If a button or buckle comes off your favourite shirt or handbag and disappears, don't panic - just head to Shamshuipo for a replacement. Although best known for its bustling markets and electrical shops, Shamshuipo is also a button-hunters' dream. Stroll along Nam Cheong Street and you'll find a

string of haberdashery-type shops and every type of button conceivable. The pick among them is Hang Sun Button Manufactory, which makes more than 10,000 types of button. These include a huge variety made from plastic, wood, alloy and coconut, as well as garment accessories such as rivets, metal buckles, snaps, zippers, collar tips, eyelets and trouser hooks.

Although, like many of the button shops in Shamshuipo, Hang Sun mainly operates as a wholesaler, manager Benny Wong welcomes customers looking for just one or two buttons. Prices start at 50 cents a button, while packs of buttons are available from $25.