When I was in the publishing business, one of my first projects was editing a collectors’ price guide entitled Garage Sale Gold: Leading Experts Pick the Most Valuable Collectibles of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. One of the 52 categories was Pinback Buttons, with the subgroup Presidential Campaign Buttons.

Yes, campaign buttons are highly collectible and there have been some very imaginative designs. I was reminded of this when I found the article “The Forgotten Stories Behind Presidential Campaign Buttons” by April White on the Daily Jstor website (https://daily.jstor.org/the-forgotten-stories-behind-presidential-campaign-buttons/?).

This is a fun topic for political junkies. From the recesses of my memory, I recall how when Joseph Graham “Gray” Davis, Jr. ran for governor of California, his button was simply a plain shade of gray (not surprisingly, I haven’t been able to find a picture). And when Senator Morris Udall ran for a party leadership position, he wore a button that said “Mo.” When he lost, he turned it over to say “Ow.”

In this age of social media, the buttons don’t play nearly a great a role as they once did. I remember how many kids wore them to school in the 1950s. But they are still popular in some circles, as a quick eBay search will attest. So if you’re young and want to collect something (or even if you’re not), buttons of any kind are a good category. Just remember, collectible values are solely demand-driven, so do it to have fun. It’s always best to collect what brings you joy, not what you think will make you rich. And be alert — some of the most popular buttons have been reproduced. Do some homework before paying top dollar.

Just always remember the fun part.

By the way, the original edition of Garage Sale Gold can still be found on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Tomarts-Price-Guide-Garage-1992-01-01/dp/B017PO8YGK/ref=sr_1_5?).There was also a second edition published in 2000.