Pinning & Winning Enamel Pin Series by Kidrobot, & The Allure of Pins
What started out seemingly as a “trend” (or so I thought it was, perpetually lack of foresight I’ve always been :p), soon turned “serious business” for many, when the PIN GAME gripped the “art toy scene” - with multiples of artists producing their works, followed by retailers making pins from artists, and the next thing you know, Kidrobot unveils their own “Pinning & Winning Enamel Pin Series”!
KIDROBOT PRESS: "Kidrobot is back in the accessories game with this new enamel pin blind box series. Featuring designs of Kidrobot Dunnys, Bot Heads, Labbits and a few of their friends, it’s time to exercise your right to robot! Grab all 40 today to pin it and win it! The series is available in select retailers worldwide and on Kidrobot.com."
I had been utterly slow to the #pingame, in fact I had been pretty resistant to the scene, truth be told - having been enjoying badges/buttons and stickers, but alas slow on the uptake (like when I devoted myself to cassette tapes, but jumped straight to CDs while missing LPs :p) and yet to even jump on the bandwagon (missed the TOYSREVIL 10th Anniversary window to do a pin too hahaha). And while any artist/brand has their own pin(s) selection for all and sundry, I have been posting most pin news on my #iliiike “Lifestyle/Design” blog instead :p
Pins are not a “new” occurrence in popular culture, and any cursory glance at select flea market stalls in China Square Central will find all manner of brand-based memorabilia from bigger commercial establishments (Hardrock Cafe pins around the world, food & beverage joints, even school pins) from yonder years. Maybe the old-fogey-in-me still remember those, and could hardly wrap my head around the current phenomenon, that has obviously gripped-n-butterfly-clipped the scene!
I’d thought to pick the brains of one person who’d I thought to be pretty much a hardcore collector; Iskandhar Shahril (see his loot on Instagram @ iskandhar_shahril ) - to somehow understand more of what I am missing!
TOYSREVIL: Why do you like enamel pins? Have they taken over the allure of “designer toys”?
ISHANDHAR SHARIL: "There's a different kind of allure of these pins over the toys. They're simple and attractive at the same time. It's like a fashion statement sometimes... haha. You don't have to admire them just at home like the designer toys that you have. Pin one or a few to your backpack or regular work attire and you'll get all kind of enquires from your colleagues or even strangers.
What are those? So cute! Where did you get them? And when you're done, just pin them back on your pinboard. You won't need rows upon rows or cabinets like you do for your toys. I wouldn't say they've taken over the allure of designer toys cos they're entirely a different thing but they can compliment each other. My 2 cents anyway. :)"
TOYSREVIL: What do you think about Kidrobot getting so deep into the pin game??
ISHANDHAR SHARIL: "It's just a matter of time really. Enamel or Lapel Pins are nothing new. They're a good way for independent artists to get their names out there since they're inexpensive to make. Only lately they have been getting a lot of attention lately and you see in Toy-Cons now many artists jumping on the bandwagon and offering them alongside their regular toy offering. They're way way cheaper to produce and can make some crazy returns on investments!
So yeah, I'm not surprised Kidrobot is diving deep into it too but like most big companies, they can sometimes overdo it and then you see quality drops and people start to lose interest in it."
