old buttons

[jae123-04]

I have lots of old buttons and a Victorian button necklace. How can I find out what they're worth? I don't want to spend $1.25 to sell an item on Ebay if it's only worth 25 cents.

[webbuying]

I look at lots of ebay button listings for values of my buttons. I have a couple of books that tells the values, but they are much higher in the book then what is sold on ebay. There are lots of sites on the internet that sell buttons too, you can look there. Here is one for you to start http://www.vintagebuttons.net/educational.html Good luck and have lots of fun. Susie

[the-responder]

What is the price on eBay is one thing, but the button society in your state (if you have one) would be a better place to identify the buttons and their cost. Using a internet search engine, look for National Button Society. That sight gives information on the state societies. Also, it depends on the person, what they are collecting and how much they are willing to pay. Thanks - Linda at The Responder

[svengali]

Cool, Susie, that's my website, thanks for the plug. Often times I have no idea what a button is worth until I do try it on eBay even though I've been collecting about 10 years and selling buttons online for 8. Can't be an expert in everything button-related, and pricing is one of the hardest parts of selling and collecting buttons. Even at huge button shows you can find 10 different prices on the same button, so even the dealers don't really know what they are worth. If you want to post some of the images of the buttons you'd like opinions on (collectible? value? age?) feel free to use the Photo Album area of this discussion group. I'll check back in a day or so to see if you've posted any button pix for the group to see. Make it a close but not "too huge" image, crop it closely so we don't have to wait for nothingness to load, and show the front/back of each button. Seeing the backs is of vital importance in judging age. This is a tip for sellers, give the size (measured right across the top), show the front and back and most importantly DON'T make stuff up or guess about what the material is. I just paid $21.50 for an "ivory" button that turned out to be celluloid. The pix was bad but it was a cool pictorial of a parrot bird and it looked like vegetable ivory, that would have been a great button but as it turned out, it's worth maybe $10. A case of a seller who took a consignment and just put on the ad what the owner said to. When will people learn that they are responsible for what they list? And, when will I learn not to believe everything I read?? LOL.

[Anonymous]

Hi there, What exactly is "vegetable ivory"? I have seen this before and tried to find out but just couldn't get anywhere. Thanks Judie

[purple-peg]

vegetable ivory..made from the kernel of a nut of a palm-like tree that grows in South America. This kernal is hard and white,resembling ivory to such an extent that sometimes only an expert can tell them apart. Peg

[svengali]

Hi Judie: To expand a bit on Peg's answer, this is a palm nut that goes by the name "tagua" and another name I forget now. It's an extremely hard substance, difficult to cut and carve, is used for netsuke carvings in modern days and was made into buttons for more than 70 years. Beads of this material can be found, usually extensively carved and many old, ornate needle cases were made of tagua. I understand that carvers often soak the nut in oil before attempting to carve. One way to tell you have a tagua nut "vegetable ivory" button is to look at it with a strong mangnifier, you will find little pores in the material. Sometimes these pores are easy to see on the back, marks collectors call "chatter marks". Sometimes a tight grain can be noticed on the brownish colored, glossy surface veg. ivory buttons. Some which had thread grooves cut into the back adjacent to the shank will show a blonde color as the grooves were carved after the button was dyed, this is also a good way to tell that you have a veg. ivory button. Sometimes these grooves were carved before the button was dyed, making it harder to know for sure what the material is. As you sort old buttons you will find yourself putting the veg. ivory buttons in a pile all their own. They don't look like plastic but do look a little like wood. Some have impossibly tiny patterns, fine lines or even pictorial images pressed in that is a good earmark for veg. ivory. These are impressed under strong force, unlike other buttons which are molded or carved with designs. There are many rare vegetable ivory buttons including those in the large size category (over 1-1/4") as this nut is rarely found larger than an avocado pit. Embellished v.i. with other materials are highly sought by collectors as are unusual shapes and pictorials. -Carol C-

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for all your info!