I have a bag full of old buttons. Some were my Grandmothers, others were Great Grandmothers. I never thoss any clothing out until all button shave been cut off. I use them over on my husbands shirts/etc.
I worked in a garment factory & once when we ran out of work they had us count boxes full of mens shirt buttons. By the end of the day we were all batty from counting all those buttons.