So what do you collect? Well, the short answer is what you like. Yeah, and what you can afford. Several years ago I ran into a guy that collected everything that said Hart - that was his name. As long as it didn't have a picture of a candidate or a first name he bought it.
A lot of political collectors build what we call a representative collection. A most common one is to collect campaign pinbacks or campaign buttons (remember we use both of those, shamelessly, I might add, quite frequently, to show up quicker on the search engines) from each presidential election of the Democratic nominee candidate(s) and the Republican nominee candidate(s) and this can be done relatively inexpensively.
Some folks prefer to concentrate on their own states - like governors, U.S. House & Senate and even Mayoral etc. In the hobby these are known as State and Locals or just Locals. There are collectors that collect just Governors of different states and just U.S. Senators. We could go and on here but you get the point.
Okay so if you don't know a lot about politicals we're gonna toss afew terms out there for you. Hopefuls. That's usually meant as candidates that were running for their parties nomination in earnest. This years hopefuls were say, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney. They made legitimate camapigns but fell short.
Speculatives. A term applied when no exploratory or actual campaign was established but mainly a trial ballon to see if there was interest. You may see buttons or pinbacks for them that actually mke it seem like they did and yes, there is no reason not to collect them.
Jugates. Strictly applied this is a political item where the presidential and vice presidential nominees are featured on the same item. Generally a pictorial button but a brochure or poster qualifies, too. And no, it it doesn't strictly apply to just Democrats or Republicans.
The term has become stretched out to include, say John McCain and Cindy McCain together on a button. Also to include any two candidates on the same item. As in the candidate for Governor and Lt. Governor. Strictly speaking, in hobby terms, they are not jugates. If you see like...Smith for Governor, Brown for Lt. Gov "jugate" you at least know the seller is acknowledging his usage is loosely applied and that's okay.
Okay so let's talk about fakes, reproductions and fantasy pieces. This is mainly directed at politicals but yes, the knowledge applies to all pinbacks. First of all let's talk about lithographic (tin) campaign buttons and pinbacks (same thing.) The litho button manufactiring process wasn't available till the 1920 election. So if someone is trying to sell you a Woodrow Wilson or an Abe Lincoln litho pinback - well don't. These are probably fantasy pieces.
The lithographic technology involves printing/inking sheets of tin and then cutting them out and inserting a "pin" inside the back.
Dr. Sullivan, I think, states 20,000 must be made to be cost effective - so your average hustler won't do this - too expensive and the returns are not there. An issue of 20,000 would rediculously flood the market. Where a hobby like coins or stamps usually considers that amount rare - in politicals it's a glut.
The basic process of creating what most pinbacks are today - the celluloid type - is taking a printed insert, placing it over a metal blank, a piece of plastic ( the "celluloid" of today) over that. Then a metal (aluminium) back is pressed to the assemblage and presto - a button or pinback, if you prefer. This process didn't become available till 1896 (at least election wise.) So whether you're buying a Boy Scout pinback or a Abe Lincoln - those pinbacks couldn't exist so they are fake.
The problem todays is anybody with $400 dollars or so and a good computer can start cranking out their own campaign buttons. Kind of think like color copiers & counterfeiting and the way we've had to change our currency. Campaign buttons or campaign pinbacks (we use them both since the search engines read content - so we can move up - sly isn't it!) making machines are now for everybody. We even bought out a sister company that produces them.
The complex equation became evolving in 1976 with the advent of public financing and the huge media impact. Today campaigns put very few dollars into political campaign buttons and campaign pinbacks; instead opting for tv time and some radio. So called political campaign button and pinback vendors make up the majority of the market. However, a lot of campaigns actually buy them and then put them on sale at their h.q.'s So in a way they become defacto official. And yes, certainly there are still official issues made more on the state, convention and local level.
For example: Let's say Fulton County (Atlanta) Republicans decide to make one saying Fulton County, GA for John McCain. They wear them, sell them at hq (or gie them away). Well, the usage is official. Still, the most official issues usually contain a disclaimer on the pinback's curl saying: Fulton County Republicans Committee but maybe not.
So basically don't get hung up on it. Collect what you like. For instance if you a real dedicated specialist and you want to collect say, George W. Bush - go for it. Certainly it's okay to consider investment value but collect what appeals to you and what you can afford. And at ECTC we make it easy for you.
All our pinbacks are guaranteed authentic and original or your money back. We try to state condition fairly but there is no across the board standards like coins and stamps. Most collectors put their pinbacks in Rikker Mounts (like butterflies or such are kept in.) Under this storage and display method surfaces imperefctions are not easily distinguished. Hence many dealers (we, too) use this term... will display as....
Hope this helped you some. God Bless one all.
The organized political hobby always gains momentum and a boost by a new segment of collectors garnered by the latest politcal race: This season, of course, being fueled by the intense interest in both the Obama and McCain candidacies. During the frenzy of speculation (mainly by seasoned political campaign pinback collectors and dealers), a lot of political campaign collectibles - especially political campaign pinbacks; both rumored/thought to be and truly scarce/rare political campaign pinbacks, tough to get and real rarities there are many political pinbacks that are selling for high prices. True to past political pinback collecting: some are truly rare and will zoom up in value and some political campaign pinbacks will be bought at very high prices; only to plumment or lose a significant portion of their value. Often new political collectors will beome disillusioned and quickly lose interest.
Avoid buying higher priced political campaign pinbacks. Stick with basic political pinbacks you really like and are not very expensive. It's a good time to buy non 2008 issues as well. After the hullaboo is over, yes, true rarities will be rare and they may even cost more for a while. The odds are not in that direction. After the election whatever candidate loses: their stuff across the board will be worth and sell for less; even the winner's material (at the least a vast majority of it) will also decline. In short you may get sucked in for paying $45 for something that in a few months may very well sell for $30, $20 or even far less. The old caveat emptor applies aptly: Let the buyer beware.
Finally a few terms to cast your way. Two basic pinbacks types: The tin or lithograph and the celluloid style. Lithos are heavily produced and their heyday in the 1940's into the 1980's is past. Most issues now are a celluloid style camapign pinback where a paper insert (with say Obamas or McCain picture and name appears) is center on a metal blank, covered with a piece of plastic, then these are pressed with a metal back with a pin (for wearing) together.
One more term is: Jugate. A jugate strictly applied means the presidential and vice-presidential candidate photos appearing on the pinback. Loosely applied it has evolved to include their names only as in: a a name jugate. Some apply it to a pin which might feature the candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor; or even the presidential nominee and his wife or another candidate for. say, U.S. Senate or a local race. If you can track it down I highly recommend as a standard classic ("a bible" so to speak) of modern political collecting. Collecting Political Americana by Dr. Edmund Sullivan. It's an older book but the majority of it's non pricing information is timeless and will save you a fortune on fakes, fantasies and reproductions. Speaking of which that will be my next posting.
Got general collecting questions? Leave a post. This is Arthur Henry and I hope this helped some folks - God Bless You Always!
Thanks for visiting ECTC. I would like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my political background and knowledge of the collecting world in general. Arthur Henry's Collecting Blog will focus on explaining collecting, political collecting in particular as well as other mixed subjects.
Back To Home Page
