Hard Rubber Acron Touch Button

Buffum collection, inventory #78

Purchased on July 24, 2014 from Post Fall, ID. String of 95 assorted old buttons. End button is a hard rubber acorn with a sort of greenish appearance. Other buttons include vegetable ivory, matte black glass  balls, waistcoats, one with a tlip on it, clambroth glass, brass flower, black glass with silver luster, black glass with gold luster, shoebutton, charmstring glass, white glass, composition whistle, horn sew thru, black glass pictorials, metal man’s head, chinas, leather, brass with steel Asian scene with pierced border, brass conventionals, yellow glass, sew thru oval embossed composition, dyed shell (deep blue),black metal with ribbed celluloid top.

Loop of all Small Buttons

Buffum collection, inventory #77

Purchased  June 5, 2014 from Garrison, IA. String of 171 small to diminutive size buttons tied in a loop. Buttons include a Civil War era eagle cuff button, black glass, brass, dyed vegetable ivory ball, charmstring glass including overlays, swirlbacks, applied tips, coronets, MOP, hard rubber, glass berry top set in metal, glass set in metal, waistcoats, chinas, shoe button, steel, white glass, glass set in metal with galena, china birdcage. The most interesting item on the string if a dress trim piece that is a tiny fluted brass ball from which a tiny open brass star dangles.

Bold Glass Set in Metal

Buffum collection, inventory #76

String of 106 buttons purchased May 17, 2014 from Lancaster, PA. Touch button is a large plain clambroth glass button, This small string contains many glass beads and glass dress trim pieces as well as the buttons. Other buttons on the string include-large black metal, glass set in brass including  molded white glass with brown streaks  set in deep brass drum, small brass circus cat bursting through ring, small original tint purple on brass, small hard rubber buttons with backmarks N.R.Co Goodyear’s P=T, old heavy shank metal button, many china buttons in black, brown, tan, white, blue and green, green and white marbled modified cone charmstring glass button, black glass with gold designs, black glass with lusters, black glass with silver design, three gilt buttons, cuff size general service eagle button with backmark EXTRA QUALITY, brass disk button backmarked DOUBLE GILT, small stamped horn with floral design, small female head horn button, small brass disk with red fabric inset, perfume buttons, there is one shank from a broken kaleidoscope on the string, brass horseshoe whistle button, steel ball button, steel disk button, small brass drum with speckle foil under glass, beaded top composition button, brass with original red tint and brickwork pattern, clambroth dome top button with black star pattern on top, black glass whistle button, brass lady bug on a leaf with green tint background picture button, brass with wallpaper pattern oval buttons, small brass with white glass shell inset, brass flowers with wire mesh background, ruby glass with gold line pattern, brass and steel ball buttons, white glass swirlback with black glass coronet top. Cotton string is in good condition. Buttons strung loosely.

A Recreation

Buffum collection, inventory #75

This string was strung by Susan Buffum on April 12, 2014 in Westfield, MA. It is comprised of better buttons from her collection. The touch button is a large brass button with a DUG center. There are approximately 315 buttons on the string. Buttons include  a brass watchcase hunt button of a stag with a backmark of SUPERIOR QUALITY EXTRA RICH), veil button, black glass, white glass, Golden Age and gilts, many assorted ball buttons some with color or goldstone swirls, many waistcoats with different glass centers in assorted colors and styles, silver thread wrapped glass ball, swirl backs, charmstring colored and clear glass, dewdrops, kaleidescopes, small enamel on brass, horn, hard rubber, bone, openwork brass, MOP with steels, black glass with silver luster, small brass female lion tamer, small brass harpy picture button, oval ruby glass sew thru, clambroth glass, china bullseyes, natural horn with fox head, Venetian glass, Popper with shaped top, glass set in metal, General Army service cuff button, peacock’s eye, black glass with blue fabric, coronets, oval enamel set in brass, Jenny Lind waistcoats, Jenny Lind not set in metal (white glass), original tint brass, black and white glass scenic waistcoat, painted glass, salt glazed glass, lithograph female head under celluloid. Brass with steels, plain chinas, chine with luster sew thru.

Multiple Post Office Buttons

Buffum collection, inventory #74

Purchased February 14, 2014 Placerville, CA. Came with charmstring poem written by seller, original cloth bag the buttons were found in. Lost was the original tag indicating that the buttons had belonged to Mimi Stroh, but a photo of the card, bag and poem was included. Buttons were restring by seller as string had broken. String of 178 buttons, most in nearly pristine condition. Touch button is a brass woman with cherub. Buttons include brass conventionals, brass crane with original green tint, china sew thrus, china bullseyes, vegetable ivory, black glass with iridescent color, pigeon eyes, cuff size Railway POD brass buttons, early general service button no bm, matte black glass ball, metal sew thru, diamond-shaped black glass, assorted waistcoats, calico sew thru, black glass sew thru with goldstone, MOP, china ringers, charmstring glass, brass ball, black glass ball with green swirls, ivoroids, large brass with white glass dot center, small brass picture buttons, oblong black glass, metal with celluloid inset, small square pierced brass, ruby glass oval, white metal, clambroth glass, small brass Egyptian head, white glass, MOP inset in composition grapes, hard rubber, composition whistle, etched MOP sew thru, dyed vegetable ivory.

Many Kaleidoscopes

Buffum collection, inventory #73

String of 344 buttons purchased February 14, 2014 Port Saint Lucie, FL. The string had broken into three sections, and two additional sections with newer celluloid tight tops and plastic buttons were included. The older sections of the string were double cotton string. The string was fragile. Buttons could not be restrung on the original string, so were cleaned and restrung on waxed linen cord. On February 22, 2014. The string is comprised of antique and vintage buttons and vintage glass beads. This string of buttons has 9 intact kaleidoscope buttons. There were an additional 7 kaleidoscope base shanks removed from the string that had lost their glass tops. These tops were not with the string any longer. One kaleidoscope top came off during shipping and was re-glued to its correct base. Three original charmstring glass buttons were not restrung on this charmstring. Two identical molded purple glass charmstring buttons were kept aside as one is perfect while the other shows flashing from the molding process around one edge were glass seeped out of the mold and was not sanded or cut away. The other is a modified red glass cone with an applied white tip that has a flat back and a loop shank embedded at the top possibly to be used as trim on a garment.

   Touch button is a large brass with molded white glass pinwheel pattern center with black paint on the spokes of the pinwheel. Other buttons included a heavy large faceted amber glass button, 3 veil buttons, red velvet ball button, heavy large matte black glass ball button, assorted sizes and styles of black glass buttons, numerous glass radiants with assorted colors on back, many types of charmstring glass in blue, turquoise, green, red, amber in diminutive to small sizes, glass set in metal, design under glass, assorted chinas in black, white, green, blue, orange, brown, green and pink, clear glass, brass, Golden Age bm Wadham & Coe EXTRA RICH, early 1-piece plated infantry eagle with shield with ’I’ in center coat button with A W Spies bm (Albert’s bicentenntial edition, pg 36, #79 C3), 1 small, 2 diminutive china birdcage shank buttons, hard rubber, crackle glass set in metal, small horn raised female profile, shoe buttons, assorted colored glass beads (turquoise, white, amber, black), flat square white glass button, assorted waistcoat buttons, black glass fly, embossed vegetable ivory, pierced vegetable ivory, black glass with speckled color and goldstone, large big swirlback blue base with clear glass dome and goldstone swirl inside, brass coventionals, assorted ball buttons

Large Celluloid Leaf

Buffum collection, inventory #72

String of 117 buttons purchased January 5, 2014 from Heuvelton, NY. The buttons are strung on what appears to be a length of picture  wire. Touch button is a somewhat dented watchcase hunt button depicting two running dogs with bm of Wadham & Co SUPER FINE, black glass assorted styles, early General Service military brass button bm EXTRA QUALITY, NEWER General Service army button bm AM Button CO NEWARK, NJ, beaded ball button, japanned metal with cut steel embellishment, red Victorian glass, brass minute man, black glass with white & goldstone, composition with shell inlay, brass conventionals, MOP, twinkle, celluloid set in metal, glass set in metal, pierced brass, pressed horn, large glass set in metal,  ruby glass, small brass celluloid inset with red glass, later military general service bm SCOVILL MFG WATERBURY, stamped metal wheat and scythe, china sew thru, celluloid & metal, hard rubber, tombac, small picture buttons, Bohemian glass, small original tint hand holding sword, bright pewter, small pressed horn flowers, large dimensional celluloid leaf, radiant glass, clambroth, horn head, harp button bm SHANNON & MILLER< NEW YORK, MOP watch gear w/steel