Becoming a Pinhead

Trading Pin Collecting

Gather your fellow pin fanatics – trading pins are the ideal way to express and share your passion for memorabilia! From Disney events, Cooperstown, or any other special occasion – explore a world of colorful souvenirs. Start building up an impressive collection today; guaranteed to bring enjoyment no matter when you look at it!

Trading pins are more than just a collectible item – they represent an entirely unique experience! Collectors can go on ‘pin hunts’ to find rare and exclusive designs, while making new friends with fellow enthusiasts along the way. It’s as much about socializing and sharing experiences as it is collecting thrilling finds; trading pins encapsulates so many different hobbies all in one!

If you love lapel pins, you might be a pinhead.

Collectors of all kinds amass unique and valued items such as art, stamps or coins, books and more. But a lapel pin collector? Take Dave Phillips from Edmonton, Canada. His collection of pins related to the popular Canadian sport of curling now numbers 9,301, he recently told the Edmonton Journal newspaper. And that’s “just a small collection,” he admits, adding that another pin collector “…from Hartney, Manitoba, has between 18 and 19 thousand pins. And there’s a guy from Calgary…who must have 25,000 of them.” Phillips says it’s his love of curling that motivated him to join the “pinhead” community built around the sport.

Collecting Enamel Pins & Design

Enamel pins have surged in popularity, becoming a go-to hobby for many. These attractive and eye-catching pieces come in an array of styles from cute to edgy – ranging from pop culture references to social causes – allowing everyone the chance to make their own personal statement while expressing interests or supporting their favorite beliefs.

Designing enamel pins is like creating a tiny work of art – just with more metal and less paint. You’ll need to channel your inner Picasso and ensure you get the details right, or you might end up with a pin that looks like a kindergartener made it. Just kidding, kindergarteners are pretty talented these days!

Here are some expert tips for the beginning pin collector:

Zero In On What You Love. Whether it’s politics, sports, religion, your college alma mater, or frequent trips to far off places, take a minute to ask yourself, what are you passionate about? If you can name it, chances are there are pins you can collect that go along with it.

Pin collector Mike Brown grew up near Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. He had a small collection of sports-themed lapel pins from his favorite sports teams, but when he stumbled across a 1980 Olympics pin at a pin swap meet he attended, he knew he had found his true passion.

Collecting Pins

If you have a passion, for sports memorabilia then you might find yourself drawn to the world of pin collecting. It’s not merely a hobby for enjoyment; it’s an opportunity to connect with collectors from all over the globe. The allure of pin collecting lies in the ability to bring pieces to gatherings or pin exchange events. Even if business-themed pins don’t appeal to you there may be someone to trade. Whichever path you choose proudly display your pins on velvet or in a pin case as a testament, to your collection.

Read Up on Lapel Pin Values

Before attending a specialty pin collecting meet or buying a collection of lapel pins online, take some time to read up on the worth of certain lapel pins and make a “wish list” of pin favorites. Depending on your arena of pin collecting, some of the best books on lapel pin values include:

• Tomart’s 6th Edition Disney guide to pin collecting includes everything you need to know about Disney pins and the Disney “pinhead” community.
• The Unauthorized Guide to Olympic Pins & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book for Collectors) Published in 2001, this book is still a great resource guide because it shows you what older Olympic pins look like, thus making it less likely for you to get hoodwinked by a dishonest pin trader.
• 200 Years of Political Campaign Collectibles: If you plan to start a political button and pin collection, this book can help familiarize you with what you are looking for, from America’s first elections to more recent times.

Attend Your First Pin Trading Meetup

Finally, it’s time to find out what it is about the pinhead trading and collecting community that makes it so addictive! Pin meets are competitive, fun, and very social events that can help you meet pin collectors from near and far as you start taking part in this embracing hobby. Look at online message boards for pin-collecting events in your area.

Sports collectible swap meets tend to have areas just for pin trades and pin sellers. Disney pin trading nights are also held in locations across the country (sponsored by local Disney pin-collecting clubs) and at Disney properties worldwide. If you liked this post, stay tuned for more in our “Guide to Becoming a Pinhead” series!