Outsiders will probably think that “vintage buttons” is a narrow enough niche, but those who are true lovers and collectors of antiques know that this is far from true. From the material that a button is made of to the time period it was made in, etc, there are all kinds of categories of vintage buttons. How do you know which one you should develop a taste for?

Well, when it comes to collecting, all that really matters is what you find the most intriguing. After all, collecting is a hobby and hobbies are supposed to be fun! But there is also the added element of value. What vintage buttons are going to appreciate the most over the years? That's just one of the questions you will want to ask as you consider the different types of vintage buttons out there.

In order to get started, find out what you already have at your fingertips. It's hard to make something out of nothing, but if you've already got a collection of wooden buttons on hand, why not just nurture that? Another approach is to simply think about what you're interested in. Vintage buttons from the Civil War period are extremely popular these days, so perhaps you like that niche the most. Or perhaps you're interested in military antique buttons in general!

The real key is to determine if you want to dig your heels into an extremely obscure niche or have a more general strategy to collecting. You might find that you have a more profitable hobby if you have only an eye for rare items that are categorized into a very specific niche, while on the other hand you might find that you really want to sell vintage buttons for a living and thus you want to collect any and every kind so your buyers have a wide selection.

Another factor is application. Do you want to keep your buttons locked away somewhere in a case to pass down to future generations, do you want to sell them habitually, or do you want to create beautiful jewelry out of them?

Whatever the case, there are a bunch of niches for vintage buttons out there and it's vital that you understand all of them if you want to be taken seriously as a collector. Especially for those who plan on becoming regular sellers or for those starting up an online shop, etc, it's necessary that you are up to date on all the categories of buttons.

So, good luck and happy collecting!