Benefits of WBA Membership

DIGITAL RESOURCES

WBA volunteers provide our ever-growing educational resources which may be accessed by members at their convenience.

RECORDINGS.  WBA gatherings are recorded for member access at any convenient time. Videos–varying in length from eight to fifty minutes–offer educational information about buttons, their manufacturers, and the society from which they came. Nearly 100 videos can be viewed from these pages in four categories: Feature Presentations, Button Runway, Creative Expressions, and But-10 Short Videos.

ARTICLES.  The WBA Digital Journal welcomes new articles every month from our members. It contains scholarly and anecdotal articles, and we are proud of the research reflected in member contributions. Authors retain full copyright to their work.

BACK MARKS (Verbal, Pictorial & Non-Pictorial) & Front Marks – Their Materials. This is 27-page database continues to grow monthly and is invaluable in helping collectors identify button materials and sources.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. Over 475 books about buttons and related subjects are searchable by title, topic or author. The bibliography was first compiled in 2017 by Joy Journeay for the button community and originally posted on the WRBA website. It is now routinely updated by WBA volunteers.

THE WBA ENCYCLOPEDIA is a reference offering a broad spectrum of information in a brief format. It is becoming one of the most valuable resources for identifying and learning about buttons, construction, materials and their origins.

MOUNTING SHEETS.  At the request of WBA members in 2026, printable background sheets will soon be available for use in mounting and displaying a wide variety of buttons. The sheet selection includes both linear templates, borders and themed pictorials.

Publications:  NEW BOOKS.  WBA is honored to have printed the 40-page booklet Introduction to Button Collecting by Jocelyn Howells as our first publication.

Publications:  OUT OF PRINT RESOURCES. Old button magazines have been scanned for members’ educational use. These include Lula Opre’s Button Dictionary, Button Review, the Creative Button Bulletin, and Western Button News.

STUDY SHEETS.  These assist collectors in identifying attributes of a specific group of buttons. New study sheets are made throughout the year to reflect educational topics. Members may also request a specific topic or submit information to be included on a worksheet.