2018 Archive: Competitor guidelines

Division I

  1. Cl 4-0, 25 Any size. Enamels assorted. Cover the enamel section. Also look for buttons with combined techniques;
  2. Cl 6-5.3.2, Various. Riveted/Soldered.  All black. No points for OME or DF. Focus on shapes and numbers of black glass pieces, and the designs created by the pieces.
  3. Cl 6-6.7, Large. Black glass lacy/lacy-like surface designs. Try to cover the pattern subclasses, shapes, various shank types.
  4. Cl 7-7.3, 30 Any size. Clear and colored glass in imitation of fabric. Keep in mind that these are Division I buttons, so the fabrics they “imitate” should be fabrics in use during the same time period. Remember that these are “molded surface design” so all buttons should have the fabric texture molded.
  5. Cl 7-7.9, Various. Victorian glass of various colors, techniques, pictorials, and decorative finishes. 
  6. Cl 10-8 Various.  Brass with cut steel embellishment. No other OME or DF.  Specialized to pictorials.  Try for shapes and numbers of steels as most important, then cover the pictorial classes. .
  7. Cl 11-0 Med/Lg. Shell assorted specialized to pictorials. Cover the shell subclasses, then the four pictorial sections.
  8. Cl 21-9, Med/Lg. Pictorial Summary specialized to twelve medium from Sections 17 & 18 and twelve large from Sections 19 & 20. Must be labeled and mounted in order. Try for the broadest possible representation of the whole number classes.
  9. Cl 24-0, Various. 18th Century. Cover the subclasses, and carefully review the Blue Book appendix on Section 24.

Division II

  1. Cl 1-5.2 + 2-2.2, 25 Any size. Police departments, domestic and foreign. Label city and country if not obvious.
  2. Cl 2-4, 25 Any size. Military armed forces assorted. Label country.

Division III

  1. Cl 23-3.2, 30 Any size. Riveted shank buttons (RSB) with a variety of decorative finishes, OME’s, pictorials, patterns, materials/metals, as well as pierced & multiple metals.

13 Cl 23-6.2, 25 Any size.  Bimini buttons to include one or more ceramic.  Label backmarks & anything interesting.

Division IV

  1. Cls 1-0 thru 9-1, 25 Any size. (Sections 1-0 through 9-1) Best assortment of all classes, with at least 1 class included from each Related Specialties section. Include the four pictorial sections. Labeling appreciated.
  2. Cl 2-0, Six Buckles specialized to mammals. Try to not duplicate a mammal class, and look for multiple mammals on the same buckle.

Division IX

  1. Cls 1-0 through 15-5, Small. Specialized to words beginning with letters that spell out “Sure do love Western Regional Button Association!” Label each letter as to what it represents. May be a pictorial or any button term, material or technique; e.g., “T” turn-around (a pattern), “O” overlay (a technique) or “G” gourd (a material). Material variety to count equally with word representation.
  2. Cl 1-0 through 15-5, 25 Any size. Materials assorted specialized to sinful pleasures: must label intent. No overloading, label studio buttons. Focus is on materials first, then the pictorial content.
  3. Cl 1-0 through 15-5, Various. Assorted Materials specialized to those made primarily of natural “animal based” materials, e.g. horn, ivory, bone, shell, silk, leather, etc. Also appropriate are materials that may have animals embedded or mounted in a non-natural material base, e.g., an embedded seahorse in a synthetic polymer button, a scarab mounted on metal or an 18th century bug under glass. Label as to material.
  4. Cl 6-6.3, 25 Any size. IMITATING FABRIC, NEEDLEWORK, TEXTILE. Label the fabric or needlework technique, and make sure it is represented by a molded surface texture.
  5. Cl 7-0,Diminutive. CLEAR/COLORED GLASS. Cover all the classes and subclasses, and try for the broadest selection of glass colors.
  6. Cl 8-0, Small. GLASS IN/ON METAL.  Cover all the classes and subclasses, and try for the broadest selection of glass colors. Also a breadth of the numbers of glass pieces mounted in metal.
  7. Cl 10-3, 25 Any size.  Pewter assorted. Try for a wide variety of types including: rimmed, faced, bright cut, hard white, soft cast, etc. Use a variety of construction and decorative finishes and take care to use only pewter and not white metal. Go above and beyond the three classes listed in the NBS Blue Book, page 16. Refer to the A-Z Encyclopedia of Button Materials pages 100-101 and the BBB pages 358-373 (Second volume edition).
  8. Cl 16-4, Small. Material Summary. Limit one studio. Best overall assortment of materials and techniques. No more than half the buttons shall be pictorial. Buttons must be labeled as to class and mounted in numerical order. Each material shall receive equal credit. Care should be taken not to overload the tray with materials from the same class or section at the expense of another, such as plastics, metals, unlisted other materials, etc.
  9. Cl 17-0 through 20-0 + 22-2, Various. Asian people and other subject matter specialized to “Oriental,” including animals, plants, objects and symbols. All four pictorial sections. Labeling of the Oriental connection would be helpful.
  10. Cls 17-2 + 18-0 + 20-0, 24 Any size. Things found in the sky specialized to wonders of the sky: celestial, birds, planes, etc. Represent all three sections. Division II allowed. No need to mount in order.
  11. Cl 17-2.4, 25 Any size. Birds specialized to long-legged species; no ducks, penguins, etc. Variety of birds is the focus and worth 4 points each. Materials worth 1 point each. Division II is allowed. Maximum of 3 points per tray for OME. Make sure your birds have LONG legs and are WATER WADERS as indicated by the class number, i.e., avoid the ostrich and emu.
  12. Cl 17-3, 25 Any size. Fish. Variety of fish is the focus. Then cover materials and techniques.
  13. Cl 17-5, 25 Any size. Mammals assorted, specialized to ungulates. Look for those which gambol, play and frolic, but button does not have to indicate activity. No limit on realistics. Pictorial and material aspects to have equal value. Ungulates are HOOFED MAMMALS: horses, pigs, deer family, rhinos, hippos, antelopes, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, giraffes, etc.
  14. Cl 17-5.4, 25 Any size. Domestic dogs. Focus is on different breeds. No limit on studio buttons. Extra point for a shihtzu dog button. Labeling the dog breeds would be helpful.
  15. Cl 17-5.5L, 25 Any size. Elephants. Limited to those who have never received a ribbon (National, Regional or State) in this classification. Materials to count equally with pictorial aspects. Limit of five studio buttons and 3 points per tray for OME.
  16. Cl 18-0, 25 Any size. Objects assorted. Limit 2 points for rarities.  Try to cover all the subclasses and then as many unlisted as you can find.
  17. Cl 18-0 + 20-18, 25 Any size. Objects assorted and people, both specialized to paid occupations and/or the tools of their trade. Division II allowed. Label occupation and tools, i.e., blacksmith, anvil. Limit 3 OME points per tray.
  18. Cl 18-1 + 20-22.1.1, Med/Lrg. 10 Anchors and 10 Ships/Boats. Try for different types of ships/boats. Look for a variety of hull sizes, sail configurations, from different countries/cultures, and different power sources (sail, steam, paddlewheel, etc. Look for a lone anchor, fouled anchor (rope entwined), anchor with chain, and anchor configurations.
  19. Cl 20-1. 25 Any size. Architectural structures limited to identifiable structures. Label structure & location. Try for a variety of architectural styles, sizes, and world/climate/cultural locations.
  20. Cl 20-2, 25 Any size. Astronomical specialized to sun or moon alone or with other pictorials. Sun or moon do not have to be dominant but must be visible. Look for sun in the sky, rising, setting, peeking from a cloud; and the moon full, crescent, half, and with a star and stars.
  21. Cl. 20-2 + 22-1.6.1, 25 Any size. “Here Comes the Sun.” Astronomical specialized to buttons picturing the sun and multi-armed patterns specialized to the solar design (not the same as a star; no points). See page 60 in the Appendix of the Blue Book for definition of solar design. No balance necessary. Sun does not need to be the focus but must be clearly visible to the judges. Limited of two studio buttons.  Look for sun in the sky, rising, setting, peeking from a cloud.
  22. Cl. 20-10, 25 Any size. Theater and opera specialized to metal buttons. All OMEs must be metal. DF allowed.
  23. Cl 20-22.1.1, 20 Any size. Ships/boats, to include canoes, rafts, etc. Look for a variety of hull sizes, sail configurations, from different countries/cultures, and different power sources (manpower, sail, steam, paddlewheel, etc.)
  24. Cl 22-1.3.2, Various. Triangles and modified triangles (may have slightly rounded sides and/or points). Refer to the Blue Book, page 59. Remember that patterns may not have pictorial elements.
  25. Cl 22-2, 25 Any size. Symbols assorted specialized to those representing good luck, happiness and/or harmony. No need to represent each Symbols subclass. Label each button as to the symbol that it represents. BOD will be applied, as symbols vary widely from culture to culture and through time. Limited to two studio buttons (also labeled). Labeling materials is helpful, but not required.
  26. Cl 23-1, Small. Backgrounds assorted. Try for a variety of materials and colors, and for two or more background materials. Remember that a background material cannot be openwork…. The material behind that openwork becomes the background. For instance, paper is not a background when it is openwork above a white metal twinkle.
  27. Cl 23-4, 25 Any size. Borders assorted. See March 2015, pg. 19 in National Button Bulletin.
  28. Cl. 23-4.1, 25 Any size. Border designs assorted.  See March 2015, pg. 19 in National Button Bulletin.
  29. Cl 23-4.1.3, 25 Any size. Pictorial border designs, including integrated. Include all 4 sections. Div II allowed. Maximum of 3 points per tray for OME. Look for a variety in the pictorial classes, and multiple pictorial aspects on the same button.
  30. Cl. 23-8, 14 pairs. Matching pairs of buttons, identical except in size. Remember that the two buttons must be different NBS sizes.
  31. Cl 23-9, Small. Materials in/on metal. Look for a variety of materials and for material combinations.
  32. Cl 23-10.1, Small. Contours, specialized to vegetable ivory whistles, each button a different contour. Extra point per button shape for additional linear shape qualification (square, rectangle, diamond, trapezoid, etc.). No OME.
  33. Cl 25-5.2.3.4 + 25-5.1.1, 25 Any size. Multiple crests, including multiples in Coats of Arms. Label unusual details (special coronets or mottos are an extra point).
  34. Cl 25-6.1.1, 30 Any size. RSBs specialized to a minimum of 20 that are pictorial and 10 more that are shapes and/or pierced on the face (the entire button need not be pierced). Two points for each different (labeled) verbal or pictorial backmark.
  35. Cl 25-9, 30 Medium. Sporting specialized to animals. Different animals from same set are allowed. Label specific animal, i.e., pheasant, duck, elk, moose, hound, setter, etc. Maximum of 3 points per tray for OME.

 

 

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