Political collecting can be a strange area. Not just because politicians are strange, but because the details may not transfer with time.

Culture, pop culture especially, is a funny thing that way.

There are specific issues that defined the times, the climates in which men (and a few women) ran for public office. Political slogans & emblems are often mysterious or strange years later because the reasons for the symbol or even the political issue itself is no longer ‘important,’ perhaps it is even no longer remembered.

Looking at them now, you learn a lot about American history. OK, sometimes you laugh too, either at the symbols or the issues, or the freakin’ candidates themselves. But looking at political collectibles is rarely boring.

For example, did you know that the Republicans have used other symbols besides the elephant? Did you know one of them was a dinner pail?!

Starting around 1894, the pail symbolized the party’s commitment to protecting American industry and labor by supporting a tariff on imports & to advocate full employment. It was first used on the all-important political campaign buttons (or pin backs) in the 1900 campaign, with over 15 different versions.

It was so popular with the Republicans that this pail symbol was used until the Depression.

Pins & buttons have always been popular. And confusing. Like those shown above. The chemical symbols for gold &/or water, were displayed on items supporting Barry Goldwater for president in 1964. And the”Willkie Says Spinach is Spinach—It Sure Is, Franklin” is something you’d likely never guess…

This button was derived from a New Yorker cartoon, in which a kid tries some broccoli, then pushes her plate away with the words “I say it’s spinach and to hell with it.” The button’s message is that Willkie would ‘tell it like it is.’

But political campaigns have used more than the traditional buttons to promote candidates & issues. Ceramics, glass, bandannas, canes, hats, jewelry, lampshades & pipes have been used to carry the message, the face & the slogans of candidates & parties. Even cigars have been a powerful political symbol through the years. (Struggling to refrain from any Clinton comments!)
Where-ever there has been a symbol available to rally the public, it has been used as well.

In 1901, the political news was about the organized power of the railroads and how it concerned the finances of the farmer. A popular novel about farmers and the Railroad Trust was titled “The Octopus” inspired this glass flask.

The ‘odd’ orange octopus covering this milk-glass silver-dollar flask is an example of such symbolism, and while it may not be the same message used with today’s symbolism of the octopus, it is still valued by collectors today — In fact this flask, dating to 1901, sold for $1,000 at a Glass Works Auction in East Greenville, Pa.

Like the octopus, many political collectibles are hiding their political connections — and thus their interesting stories. Like this stick pin.

Stamped “Carry A Nation” this hatchet stick pin might be overlooked by the average person at a flea market who didn’t know of it’s importance. “Carry A Nation” was not just a slogan, it’s the name of Carry A. Nation, one of the leaders of the temperance movement. The short version of the fascinating story of Carry is that of a woman called by God to rid her country of the ills of alcohol. She became so frustrated with the lack of enforcement of temperance law that on June 1, 1900, she smashed her first saloon. Thus, the hatchet pins were sold to supporters to raise funds for the cause.

Perhaps the oddest political collectible that I’ve seen yet is this century-old “soap baby.” This baby wears a tag that says “My Papa will vote for McKinley,” but there were those endorsing Bryan as well. (And Bryan ones are much rarer now than ones promoting McKinley.)

The soap baby was used in the election of 1896, aka Republican William McKinley vs. Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

McKinley items are very popular to collectors as this was one of the first ‘modern’ political campaigns — the amount of advertising material put out (by both candidates) was huge.

Even if you are not a person who values the cultural or historical value of political collectibles, or, dare I think it, you lack the ability to value the hysterical in many of these items, keep your eyes out for unusual political pieces — They sell for high prices!

The soap babies, while maybe fetching auction prices of $15 to $30 (for McKinley anyway), are given replacement values of $75 by insurance companies - indicating they will only rise in value. The dinner pail pin above, in nice conditions, sells for well over $100 (and that was in 1997!)

The rare items, older candidates, etc. will fetch the highest prices, but even some more ’modern’ candidates have larger price tags. (Think “Kennedy” — Heck, if it was worn by a Kennedy, or sneezed on by a Kennedy… But ‘that *snot* glamorous‘ is it?) And who knows what the present day campaign bumper stickers, pins, sweatshirts, comics, etc. will fetch at the auctions of decades from now?

So while you search flea markets for the old campaign trail items, pack away a few ‘classics’ from current elections — even local political office campaigns too… You never know where that bum in office will end up!

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Article Tags: pail, pins, political, politics, pop culture, Republicans

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 27th, 2006 at 5:17 am and is filed under collecting fyi, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.