StockPins Blog

Had a bit of a blonde moment (month).  I had been planning to put our recycle logo pin on special for the entire month - to celebrate Earth Day - and I completely spaced it.  Oh well - better late than never.     Get them while they last.  Any quantity at 1000+ piece price of only $0.99ea

So I’ve taken the plunge and signed up on facebook and twitter (see links on the right side - bottom).  It’s pretty cool and I can see why folks get into it.  But it’s no fun playing by myself.  I need some friends.  So I figured I’d make a game out of it.  If you will be my friend (add me as a friend on facebook and follow me on twitter) I’ll give you a special coupon and a free “Where’s My Bailout” pin with your order.    I figure my ego needs about 50 friends so I don’t feel like a complete loser, so this offer is good to the firt 50 of you to respond.    So come on - won’t  you be my friend? ( I feel like I’m in 3rd grade again).

pin-guards locking pin backs mean you'll never lose a lapel pin again

Hi Everyone, just wanted you to know that after being out of stock for a short time (about 10 days) our pin guards (aka pin-locks) stock has been replenished.  These things have really taken off in popularity.

It all started with our loyal biker-pin customers who wanted a way to keep their prized pins safe while zooming along at higway speeds.  Now,  all sorts of pin enthusiasts have joined the Pin-Lock craze.   Everyone from corporate buyers wanting to protect their precious service awards to cub-scouts and little league teams who wouldn’t dare risk losing their trading pins.

Like everyone, we are frustrated with the economic downturn and the constant parade of businesses getting handouts from our government. While the fat-cats spend our tax dollars on corporate jets and boondoggles in Vegas, we’re toiling away, trying to make a living. Meanwhile our customers are hesitant to spend any money because they don’t know if they’ll have a job tomorrow. It’s enough to make me SCREAM - “WHERE’S MY BAILOUT?”

If you’re as frustrated as I am, wear our pin. You’ll be supporting an American small business and will keep our people employed, so they can go out and stimulate the economy. Save the US economy, buy “Where’s My Bailout?” pins!

After watching the debates last night I wanted to make a public offer to the folks at Barack Obama’s campaign.  I felt bad that Senator Obama was (unfairly in my opinion) berated for not wearing an American Flag Lapel Pin.   So, Senator OBama - if you’ll give us a call or send us a note - we’ll be happy to send you enough flag pins to last the rest of the campaign. 

Just trying to do my part to advance democracy around the world….

~Pinonda

Ahoy - all ye landlubbers and seamen alike - whether ye serve before the mast or in the afterguard - Today be International Talk Like  A Pirate Day!!  Grab some grog and our skull and crossbones pins and party like yer headed to Davey Jones’ Locker! 

This week we’ve introduced a new category of pins - Emoticon Pins.    You know - those little smiley’s you see everywhere in emails, on message boards etc.  People have become so accustomed to showing their feeling with emoticons online that we thought it would be cool use them to show your emoticons in the real world.  So we’ve introduced our first set of 8 emoticon pins.  The set includes Roll Eyes (Sarcastic), Mad, Smilie, Cool, Frown, Wink, Big Grin, and EEK and comes in a gift box.  

Tell us which other emoticons you’d like to see in the next set - just leave your suggestion in the comments here. 

Thanks

~Pinonda

Thanks for sharing John - what a great story.   

  I would be more than happy to share my story about the pins I’ve been ordering from you for the last three years.

     In 2004 I purchase my first boat from Steve, a friend of mine.  I’ve always wanted a boat to travel and visit the various marinas and summer hot spots all along the south and north shores of Long Island.  I think my love to travel by water to distant places never left me when I left the Navy.  Seems that thrill never left my cousin and brother in-law either.  We’ve even take my little boat across Long Island Sound and docked over night in New London Connecticut. All of our adventures were memorable and deserving of recognition.  This is where Stock Pins has come through for me every time.

   In 2005 we had our first Pin Ceremony.  I presented double and single dolphin pins as Officer pins to my cousin, brother in-law and other crew members. I also awarded everyone, who was on board, with a specific pin for each port they visited with us.  2005 was also the year when my cousin Richie, my brother in-law Gene and I crossed the LI Sound to Connecticut.  Our wives said we were jackasses for attempting this and so at our second annual Pin Ceremony we were awarded Stock Pin’s Golden Donkey pin. 

 

     Tonight we will be hold our 3rd annual Pin Ceremony and I will be honoring my crew and their wives and friends with various pins for they accomplishments and contributions to making our boating experiences memorable.  I can’t think of a better way to commence a boating season than having a Pin Ceremony and I can’t think of a better solution for my pin needs than Stock Pin.  There isn’t a trip we take where I don’t hear someone say ”Do I get a pin for this”?  Your product is more than a pin, it’s conversation piece and behind every pin there’s a story,,,, a Sea Story 

Thank you,

John C. Blevins

Captain SS Therapy

As many of our readers know we have live chat to help customers as they browse our store.  One of the neat features of this software is you can see how many customers are browsing at any time and where they came from.   The other day all at once, everything went bonkers.  Thousands of folks stated visiting the store and they were all looking at angel pins.  Turns out ESPN.com had just posted a story  about Nomar Garciaparra wearing one of our pins!

An astute fan had noticed and pointed out to Paul Lukas (Uni Watch and ESPN Columnist) that Nomar has the habit of wearing a “Fairy on his left armband.”   ESPN photo dept went to work and turned up some great shots of Nomar wearing our Guardian Angel (style E08) lapel pin. 

Aparently Nomar’s people have decided to not comment on the pin.  We take the privacy of our customers very seriously and will neither confirm or deny the purchase.    We should note however, that Nomar is not the first celebrity to have been spotted wearing our pins.  Last November Isiah Thomas was spotted wearing our puzzle pin and, truth be told, Hollywood wardrobe departments are frequent customers. 

I hope the pin brings you good luck Nomar and thanks for all the visitors!

~Pinonda

 It’s almost Graduation time and the class of ‘07 will be looking pretty sharp at commencement.  We’re getting calls every day from folks needing pins for graduation ceremonies.  So just in case you need a little inspiration - Here’s a good example from a customer: 

We are a Practical Nursing Program in a high school in partnership with a community college. There is no set pin style for the program yet, since it is only 4 year in the making. So we give our students a Caduceus as a pin for their uniform and graduation gowns.

So in this case they’ve used the Caduceus pin to identify the group of grads who’ve completed this nursing program.  The other common way we see people using pins - is to give them to friends / classmates as a rememberence.  While alot of you will be moving out of State, changing schools, making new friends, experiencing life’s fabulous journeys, pins are a great way to stay connected.  Every time someone wears a pin you gave them, they’ll remember you.    So…

Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea
You’re off to great places
Today is your day. 
Your lapel pin is waiting
So get yours today!

~sorry - couldn’t help myself - big fan of Dr Suess.