From the ornate masterpieces of the Victorian era to the whimsical plastic designs of the mid-century, buttons are miniature works of art that tell a story of history, fashion, and technology. For many, the hobby of button collecting is a passionate pursuit, a treasure hunt for tiny, beautiful artifacts. Whether you’ve inherited a jar of old buttons from a grandparent or are actively seeking to start a new hobby, understanding the world of antique and vintage buttons can be incredibly rewarding.
Marketplaces like Ruby Lane have become a haven for button collectors, offering a curated space to discover, buy, and sell these fascinating items. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from identifying materials to understanding the button collection value, and how to navigate this captivating hobby.
Table of Contents
- The Enduring Allure of Button Collecting
- How to Start Your Vintage Button Collection
- The Ultimate Button Identification Guide
- What’s It Worth? Determining the Value of Your Buttons
- Selling and Displaying Your Collection: A Ruby Lane Spotlight
- Exploring Specialized Collecting Niches
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Enduring Allure of Button Collecting
So, does anyone collect buttons? The answer is a resounding yes! The practice of collecting buttons has a long and storied history, with dedicated enthusiasts around the globe. But what makes these small fasteners so appealing? For some, it’s the historical connection—a vintage button can be a tangible link to a specific period, a uniform, or a forgotten fashion house. For others, it’s the sheer artistry. Many ornate buttons were crafted with the same care and detail as fine jewelry.
The community of people who collect buttons is diverse. Some focus on a specific material, like the iridescent beauty of mother of pearl buttons vintage, while others might exclusively collect button styles from a certain era, such as antique victorian buttons. This hobby offers endless avenues for specialization and discovery. While there isn’t a formal, scientific name for the hobby—unlike philately for stamps—it is most commonly and simply referred to as button collecting.
How to Start Your Vintage Button Collection
Getting started is easier than you might think. How to start collecting buttons begins with curiosity and a keen eye. You can find buttons at estate sales, antique shops, flea markets, and, of course, online marketplaces like Ruby Lane, which offer a vast and organized selection.
Here are a few tips on how to collect buttons:
- Start with What You Love: Begin by acquiring buttons that catch your eye. You can narrow your focus later as you learn more.
- Get the Right Tools: A simple magnifying glass or a jeweler’s loupe is essential for examining details, maker’s marks, and signs of wear.
- Invest in Knowledge: There are many excellent button collecting books that serve as invaluable references. A good vintage button guide can help you with everything from dating vintage buttons to identifying materials.
- Organize Your Collection: As your collection grows, you’ll need a system for storing and organizing your finds. This will help you appreciate what you have and identify what you’re looking for.
The Ultimate Button Identification Guide
Learning to identify antique vintage buttons is the core skill of any serious collector. The material, construction, and design all provide clues to a button’s age and origin. This button identification guide covers the most common categories.
Identifying by Material
- Glass: A popular material for centuries. Look for glass buttons vintage in a rainbow of colors. Special types include hand-painted antique porcelain buttons, iridescent antique carnival glass buttons, and the highly sought-after antique black glass buttons from the Victorian era, often used for mourning attire. You may also find exquisite antique czech glass buttons and shimmering antique crystal buttons.
- Metal: Metal buttons are durable and diverse. You might find sturdy vintage metal buttons on old coats, elegant antique brass buttons, or rustic antique pewter buttons. Military and uniform buttons are a sub-category of their own.
- Natural Materials: Before plastics, buttons were made from organic materials. Vintage mother of pearl buttons and antique carved mother of pearl buttons are prized for their luster. Other examples include antique bone buttons, antique shell buttons, and classic vintage leather buttons.
- Early Plastics: The invention of new materials revolutionized button making. Look for antique celluloid buttons, which were the first thermoplastics, and the famous bakelite buttons. Collectors often specialize in antique bakelite buttons due to their unique colors and satisfying clink. You can also find other antique plastic buttons from various eras.
- Other Materials: The variety is endless. Collectors seek everything from vintage rhinestone buttons that add a touch of glamour to hand-painted antique china buttons and charming antique calico buttons, which feature fabric set under a thin layer of celluloid or horn.
Identifying by Type & Design
Beyond materials, the design is key to vintage buttons identification.
- Picture Buttons: These are highly collectible and feature detailed scenes, figures, or animals. Victorian picture buttons are particularly popular, as are antique metal picture buttons. You might find anything from an antique bird buttons design to a mythological scene.
- Shank Construction: The type of loop on the back, or shank, can help with dating antique buttons. An antique shank buttons style can tell you about the manufacturing process of the era.
- Use-Specific Buttons: Look for vintage coat buttons, often large and durable, or more refined vintage blazer buttons. Some collectors focus on specific garments, like antique clothing buttons or antique coat buttons.
- Designer Buttons: High-fashion vintage designer buttons, such as those from Chanel or Schiaparelli, are highly valuable.
Proper antique button identification is a skill that develops over time, combining knowledge from reference books with hands-on experience.
What’s It Worth? Determining the Value of Your Buttons
One of the most common questions is, "Are button collections worth anything?" The answer is yes, but the value can vary dramatically. A single rare button can be worth hundreds of dollars, while a jar of common sewing buttons may only be worth a few.
Several factors influence the value of vintage buttons:
- Age and Rarity: Generally, older and rarer buttons are more valuable. Is it one of the most valuable antique buttons from the 18th century, or a common 1950s plastic button? Scarcity is a huge driver of price.
- Material: Materials like Bakelite, sterling silver, or hand-carved mother-of-pearl often command higher prices. Learning what were old buttons made of is crucial for valuation.
- Condition: Buttons without chips, cracks, or significant fading are more desirable.
- Artistry and Detail: A finely detailed antique picture buttons or a hand-painted enamel button will be worth more than a simple, mass-produced one.
When trying to determine what’s it worth, consult an antique button price guide or browse sales on platforms like Ruby Lane to see what similar items are selling for. Many collectors wonder, "are antique buttons worth money?" and the answer is often found by researching these specific value factors. Remember that some of the most valuable vintage buttons are those with a unique story or exceptional craftsmanship. Researching old buttons worth money can be a thrilling part of the collecting journey. The key is valuable old buttons identification—knowing what you have is the first step to knowing its worth.
Selling and Displaying Your Collection: A Ruby Lane Spotlight
Once you have a button collection, you need to decide what to do with a button collection. You might choose to display it, sell parts of it to fund new purchases, or simply keep it organized for your own enjoyment.
Selling Your Buttons
If you’re interested in selling vintage buttons, online marketplaces are an excellent venue. Ruby Lane, known for its curated selection of antiques and collectibles, is a fantastic place where to sell vintage buttons because it attracts serious buyers.
Here are some tips on how to sell vintage buttons:
- Photograph Clearly: Take high-quality, well-lit photos of the front, back, and any unique details.
- Write Detailed Descriptions: Include material, size, condition, and any known history. Use relevant keywords like antique sewing buttons or large vintage buttons to attract the right buyers.
- Price Competitively: Research is key. Understanding how to price vintage buttons involves comparing your items to similar ones that have recently sold. This will help you answer, "how much are vintage buttons worth?"
Many people ask, "who buys buttons?" The answer is a global community of collectors, artists, and fashion designers. There is a strong market for quality antique buttons.
Displaying Your Collection
For those who want to enjoy their collection daily, displaying button collection can be a creative endeavor.
- Framing: Arrange buttons in shadow boxes by color, material, or theme.
- Button Jars: Simple, beautiful glass jars can showcase a colorful collection.
- Jewelry & Crafts: Use less valuable but still beautiful buttons to create unique jewelry or decorate items.
For care, always research how to clean vintage buttons based on their material. A gentle wipe with a soft, dry cloth is usually safest. For delicate items like pearl, learning how to clean vintage mother of pearl buttons correctly (using a very mild soap and water solution, then drying immediately) is essential to preserve their finish.
Exploring Specialized Collecting Niches
As you delve deeper, you may find yourself drawn to a specific niche. These specialized areas often contain some of the rare vintage buttons and are a focus for dedicated antique button collectors.
- Political & Campaign Buttons: The world of collecting political buttons is a hobby in itself. Items like vintage political buttons, antique campaign buttons, and older antique political buttons are historical snapshots. A rare political button from a significant election can be highly valuable.
- Military Buttons: This is a vast field, covering everything from antique army buttons to antique naval buttons. Collectors often seek specific regiments or eras, such as 18th century british military buttons. Proper antique military buttons identification is crucial in this niche.
- Designer & Luxury Buttons: High-end buttons, such as vintage gold buttons, antique gold buttons, or vintage pearl buttons from couture houses, are always in demand.
- Pinback Buttons: While distinct from clothing buttons, pinback buttons (or antique pinback buttons) are a popular collectible, often featuring advertisements, slogans, or characters from pop culture.
Whether you’re drawn to the intricate designs of antique cameo buttons or the bold graphics of campaign buttons vintage, there is a niche for every interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a button collector called?
A person who collects buttons is most commonly called a "button collector." There is no formal, scientific term for the hobby, but collectors are a passionate and organized community.
Do old buttons have any value?
Yes, do old buttons have value is a common question, and the answer is that they certainly can. Value depends on age, rarity, material, condition, and artistic merit. Some antique buttons worth money can be extremely valuable.
What are vintage buttons worth?
The question of what are vintage buttons worth varies widely. A common plastic button from the 1960s might be worth pennies, while a rare 18th-century enamel button could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The best way to determine what old buttons are worth is through research and comparison.
What to do with old buttons?
You have many options! You can start a collection, use them for sewing or craft projects, create unique jewelry, or sell them. For those looking to sell, the question of who buys old buttons is answered by a large community of collectors and artisans actively searching online on sites like Ruby Lane.
How to identify old buttons?
How to identify old buttons involves examining the material (glass, metal, Bakelite, shell), the shank (the loop on the back), the design, and any maker’s marks. Reference books and online collector communities are excellent resources for identifying vintage buttons.
What were old buttons made of?
Before the 20th century, buttons were made from natural materials like metal, glass, bone, wood, shell (antique mother of pearl buttons), ceramics (antique porcelain buttons), and even stone. The advent of plastics introduced new materials like Celluloid and Bakelite.
Are old buttons collectable?
Absolutely. Buttons are one of the most popular and accessible types of collectibles. Both old buttons and vintage buttons are collected for their historical significance, beauty, and craftsmanship.
