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Trading pins make youth competitive sports events and tournaments even more fun. With commemorative or limited edition pins  for nationals, regionals, and team end of year events, baseball players often collect or trade a number of beautiful pins throughout  each season. Trading pins can be highly customized for the team and event with player names, team colors, and the mascot. 

At Baseball Trading Pins, we sell a variety of baseball trading pins available from raised enamel to die cut pins. Each type of pin  can be made from different metals and enamels. In this guide, learn what trading pins are made out of and how the materials vary  based on the type of trading pin you select. 

Baseball Pin

Soft Enamel Pins 

Soft enamel pins are classic baseball trading pins, with metal raised edges and colorful enamel in between. The raised metal designs serve as the divider or edge between each of the colors, keeping the pin neat. The enamel paint comes in a large variety of colors so that you’re sure to find the right match for your team’s colors.

Generally, there are three different types of metals used as the plating for soft enamel baseball trading pins:

Polished nickel is a classic silver tone that looks metallic. It’s a hard and durable metal that creates long-lasting trading pins that are corrosion-resistant. With a high melting point, a trading pin made from polished nickel won’t melt or warp if left in the car.

Polished gold provides pins with a gold look. Gold is one of the stronger metals available and it is durable. This means that pins made from polished gold look great for longer, as you won’t have to worry about scratches, dings, and normal wear and tear that you might find in a weaker metal.

Spray black trading pins have a black tone. However, the metal itself isn’t black. Rather, the metal is painted to make it look black. Many teams love the dark lines and contrast provided by spray black pins, especially for the contrast it provides against bright colors. It can make small details pop and look more defined.

Most of the baseball trading pins you see at tournaments, games, and team events are soft enamel pins. These pins are colorful and look great.

Die Struck Baseball Trading Pins

Soft enamel pins can be made with a die struck manufacturing process. The ability to use this process depends on the design and the metal selected. Not all metals can be used for all designs. This often comes down to the shape of the pin and the complexity of the design.

What are Trading Pins Made Out of?
What are Trading Pins Made Out of?

Die struck pins are created when a hammer is struck against a thin sheet of metal against a hardened steel die. This makes a pattern or an impression into the metal pin. This process can create intricate, fine lines and details on your baseball trading pin. Many of the trading pins you see in youth baseball are made using this process.

Eye-Catching Upgrades

The types of upgrades you select for your soft enamel trading pins can change the materials used to make your soft enamel trading pin. We offer blinkers, glitter, crystals, bobble heads, sliders, spinners, danglers, and glow in the dark pins. Each of these upgrades requires different materials to make the pin. The pin may need LED lights, different types of crystals, and mechanisms to make danglers and spinners work. It simply depends on what upgrades you select.

Sometimes teams want to create limited edition versions of trading pins to give away at special events. Opting for a black out or glow in the dark version of the team’s or division’s pin or logo for the special event can be a fun way to commemorate it.

Offset Printed Trading Pins

Offset printed trading pins print a design on a piece of iron sheet metal. Each individual pin is stamped into the sheet metal before a layer of protective epoxy is added to keep the printed surface smooth and in good condition.

These pins can be made in a variety of custom shapes and thicknesses. Since the process is quicker and it’s more affordable, many teams and organizations opt for offset printed trading pins when they need an order quickly or want to place a very large order.

The inks and pigments used in offset printed baseball trading pins are vibrant and come in many hues. These trading pins can also feature more detailed designs that would be impossible to mold into metal.

Selecting the Right Trading Pin Material

The first decision that you have to make in the process of ordering trading pins is to determine what kind of pin you want: soft enamel pins or offset printed trading pins. In some cases, this is determined by how quickly you need the trading pins shipped and your budget. Generally, offset printed pins require less time to make and are less expensive. When your initial design goes to the design team, they will select the appropriate metal based on the design.

Baseball Trading Pin

Partnering With the Best Trading Pin Company

The metal your trading pin is made from matters in terms of its durability, appearance, and quality. What’s equally important is the company manufacturing the pins. Having well-produced pins with crisp edges and perfectly applied enamel makes a difference in the final version of the trading pin.

Baseball trading pins are collector’s items that youth players, siblings, coaches, and their families keep for years. That’s why it is so important to purchase high-quality pins made from durable materials. These pins are corrosion resistant, scratch resistant, and beautiful. The people that trade and collect them will love to showcase the pins. For more inquiries about the different baseball trading pins we sell, please be sure to reach out and complete our online form and we will be happy to assist you further. We can provide quotes and estimates based on your specific quantities and needs.

When you’re looking for a home run of a baseball trading pin, you’re likely to be presented with a wide variety of options. Depending on the artist or company you contact, you may end up discussing different designs, shapes, sizes, and colors. As if that didn’t present enough options, you’ll probably end up discussing different kinds of pins as well. While it’s easy to assume a baseball trading pin comes in one standard material, that’s far from the case. 

In fact, there are two distinct kinds of pins that can have a major impact on your overall design. These are called soft enamel and offset printed pins. While they have some general similarities, they both serve different purposes during the overall design process. 

But before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important for you to understand the fundamentals of the two kinds of baseball trading pins so you can learn why different styles work for different kinds of pins. 

Offset printed pin essentials: This process allows for bleeds and blends of colors. This is similar to the tactics that are used in magazines. It allows for a more rich mix of different colors while preventing the overall effect from looking muddy or unclear. The colors are printed in the traditional CMYK process which allows for many color options. If you want your pin to reflect each and every color of the rainbow, that’s completely within the realm of possibility. 

This style can be used for complex art and photo reproduction, too. Offset printed pins are excellent choices for really intricate, unique pieces because there are so many potential outcomes for how the final product might look. 

As mentioned, an unlimited amount of colors can be used. This allows for designs that are only restricted by how imaginative you are. Offset printed pins can get so detailed and exciting that you’re surprised that such a work of art can fit on a relatively small surface. 

Compared to a soft enamel pin, you’ll likely choose an offset printed pin for more complicated designs, photo reproductions, and high-color pins. Of course, there are plenty of reasons to choose a soft enamel pin, too. 

The difference between a soft enamel and offset printed pin
Difference Between Soft Enamel and Offset Printed

Soft enamel pin basics: The design is stamped out from a sheet of metal. If you think of a blacksmith hammering a hot piece of metal to work it into shape, a soft enamel pin uses similar concepts. The stamping leaves recessed areas, or pools. These show the general form of the design and give a vague idea of what the final product might look like. 

After this process, those recessed areas and pools become integral to the design and are filled with enamel. The enamel is baked at a lower temperature. Unlike hard enamel, the areas of color rest below the metal strip surface, which can be felt when you run your finger over the surface. It adds a bit more texture to the general pin and it creates a more tactile experience than some other design methods. 

While it is easy enough to think of soft enamel pins as more “simple,” they’re anything but. You can still achieve a good level of design from a soft enamel pin and, in many ways, this type of pin is considered more “traditional” than other types of pins. When you think of a baseball trading pin, there’s a strong possibility that you’re picturing a soft enamel pin. 

The soft enamel designs are true classics and they look excellent alongside any pin collection as well as on any team uniform. Of course, your final pin is going to depend heavily on your final design. 

The difference between a soft enamel and offset printed pin
The difference between a soft enamel and offset printed pin

Choosing a design: While you may be interested in a specific type of pin, it’s important to understand that the end result is ultimately influenced by your design. Of course, you can certainly meet with a designer to discuss your pin preference. You have to remember, though, that your design ultimately decides what style of pin will be fabricated. 

There are a few things that you should have in mind when you’re getting ready to meet with a pin designer. First, you should have a general idea of your design. This will give the artist a framework to build off of. Even if you don’t have any sketches or designs on hand, it’s a good idea to at least have a concept. Any good artist will be prepared to do some initial designs and sketches to help finalize what your pin could end up looking like. This is an essential part of the total design process. 

On top of that, you should have a solid budget established. By setting a budget, you can work with your designer to find a trading pin that will fit in with your precise financial needs. Your designer will make smart, economical suggestions to help you end up with a product that you and your team will love. 

Luckily, at Baseball Trading Pins, we are experts at the design and fabrication of pins. No matter what kind of design interests you or how you envision your pin, we will work with you until you’re satisfied. On top of that, we always include free artwork so you don’t have to worry that you’re paying premium prices for the design as well as the pin. Everything is included. 

If you’re ready to discuss designs and pin types, we’re here to help. Our team of pros at Baseball Trading Pins knows all about the design process and we can help you make the best decisions so you end up with a product that truly speaks to your personality. When you want to develop a pin that will bring back memories for years to come, Baseball Trading Pins is the way to go.

Contact us today to learn more about the design process or even request a free consultation. We can’t wait to help you knock this pin out of the park. 

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