Enamel Pin Grading Policy

All my pins are inspected by me in either natural sunlight or a well-lit room and hold them at a little closer than arm’s length. Currently, only pins are graded and they are graded on a scale of A and B pins with A being the best. If you have any questions in regards to the grading please feel free to message me.
A GRADE/STANDARD GRADE
Pins are handmade items and can vary from unit to unit. Very few pins are perfect, A grades or standards are scrutinized primarily on their facing surface (the front or design side of the pin) and are graded on a curve. The sides of the pins are scrutinized to a much lower degree, and the back of the pins are not scrutinized except with regards to the posts and the back stamp. Generally, these are pins that have some minor faults to them. Some of these minor faults include…
• tiny, not noticeable air bubbles
• very minor enamel under fill
• some light imperfections in the metal plating
• light surface scuffing on the enamel or metal
• Minor off-set screen printed areas
• some minor and not noticeable dust on soft enamel pins
• some minor scuffing on the metal plating

*note that the sides and back of the pins are not held to these standards. I am looking for defects in the design on the front of the pin.

I test and polish all A Grade pins to ensure that they conform to the artwork and specifications of my design. Most A Grades are eligible to be paired with a custom color rubber pin back or a metal locking pin back.

B GRADE/SECONDS GRADE
These pins have noticeable flaws, some more minor or major than others. Like A grade pins, B grade pins are primarily scrutinized based on their facing surface (the front of the pin) with some scrutiny for their sides and, with exception to the posts and back stamp, are not scrutinized on the back of the pin. Some of the flaws that would qualify a pin as a B grade include…

Obvious overflowing enamel fills
Large Smudges and/or staining
Noticeable and deep scratches that span across the metal & enamel
Very low fills in larger or visually important areas
Loose posts/backings
Large dents, divots, scratches
Missing or badly printed screen printing
Excessive bubbles, scratches, dents, divots