Pin Holders to Keep Reading Glasses Close

Those of us who have worn eyeglasses forever — say from early elementary school — don’t have to worry much about where we set them down. If your uncorrected sight is as limited as mine is, you learn very quickly to put those babies in the same place every night.

Reading glasses are a different matter, and far more prone to being misplaced, since they aren’t worn all the time. That’s what eyeglass holders are for — you pin them to a collar, a lapel or a shirt, and hang them by an earpiece through the bottom loop, as in the example above, left, from Victoria’s Jewelry Box.

For those whose aspirations are more regal, Victoria’s also offers this excellent crown (right). If you want to treat Mom like a queen this Mother’s day, this might be the gift. I’m not sure I’d pin it to cashmere, but it’s definitely the right choice for those more formal occasions where reading or close work is still desirable.

The oddly-named Fun Pins Work offers pewter holders, and you can get most (maybe all) with either a pin-back, or a magnetic fastener. This dragonfly is one of their designs, and so is the heart-in-hand pin. Their site is quite extensive, with choices in lots of categories, including “hobbies” and “careers”.

For understated elegance, consider this sterling silver pin from Seasons and Sentiments. Engrave it with your recipient’s initials, and everyone will know to whom it belongs. I couldn’t get the search function to work on this website; poke around the “engraved items” section to find this pin.

Update (7-23-2007): Find this pin by typing the word ‘eyeglass’ into the search box on the Seasons and Sentiments website. This should take you directly to the item.

Those of you who don’t wear glasses might consider using these pins to hold a work ID, if you’d rather not wear it around your neck. Caregivers might want a different one for every day of the week as conversation starters or just for fun.

Update 4-3-08:  Commenter Nancy (below) also suggests DLS-Sales for magnetic glasses holders.  They’ve got an extensive collection of designs, including especially realistic dog images.