Pinback Question

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Posted By: Paul Muchinsky

Aaron,

Thank you for your kind words about my book. I think the hobby would be in substantial agreement about replacing spring pins. Where it gets much more controversial is adding ribbons and dangles to pinbacks to enhance their visual appeal. I have seen some "amazing specimens" over the years, as a 1940s pinback adorned with a type of ribbon that wasn't developed until the 1960s. My favorite purveyor of such material uses a pair of pinking shears to create a delightful rough edge on a synthetic ribbon, and tops it off with the same string (on every "loaded" pin) that holds a plastic dangle (e.g., plastic glove or bat) that was made many years after the pinback. The mis-match is so obvious it would be like putting a pair of sunglasses on a bust of George Washington.