Don’t know how to make your plain denim look chic? Just add some quirky embroidered patches on them and you are good to go. Embroidered patches are very much in the trend and why would they not be? Apart from being cool, they are also extremely versatile. You can put these patches on uniforms, hoodies, denim, hats, overalls, and on any clothing of your choice.
If you have decided that you want your own customized patches, then here are four simple steps in which you can get them made the right way:

Decide the correct size– The size of the patch depends on what you are planning to put the embroidered patch on. When it comes to measuring the size of the embroidered patch, you need to decide the height and the width of the patches. If you are planning to put it on your denim or your hat, then a small-sized one, roughly around 2 to 4 inches, would be an ideal choice. Whereas, if you want it for a backpatch then you will have to go for a much bigger size, like something between 8 to 12 inches.

Choose a shape– Once you know what size patch you want to make, you can decide the shape of the patch. Some of the most basic shapes that you can go for are squares, circles, and ovals. If you want to go for any of these basic shapes, then you have the luxury of buying premade patches, where you simply need to create the design and the details you want to see in the patch.

Be clear on the concept– Most of the times, the designs of the patches are brand logos, symbols, or a message that conveys an event or a cause. So, it is vital that before you go ahead and design a patch, you are clear on what you want the patch to convey. You can use photographs or text to convey the design of your embroidered patch to the designer.

Finalize the design– Less is more when it comes to the designs that you select for your embroidered patch. If you go overboard and add too many things in the patch then it might end up looking chaotic. So, stick to one idea and turn it into a simple design. It is best to have a rough sketch of what you want the design to look like so that the designer knows what you are looking for. If you are getting an embroidered patch for personal use, then you can use your favorite quotes, movie characters, or a sketch you drew yourself.

Do your homework and be clear on what you want. Once you have a vision for how you want them to look, everything else will fall in place. Be up to date with the trending designs and shapes, so that you can take inspiration from them to make your own tailormade embroidered patch.

Embroidered patches pronounce versatility. You can use them on clothing and hoodies to market your brand logo or you can simply add these patches on your denim and make your denim look edgy and quirky. Designing an embroidered patch might get overwhelming if it is your first time and you do not know how to get going. While it is a common knowledge that you need to decide the size, shape, and the design of the patches, here are four other undervalued factors to consider, while creating the perfect embroidered patch:

Choose the backing wisely– You can choose from different types of backing for your patch. One of the most popular backings is plastic. Plastic backing ensures that the shape of your patch is retained by adding stiffness. If you want to try something different, then you can consider going for a magnetic backing, in which the back of the patch is a magnet. Adhesive backings are another popular type of backing, but they don’t last long, especially if you plan to machine-wash your clothes. If you want the patches to stay for long, then consider sewing them or going for the heat-seal backing.

Determine the embroidery percentage– The percentage of embroidery on the patch decides the price of the patch. The higher the percentage of embroidery, the higher the price. Typically, an embroidered patch has around 75% of embroidery. If you go with 75% of embroidery, then the rest of the patch will be the colored background of the design.

Decide the right border– Along with deciding the shape of the patches, you must also pick a border for your patches. If you choose any of the basic shapes like an oval or a circle, then you can consider going for the most common border type, called the merrowed border. The merrowed border, also known as an overlock border, is a border that wraps the thread around the entire fabric of the patch. This type of border looks aesthetically appealing and it adds to the durability of the patch. Note that the merrowed border cannot be used if your patch has pointed edges or it has an irregular shape.

Go crazy with the colors– You are spoilt for choice when it comes to the color of the embroidery. You can choose the colors for your embroidered patch from the hundreds of threads that are available in the market. Try to go for designs that use flat colors instead of different hues or color gradients, as it is difficult to get the color gradients embroidered.

The most intriguing thing is that you don’t necessarily need to put these embroidered patches on your clothes. Today, many people don’t mind getting customized embroidered patches just to add to their collection. So, instead of sticking to the latest trending designs, experiment with the sizes and the shapes and come up with your own unique customized embroidered patches.

As a kid, all of us wanted the best of baseball cards and the craze did not fade away even as we grew up. The want for baseball cards does not see an age or era, no matter how young or old you are, you are likely to have a fondness for baseball cards. Most people are grasped by the hobby of collecting baseball cards. Some of the most famous baseball cards can also fetch prices that go up to six or seven figures. If you are a baseball card hoarder, the following are some of the most valuable baseball cards of all time.

1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner
One of the rarest cards on the list and one with an easy price tag of $1 million, these cards are considered as the Holy Grail of all trading cards. The 1909 American Tobacco Company T206 Honus Wagner card is still the symbol of the trading card collection. Most of the cards from the T206 set are not rare, but the Honus Wagner cards are rare as their production was stopped earlier than expected. There are only 50-75 copies of the card in circulation today.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle
Being one of the rarest baseball cards, it is the price value of this card that usually determines the overall health of the sports card market. This card is popular because 1952 was the first year for Topps in the baseball card and this is a part of the primary collection, many cards from this collection were dumped in the ocean reducing the number significantly, and it is a high number card which means that very less number of copies were printed for this card.

1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth
There are four cards in the 1933 Goudey set for Babe Ruth cards, and all of them are among the most valuable baseball cards. The #53 is also known as the “Yellow Ruth” card and is one of the most difficult cards to find among the four cards. The 1933 Goudey is not the most expensive card for the baseball player as it is not his rookie card or the scarcest one. It is, however, one of the most valuable cards to baseball card hoarders.

Every sports card collector will have their own category of baseball cards. It is common for them to categorize the cards according to their preference. Most of the sets that are common for categories of baseball cards have come from a vintage card and the popularity the card carried into this age. As there is a different category according to every collector, it is significantly difficult to keep track of the baseball cards and which category they fit in. Following is a list of the most common categories that are used to make sets of baseball cards.

Rookie card
For such a common term of the set, the rookie cards are generally hard to define. Rookie cards, in simple words, are the first base cards of the players that later went on to be legends of the game. A Mickey Mantle rookie card will be more precious than the achievement baseball card of the player. These cards are the Holy Grail of card collecting due to their unique mystique and the investment potential they carry with them. According to the definition, the parallels, inserts, and sub-set cards do not qualify as rookie cards as they come under “rookie year cards”.

Sub-set card
Sub-set cards are theme-based cards of the players as well as teams. They include types of cards like all-star cards, league leaders, and World Series or playoff cards. For a card to qualify as a sub-set card, it must be included and must be numbered as the base set. These cards are different from the base as they have a different theme or design element from the conventional base cards.

Inserts
Insert cards are similar to sub-set cards in terms of theme and design, but they are not a part of a base card set. They are sold separately. Even the numbering on these cards is different from the main set of baseball cards. In some cases, the base cards do not even follow a numbering pattern. They are scarcer as compared to the base cards and are produced on the basis of ratios, for example, 1 in every 6 packs.

We all know coin collection is a hobby among many and started back in the fourteenth century by the members of elite groups and royal families. However, gradually this hobby started getting popular even among the middle class with the rising availability and interest in history, symbolism and art.

There are a lot of reasons for starting this hobby. Also, there are many benefits and advantages of collecting coins as a hobby. Many hobbyists have confirmed that soon after they took up collecting coins, they see lot of changes in them. Let’s talk about these changes and the improving mental health from collecting coins.

Hobby of kings
Back in the 14th century, this hobby was not popular among all classes. Only the rich and royal families could afford to have this as a hobby. But today, everybody can develop it, and despite the commonness, it’s referred to as the hobby of kings. You will always get the rich and royal feeling if or once you develop this hobby.

Increases your knowledge
It’s true. The more you collect, the more you inquire about the background of the coin and get deep in the history. One piece of information that you find will lead to another, leaving you highly informed about a lot of things from history to the present.

Help you travel
Nope, we don’t mean having an interest in coins will take you places for free, but it will definitely raise your interest in knowing about other cultures and countries, and that will build your interest in wanting to see the place you have been reading up a lot about. This interest will work well with your subconscious and can lead you to many foreign lands.

Storytelling skills
Everything has a story. Every coin also has a story. With your keen interest of knowing more about the symbols and pictures engraved in each coin, you will come across many stories, which you can tell other people in social gathering. People are interested in knowing interesting and lesser known facts from the past.

Eye for detail
You will develop an eye for detail once you are into coin collection and numismatics. There are also many health benefits to it as it calms you down. But with the art and story behind every coin will give you the skill of giving attention to detail that can be helpful in your normal day-to-day life as well.

Coins are more than just a legal tender or currency for most people. They are memories, histories, symbology, souvenirs, mysteries and because of these things, a hobby and/or business. We all know someone who collects coins as a hobby or who loves to research on coins and is really interested in knowing about different coins of different places of different times.

But, there is always a start and we are going to discuss about numismatics, that is the word used to describe study of coins but is also colloquially used for coin collection. This hobby or interest of collecting coins came only after the iron age in Anatolia (which is today called Turkey), that is when coins were first developed. They started rapidly around the world and each empire or kingdom would have its own unique coin(s). People started collecting coins that we discontinued soon after they were initiated, making them rare and hence, invaluable. Such coins were also a potential source of money as many would pay a fortune to possess rare yet artistically and historically strong coins.

The hobby of collecting coins started gaining popularity in the fourteenth century. It was during the Renaissance, when numismatics became a fad among people from the elite classes, especially kings and queens. In fact, today, collecting coins is called the king of hobbies’ as in the old times it was called hobby of kings’. Study of coins or numismatics became a part of academic discipline in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. And hobbies were later turned into serious studies and became more systematic.

Numismatics helped people understand the history and culture of different places. There were hidden meanings as well that these hobbyists found and that helped in many discoveries as well.
As time moved ahead, this hobby started spreading among people from the middle class as well as things started getting more accessible. Today it’s not just about ancient coins, people keep coins from different countries they have traveled as a souvenir. Storytelling also emerged from the collection of coins.

Today you will find books that have been written on coins and the collection of coins, shows that have been conducted on the same, and there are a lot of people who are interested in this and devote great amount of time to numismatics. Coin collection also brings or unites the world as understanding culture of each other is a great way to mend countries.

Coin collection, or numismatics as it is known, is one of the oldest hobbies in the world. This fascinating hobby of collecting coin requires a lot of patience and a good eye for detail. You have to be quick to identify the value of a seemingly innocuous coin and be obstinate enough to know the history of the coin.

Numismatics is a hobby that can be picked up by anyone irrespective of age, gender, profession or socioeconomic standing. It is something that can be pursued by people across demographics. If you thought collecting coins is for those with too much time on their hands, you are wrong. Here we list 5 famous people who have been and some still are ardent coin collectors.

Nicole Kidman
This Hollywood superstar is very much into the old-school and old-fashioned hobby of numismatics. It is rumored that the Moulin Rouge star collects Judean coins. Judean coins are ancient Hebrew silver coins that originated in Judaea, which was a part of the Persian empire in 6th century BCE. Although Kidman’s connection to these ancient coins is a gossip column rumor, it never hurts to speculate on the numismatic side of the actress.

Thomas Jefferson
The founding father of USA and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence was known for many things, numismatics being one of them. The third president enthusiastically collected gold coins. The period of these coins ranged from contemporary Europe to ancient civilizations from the past.

Franklin D Roosevelt
Roosevelt was another president who was an enthusiastic numismatic. He was an ardent collector of coins and later became associated with the humble dime. Roosevelt started the March of Dime, a fundraising campaign to fight polio. This program invited people to contribute at least a dime to help find cure against polio. To commemorate Roosevelt’s legacy, the US Government and the US Mint decided to put Roosevelt’s image on the humble dime (10 cent).

John Quincy Adams
The sixth president of United States was also a keen collector of coins. Adams’s specialty was collecting ancient Roman coins. He was known as one of the most prominent coins collectors in America. His interest in coin collection began in Europe when he started collecting coins from Greek and Roman civilizations along with his father John Adams, the second president of the country. The great coin collection of the Adams family was acquired by the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1971, this collection was auctioned off.