Pin Grading
Enamel pins are handmade items meaning they are subject to natural variations and human flaws that can occur during manufacture. Below are the different types of pin grades you can purchase and what each grading means.
A GRADE
No major flaws but may have very minor imperfections that can only be seen when looked at very closely, below are some examples.
- Stray glitter
- Low-fill enamel in small areas
- Slightly misaligned screen printing
- Small traces of random debris (dust, fuzz, etc.)
- Tiny bubbles in enamel, glitter or epoxy coating
- Light scuffing, scratches, dents, enamel bleeding
- Slight discoloration and imperfections in/on the metal plating on the sides and /or back of the pin
- Minor enamel miscoloration
- Slightly thicker metal outlines
More noticeable minor defects than with A grades, but still very close to being a standard A grade pin. Some examples of possible flaws are listed below
- Low-fill in large areas
- Chipped metal plating
- Discoloration or staining
- Missing enamel or plating
- Wrong enamel fill colors
- Large dents, divots, scratches
- Missing or badly printed screen printing
- Excessive bubbles, scratches, dents, divots
- Foreign materials embedded in enamel, glitter or epoxy
- Overfilled enamel
Very visible multiple minor and / or major defects. Normally very low in price so works well for those on a budget. Some examples of possible defects are listed below
- Discolored / tarnished plating
- Missing/chipped enamel
- Overfilled enamel / very obvious enamel bleeding