Custom trading pins are a cherished part of youth sports today, with an increasing number of young athletes sharing the fun of trading pins at games and tournaments across the nation. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of youth baseball. As a result, increasing numbers of coaches and parents are learning the ins and outs of ordering pins.

Designing and ordering great trading pins isn’t hard. With a little bit of information about how they’re made, and the help of a great supplier, trading pins are fast, easy and fun to order.

Whether you’re an experienced customer or a first-timer, ordering trading pins can be made easier with a little advance planning. In the past few years, trading pins have evolved in new directions. New technologies, styles and great new options make exciting new designs possible in ways you might not have imagined.

Trading pins are available in several styles, depending on both your design and budget. Soft enamel pins are by far the most popular style of trading pins. These rich, detailed, durable pins are the most sought-after pins you can buy.

If you need to reproduce a painting, photo or organizational logo precisely, offset digital printed trading pins are a great choice. These pins print your design directly onto the metal.

Photo etched trading pins can be an economical way to get great looking pins at an economical price. These will not generally be as durable as soft enamel trading pins, however.

The most basic thing to decide once you’re ready to start designing your team’s trading pins is the size of the pins. It’s a simple fact of life that, all other things being equal, bigger pins trade better than smaller ones. The bigger your trading pins are, the more room there is to showcase your design.

Another advantage of bigger pins is that they give you the opportunity to add bigger and more options. If you really want to make your trading pins the ones that everyone at the ballpark wants, go for the add-ons.

Glitter enamel is a great place to start with options for trading pins, especially if you’re on a tight budget. It’s an inexpensive way to add richness and sparkle to your team’s trading pins.

Danglers are a great way to showcase the year your team is in the tournament. These secondary pins hang from the main trading pins, and can also be used to show your team’s state or region. If your budget is tight, you can use the same main pins for multiple years and just add new danglers.

If you want to really increase the trading power of your team’s pins, add motion. Sliders, spinners and bobbles all add a "play" element to the trading pins and create a hard to miss, eye-catching look.

If your team mascot appears on your trading pins, you can even give them blinking LED eyes. How cool is that? The blinkers also can be customized for other styles as well.

Ultimately, your trading pins are limited only by your imagination. Get creative when designing this year’s pins and your players’ trading pins will be second only to their performance on the field!