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An eBayers Guide to buying buttons on line. Whether you are a serious collector or a seamstress, a scrapbooker or just looking to hold your pants up, there are several important things to know before buying buttons on-line.
For crafts, for sewing, even for learning how to count, everyone uses buttons every day and they are a small, or large notion that is often taken for granted.
Think about your button-down collar without the buttons. And just picture people running around with their pants falling down. Buttons are a necessity.
For scrap booking, for sewing, even just to hold your pants up....many, many uses and we hardly give buttons a second thought.
Seamstresses and serious collectors can attest to the fact that the price of buttons has risen dramatically over the past few years. Many people are turning to eBay to find that unique vintage button, or to save money on lovely buttons to complete that perfect creation.
The following guide will give you a few tips for finding buttons on eBay.
Buttons are basic craft items or sewing notions. Used not just for fastening but also for decoration, buttons come in a wide variety of colours, sizes and materials and are very versatile. The right button can finish off the look you want perfectly, or ruin it, so choosing the right buttons are imperative.
Buttons come in two different forms, sew thru or shank. See the picture below for an explanation. The thread goes directly through the sew thru button and the button itself lies flat against your garment or project. These buttons usually have two or four holes. Some rare ones will have three or several.
A shank button has some sort of piece to raise the button from your fabric. This allows for easy manipulation of the button for fastening through button holes etc. by raising the button so the layers of your material fit smoothly on your fabric.
SEW THRU SHANK
Most shank buttons have a built in shank. They are available in three types, wire shank, self shank and tunnel shank. Shank buttons are more suited to heavier fabrics or when you are using thread or button loops to fasten your garment. Choosing a button to match your fabric or garment can often be quite difficult. If you are having a problem trying to find something to match, you might also consider using covered buttons. These are available from most sewing notion departments and use an actual swatch of the fabric from your garment to cover the top of your button. This way you can be assured it will match.
Buttons come in all different shapes and sizes, but most sizes are quite standard. Buttons are sized by what is called "line". Line simply means the diameter of the button. One line is equal to .25 inches or .635 cm.
The chart below will make it easy to size your buttons, or choose the size your need for completing your garment or project.
When choosing buttons to finish your creation, consider texture, size, style, care, weight as well as colour. You would not want a large grey bakelite button on your fine chiffon dress. A sharp pointed button might get caught in the texture of your tweed coat. Some buttons cannot be dry cleaned. There are many things to consider. It is not a SNAP decision. (pardon the pun).
To choose buttons on eBay, click on the advanced search button in the top left hand corner and search on buttons, sewing notions or whatever type you are looking for.
Quite often you will find the exact button you are looking for and even with shipping charges added, at a much better price than in a notion's department.
The back of your pattern envelope will tell you what size and how many buttons you need to finish your creation. The usual guide is 3mm of leeway. try not to go more than this 3mm either smaller or larger . Buttons that are too big or too small will not fit properly on your garment or in your buttonholes and might change the way your garment hangs. The buttons will also not be in proportion to the edges.
Use different words in the search window to find different colours and sizes.
No matter what type of buttons you are using, all buttons should be sewn with a double strand of thread and through two layers of material.
Anyone can collect buttons.; boxes and bottles of vintage buttons can be found at yard sales and flea markets. You may still make that exciting find! The Big Book of Buttons, by Elizabeth Hughes and Marion Lester, which is also known as the Button Collectors Bible gives prices for fine collectible buttons but like buttons, the prices for which have tripled since it was last published in 1991, this book is very expensive, out of print and difficult to find.
The National Button Society says that any button made after 1918 is now considered a modern button, not a vintage one. But modern buttons have still become very collectible, not just for cash value, but also for aesthetic value as well.
Buttons purchased on the Internet can be found from estate sales and from old collections as well. Beautiful rare buttons are often available for very good prices. Make sure you are not getting a box of old, dirty, broken buttons. Better to buy small lots that you can clearly see in the listing. They will be clean and you can see exactly what you are getting. Large lots of buttons will also be quite heavy and therefore shipping charges can be quite high. This should be taken into consideration too. Check shipping costs before bidding.
Sometimes if you are looking for a large number of buttons all the same colour for a craft project or a coat for instance, you might find them on eBay at a huge savings.
Sewers and craft people can also relate as the prices of buttons in the craft and millinery stores have skyrocketed. People have turned to the Internet to find those perfect buttons for that new outfit or that wonderful craft.
SEW....... (little pun). ...You don't have to be a collector to appreciate fine buttons. It all depends on what you are looking for. You might be looking for the perfect button to complete your new outfit, or buttons to glue on for a craft, or exciting buttons to add to your collection.
Try finding them on Ebay. Get buttons from other eBay sites too.
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