i have been pickpocketing ham members for just over an hour so i can get my polished buttons for animal magnetism....this is ridiculous. is there a faster way to get buttons than what i am currently doing?

Nope, you just have bad luck, sucks to be you.

I agree, but you should get it within 15 mins.

do only the men give them or can the female ham members drop them too?

It might be faster going to f2p. But I'm unsure if they're still used for scamming.

~They're untradeable, and hence, not sold in the GE. I checked =S. It took me around 5 minutes to get mine; goodluck =).~