A Beginner's Guide to Baseball Pin Collecting

Baseball is a game of traditions. The seventh-inning stretch, the smell of peanuts in the air, and the sound of the crack of the bat fill us with nostalgia and deep-rooted passion for the game we love.

Collecting is a big part of baseball's tradition. Signed balls and player cards fill up boxes that we keep throughout our entire lives.

Pin collecting and trading are one of the most rewarding baseball traditions. Pins serve both as a time capsule and a fun way to meet other baseball fans. In this guide, we'll give you tips on how to start your own baseball pin collection.

Getting Started in Pin Collecting

Every collector starts their pin collection for their own personal reasons. Some do it for the pure love of the game. Others collect pins because they play Little League and want to remember their team and their opponents.

In fact, pin trading is as much of the Little League experience as the tournaments themselves. A tent is set up every year at the Little League World Series and thousands of pins exchange hands.

But how do you get started? Collecting pins is one of the easiest collections to start. It's also one of the most rewarding.

The first thing to ask is why do you want to collect pins? Do you like the different designs? Do they represent your team's effort in a particular year?

Is it about the camaraderie or do you enjoy the thought of trading with other pins collectors? Once you figure out what you like best about pin collecting, it's time to get the collection started!

Pin Types

There are four types of pins you can collect:

• Soft enamel - long-lasting and affordable; great for beginners
• Offset - design gets printed onto a vinyl layer on top of metal; sturdy and colorful
• Photo-etched - design gets etched into the metal for intricate designs

The more colorful and intricate the design, the faster your pin will get traded. But there is a market for vintage baseball pins that shouldn't get ignored.

Research Pin Values

If you're collecting pins as the parent, coach, or fan of a team, most of your pins will be amateur teams you've played against. You may also have some from the tournaments themselves. You may only be into pin collecting for the fun of it, so the value doesn't matter as much as the experience.

But there are many collectors who care a great deal about each pin's value. You can research a pin's value online or meet with a reputable sports memorabilia or antique dealer.

Go to a Convention or Trade Show

Conventions, trade shows, and meetings will put you in contact with other pin collectors. You will also meet dealers and appraisers that can help you with a pin or collection's worth.

These gatherings help beginners and experts alike find, collect, and trade baseball pins. You'll gain valuable knowledge to expand your collection and find sought-after pins to make your collection unique.

Create, Collect, Trade

Regardless of why you want to start pin collecting and trading, you're bound to make memories and friendships you won't soon forget. Don't trust those memories with just anybody.

For 15 years, more than a 1,000 teams put their trust in Cooperstown Trading Pins to create custom memories that last a lifetime. From soft enamel to quick pins and everything between, we have a wide variety of pins to fit every design.

Fill out our quote form and include as much information as possible. Your designer will contact you with all your options. We always provide free shipping and offer rush orders for those last-minute trips.