Actually taking the time to amass a thoughtful group of clothing buttons can be a rewarding hobby if you take it to the next level. Button collectors transform simple, utilitarian objects taken for granted by millions of people each day and group into delightful displays that make you stop and think.
When eyeing a button display, you might ponder the type of garment that originally held a 100-year-old painted porcelain example. You might even go one step further and wonder about what type of person wore the garment when it was new.
Other times a button collection might bring back childhood memories. After all, some folks put together nice groupings of buttons from scouting uniforms. Colorful buttons in whimsical shapes like bunnies, puppies and apples stir fond recollections as well.
Some buttons, such as those from the uniforms of soldiers, police officers and other civil servants, remind us how much those individuals have impacted so many lives over the decades.
The list can go on and on and on in the world of button collecting. But what actually makes a button collectible?
Technically, even that jar of old shirt buttons you've been saving holds some collector value. After all, there may be someone out there trying to see just how many different shirt button variations they can come up with over time. But the majority of the buttons avid collectors seek have some special qualities.
Many collectors look for buttons reflecting different styles for historical purposes. The way buttons were manufactured 200 years ago certainly differs from today's techniques.
Clothing buttons may have been made from hand cut glass, molded clay and hand-decorated porcelain in the past. This contrasts starkly with the machine molded plastic buttons we find on 21st century garments.
"Famous potters and silversmiths of [the 18th] century fashioned buttons with the same beauty as their vases and jewelry," said Sally C. Luscomb in The Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons.
Luscomb's book is a must for anyone wanting to start or continue a button collection, no matter how large or small. It covers enamels, plastics and pottery buttons. Even buttons made of natural materials such as horn, mother of pearl and jet get an overview in the guide.
The only thing missing is pricing information. But, you won't really miss it. The book is so full of interesting buttons, it's a joy to thumb through. When you do, don't overlook the themed varieties, such as story buttons.
"These buttons are decorated with designs depicting identifiable nursery rhymes, fables, poetry, drama, and the like," notes Luscomb. Made during the 1800s, there are even story buttons that feature musical tales such as The Merry Widow and Carmen.
Some other themes in button collecting are portraits, which look like miniature works of art. Some collectors prefer to amass examples according to the material the button is made of, like jasperware or cut steel. Others buy a few of this and a few of that, basically whatever they find to be appealing.
A side benefit of button collecting comes with being able to find them everywhere. From garage sales to flea markets and textile shows, buttons wait for collectors to discover them and take them home.
Often thrift stores with end up with vintage garments and uniforms holding great buttons. As a matter of integrity, it's best to only pilfer buttons from garments with little or no life left in them. A complete garment will offer more history than just the buttons by themselves, so keeping them together as long as possible always makes sense.
It's nice, however, when you do find a garment worse for wear that offers a complete set of buttons. Sometimes this allows collectors to add one interesting button to their own collection and share the others through trades or sales. Sometimes people like finding unusual 20th century button sets so they can be used on garments today.
In general, button prices can range from a few cents each to a few hundred dollars each. Only the most rare and pristine examples bring high dollar values. Those types of buttons are very hard to come by these days.
Bakelite button photo by Pamela Wiggins
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