Pin Grading Info
📌ENAMEL PINS📌
🔎PIN GRADING🔍
Every artist has a different system for pin grading!
Because there is no universal grading system, one person may assign a different grade for various flaws than another, so my system may not match others'. I use my own judgement and don't ever guarantee flawless pins, as I don't deal in collector's grades. Those are very hard to come by in a product with hand filled enamels, especially with specialty pins that have springs or other effects that require extra handling/assembling!
I look each pin over carefully for 5-10seconds, tilting, wiping and testing moving parts to inspect for flaws. I am not particularly harsh with my grading as I am a small, independent artist with not a lot of margin in my orders for picky grading. I try to grade pins as fairly as possible, but flaw severity can be subjective and I maintain the right to grade according to my own judgement. Thank you for your understanding!
If you purchase an off-grade, you acknowledge you are purchasing a pin with notable flaws for a discounted rate and you may not return/exchange it for another if the flaw is not to your liking.
Off-grades may not include any special packaging/boxes included in normal grades.
You may not request any specific flaw type, they are sent at random.
Collector/S grades: I do not deal in these or sort out pristine, 100% perfect, flawless pins. There are usually only a couple of these in any batch (if any), due to the hand-made nature. These will simply be lucky pulls for those ordering Normal grades.
Please don't ask me for S grade/perfect pins. If you REALLY want a top-tier pin, you may want to consider purchasing multiple of the design and pick the best of the lot, but I don't guarantee anything.
Normal Grades: These are pins with little-to-no flaws detected upon grading. I don't guarantee normal grades are flawless and they may sometimes have a couple specks, metal imperfections, superficial scratches, enamel/metal dents, or other small imperfections generally in non-central/facial areas. In special effect pins with moving parts, it is common to also have some marks where the layered pins glide across each other, and these marks are not considered flaws.
B grades: These are pins with one or more flaws noticed upon grading that are a bit too much to sell at regular rates, as determined by my own judgement.
Flaws may include any one of or combination of: specks/bubbles/dents in enamel, over/under fills, small areas of missing enamel, miscolored fills, scratches, metal irregularities/bumps/bent parts, or other similar imperfections at a degree I feel is too severe for normal grade. Some multi-layered pins spring parts may be crooked/loose/janky but still attached and functional.
C Grades: These are pins I would consider semi-severely flawed. This may include any of the above listed B-grade flaws to a more severe degree or in greater numbers and sometimes in more crucial areas like faces. May also include large areas of missing enamel or other more severe flaws. C grades are generally noticeable right away.
D Grades: This is my lowest grade. These are pins that are severely flawed in ways that are immediately notable and may even effect their usability (such as broken off parts and missing pin-backs). D-grades are like ugly little misfits waiting to be rescued from a cruel garbage can fate. Severely discounted for their crimes.