2. Tender Buttons (143 E. 62nd Street)

The shop Tender Buttons between Lexington and 3rd Avenue shifts the priorities of value by emphasizing not on the mass-manufactured, bigger-is-better attitude, but on the personalization of the things that matter — buttons.“I can’t tell you how many buttons we have in this store,” owner Ms Safro told us. “We get asked that question so many times, but we can’t even ballpark a number.” The buttons, which come from all over the world, are mostly categorized into colors and materials except for the most prized collections hanging on the walls. (Update: As of 2019, this store is temporarily closed).