiasm.
In 1988, Coca-Cola saw an opportunity to get in on the fun and set up an official pin trading center at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. This was the first time a corporation became involved with pin trading and it was a great success. Some people arrived at the Games just for the pin trading rather than to watch any sports.
Ever since Coca-Cola's promotion and dedication to pin trading started, it has become known as the number one spectator sport at the Olympic Games. There are now thousands of designs and millions of pins and collectors found throughout the world.
Disneyland parks have always carried pins for their guests to purchase and collect. But, it wasn't until the Millennium Celebration in 1999 when pin trading was introduced at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Disneyland Resort in California soon followed.
Now pin trading is popular at Disneyland Parks worldwide. This was the first time in history that a corporation unaffiliated with sports became involved with the tradition of trading pins and it has been a great success. Each branch of Disney, including Disney Cruise Lines, has their own pins and trading traditions.
Many pin traders, known as pinheads, started their collections by finding trading pins that they really love. These can be pins that are colorful and made with soft enamel to photo-etched pins that depict their favorite sports players. They started trading as a way to broaden their collections as well as make new friends.
Whether you enjoy sports as a player or a fan, or you're just intrigued by the many different types and styles of pins, it's a good reason to collect and trade. You'll not only have fun, but you'll also have something to brag about when your collection takes off.
Make a game of it in itself and see how many pins you can collect in a given year or season. Think of your friends when you're trading so that you'll have something to share with them when you find a pin that they've been looking for. Best of all, create a tradition in your family that's sure to last for generations.
The tradition of collecting pins is a pastime for many that enjoy sports and other events like scholarly competitions. Some pins even hold significant value depending on how old they are and how many are in circulation. If you're lucky, you may find rare pins that not only add value to your collection but also motivates other pinheads to trade with you.
Trading sports pins is all about camaraderie on and off the playing the field. Whether you're a player or a fan, trading pins is a great way to make lasting friendships. You may even build your own network of pinheads to trade with on a regular basis so that your collection remains diverse and up to date at all times.
If you want to be a part of the history of the trading pin and start your own collection, feel free to contact us! We've been manufacturing and distributing baseball trading pins since 2003 and we look forward to helping you get involved with this timeless tradition.
Looking to make your own custom trading pin? We can help,. Fill out our online form to begin!
