Custom trading pins have become a popular aspect of youth league sports of all kinds, enjoyed by both players and fans. With each season, they become more popular in youth sports of all kinds, recognized as tokens of sportsmanship and worthy competition.

The starting point for custom trading pins in youth sports was baseball and softball. Since Little League Baseball introduced its first official pins in the early 1980s, they have become an integral part of the entire youth baseball experience.

Custom trading pins thrive for several reasons. When you think about it, they’re really small works of art that people can carry with them. They’re affordable, and designs are personalized for each team. Custom trading pins have the power to turn strangers into friends.

Custom trading pins also are time- and place-specific. They highlight the year of a tournament, and link traders to the specific game or tournament. That makes custom trading pins great souvenirs for players and fans alike.

The frenzy for custom trading pins peaks every August at the Little League World Series. South Williamsport, Pa. becomes the center of the trading pin world. Many traders never even see a baseball game because they’re so busy swapping custom trading pins.

From their beginnings in baseball, custom trading pins have spread to other youth sports as well, including hockey, soccer, lacrosse and even football. More and more young athletes and their parents and siblings are discovering the fun of swapping custom trading pins at games and tournaments.

Trading pins actually have their origins in the modern Olympic Games. In the early years of the 20th century, athletes from Sweden wore the precursors of today’s custom trading pins in their nation’s colors of blue and yellow.

For many years, custom trading pins remained mainly a pastime among Olympic athletes and officials. By 1980, the general public discovered how much fun custom trading pins could be. Swapping trading pins soon became the unofficial spectator sport of the Olympics.

Ordering custom trading pins is easy with any good provider. Talented graphic artists can help you craft pin designs that are perfect for your team and sport. Reputable suppliers never charge for artwork and revisions, so you can work with your design until your team’s custom trading pins are just right.

The most basic rule to remember when ordering custom trading pins is think big. Bigger trading pins always trade better than smaller ones. The added space gives you more real estate on the pin to craft an eye-catching design.

Then consider the most basic elements of your sport. These will generally be represented on just about every team’s custom trading pins. In baseball, that’s bats, baseballs and diamonds. Hockey pins are likely to incorporate sticks, nets or pucks into the design. Just boil the game down to its most iconic emblems and you’ll have the starting point for great custom trading pins.

After you’ve settled on the basic design, consider adding options to your team’s custom trading pins. Add-ons can really boost your team’s pins’ trading value. Pins that would otherwise trade one-for-one can command two, sometimes even three or more, lesser pins. Options such as glitter, bobble heads, danglers, spinners, sliders and even blinking lights can really send the desirability of your team’s custom trading pins soaring.