The Ultimate Cleaning and Storing Guide for Custom Trading Pins

Trading pins can tarnish over time and must be cleaned regularly. Learn how to clean and store your custom trading pins by reading our guide. Custom trading pins are more than just a piece of metal; they are miniature representations of your hometown, favorite team, or even culture. While they make excellent collector's items, they can also be a lot of fun to trade when the time is right.

Collectors are increasingly interested in authentic team logos, mascots, and signature phrases from major league baseball games. The importance of cleaning your pin before trading is often overlooked. By doing this, the value might go up a little and it would continue to look brand-new.

Even though it may seem like a small thing, cleaning your baseball trading pins can have a big impact on how they look, feel, and even smell over time. Now that that is out of the way, read on for some of the best cleaning and storage advice for your personalized baseball trading pins.

What Materials Are Used to Make Trading Pins, and How Should They Be Cleaned?

Then what are personalized trading pins? They are tiny trinkets that stand in for something; frequently, they stand in for sports teams. Metal or enamel is typically used to make trading pins.

You can even get soft enamel options, which are popular because of their texture and lightweight. Different materials react differently to cleaning solutions and the force of cleaning agents or scrubbers.

Baseball team pins made of soft enamel with a custom design

If you do not take the time to assess what you are cleaning and how you are cleaning it, you may cause some damage to your trading pins. Metal trading pins are typically made of colored metal or anodized metal. When compared to other materials, they stand out.

They are typically the most expensive and, as a result, may require the most care in terms of value and lifespan, at least aesthetically. Enamel is typically created by using fire to fuse powdered glass onto a substrate.

One advantage of enamel options is that the colors in the pin will not fade over time. They are well-known for their durability. In some cases, they also appear more expensive, which is another reason to keep these pins clean.

Which Alternatives Are the Best?

So, you may be wondering what cleaning solutions or techniques are appropriate for each material. The paint makes enamel options appear brighter and helps them stand out. To avoid scratching the paint, clean these pins gently with a soft cloth.

Keep in mind that, while they may not fade over time, they can still cause damage to your hand. For metal pins, silver polish applied with a clean cloth works best. When it comes to enamel pins, you should avoid machine polishing them.

This means that, while you can polish them with a polishing solution, you must do so by hand. You should also avoid using any type of household or chemical cleaner on an enamel pin.

Top Methods for Cleaning Custom Trading Pins

There are alternative methods to using silver polish or other polishing solutions. Let's look at some of the best methods for cleaning a pin.

Pins should be dusted or buffed

Remember that cleaning your metal pins does not always require the use of a liquid. You should never expose your enamel pins to water. When it comes to enamel pins, avoid machine polishing them.

This means that, while they can be polished with a polishing solution, they must be done by hand. On an enamel pin, you should also avoid using any type of household or chemical cleaner.

Top Cleaning Techniques for Custom Trading Pins

There are other ways to use silver polish or other polishing solutions. Let's take a look at some of the best ways to clean a pin.

Pins should be polished or dusted

Keep in mind that using a liquid to clean your metal pins is not always necessary. Enamel pins should never be exposed to water. After you've removed the backing from your pin, you can immerse it in the solution.

It's important to remember that cleaning vinegar is at least 20% stronger than white distilled vinegar, so don't substitute it for the water and vinegar mixture. You only need to rinse the pin after letting it sit for a few minutes. To clean in the cracks of the pin, use a toothbrush or something with soft bristles or a smooth surface.

Improve Your Storage Skills

The way you store your custom trading pins determines how quickly they become dirty. A jewelry-grade cloth cover or wrap would be a good idea to cover or drape the pin in. Alternatively, each coin could have its holding slot.

If you want to keep your enamel pins clean and protected from the elements, keep them out of direct sunlight and high temperatures of direct heat.

Keep your custom trading pins clean to keep that bright glow.

Another pro tip for preserving your custom pins is to store them in silica gel packets. These beads will aid in the prevention of rust and may help to reduce overall tarnishing. This is the best option for avoiding tarnish and rust.