One good option is pin bags. These bags are usually flexible bags, similar in style to briefcases, and are made of fabric or nylon. Inside the bag are many plastic or fabric sheets which allow you to stick the pins in for safe and convenient storage. If you’re thinking of getting a pin bag, try to get one that also has additional protective sheets between where the pins sit. This will prevent any possible damage from the pins scratching or touching each other. Other standard items on these bags are carry handles to allow for easy transportation, and some kind of zipper or buttons which allow the bag to open completely flat.

Pin bags come in a variety of sizes, from around 6 inches square up to 12 inches or more. Depending on how big your pins are and the size of the bag, each sheet within the bag could hold anywhere between 15 up to 50 or more pins. When buying pin bags, try to get ones that will allow you to add in extra sheets later on if your collection gets really big. This added flexibility may not seem like a big deal right now but it will later.

The other option for storing pin collections is a pin case. These are quite expensive and also take up some space so you should really only invest in them once you have a serious collection and can afford the investment. Pin cases will usually be made of wood or metal and have a glass front, which allow you to display all your pins. Pin cases come in a huge range of sizes and can accommodate almost any size of pin collection, but obviously the larger the case the more it will cost. Getting a custom made pin case is often a good idea as they are not that easy to find, and you can create one exactly according to your specifications.

One of the biggest advantages of enamel pins is that they allow a truly full range of colors and layering to be used to create a completely multi-colored pin with a shiny, classy look.  This is as opposed to most other pins materials, such as metals which generally can’t use very much color, stones or wood which have a similar problem, and plastic, which does allow for a full range of colors but does not have the same layered effect and doesn’t look nearly as good.

The only real potential problem with using enamel pins is that they are a little more fragile than other kinds, so they can break relatively easily if you drop them or treat them a little roughly.  Generally this isn’t going to be a big problem unless you plan to wear the pins at work and you work in a job that involves a lot of lifting or other work with heavy equipment, or possibly if you have kids (although you can avoid problems with kids by simply keeping the pins out of their reach so they can’t get to them and start throwing them around!)

Enamel pins are easy to find and to order online, whether you want customized ones or are happy with standard or pre-made pins.  If you’re a collector, there are literally thousands of places you can go to find enamel pins in all kinds of shapes and sizes.  If you’re specifically looking for enamel nursing pins, EBay is a good place to start.  Many nursing pins for collectors were made in the past however, before enamel was easily available, so they are often made of metal.

For nurses, for example, you can have a pin customized to include a whole range of different items.  This could include their name and qualification level, which is ideal if it’s something which is to be worn at work; the school from which they graduated, which is perfect for giving to your finishing students or new interns; or details and a personal message from your organization.

Ordering customized pins is relatively easy, although you need to have a good idea of what you want before you begin the ordering process.  Some customized pins are personalized only to the level of including someone’s name and qualifications, while retaining a standard look and feel and color scheme.  This is essentially the same as buying blank pins and having the recipient’s names and other details engraved on them, so this is something you may also want to consider.

Fully customized pins mean that you create everything about the look and feel of the pin, from the size and shape through to the images, words, colors, fonts and everything else about it.  These are the most expensive pins to order, because they require the most work on the part of the pin maker, but they are also the most unique and special, and will undoubtedly receive the best reception.

One thing to keep in mind if you do want fully customized pins is that some pin makers offer a design service as well, meaning they will work with you to understand your requirements and will then actually design the pin for you.  Unless you have access to trained designers, this is a step well worth taking as a professional will make your pins look ten times better than someone who is not trained.

Medical pins, like nursing pins, are available in a huge range of shapes and sizes.  One of the most common involves all kinds of variations of the caduceus symbol, which is two snakes twined around a staff and adorned with wings at the top, which is very well recognized medical symbol.  Pins can come in the form of the symbol alone, or they can include the symbol along with some words, such as those describing the level or training of the wearer, such as Registered Nurse, Medical Assistant, or abbreviations such as MD, RN, BSN or LPN.

Another form of medical pin is a round design with some kind of logo or insignia in the middle, often involving either a cross or the Caduceus symbol as a drawing, and with words going around the outside to signify who the wearer is.  Some pins also simply come in the forms of words or letters shaped out in gold or silver.  Medical pins are also available for a huge range of auxiliary and other functions, such as aides, dentists and even vets!

Finally, you can also buy pins that are related to medical charities such as the Red Cross.  These are often available as part of fund-raising drives carried out by charities, and some have also become collectible items and are sold online.

Whatever kind of medical pin you’re looking for, you’re almost certain to be able to find it online, whether you’re looking for a stock, off the shelf design or something customized for your institution.  Even if you’re a collector, you’ll be able to find a huge range of collectible pins on sites like Ebay.

Of course, nursing pins are just one of the many kinds of collectible lapel pins which serious collectors are involved with. One of the latest crazes is Disney trading pins, which, although they have been around for a long time, have taken off in a big way recently.  AS you can probably guess, Disney trading pins involve all the Disney characters, both the famous ones like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, all the way to much lesser known characters from various movies and stories.  Mickey and Donald have hundreds of trading pins devoted just to them, so you can image how many Disney pins there are in total.

Sports pins are also one of the most popular pin collecting genres.  Sports pins encompass all major sports such as baseball, football, basketball and hockey, and are used by a huge variety of other sports leagues as well including little league baseball and softball, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer and pretty much every other sport you can think of.  Sports pin trading actually started many years ago with pins that were produced specially for the Olympics, so many Olympic trading pins are available from both summer and winter games going back many decades.

Other kinds of collectible lapel pins include world flags, cartoon characters, semi-precious stones, motorcycles, animals, and a ton more.  If you’re just getting started in the pin collecting world, have a look around and find something that interests you, and start collecting today!

If you want to buy new nursing badges for your staff, you need to choose first of all between generic badges and custom made ones.   The generic badges will generally have the same design and wording across all of them, although some do leave a space to allow you to insert a name tag.  Generic nursing pins are usually significantly cheaper than any customized versions because they’re simply shipped directly from the warehouse to you, with no additional work required on the part of the business.

Custom nursing badges, on the other hand, are much more personal and individually suited to your staff.  The most common kind of badge for nurses is a name badge, which will often state the nurse’s name and position, and sometimes also the hospital and ward to which they belong.  Name badges can be ordered and personalized online, and you’ll often find that the cost can be up to 10 times (or more) the cost of buying generic badges.  One option to avoid this, if you know an engraver in your locality, is to buy the badges with space left for names and positions, but to have the actual personalization work done locally.  It’s worth checking how much this will cost you and comparing it to the quotes and prices you can receive online.

Either way, be sure to check that the materials you’re ordering are good quality and will last through the rigors of the nurse’s day.  The last thing you want is for name badges to start fading or to break and needed to constantly be re-ordering them, so it’s usually a good idea to spend a little more up front for a quality product for the sake of having peace of mind later.

Because of this fact, nursing school pins have also become a very collectible item.  You can find pins from nursing schools dating back to the 1800s if you look hard enough, and they can sometimes fetch prices in the thousands of dollars.  More common, however, are pins from throughout the 1900s, and if you start to get serious about collecting them, you’ll find that there are many thousands of varieties, schools and types of nursing pins.

A good place to start looking is that old collector’s favorite, EBay.  You’ll find hundreds of nursing pins of all shapes and sizes for sale there, and you can also start to get a grasp on the different price ranges.  Searching in Google for nursing school pins or nursing badges will also provide a range of sites, although you’re more likely to get sites that make new pins than ones that sell old ones.

If you are looking to create a new batch of pins for your nursing school, you’ll find a whole range of options online.  You are best to go with a pin creating company which has experience in creating nursing school pins, and can show you some of their previous work.  If you happen to know someone who has had a good experience with ordering custom pins before, be sure to get their advice and, if possible, use the company they used for their pins.  This could save you a lot of trouble and possibly money as well, so if you have contacts in other institutions, be sure to try and check around.