[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by rcosborne11

Can anyone please give me a brief history of how the button trend started with FIRST? I am a second year Non-Engineering Mentor and am trying to explain to some students who think we shouldn't buy buttons that they are important. However, I guess I don't really know why they are important or how they started.

Originally Posted by EricH

Brief? All I know is I've got a shoebox full, and that's a SMALL collection!

I remember buttons as far back as... wait for it... 1999--and I still have some that I picked up that year at SVR--yes, the one in the blimp hangar. (I was 10 at the time, not on a team, but hanging out with the team my dad was mentoring.)

Essentially, what it is is advertising. It's something that you can give to any other team to help them remember you. You can trade with another team's members, one-for-one (or whatever quantity works for you). Not all teams give out buttons, or only buttons; other giveaways work well too.

I remember somewhere on these hallowed forums, Andy Baker referenced buttons at competition going back to at least 1996. At least I think he did.