Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I just got these today--more than a little bit concerned because of some of the reviews that I've seen. Here's the 100% factual scoop on them: -- Are they scratched up? That depends upon how neurotic, picky, a-r, or whatever you are. These are made of fairly soft plastic, so if you hold them up so the sun glints on the surface, there are fine scratches. They aren't the sort of thing the average person would notice at 2 feet away, and they aren't the kind of scratches that I was expecting from reading some reviews, but they aren't glassy-clear either. If you are making buttons for a fun and/or casual event, or for kids, no problem. But if you are making something for The Wedding of Bridezilla, you might want to look elsewhere. -- Do they come apart? Only if you don't snap them together correctly. I pushed mine together at the bottom, then "pinched" up and around in both directions at the same time until I made a full circle. Then I tugged on the pin (while holding the edges of the front piece) to see if the were snapped together. They were, and they hold together just fine. -- Can you insert a photo? I did, and it worked very well. In fact, the photographic printer paper that I used is thick enough that it probably helps to hold the cover pieces snapped together. -- What about using a circle cutter? Even though these are 2 1/2 " buttons, if you get an EK Tools circle punch, get the one for 2 1/4" circles. That size fits into these shells with just a teeeeeeny bit of "play" around the edges. Again, if not having everything lined up to the width of a gnat's eyelash is going to drive you nuts, get a badge making machine. Otherwise, these are fine. -- Any tips? Why yes ... yes there is one. Once you have punched/cut out all your circles, make a small pencil "tick mark" on the back of each one to show where the top center is. That will help you line the things up when you put the backs onto them. Hold the front piece horizontally, center the image face down, and carefully place the back in position without sliding it around (it might offset the image). Then just pinch the halves together.