New York State Button Society Show

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

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Industry trends

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Backmark

The maker's name, city or registry mark stamped or embossed on the back of a button. Backmarks are the main tool for dating and attributing buttons, and dealers at the Binghamton show usually price a marked example above an identical unmarked one.

2

Shank button

A button with a loop or shank on the reverse so it can be sewn to a garment without visible thread holes on the face. Shank construction is common in uniform, military and tailored clothing buttons.

3

Sew-through

A flat button with two or four holes drilled through the face for thread. Sew-throughs dominate modern garment buttons and also appear in older china, glass and horn examples.

4

Self-shank

A one-piece button where the shank is formed from the same material as the face, often by turning up a metal rim or molding the back. It helps date late 19th and early 20th century buttons.

5

Tight-top

A metal button whose back and shank are one piece and whose decorated front is a separate, tightly fitted top. Common in Victorian-era fashion buttons.

6

Goofy button

Collector slang for cartoonish or character buttons, often celluloid or plastic, showing animals, comic figures or exaggerated faces. Goofies are a distinct collecting niche with their own price patterns.

7

Picture button

A button whose face carries an image - a portrait, animal, building, flower or scene - rather than only a pattern or crest. Picture buttons span glass, china, enamel, celluloid and metal.

8

Calico button

A button covered with printed cotton fabric, usually under a clear glass or metal rim. Calico buttons were popular in the 19th century and are collected by fabric pattern and colorway.

9

Black glass

Dark, often glossy glass buttons made in large quantities in the 19th century, ranging from plain sew-throughs to molded and painted decoration. They are a staple of American button trays.

10

Vegetable ivory

A hard, creamy material from the nut of the tagua palm, carved and polished to imitate ivory. It appears in buttons, beads and small carvings and is usually lighter and warmer in tone than true ivory.

11

Celluloid

An early plastic used from the late 19th century for buttons, often molded into pictorial or novelty designs and produced in bright colors. Celluloid buttons are prone to crazing and discoloration, so condition matters.

12

Bakelite and other early plastics

Phenolic and related thermoset plastics used for buttons in the early 20th century, valued for deep color, carved and molded designs and a solid, cool feel. Dealers often test or identify them by weight, sound and surface wear.

13

Studio button

A contemporary button made by an individual artist or small studio rather than a factory, often in ceramic, glass, metal or polymer. Studio buttons are usually sold as individual pieces or small sets.

14

Carded button

A button still mounted on its original retail card or display card. Original cards carry shop names, sizes and prices that help date a button and can add value for collectors who keep period packaging.

15

Riker mount

A shallow display case with a glass lid and cotton or foam backing, widely used to store and show button collections. Dealers and collectors often sell or buy mounts and trays alongside the buttons themselves.

16

Uniform button

A button made for military, police, railway, fire service or other institutional uniforms, usually with a crest, lettering or emblem. Uniform buttons are collected by regiment, country and period.