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Get a Free QuoteWhat’s the big deal about trading pins? Is it something your team is ready for? Here is more information on why pins are traded between teams and how you can get started…
Custom trading pins are mostly used by baseball & softball players since they serve as an important tool representing unity and the pride of the team. These pins are usually designed in a way that best suits the team’s preferences. They usually have the logo and name of the team so that each can be easily recognized by baseball & softball lovers.
Although trading these types of pins is turning out to be a hobby for many people, some may not know how to go about choosing a vendor to manufacture them. This is why it is important to know what to consider when ordering pins to avoid significant disappointments.
One of the key factors to consider while ordering the trading pins is time. Ensure that you place an early order for your trading pins. This will enable the manufacturers to have sufficient time to design and create the best possible pins for you. It will also mean that the pins will be available in ample time and just in case anything goes wrong, there will be enough time to correct the mistakes.
Another thing to take into consideration is the design of the pins you want. Basically the “cooler” your pin is, the easy it is to trade it and get the other pins that you want. Make the design in an way so that the spectators of the particular tournament will almost beg for a chance to have a trade with you. Adding extras to your pin is an easy way to increase the “value” of the pin and make it easier to trade. Extras like bobble heads, glitter colors, or even some blinkers and danglers ensure that the pins are unique in their own way and they do not look like other pins. However, try not to be over creative since this might make the pins design back fire and look very unrepresentable.
Make sure to consult the entire team in choosing the design of the baseball trading pins. This is to ensure that the design fits everyone’s expectations. As the saying goes… two heads are better than one! It is important to do things not as an individual but have someone else who can help, especially when you run out of ideas. Some people do some things better than others and you might be surprised at how much better the pins will look if a few more people were involved.
Another very important aspect to consider while choosing trading pins is the cost. The cost of production varies with particular things. It might vary with the different designs, the quantity of the pins ordered, the size of the pin, and so on and so forth. So before settling on a particular trading pin, ensure that you have all these in mind and how they will affect the choice you make.
Ensure that the reputation of the vendor is good. This is to ensure that the work will be done perfectly and as required. Talk to other people who have had trading pins made for them to get a feel for quality and service. Following these simple tips can make your pin trading experience a positive one that your team will thank you for years down the road.
Are you worried about getting your lapel pins on time? We’ve come up with a fool proof system to help keep you on schedule and getting your order before you need them!
If you are ordering pins for an event, be sure to get the order in at least 5 to 6 weeks in advance of the date that you need them. This will reduce stress on your vendor as well as stress upon yourself. Having them in plenty of time for your event will be a big weight off of your back and you can concentrate on other things that will need your attention.
Often times you can negotiate a better price for placing your pin order 9+ weeks out. If you have the ability to order super early, see if you can get a better rate on your order. It never hurts to ask.
If you can not order your pins at least 4 weeks before you need them, always have a backup plan in place. Here are just a few that we offer here at CooperstownTradingPins.com
We hope that we can save you some stress, time and money this season with these tips. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave us a comment or send us an email and we’ll be happy to help.
~ Thank You!
Each year teams, parents and coaches struggle with how to design the perfect pin for their season. This year, we’ve come up with a few clever tips to help guide you along the path to getting the perfect pin for your team.
When you are starting your pin designs, make sure you figure out what you can afford and be sure you let your customer service representative know before any artwork is done. If you can only afford to do a 1.5″ pin with no upgrades, and you ask them to design something that is 2.25″ and has 2 to 3 upgrades, you’re going to have a very unhappy design team and a very disappointed customer service representative.
Your customer service representative should be very knowledgeable about all of the pins that they are capable of providing within your time limit. What they aren’t knowledgeable about is exactly what you’re wanting. The following is a list of items that you will want to disclose to your customer service rep.
1. Time Frame (when you need the pins) 2. Budget 3. Team Name 4. Team Colors 5. Logo (if you have one, send it to them) 6. What color metal you prefer 7. Team Age Group 8. If you would like to include the year 9. If you are using these for a tournament (Cooperstown, Little League, Pony League, etc.) 10. If you saw another pin that you like, send photos of it. It never hurts to give too much info. 11. If you want to add individual names or numbers to your pins, this is something you can discuss with your customer service rep. 12. If you want to add upgrades such as glitter paint, glow paint, bobbles, sliders, spinners, dangles, lights or crystals… these are all beautiful upgrades to your pins that will increase the value, but will also increase the base price of your pins. Talk to your customer service rep. for information on these items.
Generally it takes 24 to 48 hours to return a proof to you based upon your designs. Please account for this time when ordering your pins as well. If you want a high quality, custom design… let the designers do their job and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
If you receive your proof(s) and would like to see changes… let your customer service representative know asap, so that you can get a proof back faster. If you are under a time crunch, this is absolutely imperative that you get back with them asap, otherwise you may miss your deadline. You should receive changes to your pin within 24 hours of your requested changes. Also, be sure to give them ALL the changes at ONE time. The constant changing and multiple emails will often confuse folks and cause for major delays in your design being completed on time.
Once you are 100% happy with the outcome of your design then ask to submit your final approval.
We hope that we have provided you with some great information an getting the perfect pin for your team. If you have any questions or comments about our blog post, please feel free to leave a comment or contact us via email today!
2015 is off to a full throttle start already, and it’s about time to start thinking about Baseball pins for the season. For many parents/coaches/teams it is their first time purchasing pins for their organization. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to help you out by giving you 10 great tips to ease your mind and curb your fears of the pin buying process.
There are many companies out there that promise you speedy manufacturing, the lowest prices, the best designs… many of those same companies can never deliver on their promises. Be sure that you do your homework when deciding on a company to work with. The right company for you should have fair pricing, good/solid designs, a website that is easy to navigate, samples of pins easily visible on their website, firm policies and procedures to handle any problems that may arise and a customer support staff that is trained, polite and available to answer your request, questions, concerns, etc… within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours or less during the work week). If you don’t get at least the majority of these within one company, find someone else that you know you can put your trust in. After all, you are paying them to produce a custom product for you.
Be sure to start planning to order your pins as soon as you possibly can. This will not only save you money on shipping, design & processing fees – often times companies will be able to get you a lower price because they are not rushing to get your order completed in time for an event. You will also benefit from better designs, a less stressed customer service staff and a less stressed out team/parent/coach situation when it comes to needing your pins… cause you’ll already have them!
Many first time customers will not know what sort of pin they are looking for. There are several types of pins out there, and if you can’t find the information on a companies website, ask a customer service representative to explain the different types of pins to you and be sure that they know how soon you need your pins. This will often determine the type of pin that is able to be manufactured in time to fit your needs. If you are getting to ordering late in the season, be prepared to pay a premium for upgraded shipping, rush fees and any other fees that companies will need to tack on to get your order to you on time. You should be able to receive an answer to all of your questions from a customer service representative within 24 to 48 hours (typically). And don’t forget… the only stupid question is the unasked question.
Once you’ve decided on a company to work with and get answers to the questions you had, you will want to get an estimate or a quote for your pins. To get the most accurate pricing from a company, provide them with as much information as possible. Typically most sites will have a quote form available on their website, but if they do not, send them a direct email or call them. Provide the customer service provider with your name, phone number, email address, the number of pins you want, the size pins you want, if you have any logos or designs available to work from, how soon you need your pins, if you’re a repeat customer, if you have a budget, about any specials that you’ve seen, and yes… even where you are located, so they can estimate shipping. With all of these things, a customer service provider will be able to get you a fairly accurate quote in a timely fashion. If you’re looking for add on items too (glitter paint, glow paint, bobbles, sliders, spinners, dangles, lights, crystals, etc.) be sure to let them know… these items do cost more to add on… and you don’t know if you don’t ask.
Once you’ve received a price for your pins, you can get started on a great design that will wow the other teams and still remain in your budget. Your designer will want as much information as possible. If you have a logo, colors, team name, city name, state, samples… send it! The most collectible pins have the following items on them:
Once you have received the designs back from the company, be sure to make any changes, suggest an alternate design (if you don’t like what they’ve done) and approve your lapel pin design when you are ready. Keep in mind, if you are on a time crunch to get your approvals in to the company as soon as possible.
Once you have your artwork approved you are finally ready to place your order. Be sure to have the final count on pins, confirm your pricing and provide your customer service representative with a proper shipping address along with phone number so they are sure they know where to ship your pins. If you are running short on time and have to get your pins shipped to a hotel or location where you will be staying, be sure to make prior arrangements with the hotel/motel/lodge where you may be staying and get the correct shipping address and information to your customer service representative. The customer service rep. will then send you a proof to sign off on for your signed approval (via some sort of signature software/proofing website/print & fax, etc.) You will also receive an invoice that has to be paid for in advance in order to process your custom order. Many companies require you to pay up front for these items because they are custom in nature and once they are in production, they can not be stopped.
Once you have paid, submitted your signed approval and your order is in production you should receive a confirmation of some sort from your customer service representative or company that you are working with. They should notify you of your order being sent to production and that when there is shipping information available to them, they will provide it to you asap. They should also tell you when you should expect your pins (an approximate date is usually provided – or if you have given an in hands date… they should confirm this as well).
And now you wait… this can seem like an eternity, but soon your pins will arrive. Depending on what type of pin you ordered, will depend on how long your wait will be. If you are quickly approaching your deadline and the company hasn’t contacted you regarding your pin order and when it should arrive, call them or send them a quick email and ask if there is a status update. They should be happy to provide you with any updates that they have. As awesome as your customer service representative has been up to this point, they are human… and don’t always get a chance to contact you about your shipment (especially during the busy season) so contact them and ask. They should be happy to help.
Once you have received your pins, be sure to take them out right away and inspect them. 9 times out of 10 you won’t find any issues with your pins, but in case you do, be sure to contact your customer service representative asap. If everything is good with your pins, contact your customer service rep and let you know that you’ve received them and everything is good. If you’d like to provide them with some feedback, that is very useful to them and who knows… you may see your testimonial later on or your pin in the company’s portfolio.
If you’re extremely happy with your service from a company… pass their name along! The best sort of advertisement a company can get is word of mouth. Loyalty to a company means a lot to many pin businesses, so they will often provide you with loyalty pricing if you have an additional order or order with them the following year.
Above all… be smart about your pin purchase. We have provided you with a good list of ways to make your pin buying process much less stressful and it may even save you some of your hard earned money! Good luck!
These articles and guides will help guide you through the complex land of trading pins.