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Is selling keychains a good business?

Key Takeaways

  • Enamel keychains are still our best-selling item. With their practicality and limitless possibilities for customization, they make great personal use items and gifts.

  • Personalized enamel keychains provide an excellent opportunity to express your individuality, company identity, or mission. Select a custom shape, color and finish to create your one-of-a-kind statement.

  • These keychains provide an added level of durability and high-class appearance, making them stand out even more from other styles of keychains.

  • When creating your enamel keychain, keep your artwork simple so your message can stand out. Finally, customize elements like size, color and hardware to help make your vision a reality.

  • Knowing how to navigate the ordering process and collaborating with a stellar manufacturer helps you get a fantastic final product that you can be proud of.

  • Enamel keychains are a budget-friendly option to get your brand seen. Their broad range of appeal and simple customization make them ideal for launching a cottage industry.

Enamel keychains are little, vibrant, and wildly popular durable accessories usually made with colored enamel laid into an intricate metal design.

In addition to using enamel keychains to add color into my life more, I started using them to help my keys stand out and be easy to find. These enamel keychains take a variety of forms, from minimalist logo designs to whimsical cartoonish aesthetics.

A collection of peeken keychains featuring various colorful enamel charm designs.

They are perfect to hang on kids’ backpacks or messenger bags or make great stocking stuffers, party favors, or giveaway items. Below, I unpack the primary types and how to choose one.

Why Keychains Remain So Popular

Beyond simply organizing keys, keychains serve many other purposes.

For one, they allow you to declare your identity, your interests, or even your travels. Select a design that speaks to you. Maybe it’s based on your favorite sports team, an amazing location you traveled to, or just a color and shape that clicked.

This immense variety of choice ensures that your keychain does a lot of talking about you without being too loud about it.

Custom jersey keychain featuring a unique logo design, perfect for personal or promotional use.

For decades, keychains have adapted to the modern world, changing trend and function yet always remaining at arm’s length.

It’s a whole new world when it comes to keychains nowadays. From a quick trip through a store or the web, you’ll find they take many forms. Watch out for sturdy metal keyrings, colorful enamel creations, wooden masterpieces, leather charms, and even fun shopping cart tokens.

Some people prefer a minimalist aesthetic, while others are drawn to glamour and glitter. Keychains can be designed as bowling equipment, animated characters, or even miniature vehicle registrations. Luxury brands from Christian Dior to Louis Vuitton have made upscale keychains the chic accessory du jour.

dior and lv keychain

When you wear one, it certainly turns a lot of heads. We resist abandoning keychains, even though many of us increasingly use digital locks and smart cards. They’re still out there in pockets, bags, and cars everywhere. Others view them as good luck totems or tokens that commemorate a lost loved one.

dog mom keychain
Image Source: recoverychip

A lot of people give them on holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or anniversaries. They are inexpensive, easy to maintain and carry, and genuinely personal.

It’s no longer about what the keychain holds, but where the keychain has come from.

In fact, collecting keychains has developed into a legitimate hobby. In Consell, Spain, you’ll find the world’s largest hoard—over 47,200 different keychains, all in the same place. Others accumulate personal stashes over decades, seeking out new models or elusive rarities.

Image Source: guinnessworldrecords

Today, thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to shop for and order custom keychains.

You can customize them too, with an amazing array available featuring names, dates, inside jokes and team logos.Whether we are kids or adults, we all want to be unique and show our individuality.

Even though a keychain might seem inconsequential, it’s actually a great way to express our individuality.

What Are Custom Enamel Keychains?

In this sea of creativity, custom enamel keychains shine as something more than simple trinkets.

More importantly, they’re a reflection of the values of the group, brand, or individual they represent. On top of all that, they are sooo nice to hold!

When you come across one in real life, the brilliant color, intricate detail, and undeniable charm are immediately captivating.

A hand grasping a keychain that showcases the company logo design.

There’s more to creating these keychains than simply choosing a shape or color. There’s a whole story behind the story that’s far more complicated than many people realize.

First, selecting the appropriate material makes a huge difference in overall quality and appearance. Zinc alloy or copper are the most common metal materials used for custom enamel keychains.

These materials provide a nice durable weight and allow you to achieve crisp edges and detailed impressions in the keychain design.

A charming keychain adorned with a tiny book and glasses, celebrating a love for books and reading culture.

Some people choose to use different metals as well, such as stainless steel if they’re looking for a particular weight or appearance. The manufacturing process starts with an enamel metal blank, which is die cast into the desired shape.

It’s similar to cutting a cookie-shape into dough, but with far more complex designs!

That blank serves as the canvas for the custom enamel design. Up next is the enamel portion on the keychain. When designing keychains, you can choose to use soft enamel or hard enamel.

Soft enamel keychains are unique because color is filled into the grooves of the metal, leaving the lines raised. They provide a cool, satin-y touch. Many makers put an extra thin layer of epoxy on top to make the colors really stand out and make the surface smooth as silk.

Hard enamel is polished flat, so the colors and metal are level with each other. This style provides a very classic look, and the colors remain vibrant even after years of use. SNAG UP TO EIGHT COLORS OF THE SAME KEYCHAIN Custom keychains Picture these as little billboards with cool designs and your brand’s name.

soft enamel vs hard enamel

The appearance of the metal is further enhanced with various plating options. There’s classic gold, shiny silver, rose gold, antique gold, nickel, and others. Each one accentuates a unique aspect of your design. Others prefer antique gold when they’re after a more old-timey appearance.

Still others may choose rose gold if they want a warmer tone. With either choice, you receive a beautiful finish that complements your personality or your business. Each of these steps requires the proper tools and chemicals.

Every detail matters in that process, and it’s not a job you can wing with a glue stick and craft paint. The colors have to be able to withstand a lot of use, as well as additional exposure to sun. The metal needs to preserve its luster.

pin plating

It’s an art form — you can tell the difference as soon as you see a finely crafted piece in person.

These beautiful accessories can display your company logo, athletic team mascots, inspirational quotes or even custom artwork. You might decide to distribute them at an event, sell them in a store, or just use them yourself.

This is really the best part of this whole process, providing you with the opportunity to dream big and get creative!

Unique Features of Enamel Keychains

That’s where enamel keychains come into play, providing an easy option to boost style and function to your daily carry.

For one, you have incredible control over how they look—you get to choose the exact shape, size and theme. In fact, these keychains can be made with many different colors.

You can customize them exactly to your business, interest, or even your mood! I’ve seen them used to great effect for all sorts of things, from cartoon walruses to cab company branding.

Sharp lines and bright shades make each design really pop. You end up with a design that truly stands the test of time, despite the wear and tear of heavy key use.

soft enamel metal car keychain

When you break down the materials, enamel keychains offer incredible value. As for the base material, you can choose stainless steel or zinc alloy, both of which are durable and maintain their luster. These metals are some of the most recyclable materials on the planet.

Select them with pride when you’re in the market for an eco-friendly product!

Even on a small order—only 50 per design—you achieve that beautiful, professional quality appearance and full metal construction as you would with a bigger run. This choice is ideal for small teams and clubs. It makes it possible for everyone to try out a new design without the huge cost.

One thing that really sets these keychains apart are the ways in which you can utilize them. They carry keys in style, and they make great bag charms or zipper pulls to add some flair. Use them as adorable gift toppers on wrapped gifts too!

metal keychain on bag

Not only does popping a keychain into an event gift bag engage guests with something unique to them, but it also enhances the whole gift bag package.

At corporate events, these make ideal branded promotional items. Whether you need an affordable memento from a vacation, festival, or other large group gathering, enamel keychains are the ideal souvenir.

keychain in box
Image Source: thestudio

People simply enjoy collecting them as a memento of their travels! Their shiny, colorful, reflective finish makes them easy to spot. This feature comes in particularly useful when you’re out recreating in the dark or on a camping trip.

From design to production, every step in the process is customizable. You get to choose the color, finish, and even shape to fit your design concept. Require a large batch for a wedding, or large corporate function?

epoxy wedding keychain

You’ll discover beautifully crafted high quality customized keys that will make your friends jealous! These keychains really do keep their color and fine detail for years. Because every time you glance at one, it immediately reminds you of the journey or cause that it represents.

Design Your Ideal Enamel Keychain

When you create an enamel keychain with us, you unlock your imagination. You’ll find this is a great opportunity to play around with different designs and styles! You’re not constrained by predefined forms or boring borders.

I don’t want you to just follow my design tips — I want you to have total creative freedom. YOU design it, from size all the way down to the smallest feature! When designing, you can choose a size as small as half an inch all the way up to five inches.

That means your keychain can range from a small, subtle logo design to an eye-catching, large-format keychain filled with art. With 81 size options, finding the perfect fit for your brand, group or event is a snap.

Close-up of a person’s hand holding a keychain adorned with a company logo, emphasizing brand representation.

Color is truly everything when it comes to these keychains. They need to be bright, fun, and eye-catching. You can have as many as fifteen colors per design, and you don’t pay a penny more for including all those colors.

These enamel colors are rich and vivid, ensuring your keychain wears beautifully for years to come.

If you want to take it up a notch, you can choose two metal colors in the same finish. You can choose shiny gold and shiny silver to make a statement.

Or, for a more retro feel, mix antique brass with antique copper. This gives a stunning multi-tone effect for only a little extra cost per keychain.

Say goodbye to stressing over initial configuration fees! This method keeps it incredibly simple and friendly to any budget, large or small. In fact, you can order custom enamel or metal keychains—as low as $0.5 each!

hard enamel metal white car keychain in the hand

This fun enamel charm makes it simple to order for your entire team, club, or promo giveaway nature without breaking the bank.

Detail is where you have the chance to really flex on what matters most to you. You’ll have the ability to edit your design up to 90%. This part flexibility lets you add a level of design thick, tiny logos, fine lines and resolution-breaking detail.

For an animal, logo or sports team mascot, the account’s face could look very crisp and defined. Sometimes the literal outlined shape of a state can pop out as strongly.

A person holds a soft enamel keychain featuring a detailed tiger face, showcasing vibrant colors and intricate design.

Submit your design as a vector file, like an AI or EPS. This helps to make sure that all of those tiny edges and curves come out looking sharp! Or if you only have a simple-colored JPG or PNG, no problem, we’ll roll with it.

Navigating Production and Ordering

Making enamel keychains is easy. Whether you want to sell your products on Etsy, operate a small retail shop, or just give away cool branded swag, you can get started with a low minimum order. Launch your project today without the commitment of big numbers!

Minimum of only 50 pieces per design. That way, you can avoid the stress of building up a stock you never end up using, or blowing your budget on something that might not sell! That’s going to help you easily test new designs or new concepts or just continue to refresh your space without a huge capital investment.

Cute black and white soft enamel panda keychain, a delightful accessory for anyone who loves pandas and unique designs.

Have questions about running a small business or becoming a maker? This way of working not only makes it easier to stay ahead of the curve while putting a lid on production costs.

Once you finalize your design, the proofing stage comes next. Once you make it through to this stage, you receive a digital 3D preview and product sample to review prior to production. This step is important.

It gets you pointed in the right direction to know what small adjustments or shifts in color tone are key to maintain your brand and message. If you have a really intricate design, allow room for extra proofing time. Any revisions you wish to submit will push this process back by several days.

For example, if you want a keychain with raised text, glitter, or a mix of colors, it could need a few rounds of edits. Timely and specific input along these lines will be essential to keeping the process on track.

PeaKeen banner-1

Happy with the proof, it’s onto production! Production, on average, takes customs enamel keychains from three to four weeks. This includes sourcing the metal, hand-casting the mold, applying colors, and curing each piece to be enjoyed for years to come.

If you require your order earlier, you have the option to select our Express Service. That’ll really help us speed up the timeline! It shines for a squeeze launch, short notice events, or the moment you see a big increase in demand for something.

If you get a big order from a conference, this option lets you turn that around fast. It ensures you can quickly restock a runaway bestseller, so you don’t miss any sales with a stockout.

With real-time order updates, you can stay in the loop and never wonder where your order is. Our 1-on-1 sales staff will update you on the order progress in a timely manner

We hold your hand on the ordering process, keeping it transparent yet flexible. That is what helps you spend your time selecting designs that will best compliment your brand and achieve your objectives.

Leverage Keychains for Your Brand

When you introduce soft enamel keychains into your brand, you release a wealth of potential for not only sales but true connection.

These small, colorful pieces easily fit in a pocket or bag, and people of all ages love to pick one up.

Here’s how these durable keychains can increase your brand’s exposure.

motel keychain (8)

They can help you amplify your reach without needing large sums of money or burdensome proposals.

One of the best things about keychains is that you can get one custom to display your logo, tagline, or a colorful graphic. You’ve got a lot of amazing options to play with on the design!

local Promotional Keychain

You can select unlimited Pantone enamel colors, or go with a printed design for detailed graphics and unlimited color options.

You absolutely can have them added on with split ring with curb chain or link chains, which are very standard. If you’re looking for a specific look or feel, you have a lot of options to pick from!

keyring
keyring
business keyring
business keyring
claw clasp keyring
claw clasp keyring
clasp d keyring
clasp d keyring
leather keyring
leather keyring
braided keychain
braided keychain

Selling your keychains or distributing them as gifts is highly convenient with modern-day technology.

Platforms such as Etsy, eBay, and Amazon give you access to buyers who are looking for just the right personal touch and small enough to ship special things. Soft enamel keychains usually retail for $7-$15.

This cost threshold not only ensures these gifts create a unique wow factor, but are budget-friendly.

If you want a one-stop shop for launching and selling, Fourthwall provides some serious support. Join the more than 200,000 sellers succeeding on Fourthwall through their own online storefronts.

sale enamel keychains on etsy

Launching a Keychain Business

Getting into the keychain business is entering a market with consistent demand built over the last 50 years. The beauty of custom enamel keychains is in their wide appeal. I watch people of every age and background adopt them.

Students need to display their go-to icons, collectors love distinctive designs, and artists’ ideas beckon to pros looking for pint-sized presents. This demand serves as a foundation support for anyone interested in launching their own small business in this arena.

Pricing is an enormous aspect of business planning. The average keychain will retail for $7-$15, with some closer to $20. The average is about $10 to $20 per item.

This sweet spot is healthy for both buyers and sellers. It includes the costs of producing each keychain. Plus, it guarantees them a reasonable profit and is in line with what consumers are used to paying.

Two custom metal keychains engraved with "You make a difference," featuring school bus and "Thank you" charms.
metal school bus keychain

The average finished enamel keychain on Etsy retails for $12. For a limited edition design, you could sell it for about $18. I spend a lot of time on functional, attractive looking packaging as well.

A branded card or pouch looks nice and adds value to my new keychain.

So many of these sellers, particularly on platforms such as Etsy, are making four or five figure sales regularly. Some are even shattering 1,000 orders!

Conclusion

Enamel keychains go beyond holding your keys together. Each little piece is unique enough to stand out, reflect personality, or put your logo in the hands of a wider audience.

Each character, each nuance, each landscape comes to life with amazing color and shape. You choose the features you want to highlight—striking straight lines, gentle roundabouts, or your city’s seal in the middle of it all.

Create from an abstract idea, choose your palette deliberately, and allow your design to express you or your company without saying a word. These sturdy keychains stand the test of time, comfortable in a pocket, bag, or hanging from a rearview mirror.

You spot them in every gift shop, at every trade show, or on your friend’s backpack. Looking to promote a creative concept or expand your startup? Now’s the time to get your own design in the mix…

Frequently Asked Questions

How to start a keychain business?

1. Have an online or offline store
2. customize a design you like (most vendors offer free designs)
3. Receive the products and put them on your store shelves

Is there a demand for keychains?

1. According to Verified Market Research, the global keychain pendant market size was $8.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $12.0 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6

2. Another of these reports states that the market size is $17.8 billion and is expected to grow paper $28.1 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 4.67 percent

Although there are differences between the two reports, they both indicate a favorable trend for the bullish keychain market

Do keychains sell well on Etsy?

Sure, thousands or even tens of thousands of keychains are sold on etsy, where keychains cost as little as $0.50 and sell for $15-$20.

What is an enamel keychain?

A soft enamel keychain is a durable keychain featuring a metal base inlaid with colored enamel, offering vibrant colors and protection, making them ideal for custom designs, branding, and gifts.

How are custom enamel keychains made?

Artisans create our bespoke soft enamel keychains by individually stamping, pressing, or rolling metal. They cover the recessed enamel portions with colorful enamel, then bake and polish the pieces for a smooth, durable finish.

Are enamel keychains durable?

Yes, soft enamel keychains can be extremely durable, with the enamel coating protecting against scratches and fading, making them perfect for daily wear and effective promotional giveaways for brand promotion.

Can I create my own design for an enamel keychain?

You could say that again! Share your own artwork or collaborate with a design team to create a custom soft enamel keychain that perfectly aligns with your vision or enhances your brand identity.

What’s the typical size of an enamel keychain?

Most soft enamel keychains are between 1 and 2 inches long, providing a perfect balance for visibility and pocketability, making them ideal for promotional giveaways and customer gifts.

How can enamel keychains help my business?

Soft enamel keychains make great promotional items, enhancing brand awareness and serving as excellent trade show swag that turns everyday users into devoted patrons with a unique, personalized design.

How many keychains do I need to order?

Minimum Order Quantities for custom soft enamel keychains vary by manufacturer, typically starting at 50 or 100 pieces. Bulk ordering not only lowers the invested cost for business owners but also reduces the unit cost, saving money on promotional giveaways.

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