Here are IGGPPC, we like to turn the spotlight onto small, geeky businesses, especially those run by women. This week we’re checking out FanFlaire, a super rad shop that sells pins and patches for some of our favorite geek loves. Let’s get to know a little more about shop owner Sarah and her awesome business!

Thanks so much for chatting with us! Would you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure! I’m Sarah, I’m 27. I was born in raised in Los Angeles and I love going to Disneyland! I’ve been vlogging on YouTube for about 10 years and I have a dog named Pasta.

We love collecting pins in our favorite fandoms. What made you decide to start a pin (and now patch) business?

I got big into official Disney Pin Trading when I worked at Disneyland in 2011. It was my absolute favorite thing to do in the parks and I have a huge collection of Disney pins now. I started thinking about the kinds of pins I would want that didn’t currently exist and started making them myself! That’s how FanFlaire started. I wanted new pins that would work well with my outfits at Disneyland and that was my initial inspiration. From there, I thought about what OTHER fandoms I love, aside from Disney, and started making pins for those communities as well.

image courtesy of FanFlaire

What are you most excited about or into in your shop? Got anything exciting coming up on the horizon?

I’m always most excited about my next release, whatever it is. I have a lot coming up! I have some cool non-Disney inspired designs that I’ve been working on for a long time (ET!). I recently started this “quote head” series of pins that have a blank face of a well known character with a quote of theirs written on the face. I am looking forward to doing more of those for some of my favorite movies and shows.

image courtesy of FanFlaire

What’s your favorite trend in fandom right now?

Oof, I don’t know – with Disney there are some weird and specific examples. Like, Instagram Walls? They are a big thing in the Disney fandom right now. Walls that are good for taking photos in front of, hah. I guess more broad would be just YouTube parodies. They’ve been popular for a long time but I still enjoy them.

What’s your favorite way to wear or display your pins? Got any styling suggestions?

Pins on denim are a great way to wear pins! I like to wear mine on jackets or even hats. A lot of people are getting into these display bags that have a clear opening that you can see pins through – they’re very cute! I personally just display my pins at home on cork board or in books.

image courtesy of FanFlaire

At Geek Girl Pen Pals, we match geeky folks to send snail mail based on their top 5 “geek loves.” What are the top 5 things you geek out about?

I would have to say Disney, Harry Potter, Marvel, theme parks, and NickToons!

Thanks again for chatting with us, Sarah! 

Be sure to check out FanFlaire online to find some truly awesome fandom pins!