Pin Grading Guide


Please note that enamel pins are handmade items, filled and polished individually by hand, so no pin will be 100% perfect and slight flaws can occur. Each pin will be inspected closely when arriving and categorized into three categories. 

A Grade/Standard

As handmade item pins can vary from unit to unit. These pins can have very minor faults, including:

  • minor scratches or scuffs on both the metal or enamel surface
  • slightly low or uneven fills
  • slightly discolored metal
  • small specks, pores or bubbles
  • slight misaligned print

B Grade/Seconds

These pins have noticeable flaws and are being sold at a discount. Some of the flaws include but are not limited to the following: 

  • noticeable under-filling or over-filling of enamel
  • scuffs or scratches on both metal or enamel surface
  • multiple noticeable air bubbles, pores or specks
  • missing enamel on a small portion of the pin
  • obvious discoloration of metal or enamel
  • badly misaligned or missing print
  • heavy oxidation of the metal
 

C Grade

C Grade pins have multiple and massive defects. Some of those include:

  • multiple unfilled areas of enamel
  • noticeable and deep scratches 
  • wrong enamel colors
  • broken or missing pin posts