oh my goodness- to be so lucky!!! i had a secret sister a few years ago who found me cards of buttons through out the year- they were the GREATEST gifts! if you do not want to collect your buttons pass them on -- plenty of people would go crazy for your buttons!
when i was just a little girl i remember sitting on the floor with an old tin full of grandma's buttons- looking for the perfect one for the doll dress we were making- i LOVED playing in those buttons! and i still do- i actually have pop-corn tins of buttons! i love them and lucky lucky me- my youngest granddaughter can spend a long time sitting on the floor looking through a tin of buttons too- so i know the love is carrying on.
there are so many different buttons- different materials-
i have walked into antique shops and bought canning jars of buttons- small tins full- and i save them off any clothing that is being re-cycled or disposed of.