“Quirky” was the first word that came to mind when I started to write today’s post. It’s the story of the self-proclaimed “Button King”—a man who spent over 25 years of his life sewing and gluing buttons to everyday things. Paying homage to his unusual accomplishments is a small, unassuming place called the Button King Museum in Bishopville, South Carolina. In fact, it’s so low-key I had to turn the lights on myself when I visited. Some people may find it hokey—but I found it rather charming, fun and… well… quirky!
It all started when the Button King, the late Dalton Stevens, wasn’t able to sleep. He’d been plagued by insomnia from the time he was a child. It was so bad his employer gave him early retirement due to the safety factors of chronic insomnia. This was in 1983—back in the early days of sleep medicine in the United States.
Newspapers report Stevens tried all the usual remedies like counting sheep and drinking warm milk as well as some unusual ones like doing housework. Then he decided to pass his sleepless nights by sewing buttons onto a pair of his blue jeans. Some nights he would sew on only 10 buttons, other nights he’d sew on an astonishing 200-300 buttons. Over the course of the next 2+ years, he also sewed buttons onto a matching denim jacket and cap. When he was finished, he’d added 16,333 buttons and 16 pounds to the suit. This unusual suit is on display at the Button King Museum.
Next the Button King moved on to his guitar. Apparently, he switched from sewing buttons to gluing buttons at this time. He glued over 3,000 buttons on his guitar.
Then he glued 517 buttons on his shoes.
According to the biography of Dalton Stevens, “When I completed the clothes, the guitar and my shoes, I went to the newspaper in Sumter, SC and then to our local paper, the Lee County Observer in Bishopville. They gave me quite a write-up. Soon after, I went to a television station in Florence, and they aired my story too. From there I was featured on CNN and my story went worldwide.”
Numerous newspaper clippings are displayed at the Button King Museum including one that appears to be that early Lee County Observer article with the headline: ‘Button Man’ Turns Hobby Into Area Notoriety.
I got a kick out of all the button related puns in the various news articles. For instance, the article shown above closes with: “The Guinness Book of World Records is next on Steven’s list, he said. Just a matter of pushing the right buttons.”
The exact sequence of events is a little unclear but Stevens went on to cover a number of different items with buttons including his car! Nearly every surface of the 1981 Chevrolet Chevette is covered with buttons!
Strangely, the Button King also covered a hearse…
…and a coffin in buttons.
He even covered a toilet and an outhouse structure in buttons.
Meanwhile, his notoriety grew. The author of a 1993 article titled “Cute as a Button” shared this insight. “Some folks may think Stevens is kind of strange, but others realize there’s a method to his madness. They’ve seen him cruise down Main Street… in his button-covered ’81 Chevette. They’ve seen him in parades, too—75 at last count. And they’ve seen him singing and picking his button-covered guitar at state fairs and shopping malls.
The Button King ain’t no fool.
“It runs into a good bit of money for a poor person like me,“ says Stevens … “I’ve made $250 in a day, and in a lot of places, I’ve made $750.”
That’ll buy a lot of buttons. But The Button King is so popular; he doesn’t have to buy buttons. Individuals and companies keep him well-stocked in buttons and glue. …he’s been on the Johnny Carson and David Letterman shows, and with Regis and Kathie Lee, too. People magazine has featured him twice, and his photo has been splashed in nearly every supermarket tabloid.”
It seems the reporter was right: “The Button King ain’t no fool.”
As I looked around the Button King Museum, I was reminded of something a seasoned collector once told me. She said “The most insignificant object assumes importance if you have a lot of it.” (See the post Decorating with Collections). That’s exactly how the Button King achieved his goal to set a world record. He was included in the 1990 Guinness World Book of Records for the largest button collection. It’s quite the inspiring story!
Now where’s my button stash? I have a pair of jeans that could use a little boost!
More Info
You can learn more about the Button King Museum in the article Five Wacky and Delightful South Carolina Museums on the South Carolina Tourism website.
Unusual and obscure travel destinations such as the Button King Museum are catalogued by Atlas Obscura. Check out the Atlas Obscura website for more curious and wondrous attractions at your next destination.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Sometimes the story behind a situation is more uplifting and entertaining than the situation itself.
2. The most insignificant object assumes importance if you have a lot of it.
3. Consider seeking out and visiting an unusual or quirky destination.
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