Need help from anyone who's used a button maker

Are you taking about buttons on clothes, or buttons that you wear like little signs?
I'm guessing the little signs. How many is she going to make? Generally, when it comes to machines like this, a heavy weight table top model is going to be easier to use and make better quality items, but they are expensive. If she want's to make hundreds to sell at comic-con's, for example, she'd be better off with an over 300 dollar table top machine, such as http://www.ssww.com/product/?sku=AC...le-_-AdwordsProducts-_-AC598&aid=GOG&cid=2499 This one makes nice, full size buttons.

If she just wants to make a few for personal use, then a hand held model like the "Badge-a-minit" might be what she's looking for. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Badge-A-Minit-2-1-4-Button-Hand-Press-Starter-Kit-1007-/281112122704?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D271203156556%26ps%3D54

The badge a minit works fine for short runs, used to use it for campaign and promotional buttons years ago. She could do it on demand if needed.

If she's really into it, there are companies that will create promotional items like this rather inexpensively in bulk. Just Google "promotional sales buttons" for a ton of links.

Jeff

When I was a kid, my sister has a button making business (sold buttons on the school bus). I've forgotten the maker she used, but it looked an awful lot like the badge a mint. If I remember correctly, the hand press one can seriously wear on your palm and knuckles if you're making a lot of buttons. If think we ended up making a little vise for it out of scrap wood that made it a lot easier.

I've used badge-a-mint for many years. It's a good, durable thing and it's very handy for doing buttons on-site.

One of my favorite huskters, back in the day, was an artist with lots of pre-cut circles. You came up with a phrase, a character, a whatever, and she'd sketch you up something, do a little calligraphy, and make you a custom button on the spot for about $2. She did a great business every con she was at too.

The one thing if you're getting a hand-press is that you've really GOT to be able to squeeze that puppy HARD or the button falls apart quickly.

Good luck to her. That can be a lot of fun. I still have buttons a friend made when her first book came out. It's fun to bring them out when she visits and watch her roll her eyes and start giggling.