It all adds up

[coinnut]

This winter, one of my projects is to separate years of junk targets and bring them to the scrap yard. I'm about 1/2 way through that project. But today I decided to start grouping all my other relics, coins and jewelry. I started with the colonial and post colonial buttons. Sometimes finding a lot of targets each hunts, ends up in piles for future projects :lol: So is the case with the buttons. I have most of the old ones pictured here, minus the modern ones I found in parks, schools, etc. I didn't realize how many buttons I had accumulated over the years.....Advice to newbies - Clean and store all your finds every time you hunt!!! Or else you could end up with these kind of projects :girlcry: :duh: Kenny Half is for size reference.

[Digger Don]

wow!! How many do you think you have there?
I would guess 1100
congrats on all the buttons and holes you dug :lol:

[OxShoeDrew]

Looking good! Do those all have shanks? I throw my shank-less in their own pile....I'm not sure why :lol:

[coinnut]

wow!! How many do you think you have there?
I would guess 1100
congrats on all the buttons and holes you dug :lol:

Thanks, haven't counted them yet, but I may....... later :lol:


Looking good! Do those all have shanks? I throw my shank-less in their own pile....I'm not sure why :lol:

So you have a deep seated hatred for "shanks" Hmmmm :thinkingabout: There are a lot of them that don't have shanks. We call those the work buttons since they were probably broken off while working. Some of the ones with shanks may have been thrown away with the clothes or from the digging out of the cellar hole after a fire.

[del]

i see i'm not the only one with an "S" load of buttons :lol::rofl:

[The Rebel]

Great collection! It's amazing how many buttons were lost. Bet the wives hated all that extra sewing :lol:

Just out of curiosity where did you buy the display case. I've looked for those Riker mounts but did not see any stores that sell them, other than online.

[coinnut]

Great collection! It's amazing how many buttons were lost. Bet the wives hated all that extra sewing :lol:

Just out of curiosity where did you buy the display case. I've looked for those Riker mounts but did not see any stores that sell them, other than online.

On line is where most people get them. We got some of ours when a club member bought them by the case and sold some of them to us at cost. Nice guy. Google Riker cases and Amazon for them.

[Thiltzy]

Haha George...have fun cleaning those endless piles of buttons. That's exactly why I try to clean after every hunt. I would rather stack Bee bee's than clean all those buttons in one session.

[RobW]

:shocked03:...that's a lot of buttons

[coinnut]

Haha George...have fun cleaning those endless piles of buttons. That's exactly why I try to clean after every hunt. I would rather stack Bee bee's than clean all those buttons in one session.


How exactly do you stack bee bee's :thinkingabout: :lol: You can help anytime you want ;)

[giant056]

That's quite the pile you have there :clapping:

[OxShoeDrew]

Thanks, haven't counted them yet, but I may....... later :lol:



So you have a deep seated hatred for "shanks" Hmmmm :thinkingabout: There are a lot of them that don't have shanks. We call those the work buttons since they were probably broken off while working. Some of the ones with shanks may have been thrown away with the clothes or from the digging out of the cellar hole after a fire. Well now I'll have a better appreciation for the shankless pile. I've actually thrown them in with my oxknobs :lol:

[Timewarpdigger]

Considering the amount of buttons I have found so far in the short time I have been in the hobby it would take me 300 years to find all of those. LOL Congrats !! Safe & HH

[del]

Considering the amount of buttons I have found so far in the short time I have been in the hobby it would take me 300 years to find all of those. LOL Congrats !! Safe & HH

:omg: are you clairvoyant Timewarpdigger ?? I believe your the first person to accurately guess George's real age. :rofl:

[Ronandari]

:omg: are you clairvoyant Timewarpdigger ?? I believe your the first person to accurately guess George's real age. :rofl:

:hystericallaugh:Ha Ha. happy 300th George

[coinnut]

:hystericallaugh:Ha Ha. happy 300th George

Thanks, I really don't feel a bit over 250 though :confused:

[NJJOSH]

That is an insane amount of buttons. How did you get the job as a professional metal detectorist? i hate my guidance counselor:lolsign:

[del]

That is an insane amount of buttons.

Josh , some were probably missed targets but i bet most were purposely passed over because they sounded to much like a shotgun shell.

[NJJOSH]

Josh , some were probably missed targets but i bet most were purposely passed over because they sounded to much like a shotgun shell.
Ive never detected a cellar hole but i would think that the chance for a good target why skip anything?

[coinnut]

That is an insane amount of buttons. How did you get the job as a professional metal detectorist? i hate my guidance counselor:lolsign:

Josh, one of our sites we stumbled on to had 4 or 5 cellar holes in a small area. We pulled over 600 buttons from there. It may have been a cloth recycling business. Maybe to make rag paper or some other use for the cloth. But it seems the buttons were of no value to them. We had days where we found 50 or 60 buttons each in one day. All around 1800-1820's. As for the professional detector part? We are only as professional as we feel on any given day :lol:

[TundraDigger]

I know, let's play "Button, Button, Who's Got the Button" :lolsign:

[del]

Ive never detected a cellar hole but i would think that the chance for a good target why skip anything?


people "cherry pick" at parks for just the good targets like silver and also do it at colonial cellar sites too . they're just listening for the higher repeating coin like targets.

[OxShoeDrew]

Hey George, can you put buckles in those riker boxes? ...and can you hang 'em or will the buttons fall?

[coinnut]

Most buckles will fit except the really arched ones. Buttons will fall unless you tie them down. If you can fit the glass tight enough against the glass some may stay, but they are really made for flat viewing. There are button cases that have little cups that hold each button in a round recessed hole. They are a bit more expensive I think. Next time we get together I can bring them down for you to see them. Just remind the old guy 15 minutes before I leave :lol:

[coinnut]

Had a chance to sort trough all my old buttons. I'm not sure if I got them all but probably most of them. I was a little surprised that I did not reach 2000 buttons. I thought for sure I had that many. DEL is going to have to skip over more buttons when we hunt :lol: Total buttons = 1,733. Breakdown: Military: 40, Pewter 109, Tombac (both plain and decorated) 210, Iron 30, Plain (undecorated) 1086, Decorated 258. Now the cleaning begins :needadrink:

[Ole # 7]

wow. Where's Rain Man when you need him? He could have just scanned that pile and told you right off "...um...ah...you have too many buttons..." Couldn't you use some sticky clay behind each button? That'd hold a button down on the display board I reckon. It's kinda like that nasty white paste that you used to eat when your second grade teacher wasn't looking, but not as messy. You can get it by the pound at a hobby or art store.

[coinnut]

wow. Where's Rain Man when you need him? He could have just scanned that pile and told you right off "...um...ah...you have too many buttons..." Couldn't you use some sticky clay behind each button? That'd hold a button down on the display board I reckon. It's kinda like that nasty white paste that you used to eat when your second grade teacher wasn't looking, but not as messy. You can get it by the pound at a hobby or art store.


:lol: Yep too many is right. But at least the bulk of them will not need to be cleaned. How many undecorated flat buttons do you need to see clean before they bore you to death? ;) I never thought of sticky clay :thinkingabout: