If you’ve been involved in youth league sports in recent years, you’ve seen the rise of trading pins. More and more team sports are discovering the fun of trading pins as collectible tokens of their sport.

Trading pins have long been popular in youth baseball and softball leagues. Little League Baseball introduced its first official trading pins in the early 1980s, and the tradition has grown each year since.

Trading pin frenzy truly reaches its zenith every year at the Little League World Series. South Williamsport, Pa. is engulfed in a flurry of trading pins changing hands. Some traders go for the pin trading and never even see a baseball game while they’re in town.

It’s no secret what makes pins so popular. If well-crafted, they’re attractive miniature works of art. Each team has their own unique design, and the pins represent a season spent together as a team. Trading pins are affordable and easy to collect and to carry. Trading pins can break the ice, quickly turning strangers into friends.

In recent years, other sports have also adopted trading pins as well. Youth hockey, soccer, basketball and even football teams have started trading pins at games and tournaments. With the natural link to specific times and places, pins make special keepsake souvenirs that people will treasure for many years.

Trading pins offer a great opportunity to be creative when designing them. Reputable providers never charge for artwork and revisions, so you can tinker with your team’s pin design until it’s perfect for your sport and your team.

Designing trading pins for your sport is easy, and with the help of the talented graphic artists at any good pin provider, can be fast and fun. It’s no problem to create terrific trading pins for any team.

Start with the basic rule: When it comes to trading pins, the bigger the better. The larger a trading pin is, the greater the trading value is. If you want your team’s pins to have great trading power, opt for the biggest ones you can get – 1.75" at minimum, up to 3" or so.

Next, consider the basics of your sport. Baseball trading pins will normally feature baseball bats, balls and diamonds. Hockey pins can feature a stick, net or puck. Look for the most common element. These will be staples of the trading pins for any given sport.

Don’t worry if you need help with your design. Good providers of trading pins will be happy to help you craft your pins until they’re exactly what you want.

When you have the basic design set, consider adding options. These inexpensive add-ons can really boost the trading power of your team’s pins, turning average pins into the hottest trading pins at the tournament.

Start with glitter enamel, an economical way to add sparkle and richness to your team’s trading pins. For more visual appeal, add motion to your team’s pins. Trading pins with danglers, spinners or sliders are eye-catching and very appealing to traders. If you have a team mascot on your trading pins, you can even give it blinking LED eyes.