Check out an opening for the Busy Beaver Button-O-matic curated by Nathan McKee and Fake Your Own Death on November 5 featuring an awesome lineup of artists, like Bwana Spoons, Ty Ennas, and Rob Doran at the Fresh Pot in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about the Button-O-matic project here.
Chicago Sun-Times journalist Dave Hoekstra features the Busy Beaver Button Co. Museum opening event in article called “Pin city” today. Read the rest of this entry »
The Spits are notorious for their lyrics, costumes, and band merch that includes vinyl records, re-branded dollar store finds, and BUTTONS!
Their new full length is available on In the Red Records, and the album art is on the 1.5-inch square buttons they sell on tour. Busy Beaver even ships reorders on the road when buttons sell out.
Check out the Spits with Nobunny on July 21 in San Francisco, and click here for the Spits on MySpace.
Click here for the company that makes the Spits and Nobunny buttons.
The Spits make square 1.5-inch buttons with their album art
Button Collector Alex Winter
Alex Winter is a life-long collector of “cultural artifacts,” and he works at the right place to acquire the most interesting and rare buttons— Hake’s Americana and Collectibles.
Alex shared hi-res photos of the most choice buttons, and answered these four questions about how he started collecting the pin-nable pop-culture relics.
Busy Beaver: Why did you start collecting buttons?
Alex Winter: I have been a collector of pop culture artifacts as long as I can remember. Even as a young child, I made sure I kept the boxes to my toys and never got rid of anything, no matter what. A pre-teen pack rat was not the norm among my peers, but was standard protocol among the elders I found myself in constant contact with.
I grew up around very serious collectors of all types of items, so rooms full of display cases showing off their treasures was what I exposed to from a very early age.
I found this extremely fascinating and soon became a rabid collector myself. This started with comic books in the late 1970s. Around the same time I really got into music, with Kiss becoming the first band I followed, and actually tying in with my love of comics as Marvel printed the first Kiss comic book in 1977.
Alice Cooper Flasher By Vari-Vue From 1977 Featuring His Trademark Face Make-up and Tipping His Top Hat
By the early 80’s I was a hard rock/heavy metal junkie and that is where buttons came into my life. My jean jacket became covered with buttons for AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and countless others. It was at this time that I got involved with collectibles as a business, going to and working at flea markets and toy shows. This greatly expanded the types of items I collected with new interests popping up all the time.
Figural Celluloid Eight Ball Pin Relating To War Time Production Of Aircraft “A Plane Every 8 Minutes”
I started collections of vintage material relating to superheroes, Halloween/skeletons, dice, eightballs, smiley faces and more. With each collection came pin-back buttons among many other types of objects. Then, in 1985, I got a part-time job at Hake’s Americana & Collectibles. That opened my eyes to the collecting world in a life changing way and became my career (with 2010 marking my 25th anniversary with Hake’s).
Over the years I have had direct contact with tens of thousands of buttons and have seen some truly incredible pin-backs, along with so many others pop culture artifacts. Because of this, I collect buttons that appeal to me regardless of theme or genre. If it catches my eye it has a chance to make my collection.
Mephisto Tools Showing Satan Using A Hand Brace Bit Drill circa 1920s
My expanded list of collections now includes buttons featuring cats of all types, devils, civil rights/black panther party, St. Paul Winter Carnival, 1939 New York World’s Fair and unique buttons with attachments.
Busy Beaver: How many buttons are in your collection?
Alex Winter: I’ve never really counted but it is probably in the neighborhood of 500 or so. If I did not collect so many different types of things, this number would be higher, but I love paper, figural pieces and more, so I try to diversify my various collections.
Busy Beaver: How do you store and display your buttons?
Alex Winter: Many are in riker mounts, others are in display cases mixed in with other types of items and then there are those that I wear, or remain pinned to the jean jacket I wore as a teenager (the Metal Gods won’t let me part with it).
Busy Beaver: What is your favorite button?
Alex Winter: Because of the diversity of my collection picking just one if very difficult so here are some of my favorites covering different themes-
Bostock Circus Early 1900s Famous Animal Trainer Real Photo Button
Dustbane Cleanser Advertising Button Featuring Black Cat circa 1910s
Los Angeles County “Crystoglas” Technique Button circa 1915 (one of only a few buttons to utilize the high cost process of colored foil papers beneath the celluloid covering and over the design embossed backing metal)
WW2 Era Uncle Sam “Let’s Pull Together” Hitler Hanging Mechanical Button On Original Card
Historic 1963 March On Washington Button From Day Of MLK Jr.’s I Have A Dream Speech
It’s a pleasure to see so many rare buttons from a spectrum of eras and topics, all in one collection. You can learn more about what Alex Winter does for a living on Hake’s Americana and Collectibles.
It all started with “pin”spiration from the daily news. Now you can literally wear a new hot button issue every week with Busy Beaver Button Co. HOT BUTTONS!
What’s happening in the world that you want to express? Click here to shop HOT BUTTONS!
Button measures 13/16" and is the known only example. Courtesy of Hake's.
This weekend, people across this great nation scrambled for cards, flowers, and cakes to commemorate important women in their lives.
While many people believe Mother’s Day is a Hallmark invention, it’s actually a holiday catalyzed by suffragettes like Julia Ward Howe, and established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson.
Buttons represent historically relevant events, and this century-old button evidences the implementation of Mother’s Day almost a century ago.
In case you are still looking for something for the mommy who has everything, click here for this rare button.
Did you know that Busy Beaver donates a tree to the Arbor Foundation in honor of every button order this month? It’s exciting for everyone here to see the “tree tally” rise in the hundreds, along with the popularity of the April Special 100% Recycled Paper.
Here’s a little explanation about the best practices Busy Beaver Button Co. uses:
Your Buttons
• Made in Chicago with American parts by Busy Beavers
• Choose the April Special for 100% Recycled Paper and Recycle Sign
• Assembled with steel button parts and local Midwest suppliers
Busy Beaver Button Co.
• Rehabbed, vintage storefront features geothermal heating and cooling
• Uses Recycled rubber floors, salvaged doors, fixtures, and cabinets
• Busy Beavers live close by, so they can ride bikes and walk to work
Have a tree planted by Wednesday, May 5 and click here to order the April Special.
It’s a big day in button history, because Busy Beaver Button Co. is the first to offer 100% Recycle Paper Buttons at the same price as regular buttons, along with a recycle sign added to the back rim.
A tree will be planted for every single button order this month, too!
Here’s how to order the April Special:
1. Click here to Order like usual
2. Order Black Print or Full Color on White Paper
3. In the Additional Comments say,
“April Special and Recycle Sign”
Remember, you always get free ground shipping at Busy Beaver. Call (773) 645-3359 with questions. Click here to order the April Special.
Lots and lots of Threadless one-inch Buttons
Is there a Threadless tee shirt design you want to see on a one-inch button? Click here to choose from the Threadless Flickr.
Five lucky “suggestors” receive a snazzy button pack of all 14 button designs! Hurry up, because the deadline is tomorrow, Tuesday at 3PM. Click here to check it out!
