Oops! Button Society Pops an Address

Question: I enjoyed the article on button collecting, as I recently bought one such collection in an antiques shop. I tried to write to the National Button Society at the address that you ran in the column, but my letter was returned and marked “Moved, Not Forwardable.” Is there any way that you might be able to locate the new address? --S.G. Answer: While we’re attempting to find the new address, you might be interested in information provided by Jane Tomey of Canoga Park, president of a local button collectors’ club. “We meet once each month (and) buy, sell and exchange buttons (and) have a study group and program each meeting,” she wrote. For further information, call (818) 341-7688. Catching up on vacation mail: Thanks to A.W. for sending us a copy of what is believed to be the first Christmas card, a response to a recent column. British-produced, the card was designed in 1843 and, according to its caption, it was “for a London gentleman.” Beer-industry collectibles are scheduled to be displayed Sunday at Murdy Park in Huntington Beach as part of a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the beer can on the American scene. The affair begins at 9 a.m. and will include the buying and selling of items including beer cans, bottles, signs, trays. According to the announcement, there will be free parking and--what else?--free beer. For more information, call (213) 374-2611 or (213) 327-2065. George Gaspar, president of the National Assn. of Avon Collectors, wants collectors to know that his group is alive and well and can be contacted at P. O. Box 398, New Lenox, Ill. 60451, (815) 722-7939.

“We are contacted so often by people who say that they did not know our organization existed until they were told by a friend,” he wrote. He added that the not-for-profit group will send information to parties interested in starting an Avon bottle-collecting club in their area, including available books on the hobby. Regarding a recent item on the value of an old railroad lantern, Bob McVay of King City, Calif., says that there are three good sources of information about “railroadiana.”

“For general collecting,” he wrote, “there is the Railroadiana Collectors Assn., P. O. Box 365, St. Ignatius, Mont. 59865; for timetable collecting, there is the National Assn. of Timetable Collectors, care of Alan Follett, 300 N. State St., No. 5026, Chicago, Ill. 60610, and for Pacific Electric Railway memorabilia collectors, I’ll be glad to answer questions about specific items or general life and times of the Big Red Cars.” Call (408) 385-6695.

McVay is the author of the “Complete List of All Known Pacific Electric Railway Employee Timetables from 1912” ($5.95, 414 N. Mildred Ave., King City, Calif. 93930).

W.I. of Burbank, who asked about the value of an old Michigan Central Railroad ticket, dated Oct. 10, 1887, might do well to contact McVay.

Additionally, there also is the National Assn. of Railroadiana Collectors, P. O. Box 15, Spencerport, N.Y. 14559.

Local railroad-item collector and dealer Richard Wright says that if a reader has any questions on this vast subject, or is interested in a free appraisal, he’s also ready to help. His railroad-collectibles firm is called West Coast Rick’s, P. O. Box 8051, Rowland Heights 91748, (818) 965-9914. Regarding our search for a newsletter dealing with Western memorabilia, film producer Alex Gordon tells us of the publication Classic Images, 301 East 3rd St., Muscatine, Iowa 52761, which, he says, is “devoted (in part) to Western movie memorabilia.” Gordon is curator of the Gene Autry film collection.

Ronald L. Soble cannot answer mail personally but will respond in this column to questions of general interest about collectibles. Do not telephone. Write to Your Collectibles, You section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.