Today, I have a batch of pins that just came in and I'm going to show you the process that I use to sort through and determine which are seconds grade (imperfect) pins.
It's completely common and totally normal to have a few pins in your batch be imperfect. If you get a ton, though, that can be a problem. So I am going to show you how to sort through your pins, what I consider to be flawed pins. Check out the video above to see how I set up my processing station and how I sort through my pins!
My Process
I like to do everything in batches. So I’ll take all of the pins out of their bags, then remove all of the backings, then put them all on cards. It goes a lot faster for me, and it gives me plenty of opportunities to catch seconds pins.
Tips and Tricks
When sorting, I like to have a piece of felt at the bottom of my bins, to help reduce dings and scratches during the process. It just gives the pins a soft place to land.
As your going through and finding flaws, you’ll likely have the same kind of flaw popping up. So if you notice there’s a place on the side of your pins that’s missing some metal finish on a few pins, be sure to check that spot on all of them.
I keep all of my seconds in a bin to be carded and sorted at a later time. I keep that bin near my shipping station, so if I catch any seconds as I’m packing orders, I can just toss it in there and move on.
What do I do with all my seconds?
Check out this blog post or go directly to the video I made that’s specifically about seconds. If you’re ready to have a sale and want proved strategy on how to run it successfully, you might be ready for my course, Enamel Pins: 101!
