Pinback collectors – do you replace missing pins?
 

A few times now I have purchased baseball pinback buttons that were missing the original pin. I feel like the button itself and what is on the front is much more important than the pin on the back.

Luckily, I have an antique store locally that has a huge tray of various sized and aged pinback buttons. I will usually just measure what size I need and will go to the store and find a crappy, period appropriate replacement, and will fix my button. This Skateland button for example was trashed but for $1, it was well worth grabbing the pin.

Does anyone else do this or does anyone see a problem with this since the pin is not original to the button?

why not? I'm sure some would disagree, but as a pin guy I would put that in the "no big deal one way or the other" category. What I'm not crazy about is taking an old pin and adding newer ribbons and other items to make it something it never was. I'm a big fan of vintage pins with great hanging stuff that were sold that way originally, and avoid the newly created varieties like the plague. I'm guessing there are many newbie pin collectors who can't tell the difference, and it strikes me as an attempt to deceive to at least some extent on the part of those dealers who do that.

I agree on both counts, Hank. I just wasn't sure if it was against some pinback etiquette to replace missing pins.

Adding stuff to pins that wasn't there originally seems different though, and wrong.

And is done a LOT these days.

Very troubling, indeed.

Jim No problem replacing lost pins as its very common to find them missing just as long as you use an older vintage pins in its replacement... just like you did,,,good job....;);)

Thank you. Al. Just wanted to ensure that I wasn’t doing something improper.

So far, I’ve had good luck with a source for replacement pins and they’re usually only a buck or so. Well worth the cost to make my pin while again.

Quite the contrary, Jim, I regard your efforts as restoration, and the more pins get their pinbacks back, the better, I say!

I would estimate that 95% of vintage Pin collectors have replaced the pin portion on the back at some point. And the remaining 5% are lying. :rolleyes:

If anybody needs a rusty old pin for their pinback, I have a pile of them.

I was going to replace a missing pin on a Ralph Kiner Cubs pinback on eBay years ago if I had won it but I was outbid.