The A B C's of Lapel Pins

A = Ask. Ask if the price quoted includes everything. Many times, shipping, handling, etc. is extra. If extra, get an exact quote - not a ballpark.

B = Big. Kids love big pins. If you're making a pin for trading with kids, consider a big pin. Yes, they are more expensive but you can use photo-etching or iron pins to save money. Conversely, you do not want large pins if you expect them to be worn on shirts or jackets - especially with men.

C = Cloisonné. Pronounced Cloy - sohn - nay. Hardly anybody makes authentic cloisonné pins anymore. Hard enamel cloisonné offers the full Pantone Matching System (PMS) of over 1000 colors while authentic cloisonné only offers about 140 colors. We can make authentic cloisonné pins if you desire. Make sure you request Authentic Cloisonné if that is your preference.

D = Delivery time. How long will it take to get the pins? If it takes longer than two or three weeks, your order is probably being shipped via boat from Asia/Pacific. We deliver in about two - three weeks.

E = Etched pins. Also called photo-etched pins, these are inexpensive and many-times overlooked. (Be sure and check our low prices) The base is thinner and a clear epoxy finish is usually placed on top. These pins are a good choice if your pin is larger than two inches or, you're on a tight budget. Some pin companies will steer you to a photo-etched pin because it's cheaper to manufacture.

F = Factory. Factories are in Hong Kong, Taiwan or China. There are a couple of factories in the USA but because of high labor costs, pins run at least three-times higher than pins from Asia. There are only two reliable ways to ship from these factories - 1. boat or, 2. air. The water method is cheap but slow. We pay the extra charge to ship International overnight air.

G = Guarantee. This is a service business. We are only as good as our last customer experience. Our entire staff is incented to give great service. If something goes wrong along the way, our employees are empowered to fix it immediately. Read our customer comments here.

H = Hard Enamel. Many pin manufacturers call hard enamel pins cloisonné. They aren't actually authentic cloisonné but they're very close. Filling in the canals on the pin with a glass- powder and baking in an oven make authentic cloisonné. Hard enamel pins are made with epoxy. The advantage of hard-enamel pins is in the colors. You can match to any of the PMS colors which now number of 1000. Authentic cloisonné only offers about 140 colors.

I = Iron. To save money, consider using soft-enamel iron or soft-enamel copper pins for your giveaway pins. These are surprisingly high-quality if art is designed to match the iron style. These pins are very low-cost.

J = Jell-O. What does Jell-O have to do with pins, you ask? Well, after the Salt Lake City Olympics green Jell-O pin appeared in Time magazine, it's value immediately shot-up to over $150! For a little $5 pin.....

K = karats - as in 24k. Our gold-plated pins are 24k.

L = Little League. Or, Pop Warner, cheerleading, soccer or any organized youth league. Kids love lapel pins and trade them at games and tournaments. Baseball trading pins are particularly hot right now.

M = Metal. Lapel pins are made of metal. Usually, it's copper underneath the plating. Pins can also be made of pewter, iron and sometimes other metals. Pins made of iron are the most inexpensive pins made. Some unscrupulous manufacturers will sell you a hard enamel pin that should have copper under the plating but actually it's iron. One way to tell? Put a magnet up to the pin.

N = Novel. We have some novel ideas to turn your pin into a cute novelty. Blinking lights, sliders, bobble-heads, dangles, etc.

O = Other. Pin Pros makes other things besides pins. We can make golf divot tools, ball-markers, key chains, challenge coins, medals, key fobs, cuff-links and much more.

P = Plating. Pins are normally plated in gold, silver, bronze, copper, nickel or dark nickel. They can also be plated in a combination of two colors. Normally, the two colors are gold and silver. Antique plating adds definition - especially to die-struck pins.

Q = Quote. All pin companies are happy to give you a quote however, all quotes are different. It's not what's in the quote; it's what's left out of the quote. Shipping is usually not described. Handling charges are not described. Extra colors, setups, art, rush delivery charges, etc.are sometimes left off the quote.

R = Recognition. Lapel pins are excellent for a low-cost way to recognize employees, volunteers, donation-givers, and others.

S = Silk Screen. We can silk screen text or graphics on the face of a pin. This is useful when you do not want the metal lines around the edges of your colors. It's also sometimes mandatory if the text or graphic is small.

T = Trading. Pins trading is very popular right now. Not only among kids but adults too. There are thousands of adults that collect Olympic pins, Hard Rock pins, hot-air balloon pins, Lions Club pins, Kiwanis Club pins and many, many more.

U = United Airlines. This company knows the value of pins and throughout the year they regularly give pins to their employees to celebrate new routes, new marketing programs, slogans, etc.

V = Volume. Making the first pin is very expensive for us. But after the first one, additional pins are very inexpensive. So, if you order larger quantities, we pass the savings along to you. Like the saying goes, "the more you buy, the more you save."

W = Weddings. Lapel pins at weddings? Well, maybe that's not your cup-of-tea but how about a custom lapel pin with a magnet on the back instead of a nail? Then, it can be used on a refrigerator or other metal base. These make great table-top gifts.

X = X-ray. Taking pins in your carry-on bags through airport x-ray machines will also cause a hand-search of your bags. Be prepared!

Y = Yankees. The New York Yankees baseball club sells more lapel pins than any other baseball club. Those New Yorkers love their pins!

Z = Zoo. Zoos are a hot-spot for pins. People love animals and they love animal pins. Most zoos have lots of pins in stock.