May The Merch Be With You - Star Wars Pins, Patches, & Coins
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, American filmmaker George Lucas created the concept of Star Wars.
The movie makers of the time were so sceptical of the initial idea for 'A New Hope' that it's reported that James Earl Jones (the menacing voice of Darth Vader) was paid only $7,000 for his role in the film.
Fast-forward almost five decades, and Star Wars has eleven live-action movies, five excellent TV shows, animated series, books, comics, video games, and action figures.
The Empire and the Rebel Alliance have generated billions of dollars in revenue, so it should come as no surprise that some of the millions of fans around the world have come to us to help them make fan-created Star Wars pins, patches, and other custom merch.
These Are The Star Wars Pins You're Looking For
One of our most prolific Star Wars creators, David from The Collector's Guild, is the founder of a massive Facebook community of avid Star Wars action figure collectors.
His guild became so popular that David branched into podcasts and custom merch. After designing a Black Series Collectors logo badge, David created Star Wars character pin badges based on the packaging of the Black Series action figures to sell to the members of his empire.
We caught up with David to talk to him about his love of Star Wars and the motivation behind his custom merch.
"I've been a collector since the Phantom Menace in 1999. That's where it all began: the obsession, the thrill of collecting and the joy of the galaxy far, far away.
From there, it was Birthdays and Christmases full of all things Star Wars, pencil cases, t-shirts and those crazy Power of the Force action figures.
Later in life, I realised that it wasn't just me who was obsessed with this wonderful space fairytale. So I started a Facebook fan page for a line of the first ever 6" Star Wars figures called 'The Black Series', which grew wildly popular and has grown into something so much more."
"The community that was created on Facebook inspired me to create merch, something that the group could use to identify other members whilst attending conventions or simply... something to collect. The inspiration came from a trip I took to DisneyWorld Florida where I saw how vast the trading pin community was there and decided to bring that to the group 6 years ago, and it's still going today. "
Lightsaber Pins - Elegant Badges For a More Civilised Age
Lightsabers are not only the weapons of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords; they were also voted the most popular weapons in cinema history in 2008.
The instantly recognisable laser swords make the perfect subject matter for Star Wars enamel pins. David's idea for creating a set of Star Wars pins based on the individual hilts (as designed by the wielder) and perfectly utilised our glitter enamel to emphasise the kyber crystal and the glow-in-the-dark option around the soft enamel.
"I was always facinated by lightsabers and the whole law behind their creation and construction and how the Kyber crystals powered them. That inspired the current releases and ongoing Laser Sword Series."
When you're creating custom merch to sell, it's essential to find your niche, ensure there's a market for your products and get feedback from your customers and followers. We asked David about how the response to his Star Wars pin badges has been.
"Overwhelming. The latest releases have seen an incredible uptake and such lovely feedback from the community. I have plans to continue as the brand grows, and there are some very exciting plans ahead.
The Collectors Guild now has a limited series featured on the Star Wars Sessions Podcast where we chat about all things collecting; that community has been insanely inspiring and has motivated me to continue."
The success of The Collector's Guild community and David's enamel pin designs means he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
"The Laser Sword Series will continue as long as I keep getting requests for new versions and I have more plans for pins and coins... and possibly more. I'm excited to see what the future holds."
If you're a Star Wars pin badge collector looking to add some of these amazing designs to your collection, you can buy them on The Collector's Guild Instagram page.
This Is The Way For Star Wars Coins
Custom coins are an increasingly popular way to create commemorative credits and collectables. These Mando and Darth Vader die-struck coins are beautifully executed and use the antiquing finish to tremendous effect, creating a premium product for a relatively low cost.
Star Wars Fan Fun Day - It's No Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy
Star Wars is, and always has been, a family-oriented franchise that inspires the minds of children and adults alike. Star Wars stories are passed from generation to generation, and families around the world spend time together at festivals and conventions devoted to the Star Wars universe.
One such convention is the Star Wars Fan Fun Day in the UK, an annual event for fans to meet up with like-minded enthusiasts, buy merch, and take photos with actors and actresses who appeared in the movies, shows, and animated series.
Every year, SWFFD trusts us to produce their collectable Star Wars character patches that attendees can pick up during the event.
The 5th Legion - An Empire of Star Wars Cosplayers
Many people cosplay characters from the movies and shows to get into the spirit of Star Wars conventions.
And nobody does it better than the members of The 5th Legion (who we saw at Thought Bubble in 2023), an army of fanatics who produce movie-accurate costumes that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
So, we jumped at the chance to produce their organisation's woven patches to add another Star Wars-related product to our CV.
Help Me, Made by Cooper. You're My Only Hope.
If our incredible clients have inspired you to make your own Star Wars enamel pin badges, patches, coins, or caps, our free design service is on hand to teach you the ways of the custom merch force.
No Jedi mindtricks.
It's not a trap.
With every order, our master designers will help get your ideas and designs production-ready with unlimited power revisions until you're happy with your visuals.
Contact us today to get started.