You're pushing my buttons

I have a new addiction.


Like I need a new one, right?  There are already two obvious ones:  Kid Rock and Shells.  Any others that are existent in my life are for me to know and you to find out... na na na na boo boo.


My new addiction could perhaps be labeled an obsession. 
Hoarder might be better word.  Alright, to be honest, my husband already calls me a hoarder of shells and vintage wood boxes.  


What does he know.


When I first heard about people collecting buttons, I thought, Why? Dime a dozen.  
That was before I saw the buttons.  The beautiful, round, smooth Bakelite buttons.  They're colorful, shapely and each button tells a story.  


Bakelite is a synthetic resin chemically formulated and molded into things like buttons, pool balls, jewelry, lamps and various other items.  After plastics and other like compositions were introduced, collectors of Bakelite developed ways of testing the material to determine if it was 'true' or not.  Some of these methods include rubbing item, generating heat, which would then produce the smell of formaldehyde.  A Q tip can also be dipped in Scrubbing bubbles or 409 and touched to the plastic - if the cotton turns yellow, it should be Bakelite. 


It's science, baby!  Not just me liking shiny things.  
  
This information led me to Ebay and Etsy, searching for my very own Bakelite buttons.  Not a big secret that when I turn to Ebay, I become an neurotic monster.  People who out bid me in the last two seconds are forever called Hairy Buttholes.  I HAVE to win, not matter the cost.  My kids starve, my house up for condemning and my dog flea bitten, until the day I shake it.  


Right now I have fifteen button lots on my 'watch' list.  I've bid on two, that end today.  Someone needs to stop me.


Clearly I have a problem.


But before you shout "Don't forget you have to save for college", take a look at my winnings.  They're so breath taking, I want to hold them to my bosom and run my fingers thru them.  


These are vintage buttons, don't they make you swoon?

The following six pictures are from the lot of one thousand vintage, antique mother of pearl and shell buttons I won.  Yes, I said one thousand, why are you looking at me funny.

The button in the middle with rhinestones, is my favorite.

Look at those colors!

Picture isn't great, but I think the buttons in the middle
are hand carved.

Mini's!  

Grey shell buttons!  Could it BE more exciting!

Look at the cool carvings and shapes.