This article may not be reproduced in any form, print or digital, without express written permission from the author, Deborah Allnutt. Copyright 2026.
by Deborah Allnutt 2026
Today I’m pondering collecting.
The eyebrows dip to meet in the middle. As the lines between them grow deeper, the eyes squint, and maybe the mouth goes up on just one side. A look of confusion fills the face. You’ve just told someone you’re a button collector and you’ve received “the look.” It’s expected and amusing. Even after you explain what buttoning is about, it’s easy to see from their face they find it to be an unusual hobby. Odd even.
But button collecting isn’t any stranger than other hobbies I’ve encountered. I once met a woman in an antique store who collected creamers. Not the matching sugar bowl, just the creamer. She said she knew of other like minded collectors. I always hoped there was a group who collected the sugar bowls they left behind.
My husband collects little metal men. He has them painted historically accurate, then, along with other gamers, refights real or fictional battles of the world on tabletops. He has hundreds of these men. It’s quite helpful though because when I come home with a batch of newly purchased buttons I tell him I’m trying to catch up to his numbers.
Some people collect salt and pepper shakers. Some collect Elvis memorabilia. Others collect magnets or shot glasses or toy trains. On a recent trip I encountered a woman taking pictures of manhole covers. She said she was snapping them for a friend but … I had to fight to keep from giving her “the look.” Who is to say anything is a weird hobby if it makes the collector happy.
Stand tall button lovers. Keep spreading the word. We may get “the look” but at least there’s no chance we’ll fall down a manhole doing it.
This article may not be reproduced in any form, print or digital, without express written permission from the author, Deborah Allnutt. Copyright 2026
