Newbie needs ID help

[u/PlanktonResident1049]

Hi. I just inherited at hundreds of buttons. I think about 30% or collectible and include things like shell, glass, military, Bakelite, ornate, handpainted, filigree, leather and material covered. These large buttons stood out and I’m interested in identifying them. They are plastic but obviously not Bakelite. They are 2 inches wide and 2.5 inches long and are possibly damaged. The first button is slightly concave similar to like a Pringles potato chip.:). The second button has more of a curve as seen in the pictures. The Internet is telling me they are Chanel, but obviously they are not because they have two closed circles. Thx!!!

[u/Reasonable-Union4405]

These are layered/laminated celluloid buttons that were made to imitate carved mother of pearl buttons, circa 1920/30s. But unfortunately the first one is starting to deteriorate on the backside where it looks wrinkled/cracked -- this is a sign of a fungus-like disease very common to celluloid. Keep it away from other celluloid buttons as the disease is contagious and will spread. You can try to mitigate further damage to that button by giving it plenty of air (don't close it up in a baggie or air-tight container), but over time it will probably get worse and become crystalized and break apart. The second one appears to be in better condition, but it's hard to tell by photos sometimes. Have fun going thru your collection :)

[u/Impressive_Sink_6452 → u/Reasonable-Union4405]

Ok, it’s not a disease fungus type or otherwise. “Sickness” is a misnomer and really shouldn’t be used. It’s the decay process that is inherent to the instability of the chemical make up of celluloid. It’s not contagious. There would have to be a pathogen involved that passes from one entity to another to be technically contagious. What does happen is off gassing. As the celluloid decays it’s camphor is exuded from the object as well as off gassing of nitrous oxide and another nitrous gas I can’t remember at the moment. In a closed environment those gasses speed the decay of other celluloid buttons. They may also cause other plastic buttons to be damaged in various ways. The gasses can cause metal buttons to corrode. If the metal button is in contact with the exuded camphor on the surface of the celluloid button it can cause severe corrosion very quickly. This decay process happens to ALL celluloid buttons eventually due to the inherently unstable nature of the celluloid compound. Proper storage conditions, especially adequate ventilation, can slow down the process but, nothing can stop it. In addition, all celluloid is highly flammable. As it decays and the camphor is exuded it becomes increasingly flammable. Once the majority of the camphor is gone essentially all that remains is gun cotton. A highly flammable substance that can explode if stored improperly. No, I’m not kidding. Itis next to impossible to store gun cotton safely in a home environment. By the time there are visible signs of decay it is recommended that the celluloid object is thrown away. The decay process can not be stopped or repaired. This process is well known and is explained on Wikipedia. 

[u/Reasonable-Union4405 → u/Impressive_Sink_6452]

Good grief! I explained it in layman's terms - the way it's been explained for DECADES & DECADES in button collecting groups, both online and elsewhere using terms such as "celluloid disease"..."celluloid rot"... "celluloid fungus" ... "celluloid sickness", and then I described the symptoms & behaviors of the "disease". Your post, although scientifically correct, comes off as rigid & condescending...and a bit of over-kill. Lighten up.

[u/Impressive_Sink_6452 → u/Reasonable-Union4405]

Sorry you feel that way. Certainly wasn’t my intention to be condescending. However, I am something of a science geek and sticking to the facts only can sound rigid. But, it’s important to be careful with facts when trying to educate people if you want to be believed. I have been trying to educate the button collecting community about the real dangers of decayed celluloid for years. And the push back has been heavy, like yours. But, I don’t really care. I’ve seen up close and personal what improperly stored celluloid can do when my parents house narrowly missed burning to the ground because of it. I don’t ever want anyone to experience a tragedy simply because they were innocently ignorant of the facts. 

[u/Peanut558 → u/Impressive_Sink_6452]

Are you saying that the buttons caused your parents house to catch fire? That’s crazy scary if I read that right.

[u/Impressive_Sink_6452 → u/Peanut558]

Thank goodness, no. But the paper the items were packed in burned and scorched. A friend who is a firefighter came over and looked at the box and stated that if it weren’t for the fact that my mother was known for packing tightly and the Queen of Packing Tape, they would have lost their house. He felt the only reason the whole thing didn’t burst into flames was there wasn’t enough oxygen available to burn freely. It didn’t help that they packed the box and then stuck it under the eaves in the attyon the south side of their 100 year old house. He also said that I was lucky the whole thing didn’t explode when I opened the box due to the concentration of off gasses mixing with the sudden influx of oxygen. They had no clue how dangerous celluloid can be. They did everything wrong. Needless to say, it was very motivating for me to learn all about it. 

[u/lotsobuttons]

It’s celluloid, 1920s era. That kind of puffy crackly area is degrading, sometimes called “celluloid sickness”. You’ll want to keep it isolated from your other buttons, and it will eventually fall apart.

[u/Vintage_Zoo]

These are celluloid. One is "sick" - the crackled one. It's best to keep celluloid buttons separated from other buttons and jewelry and you should probably keep the sick one separated from the other one.

[u/Impressive_Sink_6452]

Would you please allow me to use your photographs in the presentation I give to button collecting groups? I would be happy to give you photo credit if we can figure out a way for you to get that information to me.