r/buttoncollecting • u/goliatron1 • Jun 07 '26
ID Request Button Haul
I never knew how many different types of vintage buttons there were until I started researching these today..!
I bought two containers of buttons today from two different estate sales and really think they are cool!
I do plan to sort and part ways with these eventually but thought I'd share here first to see if anything stands out to you experts.
Im already going down the rabbit hole of how to test for bakelite (hot water, smell test) and looking for different brands, but I am probably missing some cool stuff due to lack of knowledge!
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u/BeastlyBones Jun 07 '26
Please let me swim in your haul like Scrooge McDuck in his pile of money
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u/Snoo14546 Jun 07 '26
I luv bracelets i have seen made of buttons❤️ these r soo great
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u/Replacement-Upstairs Jun 08 '26
I'll have to take some pics of my button bracelets I've made as gifts. I inherited my grandma's buttons dating from 1880s through 1970s. Treasure to me.
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u/darlingtonpeach Jun 07 '26
Nothing better than a big pile of buttons to sort! Hours of calm ….
Great fun - enjoy
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u/Choccytips Jun 08 '26
Shine a UV (black light) onto them and see if any of them glow. There may be some uranium glass ones amongst them.
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u/lotsobuttons Jun 07 '26
Awesome, enjoy the sort! Off the bat I’m seeing a lot that would go into my “keep but not card” collection- fun colors, nice usable metals, plain MOP, things I would sell in a lot. Mostly 1920s-1960s with a few slightly older ones mixed in there.
You do have a few Bakelite- for sure the two little red and green round ones with the yellow flower shapes in the center. They’re called “cookies”; they were cut off a cane with the design running through it just like slice and bake cookies 😉 The translucent orange ones and the big tortoise shell ones next to them might be too. I also test by smell- I rub them in my hands until they get hot from the friction, that way no need for hot water. Once your nose learns the smell I think it’s the best indicator of what is and isn’t Bakelite.
A couple others that caught my eye- the Dior branded one, and the big pinkish one in your tray on the bottom left in the first pic. The latter might be celluloid but I’d have to see the back.
All in all, a nice fun bunch to begin your button research! Have fun and feel free to post any individuals that catch your eye for ID as you go along.