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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. Happy Buttoning, Debbie WEBSITE UPDATES
ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRIES:
Ashlee buttons are featured in this month's Button 10s. WBA DIGITAL JOURNAL: WBA VAULT MORE STUDY SHEETS IN THE VAULT More study sheets will be added over the coming months. Members are encouraged to submit new sheets or update the existing sheets if they find new examples.
 One of my favorite buttons, a Gay '90s with two purple tear drop glass stones, two sizes of paste and leaf border set in copper. Hello Button Lovers, I was talking with some button friends the other day and one commented they had been collecting for almost 30 years. My first thought when I heard that was to wonder how we got old enough to be doing something for over a quarter of a century. Knowing our ages I did a little math and realized that most of us came into this hobby midlife. The first button club I attended was Polk Box, in Dayton, OH. The meeting was temporarily being held in a small room and it was crowded. I edged in and took the only remaining seat. Halfway into the meeting the group began to sing "Happy Birthday" to the woman sitting next to me. She had just turned 100. I remember thinking how amazing it was to be that age and still be interested in buttons. Maybe I had found the right hobby after all. They were a welcoming group. I didn't have one particular mentor, but they all pitched in to move my education along. How lucky I was to have started with them became even more apparent to me when I attended my first state show. Early evening shopping found me sitting and talking at a dealer's table with another new collector. She had joined another club who wasn't helping her and barely acknowledged she was there. She so wanted to learn. I don't know who she was or if she continued collecting, but I hope so. I was lucky and the lessons I learned at Polk Box have stayed with me all these years. Right now clubs all over the world are scrambling to find new and younger collectors to keep the hobby alive. When they do show up we must really integrate them, mentor them, and show them they are important to us. I've learned life goes in cycles and I hope it turns towards collecting again and more people look for a hobby like buttoning and a place to belong. A GENTLE REMINDER Most of us began our journey collecting buttons sorting them into categories and learning to put trays together as though preparing each for competition. While many of us, myself included, occasionally pull trays together according to the classification system we grew up with, this is not WBA's way. We are a competition-free club. We study a button's construction, material, history, and enjoy each button for what it is. We hope you enjoy studying buttons this way too. While we occasionally get questions about classification and competition, we will not be addressing them. These are special features of the National Button Society and any questions you have regarding these topics will best be answered by them. Happy Buttoning! Debbie WEBSITE UPDATES
PROGRAM RECORDINGS:.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRIES: BUTTON 10S - short 10 minute video posted on the 15th of each month WBA DIGITAL JOURNAL:
WBA VAULT MORE STUDY SHEETS IN THE VAULT More study sheets will be added over the coming months. Members are encouraged to submit new sheets or update the existing sheets if they find new examples.
 Happy Spring to All from North Carolina! Facebook, Instagram, texts, emails, YouTube, podcasts, and a thousand other social online platforms have taken over our lives. For those of us of a certain age who played outside until the street lights came on we remember being pushed outdoors by our parents armed with a jump rope, a basketball, some chalk, a bat and a ball, and our imaginations. We got on our bikes and rode around town. We interacted with the neighborhood kids or the kids from school. Today the word interactive applies more to video games than anything face-to-face. The internet connects us more than ever and that is the beauty of it. News is instantaneous. Information is just a click away. Hours once spent on research in a library now take minutes. We can easily FaceTime and talk with someone in another country from anywhere in the world. For the button collector living in a place where there are no local or state clubs, an online organization like WBA can be a lifesaver offering that collector a community. For someone who has a local or state club in their life, WBA is an enhancement to their button journey. During the pandemic, online communication became indispensable for many of us in order to keep connected with friends and family. The pandemic was in its early stages when my family moved to North Carolina. Of course, the local club wasn't meeting in person, but being able to Zoom with them and my former club kept me connected and involved during the isolation. WBA is open 24 hours, 365 days of the year. You can log on anytime for some inspiration. On our website button questions are answered by our experts, project suggestions to jump start your creativity are available, and informational programming is readily available with our recordings. We're here when you're ready. CHANGE OF WORKSHOP DATE Due to the US Memorial Day holiday weekend, the New Collector's Club will meet on the third Sunday, May 18 instead of its regular fourth Sunday position on May 25. SO THIS IS SOMETHING NEW! In the very near future WBA will create a new Facebook page that will allow you to post directly to the page. You will be able to share your comments and pictures directly with the rest of the membership and not be restricted to just replying to already created posts. This is one way we hope to better connect with you. If you've already signed onto our page, you'll receive a notification when the transition will occur. Our current page will remain as we make this transition and a reminder to move to the new page will be posted there. I hope this early spring is bringing you blooming flowers, good weather, and a happy spirit. If you're in the southern hempisphere, you will envy your good weather during our winter days. Happy Buttoning, Debbie WEBSITE UPDATES
PROGRAM RECORDINGS:. BUTTON 10S - short 10 minute video posted on the 15th of each month WBA DIGITAL JOURNAL: We now have a handy index of articles! Click on the "INDEX" button on the right side of the page. All of the articles are "hotlinked" so you can read them individually. Please remember that all of the articles are copyrighted by the authors and graciously shared with WBA. The images and text may not be produced without permission. WBA VAULT
COMING SOON ... The Minnesota Button Review NEW IN THE VAULT - STUDY SHEETS More study sheets will be added over the coming months. Members are encouraged to submit new sheets or update the existing sheets if they find new examples.
WB Gallery Burwood/Syrocco under US Button Art: We are proud to feature news of Joan Bazzel's work... TUESDAYS ARE WBA DAYS! Always at 4PM ET Monthly program, Button Talk, Creative Expressions, Button Runway The exception to this is the 4th Sunday when the New Collector's Club meets at 7PM ET. Check the EVENTS tab for the month's topics. Topics are also listed in the Monthly newsletter. Read any good books lately? I'm reading Lucy Godoroja's All Buttons Great and Small: A Compelling History of the Button, from the Stone Age to Today. The book delivers exactly what it says, a history of the button. It tells how buttons went from being only decorative to becoming a practical and important part of our garments. Filled with fascinating facts, like French King Louis XIV who commissioned a set of 100 diamond buttons, and details of the craftsmanship from antique to contemporary buttons, it's an enlightening read. A good history of how buttons are a reflection of the times. Delve into the Books & Biblio section of the website to find something intriguing to read. There are so many interesting choices. You can also find selections in the Digital Journal and the WBA Vault. I'd love to hear what you've been reading and your thoughts about the selection. Email me and let me know. _____________________________ The New Collector's Club launched on February 23 with approximately twenty enthusiastic button collectors. This first meeting, hosted by Lynn Keller, was a meet and greet to start making connections and to get a better understanding of participants interests and expectations. Lynn encouraged participants to explore the resources on the WBA website to learn more about buttons. Topics for subsequent meetings were also discussed and included mounting buttons, cleaning buttons, hot needle testing, and fluorescent glass buttons. Please register for the March 23 meeting if you've been collecting buttons for less that 5 years and are interested in learning more about buttons. Happy Buttoning, Debbie WEBSITE UPDATES Congratulations to the World Button Game Entrants & Winners! Read on... Don't forget - We now have a member directory. You can find it under the "More" tab and then in the "WBA Documets." Some members requested that they not be listed. WBA respects the privacy of member data. We do not use member data for anything other than WBA business. PROGRAM RECORDINGS:.
BUTTON 10S - short 10 minute video posted on the 15th of each month WBA DIGITAL JOURNAL: We now have a handy index of articles! Click on the "INDEX" button on the right side of the page. All of the articles are "hotlinked" so you can read them individually. Please remember that all of the articles are copyrighted by the authors and graciously shared with WBA. The images and text may not be produced without permission.
MEMBER MARKET:
WBA VAULT
COMING SOON TO THE VAULT... The Minnesota Button Review NEW IN THE VAULT - STUDY SHEETS More study sheets will be added over the coming months. Members are encouraged to submit new sheets or update the existing sheets if they find new examples. Aren't the possibilities of a new year exciting? January is a blank slate just waiting for us to fill it with friendship and laughter and learning. We hope that's what you find every time you join us for an activity. Now here's an old subject for the new year and one you're probably tired of reading about, but here it is one more time. WBA needs you to volunteer. Yes, we know you're busy. We know you feel you've put in your time volunteering over the years, but we're asking you to step up one more time. Here are specific areas where we could use your help:
There are many volunteer opportunities with WBA. If you're willing to give some time let me know and together we will find the right place to utilize your talents. WHAT'S NEW? Speaking of volunteers, we welcome four this month:
Welcome and thanks! In last month's blog I mentioned that a group for new collectors is beginning in February. If you're just starting to collect or just coming back into the hobby, please attend. Lynn Keller, a collector of 30 years, will be leading the group. Lynn is active in the Connecticut State Button Society as well as a local club. Animals are her absolute favorite, but she's also partial to flowers, livery, and steel buttons. Come meet Lynn and make friends with other new collectors on the fourth Sunday of the month, 7PM ET. We'll begin on February 23rd. Creative Expressions is hosting Button Games on February 18. Check out the categories under the Creative tab. The deadline to submit entries is February 5th! While we hope you'll enter a creative category, it's not required for you to come and join the fun. There will be prizes! Don't forget that WBA is an online club. If you're not visiting the website regularly, you're missing everything-monthly presentations, an extensive book list, articles by our members and a great deal more. Happy Buttoning, Debbie [email protected] WEBSITE UPDATES MEMBER DIRECTORY: We now have a member directory. You can find it under the "More" tab and then in the "WBA Documets." Some members requested that they not be listed. WBA respects the privacy of member data. We do not use member data for anything other than WBA business. PROGRAM RECORDINGS:.
BUTTON 10S - short 10 minute video posted on the 15th of each month WBA DIGITAL JOURNAL:
ENCYCLOPEDIA: MEMBER MARKET:
MUSEUMS with BUTTONS: WBA VAULT
NEW IN THE VAULT - STUDY SHEETS More study sheets will be added over the coming months. Members are encouraged to submit new sheets or update the existing sheets if they find new examples.
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