What Are Trading Pin Bags?

September 11, 2023
November 16, 2022

| min read

In a nutshell pin bags bring the fun to pin trading and eliminate the frustration. Trading pin bags help you organize, store, and protect your valuable pin collection.

Trading Pin Bags

A trading pin bag is a small, soft-sided bag that is used to store and protect collectible pins. These bags typically have a zipper closure and are made from a variety of materials, including nylon, canvas, and velvet. Trading pin bags first became popular in the early 2000s as a way to safely transport pins to and from conventions and trading events.

Today, these bags are still used for this purpose, but they have also become a must-have fashion accessory for many pin collectors. In addition to being stylish, trading pin bags are also a great way to organize and display your pins.

What Makes a Trading Pin Bag Good

There are a few factors to consider when choosing the right trading pin bag. The type of bag, the size of the bag, and the number of pins you want to trade.

Bag Type

The type of bag is important because you want to make sure the bag is big enough, durable enough, and provides the best protection.

Bag Size

The size of the bag is also important. For an avid collector you likely want a bag that will hold 300-500 pins.  The quantity a pin bag will hold is totally dependent on the size of the pins being stored.  The premium pin bags often are distinguishable because they have this 300-500 quantity capacity.  Don’t underestimate the capacity as you can run out of space very quickly.

Number of Pins

I’m not going to lie, collecting pins is addictive, the more you get the more you want.  You will find ways to get them whether it is traveling to Disneyland or buying pins when you visit national parks.  Collectible pins are everywhere once you start looking for them.

When you first start out, your collection may be small but over time it will grow.  You may start out getting a few pins from a little league baseball tournament or a school event like Destination Imagination or a robotics competition. So don’t underestimate the size of bag you may need as the number of pins will grow and grow.

Materials

Trading pin bags are made from a variety of materials, including velvet, nylon, and canvas. Many may be a combination of materials.  Nylon is the most common for the outer shell, velvet and foam are the most common for the interior pages.  The most important thing to consider is whether the bag is constructed for durability.  Stitching, fabric, all matter in selecting a good bag.  

Here is a little insight on the 3 materials mentioned.

Velvet

A type of fabric that has a very short, dense pile. It is usually made from silk or synthetic fiber. Velvet can be tricky to work with because it can easily be damaged by heat, water, or abrasion.

It is best to use a backing fabric when working with velvet to prevent it from slipping or shifting. They are usually made from velvet or a similar fabric to help keep the pins from being scratched or damaged.

Nylon

A strong, durable synthetic polymer that was first developed in the 1930s. It's now widely used in all sorts of applications, from clothing and upholstery to rope and automotive parts. Trading pin bags are a great way to protect and store your pins, and they're usually made from nylon for their strength and durability.  Nylon also offers some water protection.

Canvas

A sturdy, heavy-duty cotton fabric is used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which strong fabric is required.  Canvas would be more of a trendy or aesthetic material used for trading pin bags and likely are more unique and stylish and likely cost much more.

The Price

The price of a trading pin bag varies depending on the size and style of the bag.  Trading pin bags range from $15 to over $100, but the most common bags will be $30 to $50 dollars.  When it comes to pricing the biggest differentiator is size and number of pin pages included.  So if you see a $15 bag, it likely has 2-3 pages.  If you see a $40 bag, it likely has 5-6 pages.  It all boils down to personal choice and your budget.

9 Benefits of Trading Pin Bags

There are many benefits to trading pin bags, with the most obvious being that it can help you get more pins!

Storage

Keeps your pins together in one place.  Storing is important.

Protection

Prevents scratches, tarnishing, and damage

Organization

Allows for grouping and organizing pins into like kinds

Security

Ensures your pins are safe from loss or theft

Portability

Allows you to take your pins anywhere

Collectibility

Makes you look like a pin trader and collection.

Ease of Trading

Pins are displayed perfectly for trading with others

Convenience

You can grab and go, attach and remove, its just easy

Display

Pins are arranged to show off, and find a specific pin

Where Can I Buy a Trading Pin Bag?

The good news is it is easy to find trading pin bags to buy. You can buy one here on this website from TradingPinBag.com. They even offer bulk pricing the more you buy. You can also purchase them on Amazon.