Keith Richards, an English guitarist, songwriter and founding member of The Rolling Stones, is known for his innovative rhythm playing. In 2003, he was ranked 10th on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”International Guitar Month, celebrated this month, creates awareness, satisfaction and the joy of playing a guitar. Guitars are primarily used for blues, country, rock and pop music, and are enjoyed the world over.Keith Richards’ mother introduced him to the music of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and bought him his first guitar - a Rosetti acoustic - for seven pounds.Richards and lead vocalist Mick Jagger knew each other as schoolboys and even lived in the same neighborhood, but cemented their friendship on a train from Dartford to Sidcup in 1961. They began talking about Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, and later played in a band together, and the rest is history.Richards, who owns over 1,000 guitars, is often associated with the Fender Telecaster, particularly with two 1950s Telecasters outfitted with Gibson PAF humbucker pickups in the neck position.Today, there are a wide variety of both acoustic and electronic guitars performed by musicians all over the world. Whether you’re a musician, music instructor, store owner, guitar enthusiast or fan club member, The Monterey Company can help promote you.We can create your guitar-shaped lapel pin in 3-D cast gold, showcase a photo of your band on a printed pin or highlight your guitar’s workmanship with a die-struck raised metal pin. The possibilities are endless!In fact, one of the graphic designers at The Monterey Company is intimately involved with guitars. He is a bass player and engineer who designs and builds 10-15 custom made guitars a year. You can imagine the care he takes in creating your custom-made guitar pins!For more information on your custom made guitar pin, please call The Monterey Company toll-free at (800) 259-6496.

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under Lapel Pins, PINS.
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 It’s the frosting on the cake, the lipstick on the face, it’s … packaging for your lapel pins!

Without final packaging, your lapel pins are well . . . bare. You wouldn’t give your girlfriend diamond earrings without a package, or a strand of pearls without a velvet box, would you?

For years, The Monterey Company has been creating quality, jewel-type lapel pins that beg to be presented in the most flattering way. The right packaging sets the tone and states that your pin is as special as the person receiving it!

Many customers of The Monterey Company create custom-made lapel pins for their own service organizations, including philharmonics, doctors without borders and cancer societies, to name a few. Those who make up their membership are giving their time, talent and heart into these organizations. What better way to say that they’re special than by giving their lapel pins in velvet boxes or pouches?

The Monterey Company has a variety of packaging and pricing for you to choose from!

Boxes

• 2 ¼ inch x 2 ¼ inch Velvet Box w/cardboard sleeve (red, black or grey)        $ 2.20 to  $3.20

• 1 in. x 1 in. Plastic Presentation Box (hinged with foam insert)                        $0.40
• 1 ½ in. x 1 ½ in. Plastic Presentation Box (hinged with foam insert)            $0.50
• 2 in. x 1 ½ in. Plastic Presentation Box (hinged with foam insert)                        $0.80
• 2 in. x 4 in. Plastic Presentation Box (hinged with foam insert)                         $1.40
• 3 in. x 3 in. Plastic Presentation Box (hinged with foam insert)                         $1.40
• 1 ½ in. x 1 ½ in. White, Gold or Silver Foil Two-Piece

Cardboard Box Square                                                                                    $0.60

Velvet Pouches

• 3 ½ in. x 2 ¾ in. Round Velvet Pouch (black, green, burgundy, navy)            $0.90
• 3 in. x 2 in. Rectangle Velvet Pouch (black, green, burgundy, navy)            $0.90

What’s more, with perfect packaging from The Monterey Company, your lapel pins will stay safe and secure for years to come!

Call The Monterey Company toll-free today at 1-800-259-6496.

Posted: April 8th, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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The manufacturing of a Cloisonné pin is a very detailed, thoughtful process. Actually, it was developed in China centuries ago, but is still used today in crafting fine, emblematic jewelry. Cloisonné lapel pins have a rich finish and the greatest perceived value.

1. To make a 1-inch Cloisonné lapel pin, the artisan starts with the raw material, a 1.25 by 1.25 inch copper bronze square. It looks like a small copper tile.
2. Then the copper square is die-struck, or stamped, onto the surface. The die imprints your design onto the metal.
3. The outline of the pin is then cut out, along with any other parts that need to be cut out (according to your design). In this example, there are cuts-outs around the crown at the top, around the figures on both sides of the crest, and around the banner at the bottom. Each of these cuts-outs is done meticulously by hand using tiny carving instruments.
4. Then the colors are hand-filled with a powdered glass-like mixture. Note that the colored areas are overfilled.
5. Then the pin is hand-polished with stones to set the colors in place.
6. Then each color is fired one at a time at 1,700 F for two to four minutes each. This two-step process insures that color bleeding does not occur.
7. Next, the attachments are assembled to the back of the Cloisonné pin. Butterfly attachments are free with the order, but you can also select from cuff link, deluxe flat and safety pin styles.
8. Then the pin is hand-polished to make the colors shine and ensure there are no rough edges.
9. At this juncture, the Cloisonné pin has brilliant color, but is still showing its original bronze plating. Next, the pin is plated in silver or gold, which makes it resistant to scratching.
10. Finally, each pin is inspected to ensure only the highest quality is individually packaged and sent to The Monterey Company.

To order your Cloisonné pin, call The Monterey Company toll free today at 1-800-259-6496.

Posted: April 1st, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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The NCAA Basketball Tournament and “March Madness” is in full swing! College teams from across the country are battling it out for the chance to be hailed number one. National sportscasters, local newscasters, coaches and players are all wearing American flag lapel pins and patches, but why?First of all, basketball is an American sport. It was created by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian PE instructor at YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) in 1892. He was looking for a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied during the long winter months. The first game was played on January 20, 1892, with nine players, two peach baskets and the game ended 1-0.Today’s players have put aside the peach baskets, and they’re sporting American flag patches on their uniforms. (Of course, they cannot wear lapel pins; they would poke someone’s eye out!) But why are they wearing flag patches–because they’re patriotic or because the game is shown on national TV?What about those college players who come from other countries? UCLA has two players from The Republic of Cameroon in central Africa. They’re wearing U.S. flag patches on their shoulders like their teammates, but how do they feel about it?Wearing the flag shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone. The American flag is one of our nation’s most widely recognized and used symbols. The three main colors are red, white, and blue. Red represents hardiness and valor; white represents innocence and purity; and blue represents perseverance, justice, and vigilance.Perhaps the NCAA basketball players are looking to the flag as a reminder that they need valor and perseverance to win the championship! But you don’t need to be sports enthusiast to enjoy custom-made American flag pins or patches! Create your own patriotic pin—just in time for the baseball season and the Fourth of July! Call The Monterey Company today at 1-800-259-6496!

Posted: March 28th, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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Sliders are a popular enhancement to many baseball trading pins. They get their name because they actually slide a short distance across the main pin.

Some early popular sliders showed a baseball player sliding into home base, or a rocket lifting off into space. Yet, sliders do not necessarily have to slide along a straight line.

Designers at The Monterey Company have become more creative and made sliders arch along the side of the pin or jump across a field. Sliders can be placed just about anywhere to enhance your design!

They don’t necessarily have to be limited to the shape of baseballs either. One customer asked The Monterey Company to create a slider in the shape of an airplane. He wanted to depict where his team was traveling across the United States—on their way to Cooperstown, NY.

Sliders take time to construct and set up, so there’s a one-time set-up charge of $60, in addition to the price of the slider. Just like the main pin, sliders are priced according to quantity. For 100-200 pins, sliders cost $1.12 each; for 300-500 pins, sliders are .92 cents each and for 1,000 to 2,000 pins, sliders are only .77 cents each.

The main thing about sliders is they make trading pins look really cool! With a slider on your trading pin, players from other teams will definitely want to trade with you! Another good thing is that sliders do not wear down over time. They still look good years and years later on!

For more information on how a slider can make your trading pins truly unique, please contact The Monterey Company at 1-800-259-6496.

Posted: March 27th, 2008 under Case Studies, Lapel Pins, Trading Pins.
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The Monterey Company has the perfect boost for the sagging real estate market: Lapel pins made in an exact replica of your own home!

Imagine, you’ve been trying to sell your home for months. Barely anyone has looked at it. You’ve reduced it down as far as you can go and still make a profit–and they continue to balk! Suddenly, you start wearing a 2-inch lapel pin (which is a tiny replica of your home) then you can now reach a whole different market.

“Is that a house you’re wearing on your lapel?” asks a co-worker at lunch.

“Why sure, it’s my home on the west end. It’s for sale, you know,” you answer.

“That’s a nice-looking place, how much are you asking for it?” he asks.

That’s your cue to pull out a four-color flier of your home interior. Then you slyly take your house pin off your lapel and put it on his. Before long, you’ll be on your way to lapel-pin generated home sales! Wear them to the grocery store, the DMV, social events, anywhere you go!

Seriously, these custom-shaped house pins are also perfect for:

• Real Estate Agents
• Historical Societies
• Docents of Museums, Homes or Lodges
• Family members at Annual Reunions
• Architects
• Interior Designers
• Contractors
• Sales Agents of Home Improvement Supplies
• Anyone who Loves Their Home

For custom made lapel pins of your own beloved home, call The Monterey Company today at 1-800-259-6496.

Posted: March 25th, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
Comments: 1

Easter eggs are dyed or painted chicken eggs that are given away to celebrate springtime or the Easter holiday. These eggs are “mysteriously” hidden all over the house and garden by the Easter Bunny for children to find on Easter morning.
One of the most famous Easter eggs was a jeweled egg designed by Peter Carl Faberge in 1885 for Tsar Alexander III of Russia as a surprise for his wife, Maria Fyodorovna.
On the outside, it looked like a simple egg of white enameled gold, but it opened up to reveal a golden yolk. The yolk itself had a golden hen inside it, which in turn had a tiny crown with a ruby hanging inside, similar to the matryoshka nesting dolls.
Empress Maria was so delighted by this gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a “Court Supplier” and commissioned an Easter gift each year after that. His son, Nicholas II of Russia, continued the tradition, presenting an egg each spring to his wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna, and his widowed mother.
The Imperial Eggs can be recreated, enjoyed and worn today as an Easter lapel pin—in less than four weeks! All you would need is a good photo of the jeweled egg. Then our knowledgeable salespeople and designers can help you create your own, memorable Easter pin!
Call The Monterey Company toll-free today at 1-800-259-6496!
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Posted: March 21st, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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 Fishing lures use movement, vibrations and color to grab a fish’s attention and make them bite the hook. They can be made out of wood, plastic, rubber, metal or cork. Believe it or not, lures have been around since the caveman and were first made out of bone and bronze. As early as 2,000 B.C., the Chinese and Egyptians used fishing rods, hooks and lines.There are many types of fishing lures, including surface lures, spoon lures, artificial flies, bass worms and spinner bait.Just in time for summer, The Monterey Company now offers custom-made spoon lures! They are lightweight metal and resemble the inside of a dinner spoon. Best of all, there’s plenty of room to etch your organization or company logo!Who would order a custom-made fishing lure?

·      Any fisherman or sports enthusiast

·      Those who belong to fishing/hunting clubs

·      Salespeople who want to leave a lasting impression with customers

·      Those who host fishing tournaments

Priced affordably, these lightweight spoon lures make great gifts for any outdoor event!For more information on custom-made spoon lures, call The Monterey Company toll-free at 1-800-259-6496 

Posted: March 18th, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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Saint Patrick’s Day, an annual feast of Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland, is held on March 17 every year. Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish–wearing of the color green, eating Irish food, imbibing in Irish drink and attending parades.

The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in New York City and it is watched by over 2 million spectators. The first one was held in Boston in 1761, organized by the Charitable Irish Society. Some cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago has dyed its river green since 1961 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges, and then got the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Green, the color most widely associated with St. Patrick’s Day, may have gained its prominence through the phrase “wearing of the green,” meaning to wear a shamrock on your clothing. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a 3-leafed plant, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity.

Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day are pinched, although this practice is alien to those who actually come from Ireland. Another way to wear green is to put on a lapel pin. Some of the more popular St. Patrick’s Day pins depict a shamrock, a leprechaun or just cute sayings like “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” and “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!” Fancier ones feature green glitter or blinking lights.

The Monterey Company can create custom-made St. Patrick’s Day lapel pins for 2009! You don’t even need finished artwork—just an idea. Our friendly sales team and designers can create a pin that features your Irish family crest, a photo or family name. There are endless possibilities! Let’s talk about them! Call toll-free 1-800-259-6496.

In the meantime, we’ll leave you with An Old Irish Blessing:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Posted: March 17th, 2008 under Articles, Lapel Pins.
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My mother was looking in her jewelry box the other day, and came across an old fraternity pin of my father’s. She looked at it closely and you could see in her eyes that she was a million miles away.

“Your father presented this to me at a fraternity pinning ceremony after we had been dating about one year,” she said. “All of his fraternity brothers were dressed up in their blue suits and they sang songs to us. At the end, he pinned it onto my dress. It was one of the happiest moments of my life!”

She explained that a fraternity pinning ceremony was like a pre-engagement. It meant that a couple was serious enough to stand in front of the fraternity and pledge their love. After all of these years, I couldn’t believe that she still kept that pin. I looked at it closely. It had the Greek letters, TKE, which stood for Tau Kappa Epsilon, my dad’s fraternity. He had been TKE president that year. The letters were in raised gold with a brushed metal background. Although it was nearly 30 years old, it showed little signs of age.

 When I returned home that night, I looked at the pins that were in my jewelry box:

• A Brownie pin
• A couple of Girl Scout pins (I had been in for three years)
• An International Girl Scout pin (when we were living at Clark AFB in the Philippine Islands)
• Several pins from Colorado ski resorts (that I visited in high school and college)
• A 5-year service pin from a former insurance company (where I worked)
• An animal rights group pin (that I volunteered for)

Why did I keep those pins? I think it’s because they were a reflection of my life, the groups that I belonged to, what I loved and where I lived and played. One look at each of them sent me back in time, just like my mother.

“It’s not actually the lapel pin itself, but what it represents,” said a top salesperson at The Monterey Company. When she helps create lapel pins for customers, they reflect more than just pieces of metal, but milestones in their lives.

Let The Monterey Company help create your lifetime memories with lapel pins. Call us toll free at 1-800-259-6496.

Posted: March 11th, 2008 under Lapel Pins.
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