Eager Beaver

Brown text and an illustration of a beaver's head wearing glasses on a yellow background

This button was created as a playful promotional item for selling mass-market paperbacks. It features a cartoon beaver and the phrase “I’m eager to sell mass paperbacks!”—a pun based on the idiom “eager beaver.” This expression can carry both positive and negative meanings: it may describe someone energetic and hardworking, or it can be used sarcastically to suggest someone is trying too hard. In the case of the button, the tone is cheerful and positive, with the beaver image emphasizing enthusiasm and motivation.

Research suggests that the beaver character was once associated with the Tattered Cover Book Store, a well-known independent bookseller based in Denver, CO. While the store does carry branded merchandise today, there are no official records indicating this character was part of its history. It’s more likely that the button was part of a broader marketing effort during the rise of paperback sales, designed to draw attention to book promotions in a lighthearted, engaging way.