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| Some of my books in my button room. When it comes to books, I have no SHELF control! |
Button Books: What to buy?
ISBN thinking about you... *grin* (yes, there will be book puns!) You know button collecting is terrific. We all start a button collection for various reasons. Some of us just are interested in the pictorial or design. Perhaps you just want to collect buttons, any and all! To many button lovers, age and material doesn't matter. There isn't anything wrong with this method of collecting...Until you start to ask questions about what you have.So, you get on the computer, and look at photos of buttons... and try a zillion key words. *ugh* And if you're like me, you look like this:
So, you started collecting and (sooner or later) are ready to CHECK OUT because you want to know MORE. WHAT is that material? WHEN was it made? WHO wore that? IS this one really a button? WHY is that picture on that button! WHY is this shank so different looking!!!? WHY do they call it THAT?
WHY is that (little, ugly, weird, etc.) button SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE!!??
WHYYYYY? LOL
The first few years I collected, I didn't have much of an idea about the National Button Society nor button clubs. Information on the internet was zippo... nada. I was basically floating along on my own, hoarding all the buttons I could find at swap meets, antique shops and 2nd hand stores. Then, my husband bought me my first button book while on a vacation celebrating our anniversary. The book was About Buttons by Peggy Ann Osborne.
With just that one book, the switch was flipped and I was learning about these tiny treasures. It is still is my favorite book of all time, and one I recommend to any new collector. The book is around $80.00 new, but IMHO, well worth the cost. This book answered lots of questions and made me want to know even MORE, MORE, MORE!! So, as I could, I added more button books (and got myself to go see a button club).
Today I'll share a few favorites in my Button reference library with you, and give you my take on what's great about the books, what I feel is a must have, what you can live without (or at least wait until you find it at a bargain price).
The #1 spot is tied. There are 2 books that I have dog eared, fallen asleep with and would chase someone down with my pointy button awl to get them back:
#1a: ABOUT BUTTONS: A Collector's Guide, 150 A.D. to the Present. Peggy Ann Osborne, 1994. 320 pages, colored illustrations. I ADORE this book. My copy is worn and tattered and I slept with it for months after buying it. It takes you through various periods and explains the buttons that were worn at the time, along with slices of history and beautiful photos. All books have errors, it's BOUND to happen, but this one is pretty on the money. If I had to pick only one button book, this one would be it.
Closely followed by...
#1b: Big Book of Buttons (BBB): Hughes-Lester; First Edition (June 1981) 813 pages. Called the Button Bible by collectors, this book separates buttons out by material and then by pictorials. I have my face in this book at least twice a week. While it's difficult to look up buttons in to identify something, if you read this book from cover to cover, you'll get a good grasp on how the National Button Society classifies buttons and you'll be seeing terrific buttons and some decent identifications. The BBB 1st edition has identification errors, and went out of print. The old editions can be terribly pricey, as high as $500!! Crazy!
The BBB was updated and reprinted in 2011 into 2 volumes (which makes it easier to read/handle) and was updated some. It sells for $375.00 plus $18.00 shipping. I'm not sure it's worth it, so... if you can find an old copy of the BBB for $100-$250, I'd recommend to buy it (and use that extra $$$ for buttons!)! You can always sell the old version for what you paid for it if you decide to buy this new updated version. If you love the old pictorial metal buttons, and want to know what the identifications/names were that they generally go by, then you really will want this book. I like big books and I cannot lie.
#2 The Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons, Sally Luscomb. 242 Pages, 1968. A forgotten older book, however, packed with lots of information. Revised in 2007 and includes a price guide (ignore that) . A great book to curl up with and absorb all the great information and button lingo/jargon.
#3 National Button Society Classification Booklets: Well, this isn't actually a book, but more like a booklet... and there are several that you should have. Start off with that I really (REALLY) think you should join NBS, if only for the booklets and on line searches available to you through ALL of the NBS bulletins that were digitized and made searchable by keywords. You can read all of the old bulletins starting from 1945 onward. I LOVE their website for that reason, and I use their booklets constantly.
Well worth the $35.00 yearly membership since you get all the access AND five (5) issues of the National Button Bulletin which is in color (fabulous every issue!) along with the Classification "Blue" Book with information on classifying buttons and also competing (if you wish to eventually do so).
With membership, you can also purchase numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 below:
#5 Clear and Colored Glass Classification by Jane Ford Adams and revised by Jean Longo. Revised in 2002, with wonderful information and color photos, 30 pages, $8.00. Again, glass is going to flow into your collection quickly, so you might as well get this great booklet to get a handle on old and new glass. Terrific photograph and lots of information which tells you about the old (Division I) and modern (Division III) buttons. In color. Available on the NBS website (links below).
#6 Pearl and Shell Button Classification by Margaret Kelso and updated by Shirley Case in 2002. Shell is wonderful and this is also a great 26 page booklet packed with photos and information. $8.00. Available on the NBS website (links below).
#7 National Button Society Section 9-A Synthetic Polymers by Jocelyn Howells and Nikki Deal A complete study of all Plastics (except Celluloid). A must have booklet! Color photos and everything you need to know about those hard to identify and confusing plastics. You'll be a pro at sorting Polyester from Nylon in no time! A BARGAIN at $5.00! Available on the NBS website (links below).
#8 Button Materials A-Z: Identification Guide, Jocelyn Howells. $55 includes shipping. Everything you'll need to figure out what a button is made of. Order direct from the author buttonjoss@frontier.com
Now, there are 100's of other button books. Some out of print, but can be had dirt cheap on eBay, Amazon and book sites like Abe Books.
IMHO, the following books are also worth having. So, Check your shelf before you wreck your shelf... Do some comparison shopping first, and get these super, mostly inexpensive books for the great photos, info and just a good book to sit with:
Buttons: The Collector's Guide to Selecting,
Restoring, and Enjoying New and Vintage Buttons; Courage Books, 1994 by Fink & Ditzler
Baubles, Buttons and
Beads The Heritage of Bohemia; Schiffer, 1997 by
Button, Button: Identification and Price Guide: Identification and Price Guide; Schiffer, 2000 by Peggy Ann Osborne. I truly adore this author's books! See my #1 books above. And by the same author... Fun Buttons; Schiffer, 1994 by Peggy Ann Osborne. I spotted one on eBay for less $8!!
Antique and Collectible Buttons: Identification and Values; Collector Books, 1997 and Antique and Collectible
Buttons: Identification and Values, Volume II; Collector
Books, 2002 - both by Debra Wisniewski. Fun buttons that most new collectors can easily find.
Buttons by Epstein & Safro; Harry Abrams, 1991. Hardcover, 175 pages, color (don't get the tiny book!). A Gorgeous book filled with rare and wonderful buttons.
Now, if you would rather spend your money at button shows, eBay and ETSY *grin*, you can always BOOK it over to your local library! Also, join a local button club! They usually have a lending library and you might also get a free button mentor/button buddy just for hanging out with them!
And if you're wondering how many button books there are (including crafting with buttons, military, written in other countries/foreign language, uniform, etc.) there are book lists at several websites you can use to look at button books that may also feed your button soul:
WESTERN REGIONAL BUTTON ASSOCIATION BUTTON BOOKS BY TOPIC
BUTTON IMAGES BOOK LIST
NATIONAL BUTTON SOCIETY STORE (no, I don't make any money on links!) You can purchase several of the booklets listed above here AND join NBS!
Thanks for reading today! I hope you'll follow my blog (yes, I've been neglectful!) as I have plans to do all kinds of fun and informative button posts soon! I hope you'll follow the FBR blog and leave me a comment!
ALSO be sure to wander over to my FLYING BUTTON RANCH facebook page! I post there a few times a week. Lots of fun stuff going on there also (so be sure to Like and FOLLOW the page)!
I hope you've had a GOOD READ here and that these book puns have tickled your SPINE. Okay! I'm done!!
Happy Reading and Buttoning!
