I love buttons,” said Marilyn Foster of Westbrook on Saturday at the Saint Louis Alumni Hall on Elm Street in Biddeford.

Foster was one of dozens who attended the 11th annual Maine State Button Society button show and was in the process of organizing some of her buttons that she had on display for sale.

She said she is a newcomer to button collecting, although she had an interest for many years. Then, when she visited last year’s button show, said Foster, “I was just awe-stricken. These people hooked me ”“ hook, line and sinker.”

Since then, Foster, who describes herself as “an avid collector,” has been attending the monthly meetings of the York County Button Club in Springvale.

She enjoys collecting buttons because each one “has a story to tell,” she said. For instance, she said, when she looks at a button she wonders, “was it worn by someone rich or was it worn by someone poor?”

Foster said she also thinks about those who made the buttons. Many of the older buttons she collects are handmade, and she wonders, “What was (the button maker’s) life like?”

While Foster likes to imagine the stories buttons can tell, Mary Markley of Hollis, the president of the Maine State Button Society, said she is a collector because she is seeking to “preserve the integrity of buttons as an art form.”

Markley said she was first hooked on button collecting about 12 years ago when a friend took her to a flea market in New York City and purchased an ivory walrus button for $15. It was later valued at $150.

“That’s what started it all,” said Markley.

She had some intricately designed buttons for sale at the button show, such as the mythical god Poseidon, a dragon with a flower on its tail, and the knights of the Holy Grail, to name just a few.

Then, there are some people who collect buttons not just to enjoy their appearance, but also for reuse.

Janet Perry, who traveled from her home in Hampton, N.H. for the Biddeford button show, said she is not only a collector ”“ she has more than 1 million buttons ”“ but also a seamstress and uses them for clothing.

Perry said she also uses buttons for her work as an interior designer, putting them on pillows, for instance.

Button shows not only attract collectors, but also dealers hoping to make some sales.

“I’m a dealer trying not to be a collector,” said Peggy Mears of Kingston, N.H., “but it’s happening anyway.”

She said of her buttons, “A lot of work went into them. Not like today where they’re just snapped out.

“I look at one, and that becomes my favorite of the day,” said Mears. “They all have their own charm.”

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].