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Collecting Presidential Campaign Items in 2016 isn’t as Big a Draw as in the Past

This poster promoting Ronald Reagan for president from shows a portrait of Ronald Reagan in a cowboy hat. It sold on eBay for $24.95.
This poster promoting Ronald Reagan for president shows a portrait of Ronald Reagan in a cowboy hat. It sold on eBay for $24.95.

In political collecting, presentation is everything.  The more unique a political campaign item is, the more collectible it becomes.

The campaign of John F. Kennedy for president, for example, featured the PT-109 as a symbol of his naval service in the Second World War. Barack Obama had a distinctive “O” for his 2008 presidential campaign. Ronald Reagan used a cowboy hat to show him as a rugged outdoorsman and Barry Goldwater’s black-rimmed glasses were a campaign staple.

“These are more personable items so that they are easily identified by those following the campaigns,” says Chris Hearns, president of the Association of Political Items Collectors. “It is a type of branding.”

This unusual set of Barry Goldwater lapel pin and cuff links set from the 1964 campaign—featuring GOP elephants with a set of black-framed glasses—brought $35 on eBay in 2006.
This unusual set of Barry Goldwater lapel pin and cuff links from the 1964 campaign—featuring GOP elephants with a set of black-framed glasses—brought $35 on eBay in 2006.
A gold Kennedy PT 109 pin that was given to the Democratic delegates in 1960 is embedded in a round piece of clear Lucite Above the boat and seeming to float in the Lucite is the inscription spelled out in gold lettering. This item was purchased on eBat in 2009 for $220.
A gold Kennedy PT 109 pin that was given to the Democratic delegates in 1960 is embedded in a round piece of clear Lucite. Above the boat and seeming to float in the Lucite is the inscription spelled out in gold lettering. This item was purchased on eBay in 2009 for $220.

The 2016 presidential campaign is no different. Supporters of Republican candidate Donald Trump have adopted the red baseball cap with the campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” embroidered in white. Hillary Clinton’s campaign has a block letter “H” with a red arrow in the center pointing the way forward. Not as inspiring as the “O” or the red cap, but still recognizable from a distance which is the whole point of branding in the first place.

Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine yards signs are available for $16.99 on eBay. Comes with a metal stake for yard use.
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine yards signs are available for $16.99 on eBay. Comes with a metal stake for yard use.
Trump hats, actually made in U.S.A., were selling for 12 for $20.
Trump hats, actually made in U.S.A., were selling for 12 for $20.

While past campaigns relied on more of a visual campaign that included yard signs, bumper stickers, flags, T-shirts, and such, the current campaign seems to rely more on an Internet presence than before which has reduced the number of collectible items.

Each of the conventions, for example, featured signs waved from the convention floor during important roll call or VIP speaker, as is the custom. And, of course, each of the delegates has their individual credentials. Almost immediately, these items got into the hands of dealers for collectors who wanted to update their own collections.

“There have been campaign buttons available mostly this time around, particularly the specific state delegate buttons,” says Nelson Whitman, collector and dealer at Capitol Coin in Washington, D.C. for the last 50 years. “But there has been very little of the more common items such as signs, credentials and other memorabilia from the conventions. That’s unusual.”

That has been the case for other collectors and dealers, too, when I checked in on their experiences so far this campaign. So what does this all mean? This possibly can mean that the social media campaign is working as the main source of information or the cost of producing the items isn’t as cost effective as it once was. Still, it’s hard to say.

One of these Joe Biden signs from the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver was going for $29.99 on eBay.
One of these Joe Biden signs from the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver was going for $29.99 on eBay.

As a collector myself, I can say that the presidential collector market has significantly decreased across the entire industry from private sales to auctions to online sites over the past few years. This means that items usually associated with the president—such as cufflinks, jewelry, cards, invitations, photos, menus, books and presentation gifts—are all in a downward collectible slump. Collectors have determined that since the Obama Administration did not produce many collectibles during his eight years in the White House, the administration may have actively discouraged passing collectibles on to collectors. As a result, the aftermarket for Obama presidential memorabilia declined.

The presidential collectible market decline also suggests a correlation between the 2016 campaign’s increasingly negative rhetoric toward the institution of the presidency, as well as toward those running for the office, and the unwillingness of collectors to consider adding to their collections during such an unpopular time. All speculation certainly, but nothing like this election has been as expected.

At the moment, though, WorthPoint is showing that Donald Trump has about 1,400 autographed items including this $100 bill he autographed that sold for $899. However, most of his signatures seem to be in the $50 to $150 range, with some exceptions in the hundreds. A signed tie from Trump Tower selling for more than $61,000 is definitely an anomaly.

Hillary Clinton, though, has roughly 2,250 autographed items listed on WorthPoint. Her highest autographed item is a signed campaign poster that sold in 2014 for $5,000. While it’s true that Clinton has been in the public eye since her Wellesley and Watergate days, Trump has also been well known as a developer, tycoon, and reality star for almost the same length of time. If we translate the number of autographs sold (63 percent for Clinton; 37 percent Trump) into electoral votes (538) Clinton leads Trump 339 to 199, much more than the 270 electoral votes needed to be elected.

A $100 bill autographed by Donald Trump sold for $899.
A $100 bill autographed by Donald Trump sold for $899.
A Hillary Clinton-signed campaign poster sold for $5,000 in in 2014.
A Hillary Clinton-signed campaign poster sold for $5,000 in in 2014.

“However, there are third parties that just might make a good showing yet,” says Hearns. Considering the outsized impact Ross Perot had in the 1992 presidential election with nearly 19 percent of the vote (no electoral votes), he may have cost President George H.W. Bush his reelection.

“It is a long way to the election and the winner may still be different than our expectations. After all, there can be an October Surprise we haven’t compensated for as yet,” Hearns added. Certain third-party candidates like George Wallace and Ross Perot still have their collectors, so it’s possible 2016 third party candidates like Jill Stein (Green Party) and Gray Johnson (Libertarian) and others will, too.

In the end, the state of collectibles for Campaign 2016 is very much inconclusive. But perhaps that only means more of an emphasis on an entirely new series of inaugural and presidential collectibles come January.


Tom Carrier is a General Worthologist with a specialty in Americana, political memorabilia and the resident WorthPoint vexillologist (flags, seals and heraldry) since 2007, and a frequent contributor of articles to WorthPoint.

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