BUTTONS 4 LESS ARTICLES
CAMPAIGN BUTTON COLLECTING
Campaign buttons have been a part of American political life almost since the signing of the Constitution. Many people enjoy collecting political campaign buttons as a chance to own a small piece of U.S. political history.
Campaign buttons have been worn for more than two hundred years. The first, actual clothing buttons, were worn at the inauguration of George Washington. By the time of Abraham Lincoln's 1860 campaign, early forms of photography enabled buttons to be printed with a likeness of the candidate on them.
The first widespread use of campaign buttons as we know them today took place during the 1896 presidential race between Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan. This was the campaign in which Bryan, an advocate of "free silver" gave what is widely considered to be one of the finest political speeches ever made, the legendary "Cross of Gold" speech.
Presidential elections have generated tons of custom buttons over the years. Pithy sayings such as "In your heart, you know he's right," a 1964 Barry Goldwater slogan, or the acerbic anti-Goldwater response "In your guts, you know he's nuts," make for great buttons. And they're highly collectible today.
With so many buttons out there in so many campaigns, what should a collector look for? Start by looking for buttons you like. It makes no difference if a candidate ran as a Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Independent, or member of any other party, there's sure to be a campaign button that catches your eye. It might be for a candidate you voted for or one you've never even heard of. The important thing is that you like it.
While some buttons can be worth significant amounts if they're rare enough, collectors shouldn't expect to make money from the hobby. Instead, focus on the fun of collecting the campaign buttons as a part of American history.
Candidates aren't the only ones who produce buttons. Interest groups, party organizations and other entities also create them in support or opposition of a particular candidate or cause. These can be more collectible because they tend to be produced in lower quantities.
Whatever your reasons for collecting political buttons, there's a button to suit any side of any cause, for or against just about any candidate. It's all a matter of finding which buttons appeal most to you.
Campaign buttons are frequently available at flea markets, antique stores, campaign offices, online and in specialty shops.