Donate Buttons

The Busy Beaver Button Museum is actively looking to acquire all types of pin-back buttons for it’s collection. We are a 501c(3), so button donations are tax deductible. We seek to preserve the physical buttons in our collection and share with our visitors (in person and online) what the button is communicating. If you have information about how or where you acquired a button, we encourage you to send it along with your button donation.

Donations can be mailed or delivered to our physical address:

Busy Beaver Button Museum
3407 W Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

Museum Collection Policy

  1. Mission Statement

  2. Purpose of the Collections Management Policy

  3. Access to the Collection

  4. Acquisitions

  5. Deaccession

  6. Care of the Collections

  7. Records and Inventories

  1. Mission Statement
    We created the Button Museum to show how people commemorated noteworthy times in their lives by creating and collecting these wearable mementos. The words, artwork, printing style, color, and size were the final result of a vision they wanted to communicate or be a part of.
  2. Purpose of the Collections Management Policy
    The Policy serves the purpose of documenting the policies that help guide the development and care of the Busy Beaver Button Museum’s collection in cooperation with the mission statement of the Button Museum.
  3. Access to the collection
    The Button Museum aims at providing access to all that wish to learn more about the buttons in its possession by means of an online exhibit as well as a brick and mortar institution in Chicago, IL. The Button museum supports those who wish to investigate and research what is in its possession as well as those who wish at understanding it more for both personal use as well as professional.
  4. Acquisitions
    1. Collecting buttons for the Button Museum shall follow ethical and professional standards.  The Button Museum shall only acquire buttons that it is able to display, store, and care for.   
    2. Purchases of buttons will be done so only to strengthen and add to the mission statement of the Button Museum.
    3. Donations will be accepted if they add to the general mission of the Button Museum. 
  5. Deaccessioning
    The term “deaccession” refers to buttons that are removed from the museum’s collection and disposed of by means of sale, exchange or other possible means. Any buttons that are deaccessioned shall be done so only to advance the Button Museum’s overall mission. Reasons for deaccession include, but is not limited to the following:
    1.  A button does not further the mission of the Button Museum.
    2. The button is a duplicate and is not necessary to add to the collection.
    3. A button is offensive to the extent that it cannot be shown publicly.
  6. Care of Collections
    The button Museum shall conserve and care for buttons the best to its abilities. Buttons shall be provided a safe and appropriate environment for conservation and preservation.
  7. Records and Inventories
    The Button Museum shall maintain accurate, up-to-date records on the identification of the buttons in its possession. These records shall be kept in the excel database, accessible to interns and personal. Any original paper files regarding acquisition shall also be retained.