Buttons are small, precariously attached, and often are lost.  Rarely are buttons found when they go astray, and in colonial days one would buy several dozen buttons at a time precisely because then, like now, buttons would somehow make their way to parts unknown.

Over three dozen entries in Dupui's ledger correspond to the sale of buttons:  for coats, jackets, and sleeves.  Most popular in his inventory were mohair buttons (or buttons sold with sticks of mohair), followed by brass buttons.  As many as 7 dozen mohair buttons were purchased at a time, while brass buttons were typically bought in increments of 12, 16 and 20.

For the curious:  mohair is a yarn sourced from the Angorra goat that takes dye exceptionally well.                       

As to pricing, four dozen mohair buttons would cost 5 shillings, while a dozen large brass buttons would garner a charge of two shillings.  If you wanted to make your own mohair buttons, 2 sticks of mohair and a dozen buttons would price out at two shillings.

At Dupui's establishment, buttons came in just two sizes:  large and small.  Typically customers buying buttons would at the same time also be buying items such as caps, combs, buckram, shalloon, lace and rum.  Additionally, buttons (like all other merchandise sold at the store), were returnable.  We note, for example, that Thomas Hendy, on 20 January 1744, returned broadcloth, shalloon, buckram and buttons for credit. 

Buttons were basically so cheap that you could stop at the store and pick some up for your neighbor; we have an entry in the account of Barnardus Swarthoot that illustrates this point:  "To 1 Doz. & 8 Buttons for John Drake".