My machine is the Badge-a-Minit hand press, which I got for $100 aboutā¦ 6 years ago?Ā I got the starter kit that came with 100 sets of button parts, which were my practice buttons while I learned how the machine worked.Ā I buy button parts in bulk from ButtonSafari on eBay, since they are much cheaper than BAMās button parts.
I wrote up a whole button guide on my blog a few years ago, so go read that for more information.
A hand press is good for getting your feet wet, but a table-top unit with a lever will save your hands from dying.Ā Iāve been at the point where I should probably upgrade to a lever machine for the last couple years, but Iāve been putting it off and putting it off.
The nice thing about buttons is that whatever kind of machine you buy, it will eventually pay for itself in buttons sold.