Vintage Metal Button Collection

 I did get out last weekend for a tiny bit of junk shopping but I got home and put it all away before it occurred to me that I hadn't taken any pictures.  I'm blaming it on the mouth surgery.  That's my story and I'm sticking with it!
Since I don't have any new junk to show and I know that a lot of you share my love of buttons I thought I should start doing a button collection post every now so this the first in a series.  If I can remember.

 This wonderful old plastic jewelry box holds my favorite metal buttons plus some special vegetable ivory buttons.

 Click the pictures bigger so you can get a good look. Doesn't it remind you of a treasure chest?

 Look closely in the upper right compartment and you can see a couple of vegetable ivory whistles.  For those of you who aren't familiar with buttons, a "whistle" has one hole on the front and two holes on the back. There are all sorts of cut steels in the front compartments.  Cut steels are old Victorian buttons.

 The bottom is filled with a variety of larger buttons.  I don't collect according to any specific category or criteria.  I just keep the ones that look unusual to my eyes.

 I can't imagine how many thousands of buttons have passed through my hands in my lifetime, probably millions.  When eBay first launched, in the early 1990s, I was a button seller.  Gosh would I love to have some of THOSE buttons back!  I never hit the Mother Lode by finding something like a Gay 90s or anything like, but I've temporarily owned some pretty cool buttons.

 When I stopped selling them on eBay I started saving the ones I really liked and that has grown into several random collections like this one.  No matter how many times I have seen them, they still delight me every time I open the lid!

I am linking up for Show and Tell Friday over at My Romantic Home.  Cindy throws the best parties so be sure to stop by and mingle a little!