Tales of walking, eating, watching and playing. Vintage treasures and simple pleasures ... the things that make her happy.

Sunday 10 July 2011

He just doesn't get it ...

Buttons, that is ... my fascination with them, my love of them, the fact that on Friday I spent an entire evening gazing at them, sorting them and carding them up.  I check them over, look for a maker's mark, constantly amazed by the sheer variety of materials used to make them. 


  In the early history of buttons staggering sums of money were spent on them.  Magnificent artisan made examples were created for the aristocracy and artists commissioned to make buttons for royalty.  Buttons have been found buried with prized jewellery and were bequeathed in wills.


For the common man, buttons were made from cloth, wood, bone and leather.  Your buttons told society where you ranked on the social ladder.


I like to display and sell sets of buttons on vintage cards.


I love these old cards.  They are from a game called 'Sum-it'.



Big ones and little ones.


Wood, pewter, brass, papier mache, ivory, silver, gilt, rubber, bakelite, shell, china, glass, linen, plastic, beds, celluloid, horn, vegetable ivory (which is neither vegetable or ivory but actually a nut from a South American palm tree) ... and more.  Activities of the time often depicted on buttons like little history books.


I love old buckles too.



I say to my Mr, "look at the work that has gone into this button, look at the design.  Oh, this one has come from Paris". 

He still doesn't get it ...



13 comments:

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Yes, there is somthing fascinating about buttons - you have shown a lovely selection. Like the "old money" cards!
Liz (Shortbread & Ginger)

greenthumb said...

I like the way you have added them to the cards, so many styles and colour's so pretty. I will have to see if mum will give me her tin of buttons he has had for about 60 years.

Nelly said...

My lot get nothing about any of my stuff its more of a roll the eyes and YOU have too much junk mum!!! I get it and its so good that I have fellow blggers that get it too.I have lots of buttons but keep them all I love how you have carded yours up.

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Marina:
What a highly imaginative and most attractive way to display [and sell] the buttons from your collection.

We have perhaps a couple of hundred in a workbox which we inherited with family furniture and effects which we are now prompted to look at much more closely.

Greenorchid said...

I love buttons too... what a great collection... Do you sell on line too?? Lovely blog...

Rose H (UK) said...

Your buttons are lovely! I really like the way you have added them to vintage cards :o) especially the old money price tags...brings back memories, I was lucky enough to get 2/6 pocket money when I was about 10 years old!

KC'sCourt! said...

I absolutely love buttons - did you see the ones I picked up in a charity shop the other week? http://kcscourt.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-whole-pound.html. I have a jar of pearl buttons which belonged to my grandmother, she used to collect and save them for the Pearly Kings & Queens when she was a child.
Julie xxxxxxxxxx

Ava said...

I love buttons too... will have to send you some from Australia xx Ava

Flaming Nora said...

I recently found a WHOLE WALL of vintage buttons in a shop in St Leonards on Sea. not just cards of buttons, but boxes and boxes of them. It was some sort of haberdashery heaven.

Unknown said...

sigh..i love buttons too..those are lovely and what a great way to display and sell them.

I have a TRUNK full of buttons I need to do something with. I couldn't seem to stop buying them for awhile. ANd yes, I could spend an evening sorting. Hubby pretended to be interested. :)

mrs cheese said...

Oh I LOVE old buttons. I have been collecting them for years and years. I use them to make my jewellery out of. They're all in big glass jars.......love love love
x

Sarah said...

I can almost hear my voice in that last remark "But mr, mr! Look at the delicate design, the intricate making! Look how a button has lasted 60 years, they just don't make them like that anymore!..." And i could go on and on and on... Loving your blog xox

The Vintage Bazaar said...

I share your fascination! Lizzie xx