Antiques

What to do with old buttons?
I remember visits to my Grandparent’s house for two things: an endless supply of “Nuttall’s Mintoes” which I still crave, and Grandma’s button tin. In the sideboard, at child height, it was a treasure trove of lovely buttons in many colours, shapes and sizes. Sorting, stacking, counting and playing shop… I’d spend hours with the pile she had carefully cut off worn clothes before discarding.

 I was born with a strong collecting gene and little money so buttons were a natural target for me. I’d scour Church fairs, second hand shops, markets and all kinds of places for some-one’s discarded stash of little beauties.

There have been National Button Societies for collectors worldwide since the 1930s. I have been told that buttons are second only to stamps in the numbers that are in collections.
With a multitude of types and materials – mother of pearl, vegetable ivory, bakelite, glass, cut steel, enamel, celluloid and paste there are many options to select. For me however, the bigger the better – I just imagine the fabulous 1940’s coat or 1950’s costume adorned with the decorative piece.

Collecting and using vintage buttons is a fun and interesting with buttons priced from less than 5c each to hundreds of dollars.

Consider this:
add vintage buttons to fashions makes them unique and special
every Grandmother still needs a button tin
fill jars of interesting buttons to brighten a room
no cushion would be complete without a few special buttons
vintage buttons make great jewellery pieces
and of course emergency replacements!
I enjoy seeing how these everyday items can so easily evoke memories from the past and inspire people to find new ways to enjoy them today.

Daphne Geisler

This is the first of a regular item on antiques by Daphne of Vintage Treasures in Martinborough.