A button that was once part of a Texas confederate navy uniform circa the Civil War sold for over $2,000.
Noting the abundance of pearl mussels in nearby waters, a German immigrant opened a button-making factory in small town Iowa, which soon grew to be the largest manufacturer of pearl buttons in the world.
Polo players were the first to button down their collars to stop them from getting in the way during a match; Brooks Brothers copied the look and created a lasting trend in 1896.
Europe was so button crazy, the church started calling them the "devil's snare." This was probably because most women's clothing of the time buttoned up the front.
The French established the first collective that designed artisan buttons, making buttons a status symbol.