“Jaydee, the button club will have a booth at the Atrium in Troy this Christmas. We are going to sell button crafts to make money for the club.”
Jaydee was visiting me on a Friday after school. The weather must be getting cold because she didn’t have shorts on as usual.
She responded. “Why do you need to make money? You already get some money when the club sells button collections of people who inherit them and don’t want them. The speakers at the meetings are club members and you don’t pay them.”
I replied “We want to pay to watch YouTube presentations posted by the National Button Society. We can also then subsidize entrance fees when our members visit button museums.”
“That makes sense. The video I saw this summer on Gay 90s buttons was excellent. I can now tell a real Gay 90s button from a pretender.”
“Everyone agreed to make button related items to sell. We think they will sell because they will be crafts not normally sold at craft or Christmas fairs.”
“What are you going to make?” asked Jaydee.
“Maybe my button flower arrangements or some jewelry. Would you like to help me?”
“Sure, I am good at gluing things. Maybe I can take some Christmas ornaments and glue buttons to them.”
“That’s a good idea.” Those ornaments were always popular when we decorated Christmas trees at various Christmas tree festivals.” I thought Jaydee would be pleased when they sold.
“What are other members making?” Jaydee inquired.
“Ted is going to make one of his famous button wreaths. That should bring in a lot of money.”
Jaydee smiled and nodded her head. “That’s for sure.”
“Linda will make jewelry.”
“She makes nice rings and things.” Jaydee laughed at her rhyme.
“Diane will make some flowers out of paper towel cardboard and place buttons on them.”
“Like the ones she gave you? I hope she doesn’t use toilet paper rolls. That grosses me out.” Jaydee made a face.
“Yup!” was my quick response
“Kirsti does lots of crafts with buttons. I am sure she will make some nice and different things. Anne will sell some buttons which people can use to make their own button crafts once they are inspired by our button offerings.”
“When will we get started?”
“How about Friday after school? Ask your mother to let you come here and you can stay overnight.”
“Okay, I will!” Jaydee seemed excited.
Jaydee and I spent almost every week-end for two months making things for the sale. She glued buttons on a lot of Christmas balls. I made button flower arrangements in Christmas salt and pepper shakers. My dining room table was covered in buttons, glue, wire, old salt and pepper shakers I got at thrift stores and Styrofoam balls for the two months.
The sale took place the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Members agreed to man the table for two hours at a time. The club treasurer, Lea, said she would stay all the time our booth was open and would be able to take credit card sales. There was also a set-up and take-down committee. The take down committee was sure there would not be much to take down. We all hoped they were right.
I signed up to man the booth from 11AM to IPM. So did Linda. Jaydee decided to tag along. She wanted to see if her ornaments were selling. Lisa and Trudi were at the booth for the first shift.
“How is it going, ladies?” I asked.
Lisa said. “Great! We made over one hundred dollars so far.”
Trudi whispered in my ear “Keep an eye on that woman in the Army jacket and her hair up under the baseball cap. She has been hanging around for a while and keeps picking up Ted’s wreath. I don’t trust her.”
“Why would she steal it?”
Trudi whispered again.. “I think she is homeless and may want to sell it to make money for herself. Ted priced it at $35. “That would buy almost three packs of cigarettes. She smelled a little like smoke.”
“I will watch her as much as I can. The table seems to get crowded and may block my view. I will alert Linda also.” I was concerned. Trudi told me that Lea was also watching her. After I spoke to Linda, I told Jaydee to sit in one of the two chairs behind the table and keep an eye on things. Lea sat in the other one. We got very busy around lunchtime. Kirsti arrived with sandwiches.
“That is just what I need Kirsti. Thanks for thinking of us.” I told her.
Jaydee yelled “Oh, boy!”
I am starving.” said Linda.
For a few minutes we were all distracted. When I looked where Ted’s wreath should have been, the wreath was gone. I went looking for the security guard and told him what happened and gave him a description of the wreath and the woman. He said he would look for her outside. A little while later he came back with someone and asked “Is this the person who stole your wreath?”
“That’s her officer.” We all agreed except Jaydee.
“Jaydee, what do you mean, she didn’t steal our wreath?
“A man looking a lot like her must have stolen it. I saw him. He was dressed the same in an Army jacket, jeans and a baseball cap, but his buttons were on the right side. A woman’s buttons are on the left side. Look at her jacket.”
“She may have a point,” I said. Jaydee reads about buttons whenever she can.
“But I found her bending over a broken wreath like you described outside on the sidewalk.” The security guard protested.
The woman in custody said, “I was thinking of buying the wreath for my mother but I am short on cash and could not make up my mind. I decided to get her a gift certificate instead and was leaving the Atrium when I saw the wreath on the ground broken. It made me sad and I bent over to pick it up.” said the woman in custody.
“She is NOT the thief!” Jaydee insisted.
Linda asked “Are you sure, Jaydee? Are you ‘In print certain’.”
“Of course I am” was her reply. Closures for garments became prevalent in the 1200s after the reinforced buttonhole was invented. Most people are right-handed. By having the buttons on the right, a soldier would not catch the pommel of his sword in the opening when drawing it with the right hand. Have you ever seen a picture of Napoleon? His right hand is tucked into his waistcoat. It is easier for a right-handed person to dress themselves with buttons on the right.”
“Okay, kid, why are women’s buttons on the left then?” I asked.
“Because women years ago were dressed by their maid who was facing them. The orientation is therefore reversed. It is also easier for a nursing mother, who is usually right-handed and holds their baby in her left hand to unbutton her blouse using her right hand.”
I was amazed at what Jaydee said. “Jaydee, you know so much more than I do and I have been collecting buttons for forty years!”
At this point another guard came in holding on to a young man by the shoulder. “Is this the culprit? I found him pulling some jewelry with buttons on it from his coat pocket. He did not have a receipt when I asked for one.”
The man was dressed much like the woman but his buttons were on the right side of his coat.
“That’s him, officer.” said Jaydee.
At that point, a Troy police car arrived. Two officers walked inside and started asking questions. After explanations were given, the young man was taken away and the young woman thanked Jaydee for her help. Unfortunately, the cops kept the button jewelry the young man had stolen as evidence. They gave Lea a receipt for it.
All the commotion drew a lot of people to the booth and we began selling again.
Everyone praised Jaydee for saving the day.