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Weird Residue on D&D 40th Anniversary pin
MobiusDoppelganger
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
in Pinny Arcade
Anyone else having an issue with a weird residue (possibly oxidation) on the surface of their D&D 40th Anniversary pin, I have a few of them and all of them are experiencing this same problem. They don't look shiny and gold anymore, it's like they have dirt rubbed on them that I can't clean off.
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If the gold layered Pins are more prone to this issue, it should be brought up so maybe a change in the way they are manufactured happens or we stick to the black/silver Pins. It would be also nice to find out if there's anything we should know about how these types of Pins should be cared for, if we need to place them in a vacuum sealed display case for instance (maybe that's a bit extreme though). At the end of the day, it's probably up to the third parties (like Wizards of the Coast) what type of Pin they get produced since cost is likely a factor.
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It's similar to blowing on a Nintendo game cartridge, while many people think this will fix the issue, it can end up causing corrosion/contamination down the road.
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A good rule of thumb with anything that has a "coating" is to avoid even mild acids and strong bases. Unless there is a chip or major flaw in the pins glossed surface, I wouldn't see corrosion being an issue.
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It's worth a look if you're interested in glimpsing into the way they are likely made, but not necessarily the exact same methods in which Pinny Arcade Pins are produced. For example, I couldn't tell you whether or not they get grinded, the smooth finish may suggest it. It also appears they use pad printing for details that aren't filled in with hard/soft enamel, and from what I've seen with how Pins can have this color/painting come off or be worn, it doesn't appear that they have any kind of gloss/clear coating. If they do, I'd guess an epoxy coating.
Certain Pins like the D&D one, and (East) Chandra 1, have more of the plating visible as part of the design (such as the middle part of the D&D between the yellow enamel and Chandra's goggles). Whether or not it's actual gold plating, brass, or what have you - honestly I have no idea which it may be - I agree that corrosion may or may not be too much of concern, especially since you may only be "polishing" them once and then placing them in a display to rarely be touched again. Still, I'd rather be careful and see if we can find out if there are perhaps better alternatives to maintaining the Pins' appearances before suggesting any particular method.
We know all Pinny Arcade Pins aren't made the same exact way too because you've got different types of plating. I've got an Ellie Pin that it damaged/worn with paint chipped off - I'll see if I can post a picture later. It'd be interesting to see more examples of damaged Pins if anyone has any they'd like to share. I may be overly concerned about these kinds of things though, and how everyone wants to take care of their own Pins is entirely up to each individual.
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[X]PAXsouth 2015
[X]PAXaus 2015
[?]PAXeast 2016 ???
Sorry for the low quality photo
I noticed a bit of a tarnish on my lookouts pin. My D&D is still pretty shiny but I can see what you mean. That big mark on the sun in the lookouts logo seems like a thumbprint probably. Perhaps from the acid in our hands? We do tarnish things by touching them. I wonder if a silver or copper polish would help?
Anyway, I think this would probably be a quality control issue that perhaps one of the staff should know about, for future reference.
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Pins get traded, so they have been touched by multiple people. You don't necessarily know if the person who had the Pin before you washed their hands after they ate some greasy food or... went to the bathroom. If you're trading in person at a PAX people might ask to see your Pin and hold it before trading. I think the other individuals in this thread have legitimate concerns that they are looking to resolve, and we shouldn't treat that with scorn. Since you aren't having any issues with your own Pins then I'm happy for you, and I sincerely hope you never have any problems either.
Now that individual Pins don't come packaged with the plastic, this might become more of an issue for others with certain Pins because it increases the likelihood of some sort of tarnish occurring. If there is anyone who has experience with this issue, it would be wise for us to get their advice before someone goes and uses something that might strip paint or wear on the enamel.
If it is oxidization on the plating, then we should know how to properly care for that, whether it means careful polishing of only certain parts (not just wiping the entire Pin with a polishing agent and cloth), and maybe a surface coat will need to be applied if one isn't already or was degraded in spots. Since this is particularly an issue with the "gold" Pins it seems, we should find out what exact alloy/metal the outer plating on these Pins is, whether it's brass, bronze, or whatever. Going forward, that would help us in learning how to properly clean/restore a Pin.
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