How to Collect Vintage Buttons

Choose a style or material, or maybe an era like Art Nouveau or Art Deco era buttons. Some collectors like metal buttons and some collect only silver or bone, pewter or plastics. Collecting a specific material often produces an era collection. For example, if you choose to collect older plastic buttons, you will have a collection from the 1940s and 1950s era.

Study buttons online and in books. The National Button Society has a beginner’s booklet to read online and books with color pictures are available for learning about buttons.

Clean buttons carefully and understand the construction before you start. Some buttons have cardboard centers and if the cardboard gets wet, it will rust the button. Some buttons are hollow and water gets inside with washing, rusting them from the inside out. Your careful selection is ruined. Do not immerse buttons in water. The best method to clean a button is by using a soft dry cloth unless you are sure water on a soft cloth will not harm the button.

Acquire some tools. Button collectors carry a magnet to pick steel and iron buttons from a box or to avoid steel and iron buttons if they choose. A hot needle is good for testing buttons to see (smell) the composition, but will not be good for sewing after it is used. Plastic-covered wire (sometimes called dynamite or shooting wire) is a product for anchoring buttons on a backboard, but some collectors sew the buttons to a backboard with quilting thread.

Sort your collection and store like buttons together so they do not damage each other. Styrofoam trays are suitable storage.

Collect what you like without regard to value. Trends change and figural plastic buttons from today may be valuable when they are no longer available. In the meantime you can enjoy them in your collection. They don’t take up much space.