Pins Info

All pins are hard enamel pins.

I use rubber pin backs only. No other options will be available.

Grading Scale

Pin grading is not a universal practice among artists, some practice it and some do not. Every artist has a different scale with which they grade their pins, some are more lenient and others are more strict. It is important to remember that all pins are handmade items, no pin is ever perfect and small variations can occur from unit to unit. Below is how I grade my pins.

How I Inspect My Pins

I inspect my pins in either natural sunlight or under a light source. I hold the pin at a little closer than arm's length and look over the surface, checking for gouges, low fill, large scratches, large areas of scuffing and more. I then rotate the pin in my hand to check the sides to ensure there aren't large areas of missing plating. Usually when inspecting pins, I place significantly less scrutiny on the sides of the pin, and place almost no scrutiny on the back of the pin.

Though I grade my pins by hand and try my best to sort A and B grades, some mistakes are bound to occur here and there. Pins are hand made items and no pin is ever perfect as a result. It is also important to remember that pin grading is a subjective matter and standards will vary from artist to artist.

A Grade/Standard Grade

A grades or standards are scrutinized primarily on their facing surface (the front or design side of the pin) and are graded on a curve. The sides of the pins are scrutinized to a much lower degree, and the back of the pins are not scrutinized. Generally, these are pins that have some minor blemishes or flaws that are only noticeable if inspected up close and under bright light. Some of these blemishes include...

• small, but not noticeable, air bubbles
• small, but not noticeable, enamel under fill
• some light imperfections in the metal plating
• surface scuffing or light scratches on the enamel or metal
• small, singular nicks on the enamel or metal
• some minor dust mixed into glitter
• some areas of overturned glitter
• minor paint pooling on screen printed pins
• some areas of missing plating on sides of pin*
• some areas of enamel spillover on sides of pin*
• small specks of dust on soft enamel pins
• encased posts with slight wiggle
• minor offset in screen printing
• not noticeable plating imperfections on the front of pin

*Note that the sides of pins are held to a much lower level of scrutiny when considering an A grade from a B grade pin. A grade pins may exhibit scuffing in the metal surface, minor enamel spillover or small areas of missing plating on the sides and still be considered an A grade.

In other words, defects in these pins won't be noticeable at an arms length in natural light. These pins are sold at full price and make nice gifts or additions to a collection. They are beautiful and are great for wear or display purposes.

B Grade/Seconds Grade

These pins have more flaws than A grade pins but are still not noticeable unless you look closely under a light source. Some have more minor or major blemishes than others. Like A grade pins, B grade pins are primarily scrutinized based on their facing surface (the front of the pin) with some scrutiny for their sides and, with exception to the posts and back stamp, are not scrutinized on the back of the pin. B grade pins can still make good display pieces if a collector doesn't mind some blemishes, and they are perfect pins for wear. Some of the flaws that would qualify a pin as a B grade include...

• moderately scuffed enamel or metal
• multiple points of imperfections on the metal plating
• some air bubbles in the enamel
  
• noticeable off-set screen printing
• some missing screen printing
• areas of low glitter
• overfilled enamel that floods some metal lines
• large amounts of glitter in areas where there shouldn't be
• small gouges or marks on enamel
  
• large areas of imperfection of the metal on the sides of the pin
  

A seconds grade pin might not be as nice as a Standard Grade, but it is still highly wearable and can make a good additional to a collection if the imperfections noted above are not bothersome to a collector.

C Grade/Free Grade

Pins in this category have multiple and very obvious defects that are immediately noticeable at arm's length. These blemishes prevent them from being sold as standard or even seconds. Their defects are so severe that a collector may not wish to display them, but these are still highly wearable. Some of these defects include...

• missing metal lines
• multiple small scratches
• one unfilled area of enamel
• multiple defects or imperfections in the metal plating
• large and multiple air bubbles in enamel
• multiple areas where glitter has been misapplied
• large or multiple areas of missing metal lines
• some areas of enamel staining or discolored enamel
  
• missing or incorrect back stamp
  
• color changing enamel does not color shift
  
• noticeable or multiple areas of under filled enamel
• encased posts that have significant sway
• enamel staining on sides or back of pin
• discoloration or cloudy colors of entire enamel

D Grade/Junk Grade

These pins are severely damaged, defective or have so many flaws that they are a poor representation of the artwork and quality. Pins that are missing the back stamp or have had their posts fall off qualify immediately as junk grade pins. Some defects include:

• large or deep gouges in enamel
• large or deep scratches in enamel
• large areas of under filled enamel
  
• areas where enamel is missing
• low quality enamel or metal work
• broken or missing pin posts

These will not be sold.