The quality of my pins is essential to me; with that said, no pin will be perfect, and every batch/design is different. These pins cannot be perfect because they are handmade items with natural variations and slight flaws that occur during every production process. A lot of time/energy is put into producing and grading these pins. Please read below for more details on my grading standards.

GRADING PROCESS:

All pins are graded at an arms length or approximately 12 inches from a viewing distance. Pins are viewed in direct sunlight and the front is inspected. The sides and back of the pins are negligible to the grading process and will only be considered in the event of a broken post or poor plating.  

The following criteria below will be used to grade our pins.

PREORDER GRADES:

Preorder Grades are considered either an A Grade Pin or a B Grade Pin. A Grade pins will be given priority in order of time and date of the order placed. 

A GRADES/STANDARD GRADES:

A grades are the best of the batch for the particular design. If there is a minor imperfection that is across more than 20% of the batch, that will be considered part of the standard grade for that design/batch. No major defects will be considered standard. A-grades may exhibit very minor imperfections that can be seen under close inspection

• Low-fill or very slight overfill of enamel in small areas
• Some minor scratches/scuffs
• Small amount of tiny bubbles in enamel, stained glass or epoxy coating
• Stray glitter
• Slightly misaligned screen printing
• Slight discoloration and imperfections in/on the metal plating on the sides and /or back of the pin
• Small imperfections that can only be seen at certain angles and not when viewed from the front. 

B GRADES:

B Grade Pins have noticeable minor defects, however, very close to being Standard grade pin when viewed from the front. 

• Moving posts
• Low-fill or overfill/spillover of enamel in large areas
• Chipped metal plating
• Discoloration or staining
• Missing enamel or plating
• Wrong enamel fill colors
• Large dents, divots, scratches
• Missing or badly printed screen printing
• Excessive bubbles, scratches, dents, divots
• Foreign materials embedded in enamel, glitter or epoxy
• Lightly discolored / tarnished plating
• Scratched or medium-largely misaligned screen printing

C GRADES:

C Grades have very visible multiple minor and/or major defects. Perfect for those on a budget. In addition to defects mentioned above, C grades may also have...

• All flaws mentioned under Standard and B Grades
• Missing posts
• Heavily Discolored / tarnished plating
• Big scratches
• Gouges in epoxy/paint/enamel
• Missing enamel
• Missing print
• Cracks in the epoxy/paint/enamel 

Disclaimer:

By purchasing from Dovahpin, you accept and agree to the above grading policy.