Enamel Pin Grading
Ming GaoShare
What is "Grading" and why are pins graded?
Grading refers to the act of judging an item's quality. Usually it's done for collector's items, such as trading cards or enamel pins.
Since pins have many handmade steps in their production process, the same batch of pins will have a large range of qualities. This is why pins are sold as A-Grades, B-Grades and sometimes even C-Grades or S-Grades for near-perfect pins.
The grading is not normed and each artist has their own system. So here's mine!
My Grading System
My rule of thumb is that I inspect pins from an arm's length distance and the grading will mainly be done based on that. My focus is on the front, and I have a brief look at the sides and back too. The table below is a rough guide; ultimately the grading of each individual pin is subjective and depends on overall appearance.
Acceptable Flaws
|
A Grade1-3 Flaws from List |
B Grade
|
|
Mild Scratches in Non-Focal Points |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Scratches in Focal Points |
❌ |
✅ |
|
Deep/severe scratches |
❌ |
❌ |
|
Air Bubbles, dust in non-focal points |
✅ (very minor) |
✅ |
|
Plating Issues on Back |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Plating Issues on Front |
❌ |
❌ |
|
Screenprint Misalignment (Minor) |
✅ (very minor) |
✅ |
|
Screenprint Misalignment (Major) |
❌ |
❌ |
|
Mild Over/Underfill |
✅ (depends on visual effect) |
✅ |
|
Missing Fill |
❌ |
❌ |
|
Wrong enamel color fill |
❌ |
❌ |
|
Wiggling or crooked pin posts |
❌ |
✅ |
There are more possible flaws than listed here, but ultimately, it all comes down to this: if it looks great from an arm's length distance, then it probably passes A grade.