Blue text on a light green background

“Pray for Sex” is a humorous play on a surfing term and refers specifically to graffiti painted on a rock on Makua Beach in Oahu, Hawaii. Local surfers originally used the common phrase “Pray for Surf” which evolved to “Pray for Sets” referring to “sets” of waves. In the 1960s, “Pray for Sex” was spray-painted on a Makua Beach rock and has since become part of surf culture lexicon.

Red text around a blue circle with a donkey inside on a white background

Know information about this button? Contact us here. 

Red text on a yellow background

Have info on this button? Contact us here

Orange text on a white background

Joy is a great feeling of happiness.

1960s era fonts were often used in slogans which promoted peace, love, and joy rather than war. The war between the USA and Vietnam went from Nov 1, 1955 to Apr 30, 1975.

The peace, love, and joy phrase was used by Hippies, short for hipsters, a subculture which began in the 1950s beatnik coffee house scene predominately in San Francisco. Hippies continue to exist today with new generations of liberal minded activists who believe in peace, love, and joy.

Black text on a white background with a red and white checkered outer edge

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Green text on an illustration of a person with orange hair wearing a green suit with mushrooms on the ground.

St. Patrick's Day began as a religious holiday in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. A national holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is also a celebration of Irish culture. This latter meaning is the primary focus of St. Patrick's Day celebrations throughout the Irish diaspora.

In the United States in particular, St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish ancestry, or "Irish roots". A significant number of Americans claim Irish heritage. In 2013, for instance, 33 million US citizens, or ten percent of the population, claimed Irish ancestry. Boston, Massachusetts holds a large St. Patrick's Day parade every year to honor the Irish heritage of many of its citizens. Nearly a quarter of Massachusetts residents claim Irish ancestry.

Blue text on a peach background

“I’ve got a crush on you” is a phrase used to tell another person that you have romantic feelings for them. A crush is usually a short period of strong romantic feelings for a person that often goes unrequited. The phrase is also a title of a popular 1930s song performed by George Gershwin and written by Ira Gershwin.

Black text on a white background with a red and white checkered outer edge

Know information about this button? Contact us here.

Red text on a white background with an outer blue and white checkered edge

"How Dry I Am" is an old drinking song that laments Prohibition, or the "dry" movement of the early twentieth century. Little is known of the song's origins, except that it takes its tune from an even older hymn, "O Happy Day". Early reports record the refrain as follows:

How dry I am! How dry I am!
Nobody knows how dry I am.

In 1919, Irving Berlin recorded a song entitled "The Near Future", which borrowed from and popularized the refrain. By the 1930s, the song was making regular appearances in popular media, especially cartoons, to indicate drunkenness.

Some prohibitionists embraced "How Dry I Am" as an anthem of the movement's success. This has led to some confusion among collectors over the intended meaning of pinback buttons that bear the phrase. Some claim that the buttons advocated for Prohibition while others describe the items as "humorous" or "cheeky".

Black text on a yellow background

Know information about this button? Contact us here.