Best source for pins/buttons?

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:41 am

Hey, collective knowledge of ComicGenesis...

I'm going to a convention in October, so I have plenty of lead time on this. Where do you get your pins/buttons made--the typical small round ones? Ideally, I'd like to find a place where I can get small square pins made, too. Good, solid quality is more important than super-cheap price, but it'd be great to have both. Any recommendations?

Tyras · Post by **Tyras** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:50 am

Not cafepress, that's for sure. Yeah, they make buttons, but they're not cheap, and don't give many options (I'd love to see a place that lets you sell variety packs, for example). I mean they're not terrible, but I'm not impressed.

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:18 am

Once a long time ago I stumbled across a site that let you select up to five designs so you could, say, order a hundred buttons and have twenty of each, rather than having to order 500 to get all your designs. I wish I could remember where that was. It might have been someone on Etsy.com.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:32 am

It's funny that you brought this up- I was actually looking into this today. Apparently ModButtons are quite good. I've heard good things from other artists.

Robin Pierce · Post by **Robin Pierce** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:05 pm

Modbuttons are awesome. Do that. you can't really get better prices, shipping is fast like woah, and their customer response/service team is excellent. Add to that, the fact that they provide an easy template for your buttons and that they take paypal, you really can't go wrong with them. The buttons are stable, shiney, and nice looking, and the colours came out just how i wanted them when I placed the order.

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:27 pm

Great! I'll try them. Plus, I love any place that'll take Paypal

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:24 pm

The buttons for the 2007 St. Louis Comic Cookout came from http://www.affordablebuttons.com - they were very inexpensive and very professional.

Jekkal · Post by **Jekkal** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:01 pm

pierce studios wrote:Modbuttons are awesome. Do that. you can't really get better prices, shipping is fast like woah, and their customer response/service team is excellent. Add to that, the fact that they provide an easy template for your buttons and that they take paypal, you really can't go wrong with them. The buttons are stable, shiney, and nice looking, and the colours came out just how i wanted them when I placed the order.

Those look AWESOME! Now I just can't decide what I want ON the button! ^_^

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:56 am

rkolter wrote:The buttons for the 2007 St. Louis Comic Cookout came from http://www.affordablebuttons.com - they were very inexpensive and very professional.

Thanks for the second rec. In smaller quantities they're pricier than the first rec, but they do square buttons, which I also want to have.

Robin Pierce · Post by **Robin Pierce** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:50 am

also

http://www.busybeaver.net/

I haven't used this one myself, but I know a bunch of CG/keenspot artists who have. Good prices, good delivery. Don't know much more than that.

Shishio · Post by **Shishio** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:59 am

I know a guy that bought a button maker for $60 and uses it to make his own buttons, which I don't see any problems with.

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:01 am

pierce studios wrote:http://www.busybeaver.net/

I'm pretty sure Fluff in Brooklyn and/or Playground Chosts used them for their first set of buttons. Good service, but I think those were the buttons that came apart after a little bit of wear. I keep finding either button backs or button tops lying around from the first batch of Fluff buttons I got. I'll have to ask to make certain I'm not badmouthing Busy Beaver wrongly, but I'm pretty sure.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:59 am

I haven't personally used Modbuttons (yet) but I emailed Danielle Corsetto, because I know she just started selling buttons at cons, and her response was really enthusiastic.

Oooooh, you will love these people! I went through Mod Buttons (the chick who co-owns the company is a GWS fan and basically e-mailed to ASK ME if I'd pick her!). Here's the link!

http://www.poseurink.com/modbuttons/

Tell 'em GWS sent ya. They'll probably treat you like royalty either way, but no harm in trying.

Hug,
d

And from what I've seen they can do just about any design you'd like, shiny or not, and they're wicked cheaper than some of the others. I guess the only drawback is that they only do 1" buttons. Although I polled some people that I know go to cons and collect buttons, and they said their favorite sizes are 1" round and 1.25" round anyway. So- I think it'll be ok.

Bustertheclown · Post by **Bustertheclown** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:09 pm

Shishio wrote:I know a guy that bought a button maker for $60 and uses it to make his own buttons, which I don't see any problems with.

That's a route I'd want to take, too. I should go find one...

Spqrblues · Post by **Spqrblues** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:04 pm

geekblather wrote:I haven't personally used Modbuttons (yet) but I emailed Danielle Corsetto, because I know she just started selling buttons at cons, and her response was really enthusiastic.

How did it take me so long to discover GWS? I literally discovered it just earlier today. Where the heck have I been? So far, I love it. I don't think that qualifies me to say GWS sent me, though

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:18 pm

spqrblues wrote:
rkolter wrote:The buttons for the 2007 St. Louis Comic Cookout came from http://www.affordablebuttons.com - they were very inexpensive and very professional.
Thanks for the second rec. In smaller quantities they're pricier than the first rec, but they do square buttons, which I also want to have.

These are also the guys who make buttons for Six Flags. So they do have a reputation for making good quality buttons. The ones for the cookout were all very professional looking and not at all off center or loose. Quality merchandise.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:31 pm

spqrblues wrote:
geekblather wrote:I haven't personally used Modbuttons (yet) but I emailed Danielle Corsetto, because I know she just started selling buttons at cons, and her response was really enthusiastic.
How did it take me so long to discover GWS? I literally discovered it just earlier today. Where the heck have I been? So far, I love it. I don't think that qualifies me to say GWS sent me, though

Right well, I poke at her pretty often with questions or comments and the like- because I'm a giant fantard. And isn't GWS fantastic?

Sasjhwa · Post by **Sasjhwa** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:36 pm

I've heard really good things about http://www.buttonkingsinc.com/. They charge $25 per 100 for 1" buttons with larger quantity deals. You can also subdivide larger orders into multiple images. They sell 1" buttons and magnets and 1.5" buttons.

They sell a lot of individual buttons on ebay where they have a very high rating. It is about the only measure of customer satisfaction other than the testimonials on the site.

I haven't gotten into making my own buttons yet.

Levi-chan · Post by **Levi-chan** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:45 pm

I believe Natasha from Normal Life uses model 100s? http://www.buttonsonline.com/model100.html

They're 200+ USD a set, but you can get your money back pretty easily by selling.

Garneta · Post by **Garneta** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:23 pm

bustertheclown wrote:
Shishio wrote:I know a guy that bought a button maker for $60 and uses it to make his own buttons, which I don't see any problems with.
That's a route I'd want to take, too. I should go find one...

Funny this thread came up...I'd been thinking about getting one lately.