Buttons - what a set!!!

[Terry Bond]

Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is the best part. Sometimes, the object of desire is so fantastic that it's eventual acquisition is the pot of gold at the rainbows end. Sometimes, you have to just wonder at the luck!

I completed my button set!

These are early 1900s gentleman's waistcoat buttons. The are small diameter, similar to tuxedo studs. They have glass covering a hand colored image on an early auto. I have no idea who made them but they are wonderful!
It's taken me most of five years to collect this full set, but here it is! Now, the story -

A long time ago, an old friend whose collection of automobilia eventually became a part of the famous Ray Holland Automotive Art collection, had found a set of these buttons in the Bermondsy flea market in London. I have a well done photograph of his set, in their original box, and always wanted to find them.

Several years later, I came across a single button in the flea market at Hershey. A year later I discovered yet another one in an antique shop and asked the dealer (an antique button specialist) to be on the lookout for more. After a buying trip to England, I was offered the third button and snapped it up. I'm half-way there! There was a great ebay discovery a year later, and that dealer, also in London later emailed me and offered yet another one. Ohmygosh-I have five of them!

It was a long wait but eventually, another showed up on Ebay. Was I ever surprised to find out that a good friend had bought it for me, knowing that I'd be out of town. It was the most expensive of all of them but worth a premium to finish the set of six. That evening, I had to ask the question - where will I ever find a suitable little box to put them in?

I logged onto ebay, searched for "antique button box" and amazingly, there it was! The little red leather, silk lined box had the right look and the correct measurements. I couldn't believe it - and best of all, it had a very reasonable "buy-it-now" price on it.

As I eagerly awaited its delivery from England, I began to wonder again - where would I find the little gold clasps that hold the buttons on a gentlemans waiscoat? I looked over my photo of the original set I had and thought I might be able to make them as there would be almost no chance of finding them.

When the box arrived I anxiously unwrapped it and was thrilled to hold the perfect, exact box. I noticed a rattle inside the box, and carefully lifted out the lining only to find six little gold clasps in the bottom of the box!!!

There are one or two that I'd like to upgrade the condition on, but I'm thrilled with this latest addition to my collection of stuff. It's neat, the hunt was a thrill, the luck unbelievable, and of course, now it has a great story with it.

Enjoy the photo, and if you have a button like these to sell, let me know as I've got a good friend anxiously waiting for my extras.

Terry

[keiser31]

Terry....sometimes if you hold your mouth just right and your breath long enough, the stars align and you reap the bennies from it!! GOOD WORK! Nothing like an awesome story about stuff coming together that was pretty much meant to be together. I bought an old drum style headlamp years ago in San Diego. Moved up here to Oregon and a few years ago went into an auction house. I saw this "slingshot" style looking headlamp bracket on the wall. I asked the owner, "How much for the headlight bracket?" He says, "What headlight bracket?" I pointed up to it and he says, "That's not a headlight bracket. It's to hang a bell on." So I say, "O.K....how much for the 'bell hanger'?" He tells me $20.00 and I take it home. Turns out to be from a Doble steam car and Roamer.......fit together like they were made to attach.

[R W Burgess]

Great story Terry. I shared this one with my region, just to show them that there are lots of different antiques to preserve and protect!
Good job!

Wayne