Pin Grading Guidelines

The pinmaking process is done by hand from filling in the enamel all the way to polishing the metal. Since enamel pins are handmade, every pin will not be perfect! Please note that we do not sell collector grade (perfect) pins here.

The current shop policy is going towards ungraded/loosely graded pins. I can guarantee no pins with large and noticeable defects (i.e. missing enamel, miscoloration, large scratches/dents) will be sent, but smaller defects like small specks or tiny dents may be possible. Pins that look fine from an arm's length will be counted as standard pins.

If pins are listed as graded, these are the types of pins you may expect:

However, we do want to give you the highest quality product, so please refer to these pin grading guidelines to see what categorizes a pin in each category:

A Grade Pins

These are our standard pins and the highest quality of pins offered with generally unseeable flaws without close inspection. The general idea is that there is not distracting imperfection when looking at the pins an arm's length away. These pins do not have any major imperfections, but may have a few of the following minor flaws:

• Slightly low/uneven filling
• Small, faint specks and bubbles in the enamel in non-focal areas
• Faint specks on hair, face (minimal)
• Imperfections on the back of the pin
• Small marks or scratches on the enamel or metal
• Slight discoloration of metal 
• Slight misaligned screenprint if applicable

B+ Grade Pins

These pins have slightly more noticeable flaws than A Grade pins. B+ Grade pins may contain one or more of the collowing minor imperfections:

• Slightly low/uneven filling
• More specks and bubbles in the enamel in focal areas (face, hair, etc.)
• Imperfections on the back of the pin
• More small marks or scratches on the enamel or metal
• Slight discoloration of metal 
• Slight misaligned screenprint if applicable

B Grade Pins

These pins have at least one noticeable flaw by are limited to a few in addition to the minor flaws listed for B+ Grade Pins, but no major imperfections. The flaws include: 

• low/uneven filling 
• More noticeable specks and bubbles in the enamel
• Imperfections on the back of the pin
• More noticeable marks or scratches on the enamel or metal
• Discoloration of metal 
• Slight misaligned screenprint if applicable
• Slightly loose pin backings

Seconds Pins

These pins have major flaws in addition to the minor flaws listed above, hence the much cheaper price. Some major flaws can include:

• low/uneven filling
• More small specks and bubbles in the enamel
• Imperfections on the back of the pin
• Large marks or scratches on the enamel or metal
• Discoloration/oxidation of metal 
• Missing plating on the metal
• Missing enamel/Miscoloration
• Misaligned or no screenprint if applicable