Enamel Pins

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I did at one point in time, though it was pins in general that I liked as well ones related to media I enjoyed. My goal was to cover a beanie or two in the things. A faggoty endeavor I know.

Personally, I think it's a bit better than Funko Pops considering you can wear them or stab them into something else to decorate it or whatever. Funkos on the other hand, you buy and either leave it in the box to take up space or take it out of the box to take up space.
 
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The first girl I dated had a bunch of those pins on her Jansport backpack. It used to be a niche thing but I think normies co-opted it now. The coolest ones were ones they made for themselves, or like one they got from a band show. It told you something about the person or at least meant something to them. Now it's just "Star Wars Pin Pack #37" from Amazon prime.
 
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From my observations, a lot of people in artist alleys at conventions stock them and people buy them because "Aww, it's a little Pikachu-Ghibli crossover!" Or whatever they have. Fans of series like to make pins to fill the gaps that companies can't.
I have some enamel pins myself of characters and animals I like but I haven't been able to increase my collection since 2019. I don't buy them online because I'm not paying £10 for a single pin.
 
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Mr. Bung said:
They look neat and I wouldn't mind having some of my favorite characters, but they are expensive at like $7-$15 a pin.
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Just go on Etsy and search "X enamel pin" and get greeted with expensive pins.
1643541899224.png

The Lugia pin seems like it's a wholesale pin from a Chinese factory which is why it's so cheap. If you care about artists getting the funds for their work (albeit using someone else's IP without permission) then it's best to seek them out and buy it from them at a much higher price.

Don't get me started on that "Arcanine" one, the dude doesn't even know what the hell he's selling.

It's not limited to fandom stuff either. Here's another example.
1643542382698.png
 
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Enamel paint (and by extension enamel fumes) are really harmful. I don't collect them for this reason alone. In good praxis and in good faith I can't imagine myself collecting them. Pretty irresponsible as well.

I drunkposted this as a joke. Expected a lot more negative stickers, lol. Don't know shit about enamel pins.
 
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Kuchipatchi said:
Just go on Etsy and search "X enamel pin" and get greeted with expensive pins.
View attachment 2934555
The Lugia pin seems like it's a wholesale pin from a Chinese factory which is why it's so cheap. If you care about artists getting the funds for their work (albeit using someone else's IP without permission) then it's best to seek them out and buy it from them at a much higher price.

Don't get me started on that "Arcanine" one, the dude doesn't even know what the hell he's selling.

It's not limited to fandom stuff either. Here's another example.
View attachment 2934562
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Man, I see so much cool shit on Etsy I wouldn't mind having. I could easily spend all of my disposable income there if I wanted to.
 
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As someone who frequently sells at artist alleys and have done several pin production runs, yes people buy them. I've done shows where 2/10ths of my total take were enamel pin sales, and I typically only have 1-2 designs available at a time. 'Collect' is a strong word though because I think it implies there is finite goal, but even if you bought all the Pokemon-related enamel pins on the market today, there would be several new designs tomorrow. Unlike conventional 'collectables' I don't think there's an expectation of scarcity either, generally. Artists typically do runs of pins until the market for that design dries up.

Incidentally, there's now a niche market for banners/bags/frames exclusively designed displaying enamel pins.

I could sperg for longer than I'd like to admit about why enamel pins are so prevalent, especially at conventions. But they are a 'big deal,' though they largely aren't 'collectables.'
 
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There's a rabid (official) pin subculture among Disney people.

Other than that, people like little shiny objects. In that moment of impulse buying, it's easier to justify a $7 pin that can theoretically be stuck on something else, vs a $20 figurine that needs shelf space and dusting.

Pin people put them on bags, denim jackets, or on special pin wall hangers, which is a sign that the madness has taken hold:

Pin Collector Pin Collection Etsy.png
Pin Keeper Felt Banner (Pin Collection Display).png
 
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and 1 other said:
Enamel paint (and by extension enamel fumes) are really harmful. I don't collect them for this reason alone. In good praxis and in good faith I can't imagine myself collecting them. Pretty irresponsible as well.
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So "enamel paint" is more a broad category of finish options. In it's most essential form enamel paint uses glaze/mineral-like pigments, binding agents, and a solvent that usually flashes off at room temperature/pressure. Now there certainly are solvents that pretty much readily dissolve your brain/tissue just as readily as the dissolve anything else. Even non-acute exposure can cause increased cancer risk if it is something that happens repeatedly. There's also mostly-safe solvents. Even the most dangerous ones you can acquire do have safe handling procedures. It's only you that suffers direct consequences for failing to do the research. This is common on the lower quantity end of the market.

On the other hand, true enamel is very similar to glaze for pottery and forms an even harder coating. The minerals are usually deposited onto the work-piece as powder and then fired in a high temperature kiln. This makes sense if you are cranking out hundreds/thousands at a time. Otherwise your fixed costs for kiln operation are not divided up among enough units. This barrier to entry also means you can more or less be sure you have officially licensed ones with a little bit of legwork.
 
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