There are many different styles, or types, of lapel pins. Along my path of collecting pins, I’ve researched and identified several mainstream and popular styles of pins that are manufactured. I’ve found that most lapel pins are actually struck, meaning they begin as a flat piece of metal which is then struck using a die at very high pressure, resulting in an impression being made into the once flat piece of metal. This impression is what ultimately becomes the lapel pin after extensive processing and refining.
There is another type of process which seems to be very popular, especially where there is relief detail, or 3d dimensional detail. This process is called Die Casting.
Die casting is different from die striking in that the pins are created from a cast rather than being struck. This is idea for 3-dimensional objects and details that are more difficult to strike due to the availability of thick metal blanks. With casting, the beginning blank metal thickness does not matter, as it is melted down prior to the casting process.
Casting involves molten metal, of which varying types or blends are used in the creation of die cast pins. This molten metal is then poured into a cavity, known as a mold, where it takes on the shape of the design.
The cast is left to harden, and the the mold is removed from the pin, revealing the final lapel pin. This process is more commercially available because molds can be made from a variety of materials such as wax, clay, plaster, or rubber, whereas die striking mostly requires a design to be molded into steel or another hard metal suitable for striking.
These cast pins are a great collectible item, as most of them resemble real 3-dimensional objects you see every day. They can be cast to emulate musical instruments, vehicles, and even products.
Commonly seen on trading pins, dangling pins are becoming very popular these days in sports pin trading and collectible pins. The idea is that you have one or more pins hanging from a larger pin (dangling) to create a more dramatic and unique look.
Most of dangling pins that I have only have 1, sometimes 2 pins hanging underneath the main pin. The pin shown here has several, and I’ve seen pins worn by Home Depot employees that have several dangling pins as well, apparently for years on the job or other goals achieved.
Cool stuff, huh? 
When it comes to pins, there are a lot of different ways in which they can be painted, or decorated. Most of the time you see solid colored paints, and occasionally a translucent. There is a fairly new trend I’ve notice, and it involves glitter!
Glitter pins, or sparkling pins as I’ve come to call them are really cool, glitter-painted lapel pins that sparkle in the light. The only difference between a regular solid-colored pin and a glitter pins appears to be that glitter flakes are sprinkled into the paint before it dries, resulting in very neat effect.
Most of the pins I’ve seen like this are baseball and softball pins, but I’ve had the chance to collect several other academic and non-sports glitter pins as well. You could even start a mini collection of solely glitter or sparkling pins if you wanted to, separate from your reguarl, sold-colored pins. 
As you know, I’m always on the lookout for new themes when it comes to pin collecting. I’ve seen them before, as you most likely have, but I haven’t touched on them yet. What am I talking about? McDonald’s Pins!
McDonald’s pins are a huge collectible, with collectors spanning the globe, they’re being sold, bought and traded all over the internet, and offline as well. There’s even one guy who has one of the largest known McDonald’s pin collections out there. Boasting over 20,000 unique pins, and nearly 120,000 extras, I’d say his collection is the real deal. Check out his website at 
One of the newer styles of pins I’ve been seeing and beginning to collect is the flashing pin, also called a blinking pin. These pins come in a variety of designs and styles, and usually feature at least 1 LED light that flashes.
Some flashing pins have several lights, which flash in a sequence, or all at once, depending on the particular pin. Most have different colored LED lights.
Flashing pins are usually powered by small watch batteries, and last nearly forever… I’ve had a few flashing in my collector case for over a year, and they’re still going! I’ve also seen flashing trading pins, such as baseball and softball pins, which look a little different than the flashing pin you see in the picture. On most of the flashing pins you see, it’s almost as if the pin is modeled around the lights, whereas with trading pins it looks like the pins are already done, and the light is added afterward, offering a more authentic look in my opinion.
I’ve included some sites below that specialize in Flashing pins.
Displaying and organizing your pin collection can become tedious over time, especially when your collection is in the hundreds, or even thousands of lapel pins.
Today, there are more options than ever to not only organize and maintain your lapel pins, but display them either for a retail setup, or for trading at pin trading events.
Carry-along items like trading pin bags are a popular item amongst kids in youth sports, as well as Disney pin collectors.
A great source I’ve found for pin trading bags is 
There are several ways to keep your pin collection organized. From collector cases, to display cases and now the latest hot trend – pin trading vests!
These vests come in a variety of colors, and are used to hold onto your pin collection as you stroll about a pin trading event, or just to display your collection of lapel pins.
Check out these great 
Cooperstown is home to one of the largest youth baseball assemblies in the world. 
