• When speaking with the American customer yesterday at Duttons for Buttons, she introduced me to Colorado Buttons and told me of the various button groups and societies she is part of. I wanted to look into this further as the idea of buttons bringing people together either for buying, selling, swapping or friendly competition is an interesting aspect that can be included in my project somehow...
British Button Society
http://www.britishbuttonsociety.org/home-page
British Button Society
http://www.britishbuttonsociety.org/home-page
• The British Button Society has been running for 40 years, created n 1976 in London. There are over 180 members representing 13 countries and a journal, Button Lines, is printed 3 times a year. Membership ranges from £20 - £30 depending on your age and where you are located in the world. The British Button Society is located in Boston Spa, Wetherby, which isn't too far from Leeds... it may be worth a visit for my research?
" Our membership includes people with wide-ranging interests and button collectors in many fields. These include military, livery, hunt, sporting, police, yacht clubs, golf clubs, shipping and transport buttons. In dress buttons we have members who collect satsumas, mother of pearl, vegetable ivory, enamels, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, silver, glass, cut steel, horn, Dorset, paste, Bimini, Celluloid, Bakelite and flora, fauna and other picture buttons.
There is a wealth of history around buttons and their manufacture. As a member you can attend meetings both local and national, take the opportunity to talk to fellow collectors and exchange ideas and information and receive our magazine."
" Our membership includes people with wide-ranging interests and button collectors in many fields. These include military, livery, hunt, sporting, police, yacht clubs, golf clubs, shipping and transport buttons. In dress buttons we have members who collect satsumas, mother of pearl, vegetable ivory, enamels, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, silver, glass, cut steel, horn, Dorset, paste, Bimini, Celluloid, Bakelite and flora, fauna and other picture buttons.
There is a wealth of history around buttons and their manufacture. As a member you can attend meetings both local and national, take the opportunity to talk to fellow collectors and exchange ideas and information and receive our magazine."
The National Button Society, located in America, was founded in October 1938 and has over 3,000 members from 39 states and 4 continents! Membership is open to those who wish to promote educational research and button exhibits, the publishing and dissemination of information about buttons, the preservation of the aesthetic and historical significance of buttons for future generations and those who collect buttons themselves.
"Households have long followed the practice of snipping buttons from clothing headed for the ragbag. Do you remember playing with your mother’s - or grandmother’s or great-grandmother’s - button box or jar or tin? The impulse to collect is a basic part of the human psyche, and buttons have been admired and collected for centuries.Button collecting was recognized as an organized hobby through the founding of the National Button Society in 1938."
Buttons in Time: Directory of State Button Societies
http://www.buttonsintime.com/otherorgs1.htm
I happened across this director that links to societies based in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado... There's an independent button society for practically every state!
Facebook Groups
As well as official societies, there are also a number of groups on social media - particularly Facebook - that I have come across in my research. People share information they have found on a certain type of button, share photos of hauls of the buttons they have purchased from a seller or a shop, sell or swap with each other, share arts and crafts they have created with buttons and generally socialise and create friends with a similar interest of button collecting. There is a real sense of community and camaraderie within these groups.
• Button Central (9,010 Likes)
• National Button Society (2,172 Likes)
• Button Button Who's Got the Button (1,527 members)
• Revolutionary War Buttons, Plates and Accoutrements (1,495 members)
• American Military Buttons 1775 - 1865 (994 members)
• The Official Button Lovers Group (676 members)
• The Official Button Lovers Market Place (212 members)
• Livery Buttons and Badges (105 members)
I have included links to the group pages ad also wanted to share the sheer amount of members in these groups and societies... button collecting is a lot more popular than I first thought when this project was still in its' initial stages!
Interview with Group Leader
I sent over a few questions to the group leader of 'Button Button Who's Got the Button', Luanne Oda, to find out why she created the group, her experiences with buttons, some of the members and posts she sees daily, and how the group has grown to over one and a half thousand members in under a year...
• When did you start the 'Button Button...' Facebook group?
I created the group on 31st May this year, just to give me something to do. I'm now a retired grandma who works from home selling buttons part-time, and like to feel proactive. I have enjoyed buttons for some time now and wanted to connect with others who felt the same. The group gives me a chance to learn new things about the rich history of button making and collecting, sell buttons from my home shop and swap buttons with other members.
• How long have you been collecting buttons?
Not as long as many of the other gals in the group, maybe 4 years or so. I love my collection though and hope it one day expands to be like some of our other members' collections - who live in an Aladdin's cave of buttons!
• How many buttons do you own?
My personal collection maybe around 400 - 500 buttons. Of course, I sell buttons so have THOUSANDS in the house! It's quite a feeling to be among so many beautiful little objects.
• What made you interested in button collecting?
I had a button swap on my business Facebook page and my business partner was a "true" collector & sent me some wonderful buttons. She also started my granddaughter with a small collection when she was a baby, she is turning 3 in January and has quite the collection already!
• Why do you collect buttons?
There's something so wonderfully charming about the different varieties of them. There are so many in the world made from different materials for different purposes and I try to collect as many as I can. I feel like I own a bit of history and a bit of someone's life! They are a necessity for clothes but they are also decorative and pretty or historical and valuable. Each button has its own story and tale to tell.
• Are there any special buttons in your collection and, if so, what makes them precious?
I mainly collect heart shaped & cherub buttons because I love hearts and Valentine's Day, but do have others. Those are my favourites though. I'm a loving and caring person and feel the heart represents me. Having a physical manifestation of that to pin to my clothes and wear is a special thing.
• Why do you think people like to collect and surround themselves with objects / totems / trophies?
I think it makes them feel good. With buttons in particular, many of the ladies either have their mum's or grandma's buttons and used to play with them. That's what drew them into buttons. A familiarity, a memory. My nana was a seamstress but I never remember seeing buttons at her house! I have a small jar of my mum's buttons but they are simple modern buttons, nothing old or valuable. But they belonged to her and she kept adding to them until she passed on, and that makes them invaluable to me.
• How do you engage with your collection? (Sit with them, hold them and reminisce? Organise them in a certain way (i.e.: from colour, shape, pattern, size)?
I like to look at them and display them in decorative bowls or dishes by characteristic. I sometimes like to pour them out or put my hands into a big tub of them when I'm feeling down or stressed. My hands are old now. I have arthritis and my first few nodules have appeared, so putting my hands in buttons takes that age away and I feel young again - I feel ageless. I have a great time with my granddaughter looking through her small collection. She has learned colours, shapes, names of items, and how to count with buttons. I am going to try to include a video of her scooping her buttons with a little shovel. I hope it works. She loves touching her buttons, scooping them with her hands and rubbing them on her arms and face. They have helped her to learn and grow so quickly. As well as being educational and teaching a young child, I hope to be able to keep these buttons for when she's older and she can have a piece of our past and bonding sessions together.
• Do you have any interesting stories related to buttons?
Well that I started the 'Buttons Buttons Who's Got The Button' group on Facebook and in a short time have a nice following of over a thousand members! I've sold quite a number of buttons and have orders to package and send each day from my home in New York. The ladies in the group are all so sweet and have made friends with each other also. Such a nice group! A few members have met up who are local together and have made lifelong friendships just through buttons. I find that incredible! I receive so many wonderful messages from people who have joined the group, have bought my buttons or swapped with me and it is just lovely to have such a tool to connect with people this way. I am truly thankful for Facebook and for buttons too!
I happened across this director that links to societies based in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado... There's an independent button society for practically every state!
Facebook Groups
As well as official societies, there are also a number of groups on social media - particularly Facebook - that I have come across in my research. People share information they have found on a certain type of button, share photos of hauls of the buttons they have purchased from a seller or a shop, sell or swap with each other, share arts and crafts they have created with buttons and generally socialise and create friends with a similar interest of button collecting. There is a real sense of community and camaraderie within these groups.
• Button Central (9,010 Likes)
• National Button Society (2,172 Likes)
• Button Button Who's Got the Button (1,527 members)
• Revolutionary War Buttons, Plates and Accoutrements (1,495 members)
• American Military Buttons 1775 - 1865 (994 members)
• The Official Button Lovers Group (676 members)
• The Official Button Lovers Market Place (212 members)
• Livery Buttons and Badges (105 members)
I have included links to the group pages ad also wanted to share the sheer amount of members in these groups and societies... button collecting is a lot more popular than I first thought when this project was still in its' initial stages!
Interview with Group Leader
I sent over a few questions to the group leader of 'Button Button Who's Got the Button', Luanne Oda, to find out why she created the group, her experiences with buttons, some of the members and posts she sees daily, and how the group has grown to over one and a half thousand members in under a year...
• When did you start the 'Button Button...' Facebook group?
I created the group on 31st May this year, just to give me something to do. I'm now a retired grandma who works from home selling buttons part-time, and like to feel proactive. I have enjoyed buttons for some time now and wanted to connect with others who felt the same. The group gives me a chance to learn new things about the rich history of button making and collecting, sell buttons from my home shop and swap buttons with other members.
• How long have you been collecting buttons?
Not as long as many of the other gals in the group, maybe 4 years or so. I love my collection though and hope it one day expands to be like some of our other members' collections - who live in an Aladdin's cave of buttons!
• How many buttons do you own?
My personal collection maybe around 400 - 500 buttons. Of course, I sell buttons so have THOUSANDS in the house! It's quite a feeling to be among so many beautiful little objects.
• What made you interested in button collecting?
I had a button swap on my business Facebook page and my business partner was a "true" collector & sent me some wonderful buttons. She also started my granddaughter with a small collection when she was a baby, she is turning 3 in January and has quite the collection already!
• Why do you collect buttons?
There's something so wonderfully charming about the different varieties of them. There are so many in the world made from different materials for different purposes and I try to collect as many as I can. I feel like I own a bit of history and a bit of someone's life! They are a necessity for clothes but they are also decorative and pretty or historical and valuable. Each button has its own story and tale to tell.
• Are there any special buttons in your collection and, if so, what makes them precious?
I mainly collect heart shaped & cherub buttons because I love hearts and Valentine's Day, but do have others. Those are my favourites though. I'm a loving and caring person and feel the heart represents me. Having a physical manifestation of that to pin to my clothes and wear is a special thing.
• Why do you think people like to collect and surround themselves with objects / totems / trophies?
I think it makes them feel good. With buttons in particular, many of the ladies either have their mum's or grandma's buttons and used to play with them. That's what drew them into buttons. A familiarity, a memory. My nana was a seamstress but I never remember seeing buttons at her house! I have a small jar of my mum's buttons but they are simple modern buttons, nothing old or valuable. But they belonged to her and she kept adding to them until she passed on, and that makes them invaluable to me.
• How do you engage with your collection? (Sit with them, hold them and reminisce? Organise them in a certain way (i.e.: from colour, shape, pattern, size)?
I like to look at them and display them in decorative bowls or dishes by characteristic. I sometimes like to pour them out or put my hands into a big tub of them when I'm feeling down or stressed. My hands are old now. I have arthritis and my first few nodules have appeared, so putting my hands in buttons takes that age away and I feel young again - I feel ageless. I have a great time with my granddaughter looking through her small collection. She has learned colours, shapes, names of items, and how to count with buttons. I am going to try to include a video of her scooping her buttons with a little shovel. I hope it works. She loves touching her buttons, scooping them with her hands and rubbing them on her arms and face. They have helped her to learn and grow so quickly. As well as being educational and teaching a young child, I hope to be able to keep these buttons for when she's older and she can have a piece of our past and bonding sessions together.
• Do you have any interesting stories related to buttons?
Well that I started the 'Buttons Buttons Who's Got The Button' group on Facebook and in a short time have a nice following of over a thousand members! I've sold quite a number of buttons and have orders to package and send each day from my home in New York. The ladies in the group are all so sweet and have made friends with each other also. Such a nice group! A few members have met up who are local together and have made lifelong friendships just through buttons. I find that incredible! I receive so many wonderful messages from people who have joined the group, have bought my buttons or swapped with me and it is just lovely to have such a tool to connect with people this way. I am truly thankful for Facebook and for buttons too!
Reflection
• Just from a chance meeting yesterday at Duttons for Buttons, I have unearthed a plethora of button societies and groups across the world, from London to Australia, bringing people together through their love of buttons. I have joined some of the Facebook groups and shared my project proposal with button enthusiasts - which has been met with such positivity and excitement! The images of people's collections will no doubt influence my work somehow...
• I need to be mindful not to get bogged down with too much research and information... I need to try and stay focused on the simple things. That's not to say that I need to slack off from researching as this subject matter is interesting to me. I think the thing I will be taking away from today's exploration into societies and groups is that button collecting is a very popular and series thing that brings together big groups of people - allowing them to collect and connect.
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