Made from a Collection

Buffum collection, inventory #42

A string of approximately 536 mostly small buttons strung by Susan Buffum on November 6, 2008 from a collection of antique buttons.  Touch button is a large brass with japanned back intricate border conventional design button.  Buttons on the string include a large calico button, small brass and metal conventional design buttons, black glass design and faceted buttons, black glass with gold and silver luster buttons, black glass with enamel paint design with pinwheel border, brass ball, black glass with goldstone, painted black glass, jewel and waistcoat buttons, charmstring glass buttons, brass with cut steels, steel, hard rubber, goldstone, Jenny Linds, original tints, crackle glass set in brass, painted metal, carved shell with steel embellishment, mother of pearl in brass, old glass, antiquarian black glass, black glass with carnival luster, mother of pearl, steel cups, clambroth glass, Victorian glass (green with floral design), bone, pewter, diminutive peacock eye, medium peacock eye in brass collet ends the string.

With a Half Dollar on It

Buffum collection, inventory #41

A string of 385 buttons purchased June 2, 2008 on ebay from St. Petersburg, FL. Touch button is a large black vegetable ivory with red glass cabochon. Vegetable ivory coat, white glass w/black stripes, brass with fabric, veg ivory w/pinshank, black glass picture buttons, brass with black glass inset, brass with fabric inset, brass w/blue crackle glass dome, silver luster buckle, amber charmstring, various charmstring buttons, radiants, brass conventionals, pressed horn lion’s head, etched shell, hard rubber, black glass, brass with insets, various chinas, mirror glass disk, clambroth glass, brass with glass inset waistcoats, white glass, clambroth berry top, brass w/pink berry top, black glass tile, black glass lusters, turquoise glass, composition whistle, dyed etched shell, tortoise glass whistle, brass peacocks, bone w/pinshank, MOP disk, real clamshell button, composition axe, ruby glass, green glass cone w/white tip,, white glass with black glass w/foil tip, cobalt blue glass with goldstone, brass with celluloid inset, brass with oval saphiret, pink glass owl head (broken pin) and battered half dollar coin on string.

A Gift of Appreciation

Buffum collection, inventory #40

A string of approximately 57 small buttons given to Susan Buffum by CT button dealer, in appreciation for all the work she'd done for NERBA as Secretary/Editor (2005-2008). The string is from a CT estate.  Buttons include small brass sew thru, horn with MOP inlays, conventional design brass buttons, glass set in metal waistcoat buttons in many colors and styles, Victorian glass, MOP, steel, bone, small flat brass bell, vegetable ivory whistle button, clambroth glass, radiant glass, small floral mosaic button, embossed design vegetable ivory, gilt buttons, pierced vegetable ivory.

Made at a Program

Buffum collection, inventory #39

Approximately 80 buttons strung by a CT button friend on March 14, 2007 at the Crescent Club during her program on charmstrings.  She demonstrated how to string a charmstring, then was urged to place the buttons she had strung in the club auction. Touch button is a 1” brass with steel button with inlaid MOP star at center. String comprised of all small buttons– brass pictorial, black glass, charmstring glass/ swirlback glass buttons in teal,raspberry, green, gold, yellow, red, clear and white, small jewel and waistcoat buttons, MOP, Victorian glass, coronet, thread-bound clear glass button, dyed MOP with steel escutcheon, glass set in metal, celluloid in metal. String given to Kelly Buffum on March 14, 2007.

Came in a Jeweler's Box

Buffum collection, inventory #38

String of approximately 237 buttons. This string was purchased on ebay from Shelton, WA on April 30, 2008. The string arrived May 3, 2008 in a small green cardboard jeweler’s box from an Illinois jewelry store. The touch button is a large brass pictorial of wheat stalks. There is a nice Lucy & Edgar brass pictorial next, then black glass, white metal, small calicoes and chinas (plain and ringer), a medium white pie crust china with a touch of blue at the edges, original tints (red and blue), small brass conventional designs, cut steels, faceted steels, black glass with silver, gold and carnival lusters, brass with etched designs, vegetable ivory carved and plain, self shank and sew thru, a black-yellow-red Tingue (rough used condition), fabric buttons, brass with pierced border and fabric center, a lot of various small and medium black glass buckle buttons, reverse painted clear glass with flat coronet top, composition, composition with flecks of sparkle, ruby and red glass, two gold glass beads, I goldish beaded fabric button, a medium Golden Age button, pewters, brass ball buttons, told pansy button.

So Many Diminutives!

Buffum collection, inventory #37

An unknown number of buttons strung by Susan Buffum on waxed linen cord on April 25, 2008 from Kelly Buffum’s diminutive/small button jar of over 2700 buttons. CS25 was dismantled and many of its buttons restrung onto this string. String is comprised of mainly small/diminutive Czech class buttons with some brass and black, white and transparent glass and china buttons interspersed. Very long and colorful string of vintage buttons!

A Gift from Mother to Daughter

Buffum collection, inventory #36

String of approximately 575 antique/vintage buttons. This string was strung on waxed linen cord on April 26, 2008 by Susan Buffum for Kelly Buffum.  The touch button is a brass with cut steels in the shape of a fan button anchored by a brass picture button with a green interior rim depicting a camel. The string is comprised of the following types of buttons collected over two years time. Small brass picture buttons, small and diminutive enamel buttons, Civil War era General Service eagle button, small black glass picture buttons, small black glass geometric design and conventional design buttons, small lacy black glass buttons, small faceted and plain black glass buttons, small matte finish mourning buttons, china ball and cone buttons, small brass with steel facets, small white metal buttons, small pewter buttons, lead buttons, original tint buttons, painted brass buttons, vegetable ivory, small horn and rubber buttons, one small turquoise glass cabochons set in brass button, one glass pink rose paperweight button, a diminutive brass fleur de lis button, rectangular painted design black glass button, Golden Age buttons, gilt buttons, chased aluminum buttons, ball buttons.