How to Collect Presidential Campaign Buttons
There's no time like an election to start a campaign button collection. Learn how to find campaign paraphernalia both topical and vintage, and how to pick out rare and potentially valuable items.
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Things You'll Need
- interest in politics/American history/current events
- frame, case or other display medium
Instructions
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Visit campaign headquarters of major party candidates in major cities. Best of all are the hotly contested battleground, or "purple," states. Candidates often set up their main headquarters in their home states, where you'll have first crack at the best items, and the biggest variety. Visit cities hosting major party conventions for a bonanza of buttons. Even if you can't access the convention itself, hotels hosting delegates usually welcome merchandisers with tables chock full of buttons. Candidate appearances are also fertile territory.
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During nonelection years, supplement your collection with older items, many of them surprisingly inexpensive. Visit antique stores and flea markets. Join an organization with other political collectors, where you can learn from and trade with others.
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Visit early primary or caucus states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, where you can acquire a wide variety of buttons. Not all headquarters have buttons all the time, so multiple trips may be required. Items for runners-up are not as sought after or valuable as those of nominees, but they're fun to collect for hardcore political junkies.
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Tips & Warnings
Pinbacks for the ultra-unpopular 1920 Democrat team of James Cox and Franklin Roosevelt are quite rare, with one recently fetching $33,000. You're not likely to get rich from this hobby, but here are some of the more valuable traits:
Look for older buttons. Campaign buttons as we know them premiered in the 1896 contest between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. It was one of the first uses of celluloid, a clear coated plastic that had just been invented. More recent buttons are mostly made of cheaper, painted-over metal.
Look for limited editions or errors. Pinbacks issued in limited quantity -- often linking a candidate to a specific location or event -- are highly prized. Examples include "Smithies for Carter" (issued for Smith College Jimmy Carter enthusiasts) or "W2K" (George W. Bush's middle initial and the millenium year election). Remember Tom Eagleton? He was briefly on the '72 Democratic election ticket before health problems caused him to drop out -- but not before a few "McGovern/Eagleton" buttons were issued.
Look for third parties and independents: American Communists, Bull Moose, Libertarians, Socialist Workers, etc. don't have the deep pockets of the Republican and Democratic parties, so their buttons are rarer. Ditto for independent candidates such as Ross Perot, George Wallace, Ralph Nader and others.
Look for jugates. If you know this word, chances are you're already a political collectibles junkie. If not, the term refers to a campaign button featuring pictures of both the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Look for good condition. The closer to "mint" condition, the better: fewer scratches, less rust or fading.
Beware of fakes or reproductions. By law, these must be labelled as such. Check the sides or backs of buttons for disclaimers.
You can peruse and buy campaign buttons in the comfort of your own home by browsing the Internet. However, some entrepreneurs are not officially connected to any campaign. "Serious" hobbyists look down their noses at these so-called vendor buttons, but the line has become increasingly blurred.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
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Comments
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jpwriter
Apr 19, 2009
I have some cool old pins. I got into the election this year and have some Obama pins. My grandmother has a lot of old pins though and they are neat to go through.
