Understanding Our Certification Process: Supporting Artisans, Protecting Value, and What’s Coming Next at Stadium Pen Blanks

Introduction

At Stadium Pen Blanks, we’re passionate about providing authentic historic and stadium relics that inspire talented artisans and pen makers to create exceptional work. Every blank we sell comes with a certificate of authenticity that guarantees its origin and legitimacy.

Behind the scenes, we’ve always made deliberate choices about how we handle certifications to best support the artisans who rely on our materials. Today, we want to share the reasoning behind our past approach, a recent update we’ve made, and an exciting development that’s coming very soon.

The Original Certification Approach

When we began selling certified historic and stadium relics directly from our website, the certificates did not reference Stadium Pen Blanks. Instead, they listed Hardin Penworks as the certifier.

This was an intentional decision designed to protect our artisan customers. We wanted to prevent their end buyers from easily discovering the source and original cost of the raw materials. For instance, seeing that a historic stadium seat relic (such as from Yankee Stadium) started as a $20 piece of wood before being transformed into a finished pen selling for $400 could create the wrong impression.

Some customers may not fully appreciate the significant investment in time, skill, and experience required to turn a modest piece of historic wood into a high-value, handcrafted pen. By certifying under Hardin Penworks, we helped keep the spotlight on the artisan’s craftsmanship and the unique story of each finished piece, rather than on the raw material cost.

A Recent Change: Moving to Hardin Collectibles

Recently, we updated our certification process by changing the certifying name from Hardin Penworks to Hardin Collectibles.

This change was a huge undertaking. We had to replace over 20,000 certificates across more than 500 different items. We view this significant cost as a meaningful investment in our customer base — you, the artisan!

The goal was simple: to remove any potential confusion between our own Hardin Penworks pen-making business and the independent businesses of the artisans who purchase from us. We want each artisan’s brand and work to stand clearly on its own, without any overlap that might cause misunderstanding. This change creates cleaner boundaries and lets your creativity and expertise take center stage.

What’s Coming Next: A Dedicated Hardin Collectibles Website

We’re excited to announce that very soon we will launch a brand-new website dedicated solely to Hardin Collectibles.

This new site will serve as a detailed resource for our artisans and customers. It will list all of our materials with much greater depth and transparency—providing richer descriptions, additional background on the history and sourcing of each relic, and more comprehensive information to help you make informed decisions and tell even better stories with your finished work.

The dedicated Hardin Collectibles site will complement Stadium Pen Blanks perfectly, giving you a centralized place to explore our full inventory in greater detail while keeping the certification process clean and professional.

Our Commitment to You

These changes reflect our ongoing dedication to supporting the artisan community. We want to provide authentic, well-documented materials while protecting the value and integrity of the beautiful pieces you create.

Whether you’re a seasoned pen maker or just beginning to explore working with historic wood, we’re here to help you succeed. The upcoming Hardin Collectibles website is another step in making that support even stronger.

If you have any questions about our relics, current certifications, or the new site when it launches, please feel free to reach out. We love hearing from our customers and talking about the incredible transformations that happen when historic materials meet skilled hands.

Thank you for being part of the Stadium Pen Blanks family. We look forward to continuing to serve you with quality relics and even better resources in the months ahead.

— Michael Hardin
Founder, Stadium Pen Blanks (and Hardin Collectibles)