Upon hearing of my affliction (i.e. button collecting) most people I meet are surprised as they have never heard of the hobby. Kate Boulton claims it is the 4th most popular collecting hobby, after coins, stamps and dolls. Whether this is true or not, the hobby is HUGE in the States where there has been a National Society since 1938. State and National shows and competitions are held. There is also a keen British Button Society.
I have complied some articles found in Trove to show that there have been serious button collectors around for a long time!
The Mt Barker Courier etc, 1st October 1886
Nepean Times (NSW), 29th April 1899
The Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser, 13th November 1907
Penhurst Free Press, 14th May 1909
Northern Star (Lismore NSW), 23rd February 1920
From a larger article in The Farmer and Settler (Sydney), 5th January 1923
The Daily News (Perth) 4th April 1940.
Cairns Post, 31st August 1940
The Evening News (Rockhampton) 29th March 1941.
Truth( Brisbane), 3rd January 1943
Warwick Daily News (Qld), 8th September 1947
Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld), 30th Oct 1948
Published in the Macleay Chronicle (NSW), 24th May 1950
Sunday Mail(Sydney), 6th December 1953
Click on this link to go to a large article about a button collector in a 1975 Women’s Weekly magazine. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43199047?searchTerm=collecting%20buttons&searchLimits=sortby|||l-state=National
The Canberra Times, 27th December 1978
During World War One soldiers were collecting momentos to send back to their famiies. These could include badges and buttons. As detailed in the below articles, they could be a source of community interest. A popular method of collecting was to fasten buttons and badges to a money belt or similar.
Maryborough And Dunolly Advertiser 13th March 1916.
The Brisbane Courier 3rd January 1917.