Pin Types

Why Choose Pin Zone Trading Pins?

If you've never ordered trading pins before, we'll help you get started. Your budget, ideas and wishes will be considered by our expert team of designers. Our staff can help create a design that will make your pin the most "popular" pin while considering your budget. Simply contact us with any questions you may have.

We'll Help You Determine The Following:

Quantity

The quantity of pins you order affects thel price of your trading pins. Design setup and manufacturing costs can be spread over larger orders, the more trading pins you order at one time, the less expensive each pin will be. An average order for a team of 13 is about 40 pins per player.

Size

Trading pins come in all different shapes and sizes. Larger pins are highly sought after, but are a little more expensive than smaller pins. Because we produce many pins, we recommend pins are at least 1 ½" in size. It allows the factory more room to enhance the details of your pin, while making your pins more "tradeable".

Type

There are many ways to produce your pins, but we want you to have the best pin at the tournament. Because different types of pins requires different materials or a different manufacturing process, the prices will vary. Soft enamel and photo-etched are among the most popular processes to produce sports trading pins.

Color

Pin Zone includes up to 7 colors on your baseball trading pins absolutely FREE-of-charge.

Free Artwork

Our experienced design team will create pin designs absolutely FREE. With your ideas and input, we will send you computer-generated artwork via e-mail for you to review. Make any changes you'd like. It only makes the pins better. Unlimited revisions are available.

Cloisonne (Cloy-Zun-Nay) Trading Pins

Cloisonne is most traditional and jewelry-like process to produce pins. Base material is die struck copper. All colors are created using a cloisonne material which is placed onto the metal by hand and oven baked at high temperatures to obtain a smooth jewelry like finish. Colors are usually outlined with metal.

Cloisonne trading pins are inherently scratch resistant and do not require an epoxy dome for protection. Cloisonne pins are top of the line pins. Hard enamel is the most expensive among the other processes due to the sophisticated skills and attention to detail.

Soft Enamel Trading Pins

Soft enamel trading pins are similar to hard enamel pins, but more affordable. That’s why they ve gained popularity. Like hard enamel cloisonné, soft enamel pins have that fine jewelry feel. They are the #1 choice for many sports teams for trading pins.

Cloisonne trading pins are inherently scratch resistant and do not require an epoxy dome for protection. Cloisonne pins are top of the line pins. Hard enamel is the most expensive among the other processes due to the sophisticated skills and attention to detail.

Die-Struck Trading Pins

Die-struck pins provide a 3-d, jewelry effect for classy pins. These pins are great for a high quality pin at a competitive price. Many finishing options are available with this process. Our highly trained customer service representatives can guide you in designing your pins using this process.

The production for die-struck is almost the same as cloisonné or soft enamel, but without hard enamel or soft enamel color. Since there are no colors on the pin, we can use various finishing options for your pins using this technique. You can choose sand blasting, antique bronze, two-tone (gold and silver). Satin or matte finishes provide different textures or finishes for your background choices.

Photo Etched Trading Pins

Is good choice for sports trading pins, larger pins and pins with blinking lights. With lighter weight of 0.8mm thick brass material, pins are produced by a photographic and chemical etching process as opposed to die striking, while allowing for more detailed designs and colors. Pins are cheaper and lighter than die-struck soft enamel pins.

Your custom pin design is etched onto a brass plate. The design is then filled with soft enamel colors (from PMS color chart). The pins are then fired at a high temperature to ensure durability and high quality. Pins are polished and the surface may be protected with a clear finish/epoxy dome recommended to protect the colors of your pins. Low cost method of production and low minimum production quantity.

Screen Print Trading Pins

Newest method of pin production. Colors are silk screen printed onto abrass base material in a method similar to screening T-shirts except on a very small scale. PANTONE colors are utilized and protected with an epoxy dome. The process is relatively low cost and the pins are high quality. This process is great for designs with many small details and gradient coloring.

It s easy to tell a screen printed pin because there is no separation of metal between the colors, because the design is simply screened onto the metal. There are no "grooves" that you can feel on the pin, because the colors are not separated by metal like die-struck or soft enamel pins. The cut-out of the pin is still the same though. Many sports teams pick this process due to lower cost and HIGH level of design detail. What you see on your computer screen for design, is what you get on the pin. It s exactly the same black outlines and colors. Like cloisonné, soft enamel or die-struck production methods, an epoxy coating is recommended to seal the design and protect your pins from scratching and fading.

Disclaimer:

Custom Pin Samples

Generic pin samples can be provided at your request to view our quality work in person FREE of CHARGE. These stock samples can be sent for your reference of pin “types”, pin “size” and pin “quality”, etc. Stock samples are limited to items we have already produced, items we carry as samples, and stock pin items for sale. This does NOT include a sample of a new custom design.

New custom design samples can be requested for your review if desired. A custom sample usually takes about 2 – 2 1/2 weeks to produce. There is a fee for setting up the mold and the cost of delivery to you. This fee is based on size of pin and pin type. These fees are waived if there is no changes to the design and you approve full production and place an order with our company. Typical freight cost for sample to be sent priority international mail is $40. The mold charge fee range from $65 to $125 (depending on size of pin).

If you choose not to order (OR make changes to the mold), the fee is then required.