Learning more about how pins are made increases a collector's appreciation for these small gems of art!  What may make pin collecting so popular in today's fast paced modern world are its roots in ancient art.  Today there are pin collectors for Hard Rock Cafe, Disney, Planet Hollywood, Warner Brothers Studios, Universal Studios, Olympics, Secret Service and Military pins just to name a few.  While the message on the front of the pin may differ, how the pins are made can be narrowed down to the information below.

First let's explore the front part of the pin, then we will look at the attachments that are available, and then we will discover the different types of pins offered.  Different variations on how the pin is made or attached can be used to describe a pin and also may affect its value.

Pin Making Methods

The front of the pin will tell you a great deal about how it was made.  Do metal ridges separate the colors?  Is there an enamel covering?  Does the image look like a photograph?  Here are the more common methods used to make a pin:

• Cloisonne:  True Cloisonne was an art form created and developed by the Chinese thousands of years ago.  It involved the laborious process of creating a grid, which was then filled with a hard enamel glass mixture one color at a time.  After each color the object was kiln fired.  The final step was to polish.

• Die-Struck:  The design is stamped into the metal forming the ridges.  It can then be filled with soft enamel or not.  Each color is added one at a time.  The pin is then baked and once cooled it is polished.

• Photo Etched:  A photographic negative is used to transfer the design to the metal.  Acid is then used to create the indentations.  Enamel color is added one color at a time.  The pins are then baked, cooled, and polished.

• Silk-Screened or Photographic Pin:  These pins are images that are created then glued to the metal and for protective purposes are then covered by a clear enamel.

Pin Attachments

Variations of how the pin attaches to the person wearing the pin can sometimes make one pin style more collectible than another even though the front design is the same!  So here are some terms you will see concerning pin attachments.

Metal Military or Butterfly Clutch

Jewelry Clutch or Tie Tack Back

Rubber Clutch

Safety Pin Clasp Back

You will also see Screw and Nut Back, Magnetic Disc, and Stick Back pin attachments on lapel pins.

Pin Types

There is the standard pin, and then there are creative variations available on the market.  Some of these creative ones definitely merge modern technology with ancient art!  Some examples are:

• Pin On Pin: One pin is attached to another pin, usually a smaller one on top.  It will give the pin a 3-D look. 

• Dangle or Danglers:  A link or a chain will attach one pin to another.

• Electronic (LED or Blinkers):  A small battery is on the back of the pin to make an LED blink.  Generally done with eyes.  Can make pin quite bulky.

• Slider:  Pin on pin where one moves through a groove.
• Bobble Head:  Two pins attached using a spring to make the attachment.

• Spinner:  Usually a pin on pin, but can be another object such as a plastic arrow.  Attached part can rotate.